In most of our homes we say a blessing prior to eating.  Why before we eat?  I suppose it’s because we are thanking Him in advance for the gift of this food. 

In Jewish homes they say the blessing after eating. They thank God for the food they have consumed so that they can continue to praise Him.   On the Sabbath they also light candles, and the mother covers her head with a scarf and father offers a blessing for each of his children.  It’s a lovely tradition. 

Also, in most Jewish homes the blessings over the food are very specific.  For example, there is a blessing designated for fruit and an entirely different blessing for vegetables.  There is a special blessing for grape products like juice or wine, and another for bread.  Then, there is a separate blessing for cake, cookies and other products made with flour other than bread. And finally, there is a blessing for everything else, which covers anything the Father/Mother might have missed!  

Why is it so complicated.  Why not just one blessing that covers it all?

After some research I discovered that each kind of food contains different elements for which they are grateful.  When eating something sweet it is a different sensory experience than when one is eating a piece of bread.  Indulging in a glass of wine and biting into a carrot are both experiences to be thankful for, but they are very different in taste and texture.

Verse 19 of Psalm 68 reads. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”  So how does this fit in with blessing our food?

Just as each kind of food has its own special element for which we are grateful, so too, every day has something unique for which to be thankful.  We need to bless God “day by day “because every day brings new blessings to us.   He bears our burdens! 

Does blessing God seem strange to you?  I thought we always asked His blessings to us.  When you read the Hebrew Scriptures, we read where people always blessed God……. Don’t we praise him for what he has done for us? 

In Lamentations 3:22-23 we read. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end;’ they are new every morning.”  What a beautiful thought!  God showers us with new blessings every morning, and so we must be thankful anew every single day. 

Giving gratitude is a practice of the senses and a reminder that we need to be sensitive to all the different ways that God has blessed us.  We are especially thankful for the gift of food.  We see so many who are homeless and must depend on others for food! Working in poor neighborhoods and helping deliver food is a great blessing for them and for us. 

No matter how good or how bad your life might seem right now, there is always something for which to be grateful.   God is giving us a gift every day; you just need to look for it.  Once you’ve discovered it rejoice and praise God for it!

What is your blessing today?

An added note:  A friend wrote me with this thought since the assignation attempt on President Trump.  “Vote with Ballots and not with bullets.”  So true.

We are living in an era of moral inversion.  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. “ (Isaiah 5:20)
Justice, true justice is void.  Solving our problems seems insurmountable.  The challenges are not just political but spiritual.  Our society has lost its way.  Abortion, transsexualism, homosexuals, the LGTBQT etc etc. have taken the spotlight and anyone who cries “wrong” is given a title of some sort.

Honestly, I have no solution for our problems.  Our call to discipleship leaves us in a quandary.  Just how do we approach these problems of society?  I assume you have no answers either.   

Living in the 1st century under Roman rule, with all its immorality, the early Believers grew in numbers.  Somehow, deep inside the human soul, they knew the lavish and decadent life was wrong.  They gathered to hear Paul’s preaching. Paul spoke not only to Gentiles but to his Jewish brethren.  He presented Jeshua as the one who raised the bar on immorality and yet did not desert the teachings of Torah.  He didn’t start a new religion.  He kept within the framework of the Hebrew scriptures.  

I have mentioned the word Torah many times in my writings.  What is the Torah?  You can find it of course by doing a bit of research but basically, it’s the teachings of the first five books of our Bible.  It also forms the basics of how Jesus himself taught and used those teachings in his ministry.  The problem being it is open to various interpretations.  Jesus had most of his disputes with the Pharisees who held a strict interpretation of the Teachings.

When Jeshua declared His new Covenant, He was not declaring the old outdated and “nailed to the cross”.  The “sin and death” from Paul’s  Roman letter does not mean the Torah or its teachings are erroneous.

Romans 8 begins and ends with declarations of the Believers absolute security before God. There is no condemnation for us who become disciples of the Messiah. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love.

 We are unable to keep God’s teachings. But the Master is and was the only one who was able and willing to do that for us.  It is by faith in Him that allows us to call God Abba Father. We are confident that God loves us and sent the Messiah to fulfill all the obligations that God requires of His people. 

 Many of today’s preachers are saying that the old Law is outdated, and we no longer need it since grace has replaced the teachings of Torah. So, I guess God made a mistake the first time but corrected it later. Really?

