Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
Posted in Uncategorized
I’m a clinger. ❗️🙏❗️✝️❗️
Good morning, Frank. This devotional dovetails nicely with the book you linked to yesterday.
Agreed. Good afternoon 🌞
Clinging with you and others.
Amen.
Thank you W_P, another gem of a devotional.
I cling…tightly. He never lets go. Thank you, Jesus, my Lord, my Savior and my God.
Another beautiful trio! Gorgeous music, wonderful musician, and really cut shoes in that second video!
🙂
I really enjoy the videos where the camera focuses close on finger work.
Kinda like they did for pipe organ pedal work for Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. 🙂
🙂
Very nice soulful guitar melodies to create art by when you’re staying up at night way later than you should. I especially like the second song, el verano porteño .
🙂
Dear Treepers,
Thanks for maintaining the treehouse. Thanks for maintaining and living by faith and hope. We are gearing up again. Many of our fellows are gone, some forever, others we don’t know where. But we are One, carried by a Spirit whose voice we seek, we meditate on, we share with each other, we submit to, and we allow to refine us both individually and collectively.
May God bless our efforts that they reflect His will.
May God bless America
This is a very uplifting comment.
You care!
And good on you CountryDoc 🙂 We don’t keep score here.
🙂
Thank God for no scoring here!
Thank you, Doc. Wonderful comments and much appreciated.
Wow, a blast from the past, I’d nearly forgotten you,
I remember your encouragement but I didn’t post much back then, nothing like a return to duty.
God wins.
Me too!! Nice to see you again county doc❤️ #4 on my Santa list is a ticket for the old band reunion tour🙂❤️
GDay, mate.
A hearty and sweet and tender and glaringly LOUD amen!
Frank, on that bullhorn with you!
Good to see you countrydoc.
Amen, CountryDoc!
Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you are, Doc!
~Missed you…
I think the best songs that Susan Boyle sings are when the arrangement is exquisitely spare, almost stark. The utter lack of unadornment (especially these days when singers in the pop genre seem compelled to add runs and all manner of flourishes where none are needed) and lack of affect is most welcome, quite beautiful, and very touching.
One of my fav carols, especially by the Kings Choir.
This rendition combining Boyle with the awesome group, Libera, is very moving and soul deep!
I agree. I am mostly an accompanist. I love playing piano for a good singer. If someone wants to sing at church or other venue, I will ask the range and then set the key if they know. If not, I ask them to give me a sample of their low and high voice. I then give them a short intro and have them to sing. I then follow their interpretation. A lot of singers have become so ingrained to just follow the music, that they find this very difficult at first. It may take two or three times through before they start to sing from their own heart. My goal is to disappear into the background while the singer expresses the song from their soul. It is a magical moment when it works.
As an (mostly) accompanist, I think you will so appreciate this. Geoffrey Parsons playing heavenly piano with the late great Victoria de los Angeles singing Catalan Folk Songs. Every single one is a short little gem. (Not sure what’s up with the first 7 seconds of the video. Ignore and then the actual recording begin.)
Beautiful!
I can only hear it digitally, but the piano has the chime sound of a Bosendorfer or Schimmel grand, my 2 fav grands.
Being musical, I really appreciate your comment today.
Perfect pitch is an awesome, though rare gift. You can play any note and they can tell you what it is 100 out of 100 times.
My dad was church organist for decades. The big Hammond with Leslie speakers. Emerson of ELP did wonders with the B3 and Leslies, not to mention his pioneering work with the Moogs.
My dad always appreciated having a good pianist on the other side of the stage.
Piano was his degree from Loyola University. He had a full ride scholarship as a TB survivor. Magna Cum Laude while raising us kids in some lean times.
I am grateful for that past even with some serious health bumps as a child.
But I am also grateful for you and others here who share your stories. Like your comment today along music past.
Btw, your handle here is great. When I read your comments, I get good vibes!
You, Betsy, GrandpaM, others greatly encourage me these days.
Putting more prayer in for all of you more than ever.
We are a wonderful congregation in this great tree of camaraderie!
PS: Loved your thought about disappearing into the background. You focused correctly and weren’t an attention whore! You made room for the expression of voice.
😊💓
Bless all who come to this thread for a bit of peace and Garrison’s great offerings.
So Garrison, another one for you and those who appreciate your musical acumen.
Along with Newsome, another Thomas of soul lifting and inspiring compositions:
Hope all these links are right.
