I don't have much time as I want to make this wonderful STRAWBERRY COBBLER dessert for supper.
I didn't receive an email from THE PASSION TRANSLATION today so I went to their website. I found this interesting article where they compare passages from several translations. I suppose the Passion translation may not be for you if you memorized passages from a certain translation but I urge you to also read the Passion translation.
I memorized all of my verses in childhood from THE REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible. I still quote them in that format. I just couldn't get into the THEEs and THOUs of the King James Bible. I mean who talks like that?
I know a lot of people who love that version and that's fine. It's just that, when I studied fasting, I learned that King James didn't want the people to have too much power--which can come from fasting--so he had many passages about fasting removed. ); That soured me on that version.
Anyway, the Passion Translation speaks to my heart like no other version has!! I mean, I love my Jewish Bible so that I know how Yeshua would have said Jerusalam--Yarushalaum if my memory serves me correctly. That's probable misspelled but I love to do and say things how Yeshua did. You should have seen the raised eyebrows, though, at Bible study when I read from it. lol
So I found this comparison page on the Passion Translation website. If you're interested in hearing how the different versions speak to your heart, check it out here. comparison/https://www.thepassiontranslation.com/verse-
I'd best get back to cooking but I found a cool song about truth. When Robert and I were young, we belonged to a Sunday School class for young couples. It was called the SALT class and it totally opened my eyes to see the need to weed out lies. Of course, this was on a Sunday morning. :)
Look at this cool song I just found about how following God breaks the lies of satan. May it be so for me and all of my readers today.
I'm heading to Bismarck today so I don't have much time to write. Please keep me in your prayers as being gone two days in a row is usually pretty hard on my legs.
Yesterday my special neighbors picked me up and we went to paradise. No kidding. A retired fellow who loves flowers has created an unforgettable place of beauty. The only place more lovely is the Peace Gardens which sits on the border of the US and Canada. This is the sight that greats you when you get out of your car. The entire yard is filled with flower beds and trees and bushes of great interest.
Now I'd like to get a bee balm plant. It is stunning and I was just reading that it repels mosquitos too! I wonder how much they cost? HMMM
Dave also is a world wide hunter. He opens up his home to his guests to see his collection so far. It's absolutely amazing as he has everything from a walrus to an alligator and too many bears, antelope and moose to count. Here's a sample of photos I took inside Dave's house which also includes TWO waterfalls.
Now that photo is being ornery as I had it lined up nicely under the others. I'll tell you something about myself. I have VERY little patience with technology when I can't get it to do what I want it to do. Sorry about that.
Sorry also that I don't have time to find a song this morning. However, the Passion Translation just sent me this email. WOW Does it ever speak to me seeing as I have MS. Multiple Sclorosis is a situation where the immune system attacks the coating on the nerves. For me that means pain 24/7 mostly in my legs. Mental decline also hits me if I don't train my brain daily with Lumosity. Anyway, pain is a very much unwanted companion to me. I'll share soon about the natural morphine product that helps me deal with it.
Oh bother, now it's in the right spot. Oh well, I hope you don't expect perfection here. lol
Have a great day.
Dawn
I Hear His Whisper...
Pain is healed in my love.
In the safety of my love is where pain heals. Some wounds I heal slowly. With gentle breath that won’t quench a sacred ember of hope, I bring you back to life. I cradle you safely in my arms. Other times, I come roaring with such passionate might that you’re healed in an instant.
No matter how I heal you, I do heal you. But you must let me. Fall into my arms off the edge of despair. Come into unreserved trust in me and let go of your pain. Place it in my hands—my nail-scarred hands. Choose to relinquish the identity of your pain that you have connected with. Remember who I am and who you are. It’s okay to feel pain, but it cannot define you, beloved. Give me your reasons for holding on to the pain. Surrendering doesn’t make you weak. It makes you brave. Though it’s scary at first, I will knock down those walls you’ve erected to protect yourself. Don’t worry, I will be right by your side.
The Lord is close to all whose hearts are crushed by pain, and he is always ready to restore the repentant one. Even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones, the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated by what they face.
