Faith

Spoil, in different ways

February 16, 2024 By Annette1 11 Comments

So it took me a while to figure out what to do with the word Spoil, the word of the week from Miss Kate. I deliberately didn’t read the post of others as I needed to just let it ruminate for a spell. Finally, Spoil, in different ways jumped off the page and here you go.

I had a bit of a rough day at work with too many moments of crisis occurring. This caused me to work a longer day than I anticipated and to come home tired with very sore feet. I’m battling a spot of plantar fasciitis right now. I know it will clear up in time, but for now, it’s a bit of a pain. Never-the-less, sometimes the pain makes me spoil for a fight! But that’s just ONE way to look at the word spoil, let’s take a look shall we?

Spoil, in different ways

Five minute comes around
I wonder how if words be found?
to match the prompt that’s what due
can thoughts of spoil
provide the clue?

To write this poem I must think
no no, there’s no time to drink
Five minutes is all the time given
so many words will be riven….

Spoil
rhymes with boil,
oil, roil, foil,
as well as recoil, gargoyle,
and turmoil. Any of those
rhymes could a poem make…

Let’s look at though
Spoil in different ways

Spoiling can ruin a capable
person by giving them all
they want, but not what they need.

Spoilage can ruin veggies, fruit,
meat, milk, eggs and more. Sometimes the
whole thing, and other times,
just an affected area.

Spoilers can ruin the ending
of a show or book if one
isn’t careful when reading reviews.

Spoilsports can run a game through
ill-temper, cheating, or bad behaviour,
whether board, singles or team.

It can be said that one is
spoiling for a fight, a fight can
relieve tensions or be the
start of something harder.

What say words will accrue
about spoil say you?
A poem or prose
something to expose?

man showing rotten avocado with pink glitter — Photo by Ivan Babydov on Pexels.com

Thoughts continued

I sat here for a while after writing this and got to thinking. What might spoil our Christian faith? We know that Christ holds onto to us tightly. And once we are his, we are his forever. So what might shake a person’s faith?

A sorta friend of mine lost her son unexpectedly. We were talking the other day and she mentioned it took her three years to return to the Lord. So a spot of spoilage, that once worked through and around, didn’t spoil her entire faith.

A niece mentioned that her folks didn’t like her being friends with a couple of people because of their lack of faith. But she mentioned how much she liked them because “they got her” and she felt like herself with them. So could those friends prove to be spoilers like her folks think they would be?

Company kept, life events, and worldly thinking…. can they spoil a faith for good, or for ill? So much of the world influences us in what we say and do, how much of that is spoilage?

Acts 3:17-26

February 14, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

These next few verses are actually part of the previous passage, Peter continuing his conversation with the people amazed at the lame man’s healing. Let us continuing learning from from the apostles in Acts 3:17-26.

¹⁷“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

²²Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. ²³And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ ²⁴And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. ²⁵You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ ²⁶God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

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If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

Looking more closely at Acts 3:17-26

When we left Peter, he was telling the onlookers what they did. It’s a damning statement, that they rejected the Holy One. As Peter said “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.“

Acts 3:17

But then he goes on to say this “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” If I heard that, I would feel both ashamed and yet relieved. He knew we were just being stupid! Having a monumental brain fart. Can you imagine someone realizing our vast ignorance? Granted, he first called us to account, but then said he realized we were just being ignoramuses. But not just us, part of the generic masses, but also those in leadership over us. All of us just being ignorant.

Acts 3:18

I don’t know if this is meant to be a relief from the guilt of being ignorant or not, but Peter tells it straight up. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.

God knew this would happen. He foretold it. And then fulfilled it. So the ignorance we showed in allowing Christ to be sacrificed was all part of God’s plan.

Why was this all part of God’s plan?

Acts 3:18

¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

So that when we come in repentance our sins can be blotted out. So they won’t be seen anymore. Blotters are used to absorb ink, or to document investment trades. But we aren’t talking about that sort of blotting, but of sin being blotted out.. wiped away, stains being removed, not just covered up or documented in some way, but completely wiped away.

Acts 3:22-24

Do you see it? Moses said what God was going to do. God would raise up a prophet who should be listened to. Not listening to him has grave consequences. And every single prophet that followed Moses has spoken to that same truth.

Acts 3:25

²⁵You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’

So just who are we (the audience) that sacrificed Christ? We are the offspring of Abraham, people with whom God made a covenant so that the all families of the earth are blessed. Do you understand that? If you are loved of by God, you are blessed.