Sorry to eavesdrop. Thanks for sharing those links. I have to hop off to take care of some late night phone calls, but hope to listen later if I’m able. Meanwhile, I don’t know the details for your struggles with your eyes or your shoulder, but wish you a good night, Solomon….
I’ll get the Lord’s blessing for both. Already working.
Prayers of loving people have been powerful!
These Thomas Bergesen pieces will cheer you and lift up your heart up in the beauty of music.
I have to “blame” Garrison for inspiring me to post music on this thread
It’s all his fault!
Yeah. Garrison, you!
But thank you for that! 🙂🙂
I think of you often dear brother. Very glad you’re a Treeper.
2 way street, brother! 🙂
Have a blessed day.
Won’t be on much today.
Love my tree family here!
Good morning, Solomon, I hope you got a good night’s rest.
Good morning, G
It was okay, but not as bad as they were.
Appreciate your care!
Have a blessed day.
After my second rotator cuff surgery what helped a lot was sleeping in a recliner. Did it for about 2 weeks. Didn’t hurt nearly as bad as sleeping in bed.
Continuing prayers your way.
I am in my recliner 95% of my attempted sleeping hours. It is easier. Trying to turn from one side to the other in bed is hell, plus I can’t lay on that shoulder side.
Plus I have spine degeneration. Too many discs, lumbar, thoracics and cervical, are too bad for any kind of surgery. Cervical has affected my optic nerve so about 10 feet out, everything is double. Haven’t had single vision since about 2008.
Having said all that, I rejoice in the Lord for surviving a lot of bad stuff in life. Rather than complain to the Lord, I am thankful for His blessing to have kept me alive numerous times in terrible circumstances.
Now I am here with all of you. At least I can see single on my phone a foot away from my face.
Hands make commenting very difficult but all of you are worth it.
I have been emotionally moved to pray for all of you today!
Gotta stop. Phone screen is getting a bit misty.
Love you, brother.
Solomon-Big 🤗 and a💋
🌸🌺🥀🌼🌻🌹🌷💐 😘
All that love and care coming right back to you!
Cheers me up.
Mission possible accomplished! 🙂
You sent enough flowers for me to start next spring’s garden! 😉
The “seeds” you plant never need weeding🙂
They’re the best kind. Thank you for giving me starters for my garden 🙂
And you have enough for everyone ❤️
Well, we are in God’s Garden together on this side of Eternity.
Wait till He brings us to full blossom together on the other side! 🤗
Dang bro!
I’m so glad you praise His Majesty in spite of your situations.
It inspires me. Grace to you Mon.
I do.
He is first and utmost in my life…our lives together in His Great Body of fellowship and communion of our Messiah. Including all of you here.
For some further heart strings, see my comment to Sarah Lee who is another I so appreciate here, especially about the music stuff.
I posted 4 Above & Beyond songs for her. My fav group of all times.
Might want to have some tissue available in case your screen gets misty.
Frank, I can’t tell you how much your earlier comment this morning meant.
It’s like I could see God’s eyes straight into your heart of care and love. A comment I am never, ever going to forget.
My response to Sarah is time-stamped 2:19pm today.
Bless you!
I know that it is usually between and women the red heart is exchanged…
But brothers of love…
❤ to you from God’s spirit in my heart and prayer for you!
PS: I am seriously praying for mungrel! I understand his life and struggle.
Brothers of love… them glasses are getting foggy.
Well, I lost mine the other night, broken and embedded right under my left eye.
The Lord reminded me…
His blessing…they could have been embedded in my eye. Had a good doctor who pulled the frame out.
So I don’t have any glasses now, but I know what you mean. Eyes still misty.
Part of that is all the love and prayers among us here.
Been through worse.
Willing to go through more for the Body of Jesus Christ…
For any one of you!
🕶
Love you, too, bro. Will be saying extra prayers for you.
This is for Mungrel, please check out this link. From a guy named Clif High, and he is discussing how to do nice things when you are the guest of your government, or may have a chance of becoming one.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/Tq6Q1Li9sDtx/
Connie Dover. Pure unaffected voice. Sings Celtic music but also American folk music and even Cowboy poetry. Here’s a clip from a feature on her. I love the song she sings. It’s melancholoy, bittersweet, tender-hearted, and tinged with sorrow.
What a sweet song.
2 of the best years of my childhood were in Wyoming.
Wild and wonderful!
Beautiful.
Snow way over my head!
