ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE?

I remember when I was nineteen years old, going to college, earning an Associates of Arts Degree. Remember: I wanted to move out and live alone for a while before I got married. And: I wanted no roommates.

Not feeling prepared to work full-time due to lack of confidence, I went to college to help confirm to me that I was qualified to be a secretary and I could handle dealing with people. I truly did have the basic skills but I thought a degree would also help impress potential employers more. The truth is: it does. So I went, overcame a lot of my shyness, and even started dating! Yah!

One of the young men I accepted a date with was a nice and vey quiet guy Sad to say for both of us, I really wasn’t interested. I gave the date a try though because he was so nice. But no surprise to me, it didn’t work: I was totally bored. Never willing to settle for just any man, any husband, I moved on.

But: with regard to this man, a friend asked me what he looked like and I gave her a description. I told her his height, his build, his eye color, the fact that he wore glasses, and the color of his hair. When I was finished she said something like: “Boy! You sure didn’t give much of a description!”

I knew she was being cute. I had given her at least five physical characteristics of this young man and I appreciated knowing I was thorough; that I noticed and relayed details well. And through the years I’ve also noticed that most people can’t do half that much. But I’m interested. I am definitely a people watcher. Even then I enjoyed people, most people. Don’t be fooled or lie; it is impossible to live at peace with all of us because there are still two kingdoms on Earth at this time.

Selah.

One of the things I do in this year of 2021 (in fact I’ve been doing this for years now) is to enjoy my craft projects while watching television. That is, if I don’t have to read a pattern. I love to do this! And because we are in 2021 there is not much of any new stuff I watch. Wise choice!

Because I watch the really good ones over the years much more than once I notice things more and more. For instance, when the scene calls for crowds walking I have seen some of the extras walking one way and then in less than three minutes coming from the opposite direction! Another one is a family show where the boys in the series come out of a movie theater. Along with them naturally come other children and teens: and this is their only part in the program. Watching carefully, I saw a lot of them (but not all) coming out over and over again: and, in the same clothes. One way for the producers to save money!

Another example is spotting the same people in a series who are secondary leads in other episodes as other characters. One in particular was a woman who was easy to recognize! That is once you look past her totally different hairstyle, hair color, and personality. This was a good and fun find!

Often Duane and I will pause a show and say: “Isn’t that……”

So it’s not only fun to be observant, it is also very useful. Think of this: a child who has been abducted…How very beneficial it would be if you could tell the police the license number of the criminal’s car! A good description of his height, hair color, length and style of hair, his eyes… Clothes can be changed – not that important. (I am always surprised when media add this information: so unnecessary.) The child: all the physical characteristics you truly remember…

Observation can save lives! Amen!

Being observant is a key to God’s kingdom…
God has proclaimed that the heavens declare the glory of God! The book of Romans holds mankind responsible for not revering Him as God -claiming: “I didn’t know!”

 

Romans 1:18-20
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

 

As we chose to love or ignore or hate God, the Bible, beloved, makes no excuse for us, nor for sin, any sin.

Selah.

That is why the Bible is the anchor to our spirit, soul, and body. When you have an issue you don’t understand, take it to the Lord in prayer and read His infallible, inerrant, God-breathed book.

A tremendously great example is slavery. I have heard ignorant men and women claim: “God endorses slavery!” Really? No! Why would He? All men are made in His image and likeness. That should settle it right there. And: men and women are equal.

Selah.

So what do you have to do? You have to study this topic. Slavery is evil, it is immoral, and it is rejected by God: He says so!

 

1 Timothy 1:8-11
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.  We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

 

Be observant. Seek to find answers you don’t have. Know that you know that God is good. God is love. God is and ever will be: holy, holy, holy.

 

 

 

 

SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS FOR THIS JOY STORY:

 

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

 

Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

 

Daniel 12:2
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

 

Ezekiel 18:21-23
“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.  None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.  Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

 

Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

 

Isaiah 6:1-3
And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 

Revelation 4:8
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”