Acts 3:26

²⁶God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Hmmm… this verse eh? We who sacrificed Christ, who allowed a really bad guy to go free, are the first to have this chance. What chance? To be blessed as we are turned away from our wickedness. It’s not us doing that turning but God turning us. We just can’t do it on our own you know? That internal wickedness is so built into us, but then God comes along with this fantastic plan whose end result it to turn us from our wickedness.

I can’t wait to see what we’re going to learn about next. What about you?

To see that despite our ignorance in killing God’s most beloved son, which he knew we would do, God’s plan for us hasn’t changed. He wants to turn us away from our wickedness. It’s an amazing story of love isn’t it? Isn’t it good to learn more of God’s love for us and his plan for our lives?

how do we consume?

February 10, 2024 By Annette1 14 Comments

so it’s 10 p.m. and the five minute Friday word prompt is up. Consume. I’m watching code black which is an emergency room drama tv series. They just finished a two show story on hemorrhagic fever. There was much that left me snorting with the unbelievability of some of the story line. As I work that through a poem starts to come to me. Let’s see where it goes hmm? How do we consume?

how do we consume

seeing, the images flow
soundlessly passing by
the visual cortex
of the brain
being absorbed

hearing, words fly by
being heard but
are they really?
listening an active
moving discerning verb.

what stories do we
hear without really listening
what do we see without
noticing what is going on?

how does one discern when
we aren’t even sure
how we consume
what passes in our lives?

when reading, watching,
observing, listening,
seeing,
not paying attention,
or being strictly observant

when do we stop,
notice, pay attention,
realize that the going
in will somehow come out?

how do we consume,
knowingly or
unknowingly?

does discernment
play a part?
or is it laziness?
entertainment or a time
to think and learn, or
to share a pastime with
loved ones?

how does that relate
to our lives of belief?

how does our faith influence
how we consume the things
that occur in our lives?

does the word we live by
shine a light into all the
influencing corners of our lives?

prayer, reading,
memorization,
studying with self and
others,
fellowship,

sanctifying, justifying,
unifying,
life, liberty,
discernment, and
truth

sometimes hidden,
sometimes right out in the open.

are you ready in
how you consume?

Acts 3:11-16

February 8, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Technically the next section in Acts is Acts 3:11-26. This is a rather large passage and rather than trying to tackle it all at once I’m going to divide it in half. So this week we’ll do Acts 3:11-16, and then later we’ll do the rest.

¹¹While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. ¹²And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

¹⁴But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. ¹⁶And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

What Happened before Acts 3:11-16

Do you remember that just before this passage Peter, through the power of Christ within, had made a lame man whole again? When we left them, the man was leaping around praising the Lord God for his healing. The people surrounding them were so surprised and amazed. Filled with wonder they were.

Now moving forward.

Acts 1:11

¹¹While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

If like me you don’t know what a portico is, it is a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.

So they must have been standing in the sheltered area at the temple. A place where it would be easy for people to gather, a safe area for beggars to hang out in protected from the weather. Anyways, this portico is known as Solomon’s Porch. If you want to know more about it, I found this helpful resource.

So they are there, and he’s healed and the people are “utterly astounded”. I don’t much blame them, they would have been coming to worship God, and expecting the same old same old, and then this man is healed. And he wasn’t being quiet about it. It was a miraculous gift from God!

So everyone did what I would see as totally normal… they rushed over!

roofed walkway with benches — Photo by Allen Boguslavsky on Pexels.com

Acts 3:12-16

¹²And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

Peter took the opportunity to present Christ to the people. He gave them a bit of a history lesson and put them on notice for what they did. What we all did. We took this man, the son of God, and put him on trial. Released a really bad guy. And let Jesus die.

There were witnesses

BUT witnesses saw it! Christ rose from the dead! There were witnesses! So it’s true! Christ is risen. AND therefore through his name by faith miracles can happen!

Do you see that caveat… it’s not just by saying the name of Jesus. It’s the whole “by faith” clause. One need to have faith in the Lord.

It reminds me of that verse in Matthew where it says “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. 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.”” (17:20)

Faith is Pivotal

Without faith it’s just words you know?

Faith is what enables us as believers to do all the things that God calls us to do. Even with a small, weak faith, it’s the faith that matters. Not how big that faith is, just that we have faith.

It was faith in God that enabled Peter to work a miracle. It was faith in God that allowed Peter to talk to the crowd about why this miracle happened. Faith in God is what allows missionaries to go out onto a foreign field. Faith in God allows ministers to bring God’s word to us. This faith that causes children to save up money to help other children. It is faith that helps Christian parents raise up their children to know the stories of God, the stories of faith. Faith helps people do things that seem beyond them (like walking on water, forgiving enemies, apologizing to people wronged, loving the unlovable etc.).

