Thank you all for the prayers.
My niece made contact with her grandfather yesterday. She saw all the social media posts. Her grandfather talked with her, and we are now following police protocol for missing persons.
Hallelujah!
Thank you! Thank you! Whew! This was a scary one.
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
Until next time, stay blessed, keep praying.
Hello fellow bloggers. Trouble has come again in my family. Jesus told us this in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
This is my beautiful, quiet niece, Unique, who always texts me back. Lately, she hasn’t responded to anyone. My heart is sad and (truthfully) anxious, but I hold on to the word of God found in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
My request to God is that she be found alive. I solicit the prayers of all you who believe in prayer’s power.
What would we do without the Lord? Some troubles are heavy. Sheesh! But, He helps, comforts, and cares. If you never met Him, try Him (Psalm 34:8).
Be blessed until next time! ❤️
In my upcoming book, OMG! What’s Been Done with Jesus? Bringing Christ Back to the Forefront (scheduled for release December 2025), I briefly discuss Psalm 34:8 (NIV), which says, Taste and see that the Lord is good.
It’s no surprise to me that the Lord alludes to food here; Jesus, too, used food as metaphors. The definition of taste is “the sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth and throat on contact with a substance.” As a verb, it is to “perceive or experience the flavor of.” I think this is precisely what God wants humankind to do.
When a friend invites us to taste a dish they’ve prepared or are still cooking, we rarely gulp down a full plate or take a big spoonful of it. We put a small amount into our mouths to see if it is flavorful, well-prepared, or tastes delicious. Does the mixture of spices and seasonings delight our taste buds?
God, in His wise simplicity, invites humankind to do the same. He’s telling us here that we don’t have to try to experience the full measure of Himself all at once or rack our brains trying to perform activities well enough to know Him (i.e., praying, bible reading, going to church, or ridding ourselves of wrong). No.
In this verse, the Lord simply invites us to experience a small taste of Himself. This taste will prove His goodness and faithfulness. The Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary notes the word “taste” in this verse as a verb. The Greek word is γεύομαι (geuomai), which means “to taste, eat, partake of,” usually implying enjoyment of the experience. (Retrieved from Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Copyright © 2006 by William D. Mounce.)
Partake of an experience with God, the Father, which only happens upon believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. Don’t try to go big to impress people or because of pressure from others. Don’t do it to compensate for your losses or faults. Simply taste Him. You may say, “But I don’t have much faith at all.” That’s okay. Jesus said, “…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20 NIV).
“Yum! He is soooo good!” Go ahead, just taste; you’ll enjoy the experience; trust me. 😊
Be blessed until next time…
Happy Father’s Day fellas!
My dad left us in 2009. The thing I remember most about him is how he was a diligent, prompt, hard worker. He retired from Rohm and Haas after almost 40 years, doing that shift work. He rarely missed a day. I didn’t know all those years until my teen years, my dad could not read. Wow! But he showed up to work everyday! Phenomenal!!
Dads are special to kids. Nobody like them. I often watch and tell the story how moms can be doing it all–everyday, every year. Dad walks in one day with one toy or a thing the kid loves. The kid smiles broadly, and screams loudly, with a burst of excitement, “LOOK AT WHAT MY DADDY GOT ME! MY DADDY GAVE ME THIS!!” They walk around the house or school or the neighborhood waving that thing around as if daddy just gave them a piece of gold worth millions!! Lol
That’s the affect dads have that moms don’t. 😉💙
Enjoy your day Fathers. You rock!
Be blessed until next time!.
I like CNN; it’s where I usually follow the breaking news, gain information on U.S. or world events, watch documentaries about “notable” figures, and get information on old/new political administrations. I like CNN’s format for delivering the news, its various anchors and newscasters, and the guests who appear to discuss, explain, and/or help us better understand what’s happening worldwide. I can watch it all day, especially if it’s something significant (i.e., our new U.S. government administration). I must admit, however, I was feeling agitated and getting sad and depressed after listening to the news daily these past few weeks. As a follower of Jesus Christ (i.e., a Christian), I needed to take a break to check my thoughts and get some perspective.
Jesus explained to His followers that there are two different kingdoms—a kingdom that operates on the earth and a spiritual kingdom, which operates in the heavenly realm. People govern the kingdoms of the world and oversee and orchestrate affairs on behalf of the citizens and the earth. In contrast, the kingdom of God, which Jesus is really king of, is spiritual and is concerned with God’s rule, action, lordship, sovereign governance, and God’s will and ways being declared and manifested on earth. Once, when being questioned by one of the high-ranking officials in His day, Jesus tells him how His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:28-37).
It’s important to note that Jesus never disregarded or disrespected the kingdoms of the world or its leaders. An example is found in Matthew 22:18-21, where a group who hated the fact that Jesus claimed authority over God’s kingdom tested Him on this very issue. It reads, “Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words. They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality. Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius. Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Now when they heard this they were stunned, and they left him and went away.”
This clearly demonstrates how Jesus acknowledges Caesar’s (or a government’s) authority and the respect we should show it. (Pay your taxes, in so many words.) And, Jesus pays His tax when he sends his disciple (or follower) Peter to find a coin to pay the Temple tax. Read it in Matthew 17:24-27. He also acknowledges here a reverence for God’s kingdom.
Finally, the Bible urges Christians to pray for world leaders, even those who are flawed. This further demonstrates God’s respect for earthly kingdoms and who’s in place to govern its affairs. (See 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and Colossians 1:16-17.)
Here’s the break I needed to take after listening to CNN. I had to step back, get God’s viewpoint, and shift my perspective so I wouldn’t be so depressed. I realize now God appoints world leaders; they’re put in place by Him. “Whaaat? OMG!” I should and can pray for them because there is a Master who is over them—the One who governs the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 6:9). 🙂
Be blessed until next time.
