One of the things that I have been busy on (and finding out that it's fun and takes time) is the new Facebook page for our congregation, Congregation Beth Simcha.
Having never been a mother, I have never known what it is to give birth, but I feel that at least I can say that I brought something into the world.
So if you have a chance, swing by https://www.facebook.com/BethSimchaSA and see what's happening here in San Antonio, Texas!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Rest in Peace?
A couple of years ago, I wrote an entry about a certain church in Kansas and what they were doing to military families http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/04/support-snyders.html.
Well today, I heard that the founder and leader of that "church" passed away this morning and it got me to thinking.....
1. Will the hateful teaching and tactics that they used cease with his death? I really wish that I could say "yes", but I'm not that optimistic. The reason I say that is because I know that there will have been at least one person who probably became a "dedicated convert" and will probably seek to continue the "work"...Also I know that as long as we are human, we will still have the sin nature within us and that sin nature blinds us and causes us to think that we are doing God's work when in reality we are reality doing our own (or even the devil's).
2. Will people do the same thing to him that he did to others? This time, I wish I could say "no", but once again, the knowledge of the fallen nature of man leads me to believe that there will be people that will do so. The reason is that the sin nature within people leads us to a false interpretation of "do unto others as they would to you" and that there are many groups of people that are willing to give this family a dose of the "medicine" that they have given to so many.
The upshot of all this though and the thought that comes to my mind is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
In other words, when we all appear before the Lord and HE judges the works of this man and his congregants, we all will see whether he was doing God's work or not.
Well today, I heard that the founder and leader of that "church" passed away this morning and it got me to thinking.....
1. Will the hateful teaching and tactics that they used cease with his death? I really wish that I could say "yes", but I'm not that optimistic. The reason I say that is because I know that there will have been at least one person who probably became a "dedicated convert" and will probably seek to continue the "work"...Also I know that as long as we are human, we will still have the sin nature within us and that sin nature blinds us and causes us to think that we are doing God's work when in reality we are reality doing our own (or even the devil's).
2. Will people do the same thing to him that he did to others? This time, I wish I could say "no", but once again, the knowledge of the fallen nature of man leads me to believe that there will be people that will do so. The reason is that the sin nature within people leads us to a false interpretation of "do unto others as they would to you" and that there are many groups of people that are willing to give this family a dose of the "medicine" that they have given to so many.
The upshot of all this though and the thought that comes to my mind is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
In other words, when we all appear before the Lord and HE judges the works of this man and his congregants, we all will see whether he was doing God's work or not.
Friday, February 21, 2014
McMath update-February 21
Here is the latest on Jeri McMath, which shows that it is God who decides when people go to Heaven...
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/21/mom-says-brain-dead-teen-jahi-mcmath-is-doing-better/
I'm so glad that God shows his testimony in situations that look the bleakest to show His great power!
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/02/21/mom-says-brain-dead-teen-jahi-mcmath-is-doing-better/
I'm so glad that God shows his testimony in situations that look the bleakest to show His great power!
Monday, January 6, 2014
McMath update
As you know I have been update the story that I first mentioned a month of so ago...http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-decision-i-glad-my-parents-didnt-have.html
Well here is the latest on this case and it looks like good news!
http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/01/jahi-mcmath-flown-to-new-york-facility-feeding-and-breathing-tubes-to-be-inserted-today/#.UstfwLQU1Ow
Well here is the latest on this case and it looks like good news!
http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/01/jahi-mcmath-flown-to-new-york-facility-feeding-and-breathing-tubes-to-be-inserted-today/#.UstfwLQU1Ow
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Some thoughts at the end of the year
Here it is, the end of 2013 and it's that time of year again....the making of resolutions and the new list of what is "in" and what is "out", so I thought that instead of "re"solutions, I thought I would resurrect some thoughts on these matters and give us some idea of what to think about for 2014....
OK, let's start with the "in" and "out" list....I wrote about this in the blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-out-or-neither.html
and here is what I wrote then:
But thinking about this, I am reminded of the words of the book of James: "For what is your life? It is a vapor (puff of smoke) that appears for a little while and then vanishes (dissolves into thin air) away." (James 4:14b). So what should the priority of us who are believers should be? If they had asked me about what should be "in" or "out" (and you know they never would), I would have responded...
OUT: Caring about what people think should be "in" or "out" (a shifting list based on shifting values)
IN: Being more like the Lord (a lifestyle based on values that never change)
Because when you get to the bottom line, what will matter and what will last for eternity-following the latest trend and adapting to the world's standards which change with the prevailing currents or following the commandments of God and leaving a legacy of lives made better and of more value?