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” – Mark 2:22

An interesting story about the wineskins.  The old wineskins did not declare the Torah or its teachings to be outdated but how to apply them regarding one’s life.  Mark verse 22, teaches that the Pharisees lived lives like old wineskins. When new wine was poured in, the wineskins would break apart and the wine wasted. Jesus however, brought freedom in grace. His grace could not be held in legalistic rules that the Pharisees enforced over others. We cannot alter Jeshua to fit our mold of religion.  We must remember that we are the jars, and He is the Potter. He will shape us to learn. To try to fit Jesus’ teachings of love and freedom into the Pharisaical legalism (or even its modern-day equivalences) will result in loss of truth and freedom and living under His grace to us.    

As Disciples we minister while we are learning.  We show by example. Our mission should always be done by example.  It’s what we do with our ministry that is important.  That’s the story of the Good Samaritan.  Just getting on your knees for prayer isn’t enough.  It’s our call to show the way. 

                           That’s what being a disciple is all about.

                  I was planning to procrastinate, but never got around to it. 

Whether you consider the above quotation wise, witty or silly, it can be quite a sobering thought.  How many of us can truly say we don’t put off important things we know we should have done yesterday?  Don’t you just go green with envy when you meet those super-efficient amazons who are punctual, organized and always put together?  Don’t they infuriate you…..with yourself? 

From my own experience I know that if something is important, I better attend to it immediately, otherwise I simply don’t trust myself to “get around to it.”  I know I could benefit from a Time Management course.  In fact, I once signed up for one but never made it there.  No time!!  There are still so many new ideas, projects and plans I’d like to get around to.  I know that with better personal discipline they might materialize!!

You might be surprised to learn that effective time management is not a professional value but also a religious imperative.  We need to remember that our days here are all counted and we must make good use of the time that the Lord has given us. 

But is that really important?  Time marches on inexorably, whether we take note of it or not.  What value is there in counting the days? The answer is that we count these days to make us conscious of the preciousness of every single day.  To make us more sensitive to the value of a day, an hour, a moment.  As an old friend once said, “A summers’ day and a winter’s night is a year!”  Think about that.  Whatever your age……with God’s grace you will get older!

I once read a great saying.  Life is like a picture postcard.  Ever had the experience of being on vacation and sending a picture postcard home to a friend?    We start writing with a large scrawl and then think of new things to say and before we know it we are at the end of the card and there’s no more room!!   So, what do we do?  We start writing smaller and then when we’re out of space we start winding our words around the edges to get it all in!!

Isn’t life like that?  We start off young and reckless and as we get older, we realize that life is short.  So, we start cramming and trying to squeeze in all those important things we never got around to doing.  Sometimes our attempts are quite desperate, even pathetic, as we seek to put some meaning into our lives before it’s too late.  (Maybe that’s with mid-life crisis is all about.}

So, God tells us to count our days because they are, in fact, numbered.  We each have an allotted number of days and years in which to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.  Hopefully by counting time we will appreciate it better!! So, whatever it is that is important for each of us to get done, let’s do it.  God will be pleased that we will use our time wisely in His service and whatever you feel called to do. 

                                    Your Days are all Numbered!

Prayer is one of the most important expressions of our religious life and our relationship with God.

Prayer is the avenue of our faith.  And yet prayer is one of the least understood spiritual practices.   To many, it can feel mechanical, scripted and inauthentic or unfocused.

What is prayer and why do we pray?   Do we only ask for His intervening in our lives when all seems hopeless for us or when we want some special favor that only He can bestow? 

To understand prayer, we must ask ourselves why we pray at all. 

I suggest these for your thoughts.

When we study scripture, we find a multitude of meanings and associations, each contributing to the rich tapestry of prayer’s spiritual significance. Whether we seek to reach out to something greater than ourselves or perhaps realizing our own inadequacy, as Believers we want to make a connection to the spiritual.  It’s an ongoing process. 

Prayer is an expression of intimacy with our Creator. 

Prayer is more than asking for what we need.  It is a humbling experience that highlights the great divide between petitioner and Provider.  It’s a declaration of love and an expression of spiritual longing. 

In any relationship, a natural dissonance of views and experience exists between two parties.  Our views of life’s circumstances don’t always agree with others. 

In the case of the Divine, this distance is even greater.  In God’s view we were created to fulfill a Divine mission, whereas from the human perspective, we are naturally inclined to live life solely for our own benefit and pleasure. 