So the question is: what seemingly difficult thing can my faith let happen? What can I ask for in the name of Jesus? or will I let fear beat me?

Right now, I don’t know.

Do you?

The Waste We Produce

February 2, 2024 By Annette1 6 Comments

So I’ve had a pretty good week at work. There’s been some drama between some of the staff. But work overall has been good. I like that customers are getting to know me and often give me a friendly greeting as I give them one! It’s a good job with some (usually) minor frustrations. One of the things that drives me crazy at work is the sheer amount of the waste we produce.

And so I took some steps to help deal with that. Asking about taking things to the food bank or to our local community kitchen. That worked well but didn’t really deal with the HUGE waste from departments I wasn’t part of. But about five months or so ago a program started called Second Harvest. This is a program that helps community kitchens and foodbanks claim some of the waste from grocery stores. So I’d have to say that 90% of our waste gets used now! Isn’t that cool?

The Waste We Produce

The Waste we produce it’s clear to see
Dented cans, dropped goods,
items past due,
shipped without labels,
or short dated, or
damaged when received.

What do to so with all
these items? Toss them in
the garbage the only recourse?

Oh look, help arrives
a person despising waste
having to earn trust,
can bunnies be fed?j

Oh, they can!
and is it possible that
the foodbank can use?

Oh, this girl can deliver it?
No added expense?
oh… dry goods be saved!

Second Harvest, allows stores
to save money as weight of goods
feeds families.

Waste from customers returning
items that can’t again be sold.
Waste from customers putting unwanted
items in places not suited.
Jam in the freezer?
Cheese with the cereal?
Meat with green onions?
Oh dear, oh my!

It’s amazing sometimes the waste
that customers make, and it causes me to
wonder, why not just bring the unwanted
with you to cash? We’ll happily return it
for you, no questions asked!

But then I have to stop and think
about the waste in my own life, and
how I like to try to hide the mistake in
judgement made.

You know, like when I lose time
doom scrolling instead
of taking time to talk with the Lord.
Or when I eat mindlessly,
instead of engaging in something better,
or just going to bed! 🙂

So instead of bringing that failure
to the one who can help me change,
I pretend it didn’t happen,
or hide it away, as if once
hidden no one will notice. That
HE himself won’t notice.

I… fool no one.
Customers… fool no one.

Hiding bad decisions just is…
… part of the waste we produce
don’t you find?

Let’s stop being producers
of the waste!

Come Sail Away

January 26, 2024 By Annette1 6 Comments

So for some reason, when I saw the word prompt of Far this week, this song come sail away, come sail away with me popped into my head. As I was writing the words down I thought hmm…. I should look them up to see if they are correct. Well, let’s just say I was COMPLETELY wrong beyond the basic words and some of the overall ideas. 🙂 Nevertheless… Come sail away with me… Let’s see how far we can go!

Come Sail Away

Come sail with me, come sail away with me.
How far away, how far away we could be.
Come sail away come sail away with me….
We’ll head out now, just o’er the deep blue sea.

The waters deep, and the birds are flying high,
The grass is green I think I aught’a fly
Up into the deep blue glistening sky
up where the elephants and zebras roam
perhaps that where I’ll call my home…

NOW I TOLD YOU I was SO VERY WRONG.

….

I wonder sometimes how far
an imagination can take a person.

When I was in my twenties I was
convinced that God had a book in me he
wanted to bring out. I thought it would
be a work of fiction, but….

Over the years I’ve learned that perhaps
a work of fiction is not quite in the
cards for me. Figuring out how to describe
human emotions and people interactions
is sometimes a bit of a struggle since
in real life people often confound me.

But poetry…
I am more and more trying to figure
out a way to use poetry as
a way to influence the world.

There I can just talk
and change syntax
or word phrasing or how the word
simply appears on the page,
or throw in a new word or three….
and occasionally point people to the
maker of words.

So what say though,
how far might you sail
if you could follow a dream?

dream text on green leaves — Photo by Karyme França on Pexels.com

God Speaks

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matthew 19:23-26

²³And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Acts 3:1-10

January 18, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

I know, I know, it’s been a while. Sickness and holidays and just stuff…you know… stuff. I’ve hardly looked at my blog lately. Over Christmas and a couple of sick days I worked in all my reviews. Writing many of them past the time they were due and just back-dating them. 🙂 Today we are in Acts 3:1-10.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 3:1

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

So I went to understanding the bible to figure out what is meant by the ninth hour. There I learned that the Jewish day starts at 6 a.m. That would be their hour zero. So the ninth hour would be around 3 p.m.