Shouldn't this be our mindset in 2014? Caring more about God and what He thinks and trying to be like Him than what is going on with what foxes say, or selfies or whatever, sort of what was said in a blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2011/12/something-to-think-about-in-2012.html
"The role of you and I is not to make men and women happy, it is to make them holy"
So the question then becomes, how can we make men and women holy, if we ourselves are not holy? So how do we become holy? I think the answer comes from Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all 'If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny (to say no to something) himself , and take up his cross daily (emphasis mine), and follow Me." But let me quote the last half of that verse in The Amplified Bible: "conforming wholly to my example in living and if need be in dying also". In other words to follow the example the Lord gave in His life here on earth.
Now in dealing with "resolutions", I've said quite a bit in two blog entries:
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/12/resolutions.html
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/12/resolutions-again.html
according to dictionary.com the prefix "re" is defined as:
"a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion:"...
and then "solution":
So have we take care of the problems that we have once and for all? If not, have we decided on a plan of action? And if we have, have we considered the following:
That is why we as believers should turn to God to be able to make sure that our plans meet with his approval. Psalms 37:4-5 gives us an word of advice from the Lord which is always good for us to remember:
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
So if you don't want to have a year of failure, let's start by giving our year over to God and let him direct us!
These are thoughts that we should have and dedicate ourselves to continuing to keep in our mind as we transition to a new year and dedicate it to making it something that is pleasing to Him and that we start making an impact on ourselves and those that we come in contact with.
OK, let's start with the "in" and "out" list....I wrote about this in the blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-out-or-neither.html
and here is what I wrote then:
But thinking about this, I am reminded of the words of the book of James: "For what is your life? It is a vapor (puff of smoke) that appears for a little while and then vanishes (dissolves into thin air) away." (James 4:14b). So what should the priority of us who are believers should be? If they had asked me about what should be "in" or "out" (and you know they never would), I would have responded...
OUT: Caring about what people think should be "in" or "out" (a shifting list based on shifting values)
IN: Being more like the Lord (a lifestyle based on values that never change)
Because when you get to the bottom line, what will matter and what will last for eternity-following the latest trend and adapting to the world's standards which change with the prevailing currents or following the commandments of God and leaving a legacy of lives made better and of more value?
Shouldn't this be our mindset in 2014? Caring more about God and what He thinks and trying to be like Him than what is going on with what foxes say, or selfies or whatever, sort of what was said in a blog entry http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2011/12/something-to-think-about-in-2012.html
"The role of you and I is not to make men and women happy, it is to make them holy"
So the question then becomes, how can we make men and women holy, if we ourselves are not holy? So how do we become holy? I think the answer comes from Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all 'If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny (to say no to something) himself , and take up his cross daily (emphasis mine), and follow Me." But let me quote the last half of that verse in The Amplified Bible: "conforming wholly to my example in living and if need be in dying also". In other words to follow the example the Lord gave in His life here on earth.
Now in dealing with "resolutions", I've said quite a bit in two blog entries:
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2010/12/resolutions.html
http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2012/12/resolutions-again.html
according to dictionary.com the prefix "re" is defined as:
"a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again” to indicate repetition, or with the meaning “back” or “backward” to indicate withdrawal or backward motion:"...
and then "solution":
1. the act of solving a problem, question, etc.
3. a particular instance or method of solving; an explanation or answer
So
if you want to give a answer to what a resolution is, you can define
it as "the act of solving a problem, question, etc....again and
again"....The question I have is: How does solving a problem over and
over again take care of the problem...the answer; it doesn't! Because if
you are having to try to solve a problem over and over again, either
one of two things are happening: the "solution" is an incorrect one or
you are sabotaging the "solution" from working. Well both are true....in
the first case you are relying on your own strength to take care of the
problem and if our own effort were able to take care of it, then we
wouldn't have the problem in the first place. In the other, God may have
given us the answer, but we "sabotage" it by ignoring what God is
telling us to do and then thinking we can take care of it.
So have we take care of the problems that we have once and for all? If not, have we decided on a plan of action? And if we have, have we considered the following:
That is why we as believers should turn to God to be able to make sure that our plans meet with his approval. Psalms 37:4-5 gives us an word of advice from the Lord which is always good for us to remember:
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
So if you don't want to have a year of failure, let's start by giving our year over to God and let him direct us!