In prayer, we attune ourselves to the still, small voice of the Divine, which reminds us that life is so much more than a laundry list of demands and desires, and that we are each here on a sacred mission to better our world. 

We must also judge ourselves.   In this sense it is also a time of personal reckoning, a time to evaluate and recalibrate who we really are, what we truly want in life, where we are heading, and how far along that path we have come.

We are each part body and part soul.  And yet, most of the day revolves around feeding our bodily appetites, needs and drive, strengthening our ego’s sense of our own self-worth.  Left to our own devices, over time our spiritual instincts and impulses can become mechanical or even nonexistent.     What’s there for me??

Therefore, when we pray mindfully, we are filling our hearts with thoughts and dreams of what it is that we want to see and do in this world.  Such prayerful visualizations help us shift from ourselves to how I can be of use to others. 

The point of prayer is not to remind God of what we need from Him, rather, it is to remind ourselves of what He “needs” from us! 

Above all else guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.
       (Proverbs 4:23)

 The human heart is more than a physical part of our body.  On the spiritual level It is called the seat of human emotions.  It is like the electric control panel of our being. 

We might have problems with other body parts but the heart itself gives us the life we need to keep us going.  A person can still live as long as the heart continues to do its job.  But if there is a heart problem the entire body is in danger. 

The heart has been called the “king of the body” because it rules over our entire being.  Taking care of our hearts is a big thing. Popeye ate his can of spinach and look at him!  Now we are told to add olive oil to our food, eat lots of green healthy veggies and less red meat! 
We are always reading new advice on healthy living. Fresh air, and exercise and of course no smoking. 

But what about our spiritual hearts?  How do we nourish it?  Spiritual nourishment must come within us.  It’s not just our study of scripture but our interaction with others. It’s sharing the good that we can do and making life fun!  All the preaching in the world with a sad face and heart will not add pleasure to other’s lives. 

The Bible is replete with verses on “heart” nourishment.  But preaching doom and gloom is not making disciples or making both our lives and others happy.   I do believe our Lord made himself available but always with a happy heart and smile.  He drew people to Himself, not with a sad face, but with a happy heart.

So, our job is to stop the negative stuff. Keeping a healthy spiritual heart will give you a happy face.  Our healthy heart will be filled with love and faith and our actions will follow.

And on that happy note I found an old clipping of Bible questions that a Bible teacher had asked her children.  I think this will give you a happy heart and smile!

“Lots wife was a pillar of salt during the day but a ball of fire during the night.”

“The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.”

“ Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines”

“Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.  Noah’s wife was Joan of the ark, Noah built the ark, and the animals came on in pears. “

“ Samson slayed the philistines with the axe of the apostles.

And finally…………
“Christians have only one spouse.  This is called monotony”

                                   Put on your happy heart!!

“The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous stands firm.” Proverbs 12:7

One of my all-time favorite childhood stories was “The Three Little Pigs.”  My mother was a great storyteller and made me laugh when she huffed and puffed like the big bad wolf, throwing the blanket off the bed, just as the old wolf was blowing down the houses of the little pigs.  Back then, the story was just entertainment but when I remember it again as an adult, I realize the great Biblical truths of that the story and the meaning behind it. 

The first two little pigs opted to build their houses quickly and easily, one of straw and one of sticks. They finished quickly so that they could go out and have fun!  They had no idea that the big bad wolf was watching them.   He was easily capable of blowing down each flimsy house. and the two little pigs had to save their little pig lives by running quickly to their third brother’s house.   He had taken the time to build his house of bricks.  It wasn’t luck that that kept the third pig’s house standing, but the time and effort he invested in building something strong.  So how is this story related to Biblical truths? 

Notice that in the story of the three little pigs and in real life, everyone encounters troubles that threaten to topple us.  The big bad wolf will try to blow down everyone’s house whether they are righteous or wicked.  Yet, while we all go through difficult times, we don’t all come out of them the same way. 

When someone builds their life on lies……founded on faulty beliefs and misplaced values, their foundation is extremely precarious.  If they face financial challenges, they might lose their sense of wellbeing and capacity for hope. If they encounter uncertainty in any area of life, they completely implode.  If you don’t have God as your foundation, what will keep you standing?

 We, as Believers, have built our lives on the solid foundations of faith., biblical values, morals, and teachings of scripture.  We can withstand the storms that come into our lives.  The big bad wolf will always be on the other side of the door, waiting to blow our houses down, unless we have the firm foundation and have built our houses of brick.  When we do, we will be able to weather any storm.  Our houses will stand, and we will emerge stronger than ever before. 

