"But crooked sticks draw straight lines.."

We are so quick to "draw straight lines, with crooked sticks" and how refreshing it is to see that God loves us and how we are able to extend this mercy to others!

Reading and these verses and song affect my heart and outlook towards others!

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded 

and show sympathy, love, compassion, and humility to and for each other—

not paying back evil with evil or insult with insult,

 but repaying the bad with a blessing. 

It was this you were called to do, so that you might inherit a blessing.

 Walk away from the evil things in the world — just leave them behind, and do what is right, and always seek peace and pursue it.

1 Peter 3:8-9,11 (VOICE)

“Will you cry for me, or will you judge me?

Will you throw stones at my head, or will you love me?

I could never be everything that you wanna see

But crooked sticks draw straight lines, just look at me

(But crooked sticks draw straight lines, just look at me)

Lecrae -Cry for You ft Taylor Hill

Lecrae states about his album All Things Work Together

" I've heard of ancient cultures that used to leave monuments and landmarks in areas where the dark became light,

stones of remembrance at the locations of war zones they survived,...

 in spite of all the trial there was a light at the end of the tunnel, 

a miracle in the midst of the madness, hope in the chaos.. 

when the quake from life disasters stopped I found myself 

underneath the rubble, still breathing, 

somehow stronger, wiser...

because in the end all things work together."

”I’ve learned that I can make it through the ugliest storm and come out better because I really didn’t know how I was going to end up and obviously I still have some wounds and scars and I’m still growing, God is still restoring a lot of me but I realized that God is faithful too. No matter how bad you mess up, God loves you and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I hope that they understand there is hope in the chaos. I hope that they get that God loves them and there is nothing they can do about it – it’s an unrelenting pursuit of you – and I want people to feel that. I want people to feel that they can make it, I don’t care how crazy it gets, we are resilient people and I want people to know that.”

stones of remembrance
underneath the rubble, still breathing,
they survived 

"I am The Door- The Gateway"

"I am the Gateway. 

To enter through me 
is to experience life, 
freedom,
 and satisfaction."

John 10:9 (TPT)

 

"I am the door. 

If anyone enters by me,
 he will be saved 
and will go in and out
 and find pasture."

John 10:9 (ESV)

“In short, It opens freely the door of mercy,
 to the greatest and vilest of penitent sinners;
 who obeying the blessed impulse of the grace of God, whereby they had been awakened from the sleep of death, and move to seek for pardon, may enter in, and, through the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit, might be enabled to bring forth the fruits of Righteousness.
 Christianity is a scheme ‘for justifying the ungodly’, ‘while yet sinners’, ‘when enemies’ "
-William Wilberforce

"...Finish well..."

Finish well 🌅🏅🎯
The name of the couple is Victor and Eleanor. 
There names stick in my mind-live across from the local Italian tailor.
When we first moved to the street 38 yrs ago, 🤔, I recall Victor driving a red Ford Ltd, Halliburton company vehicle.
I would see him walking along lodge road in work khakis. He parked his car in the garage and went to the mailbox on the other side of the road.
 Summer days, vibrant mid-life, solid frame,tanned, 😓 sweat on the brow-Victor.
Eleanor and he would eat dinner 🥘 on the side porch on sweet summertime evenings at the humble home🏡. 
Summer family reunions or family birthdays celebrations happened through summer and fall🍁.
Fast 💨 forward decades- saw the ambulance 🚑 in front of the house the other day; they were taking Eleanor to hospital 🏥 
Saw Victor this morning. He was walking to the mailbox. Older now, more cautious. I called his name and asked how she was doing. He said she was getting along.

Years later, saw the ambulance again this time to pick up Victor as Eleanor watched on. Both still carrying on their lives,-  knocked down, but not destroyed, bewildered, but not giving in to despair.
"They are finishing well as a couple," I thought,
 and I want to do the same.♥️🌅
It happens to us all if we live long enough and the years can take a toll but there is a means to live each day well.

“So we have no reason to despair. 

Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity 

is breathing in new life every day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16

"Come, my heart, rejoice in the immunity which thy Redeemer has secured thee,

 and bless his name all the day,

 and every day."

(Morning CHS 3/26)

"But this beautiful treasure is contained in us— cracked pots made of earth and clay—so that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. 

We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them.

 We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down,

 but we are not destroyed."

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

"...grace, gratitude, future.. "

"Gratitude looks back to grace received in the past and feels thankful. 

Faith looks forward to grace promised in the future and feels hopeful.”

- Future Grace, John Piper

#1000gifts

"..without a bucket in sight.."

"Woman:  Sir, You sit by this deep well a thirsty man without a bucket in sight. Where does this living water come from? Jesus:  Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched only for a moment. You must return to this well again and again. I offer water that will become a wellspring within you that gives life throughout eternity. You will never be thirsty again."

John 4:11,13-14 VOICE

“While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, “Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?” Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, “It’s easy to say, ‘Trust in the Lord,’ but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water— no means to be able to give us these things.”

"...living water..."

“Be still, be calm, see,

 and understand I am the True God.."

Psalm 46:10

'...sojourners...

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners,

 as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding."

1 Chronicles 29:15 ESV

"... come dream with me..."

“Come dream with me.

 Dream of a fight for something bigger, 

something more important and worthwhile.

 We need to fight for justice and peace,

 for the walls between us to come crashing down.”

Dr. John M. Perkins