She has an ethereal voice that just digs down in your soul!
Here’s another incredible folk singer, unaffected, unadorned, singing songs with a painstaking degree of raw simplicity. Two performances of her singing Wild Mountain Thyme. Beware: This may give you an ear worm, but if it does, it will be sublime. I promise!
Your adjectives are spot on.
Unadorned, raw simplicity.
If I may add…honest.
No fakery here!
You have a knack for finding the single word to sum it up. In this case, indeed: honest. Hard to find these days, but when you do it feels like one’s world expanded that much more and a breath of sanity was let in.
I knew you would understand that.
Honesty in music, not showmanship, is far more significant to me.
Now that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy some showmanship at times as long as it isn’t obnoxious or perverted.
Honesty really comes out in some of Above & Beyond’s music. Their stuff can really dig deep in the heart. They are my favorite group ever. They have some very “honest” music straight from the heart.
Will go get a couple or so of their music for this comment.
This is one my fav of all times. It musically expresses my life, past and present, sometimes isolated.
Next one is about betrayal, something that has deeply injured me. But I also think this represents God’s people betraying Him in the past and yet today.
Always:
I think. I believe, as God knows His real hearts, He will restore years that the locusts have eaten.
Save Me:
Sorry to wax emotional today…across a broad spectrum of issues. Love for people, haunting past, present fears.
But I rest in God’s love and the beauty of Music! This group does it better for me than anybody today.
Thank you for sharing all of that – the music, the thoughts, and the feelings. I’m listening to the first video you linked to right now. What a gorgeous voice, song, and arrangement. Can’t wait to listen to the rest.
You really bear your soul here and open up about personal suffering. I’m glad you’ve found this place to fly into and land each day, knowing you are heard and surrounded by a lot of compassion, support, and like-minded individuals who have enormous faith. I think we’re all rooting for each other, and our country, in these dark times.
I know your faith in G-d will see your through, along with good music (!), and obvious strength.
This group represents my heart more than any.
A life of many tears, loss and heartbreak, yet in the decades of that, great joy in the Lord.
Now, if He will heal my hands so I can blaze out in music again.
So much is composed and built into my mind, heart and spirit screaming to get out and be released, not for me, but for the blessing of others.
Indeed, we are all a “refuge” for each other here.
And yes, my faith in God is strong and will see me through.
I will play Music again! 🤗
I’ll be praying.
And I will be greatly appreciating that and won’t take your offering lightly.
Every prayer is a diamond to me, as is the soul behind those prayers!
I understand what isolation, fear and agonizing pain is. It’s why I love A&B’s On A Good Day. And the others.
Until one has been there, one cannot begin to percieve the greatest grace of God when He intervenes
There is no SUN/SONLIGHT so great to be known until you come out of the darkest, hellish night.
It takes one to know the other.
God balances all things.
One more. This reflects a greatest heartbreak over a wonderful Christian woman I deeply loved in 2009.
Didn’t work out.
Not because of a fall-out between us.
She was 1 of 10 siblings her mother didn’t know because of Alzheimers. And 2 very sick sisters. Father on oxygen.
I was up against bad government stuff. I’ll spare the details. Here in America.
We just couldn’t put love’s logistics together.
Last thing she sent me.
I got so sick over this…
Will leave it at that.
Above & Beyond’s songs speak deeper to my heart and life than other group
My brother, you are making music even now, with your words.
I was born with music in my deepest soul.
Can’t physically play it anymore, but your words encourage me that I am playing it spiritually for all of you.
Your comment brought tears to my eyes and soul this evening.
I hope to leave all here a gift of love, music and Beauty of our Lord’s Heart of Peace!
My wife and I just prayed for you.
I sense that! 🤗
You, Frank, Betsy, others… are music of God’s love getting pretty deep in my heart’s ears!
I listened to both songs. I read your words. I get it.
I believe that without the utter outer darkness and the existential despair of hell, something would be missing in the heavens Light where ever expanding joy in His Presence awaits.
There are most certainly many reasons why He promised to wipe away every tear.
Every. Single. One.
Grace to you Mon.
I’ll listen this evening and report back.
…”favorite group ever “
Niiiiiice
This group’s music sings the deepest soul of my life. Especially the first song.
I hit the melancholy stuff earlier self-teaching on my dad’s classical Martin, which btw, was stolen with about $14K of instruments on a major hwy in the Metairie area of New Orleans in the 80s. They pulled up a truck and pulled off his iron bars.