These are thoughts that we should have and dedicate ourselves to continuing to keep in our mind as we transition to a new year and dedicate it to making it something that is pleasing to Him and that we start making an impact on ourselves and those that we come in contact with.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
update on McMath
Some of you may remember a story that I ran a couple of weeks ago-http://1ncisfan.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-decision-i-glad-my-parents-didnt-have.html
Well here is the latest and it doesn't look good due to activist judges...
http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/26/judge-allows-hospital-to-take-jahi-mcmath-off-life-support-family-considers-appeal/
However pray that God's will overcomes everything and that His will be done!
Well here is the latest and it doesn't look good due to activist judges...
http://www.lifenews.com/2013/12/26/judge-allows-hospital-to-take-jahi-mcmath-off-life-support-family-considers-appeal/
However pray that God's will overcomes everything and that His will be done!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Back in the hospital again
Merry Christmas to all and may the blessings of the Lord be on you and your families!
I was given a painful reminder that the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process. That it is not complete until the time when we go home to be with the Lord.
I don't know exactly know how it happened, but I started experiencing pain on Sunday afternoon and evening, and by late evening (10:30 or so) that it got to be unbearable. So my mom and dad took me to the Texas Med Clinic where it was initially diagnosed that I had had a hernia and was sent to the emergency room to have a cat-scan to confirm it.
So we went and was admitted where there was a time of waiting (when is there not waiting in the hospital), where I got acquainted with my old friend morphine which made the pain subside and allowed me to at least get some sleep.
So after the scan and some probing, it was found that there may have been a blockage caused by bad eating habits combined with the fact that due to the surgeries of '08 that my intestines may not be the same as they used to be. So what they decided to do was to take a pump and go through my nose to my stomach and drain out stuff that way.
But praise God the process worked and by Tuesday morning, the doctors were saying that I was feeling well enough to be able to have some breakfast and lunch and by late afternoon be released to the care of my family.
There was a couple of reminders that the Lord gave through some of the things that I went through:
1. As I said before, the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process, that we cannot just rely on the lessons of the past, that we must continue to grow and learn from the Lord what He wants in our lives.
2. His continuing faithfulness...when I am faithless, he is faithful. When I stray from Him, He remains the same. When I am hurting, He comforts me. Thank you Lord for Your reminder of what You told us in Hebrews "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever"!
3. The difference of when one has Jesus in their lives-Unlike my previous experience, this time around I had a roommate and through seeing his reaction to certain things, I could tell that he was not a believer or if he were that he was not a strong believer. And the thought came back to me, "Do I sound like that to the Lord when things happen to me?" And I thank the Lord that even through the worst of the annoyance that I had to put up with that there was One that I could turn to with my concerns and needs.
So on this, the day when many celebrate the birth of the Lord, let us be thankful for His coming and His continual presence in our lives!
I was given a painful reminder that the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process. That it is not complete until the time when we go home to be with the Lord.
I don't know exactly know how it happened, but I started experiencing pain on Sunday afternoon and evening, and by late evening (10:30 or so) that it got to be unbearable. So my mom and dad took me to the Texas Med Clinic where it was initially diagnosed that I had had a hernia and was sent to the emergency room to have a cat-scan to confirm it.
So we went and was admitted where there was a time of waiting (when is there not waiting in the hospital), where I got acquainted with my old friend morphine which made the pain subside and allowed me to at least get some sleep.
So after the scan and some probing, it was found that there may have been a blockage caused by bad eating habits combined with the fact that due to the surgeries of '08 that my intestines may not be the same as they used to be. So what they decided to do was to take a pump and go through my nose to my stomach and drain out stuff that way.
But praise God the process worked and by Tuesday morning, the doctors were saying that I was feeling well enough to be able to have some breakfast and lunch and by late afternoon be released to the care of my family.
There was a couple of reminders that the Lord gave through some of the things that I went through:
1. As I said before, the testimony of the Lord is an ongoing process, that we cannot just rely on the lessons of the past, that we must continue to grow and learn from the Lord what He wants in our lives.
2. His continuing faithfulness...when I am faithless, he is faithful. When I stray from Him, He remains the same. When I am hurting, He comforts me. Thank you Lord for Your reminder of what You told us in Hebrews "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever"!
3. The difference of when one has Jesus in their lives-Unlike my previous experience, this time around I had a roommate and through seeing his reaction to certain things, I could tell that he was not a believer or if he were that he was not a strong believer. And the thought came back to me, "Do I sound like that to the Lord when things happen to me?" And I thank the Lord that even through the worst of the annoyance that I had to put up with that there was One that I could turn to with my concerns and needs.
So on this, the day when many celebrate the birth of the Lord, let us be thankful for His coming and His continual presence in our lives!
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