7 “Ask and it will be given to you;(B) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(C) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(D) to those who ask him!12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(E) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(F)
I asked God about hidden orange flowers and was lead to this one
A message from A Woman’s Spirit today. I want to emphasize that as I share this I’m thinking of you men folk too! Everyone struggles at some degree with self-esteem and the God of our understanding, for me Jesus Christ, stands ready to help:
I always thought some people were just born with self- esteem and others not. The fact is, the people with self-esteem May have learned to develop it sooner than others, and now it’s my turn. -Laurel Lewis
One element of our growth is making new choices for ourselves. One of our choices is to have the self-esteem that is our right as a human being.
Some women may have never struggled with low self-esteem. Certainly, many women were born into families where unconditional love helped to develop the kind of self-esteem we crave. Yet with the help of this program and our Higher Power, we too will begin to feel a full measure of self-esteem.
Having self-esteem is really nothing more than beginning to understand and then accepting our worthiness in this vast panorama called life. We have always mattered to God and our fellow travelers, or we wouldn’t be here. It’s our beliefs that need to change-nothing more. We are worthy and loved children of God.
Self-esteem does not have to elude me today. My worth is guaranteed. God doesn’t make junk!
———————-
Matthew 13:44-46New International Version
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like(A) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.(B)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like(C) a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Hello to you today. How are you? I’m feeling a bit rough after last night. I had a wonderful visit with my family here to celebrate the 4th and then Link and I came home…..ugh! For several hours we endured the sounds of fireworks all around us. They don’t seem to have any rules here about where and for how long you can detonate them. It sounded like a war zone to me. I could feel the explosions in my heart center. It sounded like this to me:
A lot of people, and I used to be one of those people, enjoy the experience of fireworks. It’s after having a dog and seeing what the experience did to them…. which lead to an expanded empathy and consciousness of what the experience does to all those not human, I stopped wanting the experience. Last night I couldn’t get away from it. With the decibel range of many of the things people were setting off, not much could block it. Some shook the house. People sharing with each other what they think freedom looks and sounds like at the expense of those who aren’t on the same page. Fireworks are dangerous, loud, harm wildlife, disturb the animals we live with and harm the environment – pollute the air we breathe. My “freedom” and that of many living around me collided last night. The world I grew up in and the one I am living in now are drastically different. There weren’t mass shootings on city streets, public events and schools. I didn’t know that the fireworks I enjoyed as a kid sounded like rapid gunfire you hear in a war zone.
My cousin, who served in the Navy and continues to serve in a different capacity, gave me this coin yesterday to commemorate the 2 year anniversary of him and his wife helping me leave Texas and come to Idaho. I served my country for 16 years in the United States Air Force. I have fired a gun once – the M-16 to qualify at Basic Training. Firing a gun in that way made sense to me. This kind of firepower in civilian hands does not. How many police stations in our country being put in really awful positions – outgunned by those they are sworn to protect? It’s Insanity.
https://youtu.be/wcnQJd_XRQQ – We haven’t got the country we had when I was raised – 100 year old veteran worried about America
One person got me through last night, representing very well the God I love. They kept me from doing what I wanted to do – go out to people and yell. I was in dark places last night:
“Even if just one seed takes root in fertile soil, there is hope. “.
There are many different kinds of seed known and in many cases estranged from our knowing. Life can be so cruel and harsh and appear to not care about us being or not being. So many lashing out or lashing in. Seeds sown from our early beginnings thriving or never seeing the light of day. Sometimes you have to be still , quiet….patient. Listen to the wind which carries the very essence of what animates you and gives you life. There are tiny seeds you can and cannot see in every breath you take. The gut….a highly evolved plant kingdom. We all share the essence of life. You can drink water but without breath there is no life. Remember the trees in your “plans.”
This was just down the street where I lived in Alvarado TX – a church I used to go to a lot! One of dear Yolie, our oak trees children Yolie made many of these as many trees do but only a few, with just right conditions, actually awoke from their hard seed casing. There is much trees and nature teaches about optimum conditions for life. One rose of the many at our house that made me happy back in Texas. “Seed money?” From the walk yesterday. I hope whomever claimed this will do something meaningful with it. I was tempted to take it myself but thought better of it.