He had it long enough that it had already begin to celcure. Might have misspelled that word. But meaning, it had aged enough to gain deeper, richer sounds. Garrison would know that.
But repeating, A&B is my number 1 go to group for issues closest to my heart and life.
I’m sure there are a couple of posters here that might think I am being overly dramatic. You can guess what my reply would be.
I had to beat down one Fangdog, who told me I mispelled Devin Nunez instead of Nunes on the presidential thread early page 1 this morning. What the hell…I have shaky hands that hit the z right under the s. That person has become an irritant to me here. You can go to page 1 early on the presidential thread to read my rebuke of that poster.
Think on terms of mungrel. Love him!
Anyway, thank you and all for prayer support!
All of you have it right back from me!
🕶
A traveling group of 17 PLUS orchestra for the last song.
I can see why you enjoy them.
You should write a song about delightful joys and temporary sorrows and how the echoes of heaven await.
Ah, lovely comment to read….
reminds me of an american enya
Oh yes!
Btw, I love Enya!
One of her most beautiful compositions ever, whether one understands the Celtic or not. Water Shows the Hidden Heart.
Interpretation:
words to enya’s waters show the hidden heart – Google Search
https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-att-us&source=android-browser&q=words+to+enya%27s+waters+show+the+hidden+heart
.
.
.
It’s easy. All you need is the sound of an electric can opener and they will follow you,
In my house it is the rattle of a certain bag.
Same here. In fact, once we discovered that, we saved a bag, folded it up, and put it in a zip lock bag in case the cat got out inadvertently and we had to find her. We figured we’d bring that bag and russel it to draw her out if she were still near. Mercifully we’ve never had to do that.
I just show up and they think it’s time to eat and not just follow but 2 of the 3 are loud talkers.
15 December – Bill of Rights Day (by Presidential Proclamation)
“Now, Therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate December 15, 1941, as Bill of Rights Day. And I call upon the officials of the Government, and upon the people of the United States, to observe the day by displaying the flag of the United States on public buildings and by meeting together for such prayers and such ceremonies as may seem to them appropriate.”
The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. Passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, these rights place limits on government power.
The bill was introduced by James Madison. He later became the 4th President of the United States.
Congress passed 12 of Madison’s proposed amendments. The states only ratified 10 of them. One of the two rejected by the states concerned the number of constituents for each Representative. The other limited when and how members of Congress are compensated. Neither was ratified at the time.
The latter of the two rejected amendments was ratified 203 years later. The 27th Amendment restricted compensation for members of Congress.
The Bill of Rights is displayed in The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC.
There were 14 copies made; one for each of the 13 states to sign and one for the federal archives. Only 12 copies survive today.
Great post.
And to think that the Federalists didn’t think that bill was needed! They were of the opinion that those rights were self evident and there was no authority granted in the base document for the federal government to infringe upon them.
Basically a gentleman’s agreement that the BOR would be put to a vote by the first congress is what appeased enough of the anti federalists to allow for ratification.
The stunning hypocrisy of FDR is always off the charts.
Thinking of “today”, thinking of “now”:
2 Cor. 6:2 (cf. Isaiah 49:8)
“For He says: “In the acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the LORD to while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
Hebrews 3:15a (cf. Psalms 95:7-8)
“As it has been said: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts…”
Revelation 22:17 (cf. Isaiah 55:1)
“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.”
—
Thinking of why:
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Romans 5:8
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
John 5:24
“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.”
—
Thinking of how:
Luke 18:13
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”
James 4:8a
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
John 6:28-29
“Therefore they said to Him, “What must we do, that we may be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you should believe in Him whom He has sent.””
Mark 9:24b
“‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.'”
Acts 16:30-31
“Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.””
. . . but deliver us from the Evil One.
The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Prayer of Saint Ioannikios the Great of Bithynia (+ 846)
My hope is the Father, my refuge the Son, my protection the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
The Trisagion Hymn
and the
50th Psalm (Septuagint)
“It is necessary to wash ourselves from the dirt, and prayer is washing ourselves from spiritual filth, that is from sins, especially tearful prayer.”
Saint John of Kronstadt (+ 1908)
“My Life in Christ”
(pages 466-67 of the 1994 printing)
For Garrison Hall:
The video and newsreel below are both odes to you.
Finally! We get a chance to see you with your guitar and bearded face!