Yesterday I thought about my telling you that I was going to write every day. I felt bad for not clarifying that I wouldn't be writing on Sabbaths. That's my only day with my husband, Robert. Please forgive me for not making myself clear on that! I am truly sorry! I love you all and I thank you for being on this journey with me!
Thanks so much for your prayers for my health! This morning was the first day in a couple of weeks that I woke up WITHOUT coughing!! I'm hoping that means this nasty bug is on it's way out!
For you new readers, I thought I'd take a few minutes and tell you about my family. Robert and I will be married 45 years this October. We were blessed with 3 living children plus we have a small choir in Heaven due to repeated miscarriages.
Our oldest child is Cora Beth on Facebook. If you want to meet the sweetest gal on Earth, you can check out her page there. She's married to Michael and they have 4 precious children.
Our second child is Andrew. He's married to Marie and they have FOUR SONS!!!
Our youngest child is Jacob. He lives with us as he farms with us. He's found himself a wonderful gal and they're getting pretty serious. Hopefully they'll get married next Summer (That's the plan) and then they'll be our neighbors.
We put up a shop 3 years ago and we built an addition which has an apartment on top. It will be a nice place for the newlyweds. I hope it's ready by the time they are as it only gets worked on when our guys aren't doing something else. lol
We're all big dog people but haven't had success in keeping one alive since we moved across the road from the farmstead 10 years ago. The dogs loved going back and forth between the farm and our house and it's a busy road. ): I'm hoping that Jacob and his gal will get a dog someday and we can love on it. We always had dogs when we lived across the road and they stayed over there. Of course there wasn't anyone living over here then.
Here's a picture of me and our dog last year. She was a yellow lab and her name was Bailey. She sure was a kisser. Any time I sat down it was time for a face washing. lol I miss Bailey!
So now I need to find a song about a dog. HMMMM You will not believe the song I found! I LOVE IT!!!
Here's the passage from the Passion Translation that Father has chosen for us today. Romans 6: 12 - 13
Sin is a dethroned monarch, so you must no longer give it an opportunity to rule over your life, controlling how you live and compelling you to obey it's desires and cravings. So then, refuse to answer it's call to surrender your body as a tool for wickedness. Instead, passionately answer God's call to keep yielding your body to Him as one who has now experienced resurrection life. You live now for His pleasure, ready to be used for His noble purpose!
We each have a noble purpose--a reason why we're here. Let's seek God in prayer each day to see what that purpose is moment by moment--step by step.
Last night as I was falling asleep I heard the Lord say to me "I want you to do a daily blog. People need to be encouraged every day!"
I thought of how I have enjoyed sharing the emails I receive from THE PASSION TRANSLATION. Then I remembered that they don't come out daily and I said that to the Lord. "What will I write?"
My Heavenly Father laid out His plan for my sharing here every day. I'm glad He did because I thought it would get boring if I wrote every day. I mean I could write every day but what would I write about?
Yay instructed me to do 1/3 sharing about my life; 1/3 sharing an uplifting song; and 1/3 something from the Passion Translation. I reminded him that they don't put out an email every day. He said "I mean share a passage from the Passion Translation!" OH I can do that!
So here goes.
I've been fighting a bug and I'd sure appreciate prayers for that thing to be gone. I am very grateful that my husband and son haven't gotten it but still, IT'S SUMMER, and I want to enjoy it.
My garden is coming along nicely. I want to recommend to everyone to buy the fertilizer from SONIC BLOOM. It is so amazing. I've been spraying it on my garden weekly. The plants that seemed to be lagging, I give a double dose and they are starting to outshine their neighbors. LOL Here it is. I've been harvesting cucumbers and soon the green beans will be ready. I have tomatoes half grown and I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into them. :)
So as I think about my garden, I wonder what song I can find that has to do with gardening. I'll have to go and look.