That makes me wonder how the work day functions. Do people start work at 6 a.m. and stop at 2 and therefore have the rest of the day to pray and do whatever? Or do they start work later and just stop for a while at 3 p.m. to allow time for prayers? I know, I know, that’s a total off the topic thought, but just a curiousity I have.

I also have to question myself. Is it a good thing to have an established “time of prayer”. Would that give an order to the day and a routine that would keep people from forgetting the importance of connecting with God daily? Sometimes the busyness of the day truncates any concerns about spending time with the Lord, particularly in a time of prayer that sometimes feels like talking to the air. I know God hears me. I know this. But sometimes it feels one-sided you know? Anyways, this time of prayer that the Jewish folks had I’m going to ponder on a bit more. About setting aside a regular time to just talk with God.

Acts 3:2

2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

Can you imagine if poor people would gather in front of a church asking for donations? What would we say or do in that situation? Would we reach out to them, or simply see them as the many homeless that sit or stand on the street corner? Another question is… Why don’t the poor gather in front of churches on Sunday mornings, or Wednesday evenings asking for help? Has the church collectively shown their unwillingness to meet those immediate needs? Should we encourage them to do so? I wonder what kind of difference that might make for us as believers?

Acts 3:3

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.

I wonder what it was about Peter and John that stirred the lame man to direct his attention to them. Was it merely their presence, or was their something about them that set them apart? Perhaps it was they were going in together and it’s harder to say no when you are with someone else. ‘Cuz you know that NO ONE wants to look bad in front of friends, and helping others does make you look better. 🙂

Acts 3:4-7

4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

Needless to say, Peter helped him! (otherwise we wouldn’t be reading this story) Not in the way the man expected, but far beyond that. Can you imagine that man’s surprise. To have a man say “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk” and then helps you to your feet. Feet that you haven’t walked upon for ages and ages (speculatively). Strength given to feet and ankles now strong enough to support your weight. Feet working so you are no longer beholden on family and/or friends to help you get to a spot so you can beg for help. It’s just amazing isn’t it?

Acts 3:8

8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Well, wouldn’t you? After not being able to walk and now suddenly you can? I can totally see myself doing a short jive across the floor! 🙂 Then knowing the reason for it!?!?!?!?! I would be joining him in praising God. But note: he was praising God which means he KNOWS that Jesus Christ is of God. Otherwise, would he be praising God or would he be confused?

Peter didn’t say by the power of God, or in the name of God, but rather “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth”. So he had to somehow know that God was involved. Ergo, he praised God for his healing. (not praising Peter and John, but God himself!).

Again, I need to ask myself questions: Do I really take the time to praise God for the things he does in my life. This man wasn’t asking for healing, he just wanted some coins so he could get some food, drink, lodging, or whatever. But instead, God outdid his asking. God healed him up. How many times does God exceed my expectations?

an example

Today for instance, I’ve been meaning to bless a lady across the street with some ice cream. She lives close to the pocket book and it’s a simple way to make her smile. I couldn’t get ahold of her all week (lives in a locked building) and it’s been COLD and snowy this week. BUT she has a little dog so I’ve been hopeful to catch her out. Today I did. And low and behold it was the perfect day to reach her. Her brother died this morning, and this was just the thing she needed. Having someone to care about her, talk for a little bit (not long as … bitterly cold out), and to pray with her. God exceeded my little gift by more than expected.

It’s so easy to ignore that you know? Afterall, it’s not as big as say… not being lame anymore, but it was important in HER life right now.

But today I feel convicted to say “God, thanks for that eh? Your timing is perfect.” He knows full well what’s needed eh?

Acts 3:9-10

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I know when I see God acting in the lives of people how amazing I find it, particularly when it’s a drastic change. Like someone becomes a believer and alcohol addiction or bitterness just leave them. That just knocks my socks off. So I emphasize with the people gathered around this happy, God-praising man. They would have seen him, so they knew his lameness. Seeing him leap about and his absolute joy in physical freedom would have been so amazing.

I wonder if they saw God in action or if they were simply surprised at his healing? Did this man’s words turn hearts? We aren’t told. All we can do is hope eh?

What have you learned of God?

God has reminded me of my need for thankfulness in this passage. I’ve also been reminded of how often God exceeds my expectations of him. What have you seen of God in these verses?

Let me know eh?

What to know more?

If you are interested in the rest of the series you will find them here eh?

Faith

Spoil, in different ways

Spoil, in different ways

Thoughts continued

Acts 3:17-26

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