 ‘Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’ (Matthew :24-27)

How are you building your house?

Good King Solomon was considered to be one of the wisest men who ever lived.  He authored several books in the Hebrew Scriptures.  The Book of Proverbs is one of my favorites.   In Hebrew it is part of the scriptures called Ketuvim or “writings”.  It is part of their “wisdom tradition” which also includes Job and Ecclesiastes
       “Whoever seeks good finds favor……..but evil comes to one who searches for it!”…….Proverbs 11:27

Do any of us really search for evil?  What are we missing here?

Many years ago, I thought it would be fun to take a psychology class.  In fact, I needed this credit to graduate.  The professor was known for his work in the field of adolescent psychology.  He also was a professed Believer, which was not that unusual back in my day.    The professor gave us an assignment. Each of us was assigned to write a paper on our adolescence years.  Both the positives and negatives of growing up and how it has affected us as adults. 

At one point during his lecture, the professor told his audience that he would project a picture on the screen for 90 seconds and instructed us to count how many shapes we could find in the picture.

A picture of a school bus carrying children on a sunny day down a tree-lined street immediately appeared and like everybody else I started to look for and count the shapes that I saw.  Then the 90 seconds were up. The photo disappeared.

The professor admitted that he was testing us.  Although he asked us to find various shapes, not one person even noticed the how many children were on the bus. 

So, case in point.  The good professor’s exercise pointed out that we only find what we are really looking for.  What we see in our lives reflects what we seek out and choose to focus on.  A person who is caught up in the negative aspects of life and is overly focused on their own problems will most likely have a difficult time seeing anything positive in life.  Such a person will find little joy in life and likely feel depressed and worthless. 

On the other hand, someone who seeks out the positive aspects of life and makes a conscience decision to focus on what is good, will see God’s blessings everywhere. Despite the problems of life, such a person will experience life as a blessing and feel grateful and happy much of the time. 

So, Solomon’s words are true.  If we look for the good in every situation, we will find it. But, if we are negative and thrive on being a victim of life, we will find validation for our victimhood everywhere. 

 Ultimately, our perspective on life determines the trajectory of our lives.  Let us choose to focus on God’s blessings and then as Solomon says, we will find even more of God’s favor.

                              Is your glass half full?  Or do you see it half empty?

                                                 The choice is yours.

                                    Happiness is Giving                                                                    ,

Every day I receive at least five to six requests for money.  Each letter is an appeal to improve a situation, provide medical supplies, feed a family, help kids in hospitals.  Each one is worthy.  They all have good credit scores with Charity Navigator. Now what to do?

Therefore, I must decide.  Each one of us must make similar choices.  Most of us have been blessed with money and we are entrusted to use it wisely. 

The Bible has words of wisdom on use of our money.  2 Timothy 3:  “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.” 1Tim.6:16 ‘For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”   There are many verses which allude to the same type of desire……….the quest for riches. 

We have all sat in our Sunday pews and heard stories about the love of money. The rich man coming to Jeshua to become a disciple but refusing to give up his way of life; the man building bigger barns to hold all his goods and yet not living to enjoy it.   It’s not about the money itself, but the deep need we all feel that money will provide what we are missing in life. 

We are thankful for the wealthy who have donated millions to provide funds for symphonies; great museums; hospitals; donations for many philanthropic causes, all of which enriches our lives.  

There is nothing wrong with a nice cruise to the Greek Islands, seeing the sites of Paris at night or perhaps a vacation in Colorado.   Money can give us pleasure. God provides wonderful experiences for us to enjoy.  But in the long term, we are left with an empty purse and pictures on our phones.

But here is the really sweet secret of giving.  When one gives, one also receives in return! 

In one study, researchers discovered that those who spent more on charity and others rather than themselves enjoyed significantly greater and longer lasting happiness. (Dunn, Aknin,  Norton: Science Mag. March 2008)

Other findings include lower depression rates and less self-focus.  Perhaps we are missing something when we have not let our children realize that giving is a necessary part of being a real person.  The one that God created us to be. 

Giving money isn’t the only way to enjoy the benefits of generosity: People who are very giving in relationships, being emotionally available and hospitable, are much more likely to be in excellent health.

  According to research, the positive energy that you feel when you do a good deed has a tangible impact on your body.  In much the same way that exercise releases endorphins into your brain that makes you feel good, acts of charity generate what scientists call the “helpers’ high!”