Oh, I LOVE it. This is my son, Andrew's favorite song. When he was little, he sang it "Andy walks with me and He talks with me!" I wasn't quite sure if he understood. lol
And now for the passage from the Passion Translation that Father has chosen to share with you. May it bless us all. It's found in Psalm 119: 49 - 52
Lord, never forget the promises You've made to me for they are my hope and confidence.
In all of my affliction I find great comfort in your promises for they have KEPT ME ALIVE!
No matter how bitterly the proud mockers speak against me, I refuse to budge from your precepts.
Your revelation-light is eternal; I'm encouraged every time I think about your truth!!
Isn't that wonderful. Your promises have kept me alive. As Steve Schultz from ELIJAH STREAMS says "So true. So true!"
It's ok with God when we have doubts about what He has said to us. He knows our thoughts, which include our doubts, and He welcomes ALL communications from His children!
For me, my HUGE doubt is that I will be well some day. I've had one health challenge one after another since my childhood.
My biggest doubts came when I was 48 years old and developed a mysterious condition. Robert took me to 4 different types of doctors all who had doubts as to what I was dealing with. One was a neurologist who said "You have too much stress." Really? He also said that I needed to go somewhere and rest.
Robert then took me to a healing center where I lay dying for 18 days. One day 8, which was a Sabbath day, I felt someone in the room with me. When I looked, I saw nobody but was sure that a being was approaching me.
Suddenly he brushed my hair and said "Internal shingles." I lay perfectly still so that he asked me, "Did you hear me?" "Yes, Lord," I said.
During those 18 days, the Lord told me of His plans to build a healing center here on our farm. Being the shingles affected my balance, the staff had to help me walk or I'd fall on my face. They took me out in the early October sunshine often and one day, while soaking up the warm rays, I heard the Lord say to me "I am going to build a healing center on our farm some day." Then He added "And the patients won't have to eat black beans for weeks!"
I still chuckle about that even now nearly 20 years later. My hostess was a vegetarian and, after my goat's milk I had brought from home ran out, my diet didn't help me regain my strength.
Fast forward 19 years, the Lord has had me take many classes of natural ways of healing. I have helped countless people to get well and restore their relationships! Babies have been born who wouldn't have been without the skills Father has blessed me with. BUT
Still there is no healing center except in my heart. I see it sometimes in my imagination. I know it is coming. It's name is "Seeds of Glory" as we will plant the way's of God for healing (seeds) in sick folks that they can take home and nurture and recover their health, Just a note. We called our home school "Seeds of Truth" and our farm "Seeds of Honor." When the Lord said He wants His healing center to be called "Seeds of Glory" I started praising Him for it suits Him well!
The damage from the shingles on the brain has led to MS. STILL, I am being used to help others and I keep searching for things that will help my immune system to stop attacking the coating on my nerves. I just started a new supplement by Dr. Christopher called NERVE SHEATH which sounds encouraging. I'll let you know how effective it is after a few weeks.
So I covet your prayers for the healing of my nerves AND for the Lord to build His healing center when He knows it is the best time for it. It is His plan and I am His servant. To God be the GLORY! Say, that sounds like a good song to share today.
Love you all,
Dawn
Encounter God’s Heart…
Certainty
Even Abram, the man recorded in Scripture as having trusted every word God said, wanted assurances. Isn’t it comforting to know that God didn’t hold this against him? And he doesn’t hold it against us either. What a merciful Father we have!
Often, we try to wrap our minds around the miraculous before diving in and accepting the validity of God’s extravagant promises. We reason and examine every detail as if we can figure out how God will do what he’s said he will do. It sure would be nice to have certainty before taking a risk! But the only guarantee we have is that God will be with us. Even if we misconstrue what he’s said, he knows how to get us back on track. The mercy, love, and compassion of God are our safety net in every decision.
Father, I’ll be honest—taking a leap of faith is scary. As if I’m about to jump from a diving board one hundred feet in the air into your open arms. My feet feel glued in place. I’ve wanted confirmations that everything will turn out all right. The truth is your love and faithfulness are the only assurances I have. And they are enough.
Are you bold? I sure am not. In my childhood I survived by being as quiet as a mouse and praying that I wouldn't be noticed. After the rapes, it was even more important not to draw attention to myself lest our parents notice something was wrong with me. Something WAS wrong--very very wrong.