Previously, Garrison posted as Treeman here at the Treehouse, then for some mysterious reason changed his handle.
Enjoy!
OK, that was funny. I am now mostly deaf. To listen to videos, I have to put in my hearing aids, put on a streaming device, plug it into the computer and make certain all of the connections are active. It is a lot of work. This was worth it.
I thought it would be hilarious.
Glad you enjoyed it. 🙌
Oh, do I ever understand this.
Remember our comments about anger the other day?
This one hit home!
For Mungrel:
This song was written back when I was a sophomore in high school. 1975.
It’s prescient, in that the stormtroopers are geared up in my country and are now active in your Australia!
Hang tough dog. You will.
You can arrow down to read the lyrics.
Thanks Frank , I will listen after this post, in regards to the hyme “God’s Grace and Your Sufferings”
A big part of my anwser can be found on MP1 on my “Angels” comment, on MP 2 is my situation and without knowing it on another post that also will give you a larf and a mother clue.
Page 150 I know back the front , overcoming spiritual challenges has been the order of my life .
Long before I even attempted to explain anything I was a happily born little boy with a gift that could as I learnt later could never be taken away.
I’m being carefully astute here as I do not want to sound like a know-it- all smartarse, the fact is I understand more than the better of most , that is my gift given.
I too have the understanding of a broken childhood that only those of us that broke free can understand, this is the main reason that I write this to you.
I have lots more to say but for the time being I’ll leave it at that.
Afterall my war is my war and I know what I was born for.
Cheers Brother.
Well said, Son, well said. I wish I could help you with one of my finely tuned precision tools, but I know a more excellent way, and it’s called prayer. Stay well, mate!
Great reply! 👍
🕶
Ms Idaho
I did read your discussion on the nose wheel and the tanker leak.
Tex Johnson rolls the dash 80. This was the prototype for both the 707 and the KC 135 tanker.
That stunt got him in hot water with Terry Allen, the COB of Boeing. Eddie Rickenbacker and Larry Bell convinced Terry it was the best thing Tex could have done to sell the airplane that would cut global travel time in half.
BTW Boeing financed the whole project themselves and had it failed it would have put Boeing into bankruptcy.
The introduction of the 707 drove massive changes to airports all over the world to accommodate the aircraft and the competing Douglas jet liner that came into service afterwards.
It was also a huge project to retrain airline pilots to transition into the jet age.
Thanks for the additional historical stuff.
The KC 97 that ms Idaho wrote about was replaced by the KC 135. It was desperately needed because the military jets would have to descend and slow to just above stall speed to refuel from the prop driven KC 97 and that was quite inefficient.
Oh, Holy Heaven!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Rah!
some folks are meant to design and build aircraft. some folks are meant to fly them. some special folks know how to make someone else’s (or even their own) designs perform to the max.
when I started flying the the early 1960s most people we met had never been in an airplane. I wonder now how many of them ‘added’ to the world of aviation as we know it today – Surely the best designers and pilots were / are not limited to those early years?
In a way I feel aviation is devolving. During the years between then and now we evolved so that now most people have ‘flown’ – as passengers in large transport airplanes, or small airplanes. Now, with Covid and TSA restrictions I get the feeling people are not traveling at all – or are finding alternate means of transportation.
I also had conversations with a retired airline pilot – this was about 10 years ago. His description of a typical flight made me want to cry. He wasn’t really the Pilot in Command – the on board computer was. There was a lot he told me – all bad from my point of view.
No, they would not be doing barrel rolls – at least not on purpose.
Re Boeing. I read very detailed info on the problems that grounded the ‘big max’. Also read that the FAA had ‘approved’ its return to flight. Also read a whistleblower said the problems had not been fixed.
From the FAA point of view, how the heck would they know? Do you think Boeing would lie? Do you think they would bribe anybody? I think I will go on keeping my feet on the ground, thank you very much.
no doubt about it
if you keep a positive G – with a good airframe if you goof
and have POWER
it’s easy
said she with awe
Verse of the Day for Wednesday, December 15, 2021
✟
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.”