The benefits of a generous heart not only provide you with rewards but also provide comfort to others.  Help might be needed in finding work, in prayer, in relationships.  This is all part of giving. 

A famous rabbi once said: “We are only worth with we are willing to share.” When we give of ourselves to others, we are not diminished but enriched.”

In the words of Winston Churchill “We may make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

                                                Agree?

Transparency and accountability are the new buzz words for the 21st century.  No doubt all honorable people welcome every genuine effort to stop corruption and dishonesty in whatever sphere of society—– corporate, governmental, or personal.  But is this really a new phenomenon?  Is ours, in fact, the first generation in history concerned about such issues?

In Exodus 38-40 we learn that even Moses needed a transparent accounting of the donations received towards the building of the tabernacle and the fittings and sacred vessels.  Every person became accountable for their donations plus their actions.  It was to be with a willing heart to provide funds for this tent in which God himself would be worshipped. 

Is God holding us accountable today?  Is He regarding us and our actions and what we are doing with our lives?  Do our possessions take preference over our relationship with others?

None of us can imagine God in Heaven with a big scoreboard.   Is He putting check marks for our behavior?   After all we are mere humans doing human things in this crazy world.   We give, we worship, we live under God’s grace, and we depend on our Messiah to take away our sins. 

                                    But wait………..there is more to come!
One day we all will face the ultimate accountability of our actions.  Each of us must give a full justification and accounting for the way we have lived our lives. 

                    Yes, there is a final exam.  How do we know this?

Matthew 25; Jeshua tells us that ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

When He tells us that all nations will be judged, it isn’t just the Jews to whom He is speaking?.  It’s you and me.  He isn’t asking if you have been baptized; how many times you attend services; how much money is in your checking account.

‘Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”³⁷ ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”⁴⁰ ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

⁴¹ ‘Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was ill and in prison and you did not look after me.”⁴⁴ ‘They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or ill or in prison, and did not help you?”⁴⁵ ‘He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.⁴⁶ ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I do believe that many of you reading this blog will dismiss these words.  Why?  How could a loving God do this?  After all, we have lived well; we haven’t committed a really dreadful sin; we have kept part of the Torah teachings (at least most of the Ten Commandments). Or how many times we have read though the Bible. We have never been unfaithful to our spouses.

  I’m not suggesting that we all will visit the sick or make trips to the county jail.  It’s the every day happenings and how  we make other’s lives  a little better. Should we fear a Judgement?

We will all die and make an accounting for our treatment of others; sorrows for doing things our way; repentance with a commitment to do good unto others as we would have them do to us!  The words of our Master should fill us with both joy and fear! 

            It’s time to examine our lives. . 

                                  “Doing good unto the least of these!”

You might say I have a small but powerful aversion to the word “Mother Nature.”  Leaving God out of the equation really bothers me. Mother Nature did this Mother Nature that!  What makes creation a Mother?  Creation is a product of a Creative mind, not some mindless happenstance. 

                                           Creation is a Miracle. 

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story that is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see” (CS Lewis)

Creation is that story we take for granted. It is our small world we see, often failing to see the “large letters” and the wonders of our universe. The new James Webb telescope has opened the world outside of our own small universe.  We can see the majesty of the Creator.       

The human propensity to take creation for granted is truly astonishing. We try to explain the wonders surrounding us.  We explain them away to help us simplify and make sense of life.  As a result, we tend to overlook the extraordinary realities of Creation unfolding before us. Our Messiah is part of Creation process.

 John writes:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

Perhaps our view of the world is like the sea.  It is only when one dives in and is fully immersed that we can appreciate the world’s wonderous rich life concealed beneath its surface. Therefore, we must live fully and joyfully to see what God has given us.

Many people observe the universe but disregard its origin, Creator, and life-force. This leads them to take our created world and reality at face value, without looking beyond its façade to find a deeper meaning and significance.

We as Believers, must slow down the frantic blur of life, see beneath the veneer of the world and search for the beauties of the created order.

When reading the Gospel stories of the Messiah, we can see Him as the light of the world in the creation account of Genesis.  Seek and you will find.

When we know Him and who He is, we can see the Divine Presence of God with us (Emmanuel) and dispel the illusion of atheistic naturalism and behold the created order of the universe and the divine within each person.

We will see our world as a series of miracles that are perpetually recreated at every moment and yet never exactly the same as before! Amazing!!

                                    God is still creating!