I praise God for offering me salvation will I was still in the incest years! Without Him entering my life. and telling me how special I was to Him, I doubt that I would have survived. Further, I learned years ago that 90% of prostitutes are survivors of incest.
So I struggle with the concept of being bold. I know this one Christian mom who bragged about being bold while her family was falling apart. Let's let Dad be the bold ones as far as protecting the family from outside threats.
So why would God say that we need to be bold?
My love is a never-ending stream of sustenance for your soul. You can find everything you need in the life-blood of my unending kindness. My perfect peace holds you steady in the fiercest storms, and it gives you clarity to see my goodness at work. Yield to my heart today. Don’t fight the current of my mercy, for it is the strength that will keep you on the pathway of surrendered love.
Do you doubt the power of my life in yours?
So many of us were raised in religious families where God the Father was the big bad guy (kind of like the dad of the house) and Jesus is viewed as a wimp. Doesn't it just make you despise religion?
So what if we were all bold against the traditions of men that our ancestors have dedicated their lives to following?
As we ponder that question, let's also ponder today's message from the Passion Translation. "Stand up to the devil and resist him.and he will flee in agony." James 4:7 Now that's a reason to be bold, isn't it?
So I am pondering what would happen if all of Yesuha's children were bold against the enemy. Shall we try it and find out?
As always, deep in thought,
Dawn
PS The enemy is messing with my post again so I'll have to try another way. This is one of my favorite songs about how bold people become when God enters their life. I LOVE IT!! IT looks like you'll need to copy and past this to hear this amazing song!
https://youtu.be/j4H-J5Ynpog?si=ZwHdJ-msRtGCodoq
DdawnDtrict-orhande4:7The Passion Translation
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Surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony. 4:7
The Passion Translation
Surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will flee in agony.
I Hear His Whisper...
Be Bold.
My love is a never-ending stream of sustenance for your soul. You can find everything you need in the life-blood of my unending kindness. My perfect peace holds you steady in the fiercest storms, and it gives you clarity to see my goodness at work. Yield to my heart today. Don’t fight the current of my mercy, for it is the strength that will keep you on the pathway of surrendered love.
Do you doubt the power of my life in yours? Take confidence in my Word and walk out the ways of peace that I have prepared for you. If ever you need a reminder of what living love looks like, study the life of Jesus. His example is not unattainable for you because you are a dearly loved child of the living God. You have alive in you the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead. You have unhindered access to connection with me at all times. Do not hesitate to call on me, for you were never meant to live in your own strength. I have empowered you with my Spirit, so take courage and be bold in my love.
I've been concerned about my mental health my entire life! Somehow I survived my incestuous childhood but not without significant mental health issues. I could go into the details about fighting off suicidal tendencies from my childhood but I try not to dwell on the past.
Still at times my mental health concerns outweigh my physical health concerns. "Why would God love me when my own parents didn't love me enough to protect me?"
God has proven His love is true countless times yet I have gloomy days when I can't get motivated to accomplish a thing. I feel like Eeyore sitting under his cloud. Some days are just harder and the temptation is to ignore the gloom even exists but it does. It really does.
So, as always, I went in search of an article on what I'm pondering and today that happens to be how to improve one's mental health. I found this helpful. I think I'll look for a song too as I sure need something uplifting today. If you could pray for me, I know it would help too.
Here's a prayer for all who feel the gloomies starting to overtake you. You are not alone and yes, God really does love us all!
Dawn
PS One of the things that really gets me down is when technology does not do what I tell it to do. It could be me but it seems demonic at times. So just now I was trying to get the article to align to the left and it won't do it. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you all. I thank you for reading here even though it's such a mess at times.
What does Jesus say about our mental health?
Julie Wilson from Kintsugi Hope shares how scripture helps her share hope as a church leader, and how much Jesus cares about our wellbeing
In the world we find ourselves in we all know people who grapple with stress, anxiety, and feelings of despondency— or perhaps we are familiar with them ourselves — a reality increasingly acknowledged within Christian circles.