Ephesians 6:1 (KJV)
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/verse-of-day.php
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IQpTIcZBWqg/VSTLfpiLStI/AAAAAAAAFt8/iuIAvhbPOV4/s1600/4d6d9dbcdeb34e7eef8e4d3c5d3b3adc.jpg
PRAY ON THE ARMOR OF GOD
APPROVED UNTO GOD
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. ii. 15
If you cannot express yourself on any subject, struggle until you can. If you do not, someone will be the poorer all the days of his life. Struggle to re-express some truth of God to yourself, and God will use that expression to someone else. Go through the winepress of God where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle to get expression experimentally, then there will come a time when that expression will become the very wine of strengthening to someone else; but if you say lazily – “I am not going to struggle to express this thing for myself, I will borrow what I say,” the expression will not only be of no use to you, but of no use to anyone. Try to state to yourself what you feel implicitly to be God’s truth, and you give God a chance to pass it on to someone else through you.
Always make a practice of provoking your own mind to think out what it accepts easily. Our position is not ours until we make it ours by suffering. The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance.
Oswald Chambers
December 15th Devotional
Wow…just wow❣️
With you!
And here, after your post, I’ll leave this, Stevie.
“Fortunately, some are born with spiritual immune systems that sooner or later give rejection to the illusory worldview grafted upon them from birth through social conditioning.
They begin sensing something is amiss, and start looking for answers.
Inner knowledge and anomalous outer experiences show them a side of reality others are oblivious to, and so begins their journey of awakening.
Each step of the journey is made by following the heart instead of following the crowd and by choosing knowledge over the veils of ignorance.”
Henri Bergson
Religion is that teaching, It has its place. It leads you to Christ. Then you foster a relationship with his spirit, now that you are awakened within. That’s being ‘born again’ and growth is just as slow.
It is slow, Palerider. I believe that some make the mistake of thinking that an awakening will be a sudden thing, accompanied by bursts of exhuberance. And it may indeed happen in that way for certain people. But if it doesn’t, I expect many do not stay the course, if I might put it like that.
I like to make the comparison with a coal fire, the type we always had in our Welsh home. The flames would initially burn bright but then die down, leaving the hot, glowing, warming coals which were the sustaining elements. Comforting they were…just like knowing and feeling the presence of God, sometimes at joyful unexpected moments. That certain knowledge that one is not alone, no matter what.
👍🙂⚘
😊🙏
Good morning, Betsy, thanks be to God for spiritual immune systems!
Oh yes, thanks in all things. And hopes that it can be passed on to others.😊
Great thought!
Spiritual immune systems can overcome broken physical immune systems.
I know. I have one of those broken physical immunity systems.
The Holy Spirit of God is stronger and can more than compensate for the lack of the other.
God’s vaccine 🤗✝️
Oh gosh!
This has to be one of the comments of the day. Love it!
🤗❤
Betsy, very good follow up!
I am nothing but with God I can do all things.
The Holy Spirit is the helper and rightfully labeled as such.
I myself cannot understand the fullness of Gods word. The daily reading and study of his word brings me into the realm of his wisdom. During the day all things become revealed as if a close friend interprets the decisions of life. I welcome his presence.
Not only does he help in those issues, it started in work. I would get a problem and ask God for help. I practice that and it’s not if he answers it’s if I’m listening or can hear his response. I must be in a quiet state, then I hear.
Life with God is a daily adventure in this attitude. Every question is a chance to enjoy his presence.
It’s not a job anymore, but a walk with God…..in the cool of the day.
I am catching myself, more and more, speaking to God as I go about my day. And when I say “catch myself”, I mean I am not deliberately saying before, “Now I must speak with Him.”
It feels natural, IS natural. And with it comes that moment when I know I am heard.
The Practice of the Presence of God.
Bro. Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite friar.
Good morning, dear sir. How knowledgeable you are. You brought so much with you when you arrived. And we are the richer for it.
Perhaps, but all of you have greatly enriched and blessed me.
We are one body.
And hey, Mungrel taught me some Aussie humor the other day. 😁
Old dogs can learn new tricks.
If you want to hear some soul-wrenching music, see one of my replies to Sarah Lee on open thread today.
Time-stamp 2:19pm
Above & Beyond.
My fav group of all time.
Comment is still waiting for approval, most likely for length and 4 links to their youtube videos.
I will absolutely do that😊.
I’m still keeping you at the top of my prayer list, right beside Mungrel. Two brothers together. I know this site has given you so much already and it makes my heart so glad to see it. This thread alone since you “arrived” has grown exponentially, I can hardly believe what I’m seeing. Wonderful.
And you can tell Mungrel I am right there with you in prayer for him.
I am not unfamiliar with his kind of struggles.
He is an Aussie.
I am an American.
Both of us have…
…you can fill in the blanks.