As a church leader, I often encounter these struggles in people’s spiritual journeys. While mental health conversations might have previously been sidestepped within faith communities, there’s a growing recognition of the necessity to address these issues with compassion and empathy. At times, the tension between our faith and apprehensions may overshadow the intricate nuances of mental health. We might even hesitate to speak out, fearing condemnation for not fully entrusting our concerns to Christ.
However, I firmly believe that Christ can meet us in these moments of uncertainty, offering hope, peace and joy amidst our struggles.
In Christianity, hope is a big deal, and looking at Jesus’ perspective on mental health can give comfort and guidance to those who are struggling.
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What did Jesus teach?
Jesus taught a lot about love and compassion for everyone, no matter what they were going through. He showed this love by helping all sorts of people, including those who were sick or feeling low. Instead of pushing them away or judging them, He showed care, healed them, and made them feel valued. His actions – like being kind, forgiving and even performing miracles – show how much He cared about people’s wellbeing.
Rather than blaming someone for being sick or thinking they lack faith, Christians are encouraged to understand that mental health issues are complex.
Christianity teaches that every person is important and deserves respect, no matter what they’re dealing with mentally. It’s about treating everyone with dignity, even if they’re struggling with mental health. Rather than blaming someone for being sick or thinking they lack faith, Christians are encouraged to understand that mental health issues are complex. They can come from many things, such as biology, thoughts and life experiences. By seeing the whole picture, Christians can offer support and understanding without making people feel bad.
You are not alone
Jesus didn’t just care about physical health; He was also concerned about people’s feelings and thoughts. He didn’t just heal bodies; He comforted troubled minds. In one of His talks (Matthew 5:4 – 14), He said, “Those who feel sad are blessed, because they will find comfort.” (paraphrased). This message of comfort and hope is for everyone struggling with mental health issues, showing that they’re not alone.
Jesus also talked about how faith and prayer can help in hard times. For many Christians, praying gives them strength and hope when they’re feeling low. It’s a way to connect with a caring God who knows their pain and offers comfort and peace. Jesus once said, “Come to me, all you who are tired and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). This promise isn’t just for people with physical burdens but also for those dealing with mental struggles, offering eternal peace and relief for their soul.
However it’s important to acknowledge that the mental health challenges and pain which we encounter on this earth won’t necessarily go away in this life just because someone is a Christian. It’s also important to acknowledge that those who struggle with mental health issues are not defined by that, no matter how hard things seem. Instead, they’re defined by their relationship with a loving God, even if they continue to struggle with their mental health.
As followers of Jesus, Christians are supposed to act like Him, showing love and care to everyone, including those dealing with mental health problems. This means creating communities where people feel safe to talk about their struggles without fear. It also means pushing for better understanding and support for mental health in society.
What we are doing to help
The charity I work for, Kintsugi Hope, plays a vital role in promoting mental and emotional wellbeing within communities. Named after the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, Kintsugi Hope embraces the idea that our scars and imperfections can be transformed into sources of beauty and strength. Through a range of programmes, resources, and support networks, Kintsugi Hope offers practical tools and a message of hope for those navigating the challenges of mental health issues.
As a mental health charity, we actively engage in activities during Mental Health Awareness Week. This year, the theme revolves around movement, and we at Kintsugi Hope are excited to be leading the ‘Step Into Hope’ campaign. This initiative offers a platform for individuals to embark on a journey of hope, healing and resilience in their mental health. By taking small steps towards a brighter future, participants promote mental wellbeing through the simple act of walking. The campaign encourages people to prioritise their mental health by integrating walking into their daily routines, emphasising the hopefulness that accompanies this endeavour.
Additionally, it provides an opportunity for those interested in supporting Kintsugi Hope’s crucial work to make match-funded donations. Any contributions made during Mental Health Awareness Week will be matched, doubling the impact of each donation at no extra cost to the donor. Together, these initiatives underscore the transformative power of community, compassion, and solidarity in advancing mental wellbeing for all.