Maybe he should have been the brother I never had, though I have a valient, warrior sister!
Bet is walking with God.
❤️
Amen!
BE MY VOICE
Mornin’ infidels!
Ramirez has a talent like no other. Perfect!
Thousands Honor Our Lady of Guadalupe in NYC Street Procession, Walking Miles to Parishes.
https://www.churchpop.com/2021/12/13/thousands-honor-our-lady-of-guadalupe-in-nyc-street-procession-walk-miles-to-38-parishes/?utm_campaign=ChurchPop&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=195195712&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9G3OyoKaE53AYkEeAHaCJ92KV6ixGlnBRh7m4RJsErIjfu9-haY6gf-FxhrZN6-_UBThfVTaxe6xVvjk0GeQ8YOwuuKg&utm_content=195195712&utm_source=hs_email
“One Sunday morning at a small Southern church, the new pastor called one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up, bowed his head and said, “Lord, I hate buttermilk.”
The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued, “Lord, I hate lard.” Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued, “Lord, I ain’t too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix ’em all together and bake ’em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits.”
“Lord, help us realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don’t like, whenever we don’t understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what you are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it’ll probable be something even better than biscuits. Amen”
I’ve saved this story forever to share with all my beloved Fellow Treepers. Gracious good morning to each one of you. May God add a little sugar to your life’s recipe this day. 😊🙏
Love it Betsy! Thanks for sharing, and for this morning’s salutation!
You are most welcome😊
Unless it’s cornbread Betsy. No sugar in cornbread.😉
Good morning and thanks for the story.
😊 oh NO!! Absolutely not! The horror! I thought of you as I wrote that with your Christmas recipe thread, and all the love as the extra ingredient you’ll be putting into your creations. The end results will be that more delicious. Cheers, Menagerie.
I’m sure many here in the Treehouse have experienced this. Looking back on life and seeing how events and decisions, seemingly unconnected, result in “biscuits!” Thank you!
How right you are, Leenie. For me, it is only the looking back wherein I can see that if one iota of what I’ve experienced were any different, the bad and the good, this place where I’ve ended up would not exist, up to and including here, on these full and lovely branches, which have given me more than I could ever adequately explain.
You’re welcome☺.
…how the miscarriage of my first pregnancy resulted in my twin, now 30 year-old boys…how being a Speech Communications major and an Executive recruiter led me to tutoring international MBA students at a major university in English and communication and interviewing skills…how an argument with my sister allowed me to spend the last week (unbeknownst to me) of my Mum’s life with her and my Dad…the list goes on. It is with joy I am now old enough to see the connections. I think my life would also have been blessed by the same connections had events been different or had I made different decisions…after all..I am a beloved daughter of God!
I miscarried as well, Leenie. I remember the grief. After came my son and another daughter. Would they be here otherwise? I don’t know. But my two daughters had multiples of their own identical twin boys from my first one, and triplets from my second (again identical boys and their extra sister to keep them in line) to go with her first little girl. God is good, as you know.
Your path is so interesting to me. And what a mercy was given to you with your beloved Mum. And a grace to you that you can see it and be thankful for it. There is a main road with diversions, all of which lead back to the one that we find ourselves on, all at His direction. To be able to recognize and appreciate it is a true gift it seems to me.
You’ve put me in mind of one of my favourite films which I hadn’t thought of in a long time…BIG FISH. The irreplaceable Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor among other familiar faces.
The sweetest, miraculous story which I think would pull on ever heart string you have. Fantasy it seems at first, and yet not in the end. If you have a chance to see it, you’ll understand in view of what you’ve written. A story of life. Grab the tissues.
I’ve avoided Big Fish for a while. I will watch that after the new year but right now, it seems I’m on a “tear-trigger.”
The same as I’ve been. Truly. Especially last night as I learned of a tragedy which has visited a commenter on another like site to this one. I don’t comment there but I keep up with that”family”…Motus is the site, a very nice one it is as well. I think more are tearful these days than would admit. I completely get it, Leenie.
Sweet Girl!! Look for tears of laughter in this season!
Someone post a awesome joke for me and Betsy!! Mungrel? Rah? Garrison? Grandpa? Dora? Wee Weed? Just Stevie?
Merry Christmas, Betsy!
Yes, you are, Leenie. Yours and our Daddy is the King of Kings. And that makes you a…Princess! 🙂
THANKS, GRANDPA!!!!
When I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m worried, when I am grieving, when I mess up, I hear in my head, “Turn to ME.”
You elequently say what many have thought and cannot put into words❤️
Me included😘💐
Betsy, great story! Thank you for sharing it with us this morning. May your life today be filled with biscuits and pancakes, and waffles, and may be a little pecan pie with Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream. 😁
Yummy!!! Especially the Blue Bell! Butter Pecan, my dad’s fave and mine. My scales are going to say “One at a time, please!”😉
Don’t forget to heat up the pecan pie first. Years ago, when I still ate sweets one of my favorite Blue Bell taste was the Key Lime Pie. Available all the time in Florida but only seasonal in Texas.
I don’t remember that one. Sounds delish!
Keeping up with the news
Is it me or are any fellow CTHers who use YouTube TV having trouble finding your favorite news sites?
Federal Judge Orders January 6 Defendant To Be Released From D.C. Jail.
A federal judge has ordered that a January 6 defendant diagnosed with cancer be released from a D.C. jail after an inspection from U.S. Marshals found the prisoners were living in “deplorable” conditions.
.
https://conservativebrief.com/federal-3-56339/?utm_source=CB&utm_medium=ABC
Release them all! Maybe we’ve had “political prisoners” in the past but this is highly publicized. Imagine if all people “responsible for the Russia hoax” had been immediately imprisoned…for years, until we found out it was, in fact, a hoax. It’s starting to leak our that this, also, was in fact a hoax and people are still imprisoned and being treated shamefully (AND criminally!) Perhaps the people who might have been imprisoned for the “Russia hoax” were to well placed.?
How ’bout the US Marshalls go into that prison and get ALL the Jan 6 prisoners out???
God help them please may it be so.
Thanks be to God, and may the others also be released
I’d like to share this.
“People of heavenly character are this kind of garden (eden) they are free to enjoy everything in the garden, but because it is the lords, they are not Given personal possession of any of it.
In addition, they are always allowed to DEPEND on the perception they receive from the lord to tell them what is good or true. They are not to depend on themselves or the world around them, though; in other words, when they inquire into the mysteries of faith, they are not to rely on sensory evidence or secular knowledge. To do so would be death of their heavenly quality.”
And become like children, not polluted yet by sensory evidence or secular “knowledge “.
When we purchased our piece of our hill, hubby had and always says, we only rent it from God. we are a steward, caretaker and watchful guardian if this slice of Gods land.
Can’t wait till I see his expression when I show him this😉
I just received an email from Medicare that opened with this whopper:
“Even if you’re fully vaccinated for COVID-19, it’s still important to get your COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. A booster shot increases the strength of your antibody response, so when the COVID-19 virus mutates, a boost makes it more likely that your antibodies can protect you against variants, like Omicron and Delta.”
From what I’ve heard from doctors who should know, this is an outright lie.
A 100% lie!!!
My arrangement of Chris Rice’s “Welcome To Our World”.
Beautiful, Paul 👍🏼
Thank you. It’s a joy to sing.
Wonderful and comforting, Paul.
Thank you for this sweet offering! 👍👍👍
lilbirdee12’s prayer:
Our Heavenly Father, Your children come to you tonight to ask for healing and peace throughout our country so that we may return to being One Nation Under God. Guide us to be leaders in Your Kingdom, spreading Your Love and Salvation to all. Forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil.
Lord, we ask for a blanket of protection over all our troops and law enforcement who serve to defend and protect us. Bless our representatives with the strength and wisdom they need to achieve the path You have chosen for us.
Please place Your Guardian Angels of Protection around Donald Trump and his family as they seek to lead America back to You. Also, we pray for Angels to protect and support our Sundance as he works for justice and peace.
Grant us patience, Lord, as the evil ones try to anger us and cause us to fall.
Spread blessings over Israel and Netanyahu.
We humbly ask that You please comfort those who are grieving and in pain.
Thank you Father, for Your Love and the gift of Life.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
Amen
Amen.
Amen. And Lord please comfort and relieve political prisoners all over the world, especially Julian Assange, Pastor Pawlowski and all the January 6 people in DC dungeons… and all other people persecuted for speaking their mind, all over the globe
Second an Amen!
Amen.
Amen.
10 years ago!
“The Rock & Worship Roadshow 2011 presents “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” featuring
MercyMe,
Jars Of Clay,
Matt Maher,
Thousand Foot Krutch,
The Afters
& Lecrae.
Good job 😀 !