Hello to you. How are you? I’m doing ok. Frustrated with myself. Tried to fit into a pair of jeans I’ve had for so many years this morning and nope! Too bloated. There is a Dr. Guidry and others that say the culprit is probably leaky gut syndrome. I am trying to eat better but still taking in too much processed food that is heavy on salt. It’s hard when your living alone to want to cook for yourself and if you do, avoid having a lot of waste. I am working with God about this and my body. Our microme- gut bacteria gets trained up early on in our lives. I notice for myself, that my body likes to eat a lot of protein. Much of the protein I ate as a young person came from meat. I want to change that. I am seeking a protein that does for me what meat does without involving the suffering and death of food animals. I have explored stuff like Quinoa and coconut milk. God and I will figure this out!
Yesterday I was looking into water filter technology and there is a lot of innovation out there. The Achilles heal to much of it – what to do with what is filtered out of water. The byproduct of most filtration tech is dirty filters and stuff you have to figure out what to do with. Desalinization – brine. What O read is a lot of the byproduct gets put back where the water came from! This doesn’t make any sense. It’s like seeing no trash someplace and forgetting there is a landfill somewhere brimming over with trash! Out of sight out of mind. If I have water delivered to my house it’s still not solving the problem. How about working on putting less crap in our drinking water to begin with? Will there ever be a day we feel safe drinking from the tap? Kind of felt like I was chasing my tail yesterday about this issue and so many others. Fix one thing, answer one question and there is something else to consider. Thinking something, a decision, all the way through isn’t easy but necessary. Making hasty decisions oftentimes is a catalyst for more problems to arise. Some enjoy that – profiting from making problems and then making more money coming up with solutions. I call that profit from misery. If problems are preventable then we should work on that. Doing what is right isn’t easy always but it can be rewarding!
Sometimes things are not what they seem – sometimes we have to look deeper than what the surface shows us. Flies are considered a pest but what I figured out is they are a lot like us. They get hungry , thirsty, want to reproduce and most of all are very curious. We are taught many things that just aren’t always true. Be willing and God will show you the truth of just about anything.
There are “churches” like this all over the earth We were not prepared for the environmental cost of a global pandemic – how many masks , gloves and wet wipes?
Something I enjoy is spending time in quiet and prayer near waterways. So much is going on – so much life happening. Such a variety of lives thriving in little pathways of water. Sometimes I think the lives we share earth with are taken for granted until they are gone.
There is only ever one of any kind. Take good care of them while they still remain. You can try to replicate….clone….mimic or copy but you only get one. Even bees, looking and behaving so much alike, are having a unique experience while here on earth. There was one Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, Chris Cornell, David Bowie, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Maya Angelou……so many I can’t even list them all and that’s just humans that have come to us with all that they were and now they are just little fragments….memories. People try to re-enact…re-create what they were but can never be what the original was. Even a clone or robot will still be a unique individual…not an exact copy. How many animals, insects, plants in all the habitats….vessels God has dwelled within? Each one a unique perspective on existence. They each left a legacy that either is cherished or has been lost in time….forgotten.
A question I ask a lot is “why am I here?” The conclusion is to be an observatory vessel for God. To try my best to see the world with a loving, caring mind, body and soul. I’m not just here for myself even though I do spend a lot of time alone. I am here to give all that I am to the God of my understanding. As I get older it’s tougher to do all the things I want to….that I should do but I’m trying. I’m still here so God must still need me here.
Why are you here? That was a question recently in the headlines and other headlines I’m seeing:
https://youtu.be/bDbOCI0s_VU – “why are you here?” Senator Murphy Begs Colleagues to Compromise on Gun Legislation
The study found that Flint water was “very corrosive” and “causing lead contamination in homes”. It concluded in its report that “Flint River water leaches more lead from plumbing than does Detroit water. This is creating a public health threat in some Flint homes that have lead pipe or lead solder.”
https://www.abc12.com/news/business/flint-plastics-recycler-expanding-adding-24-new-jobs/article_38e458cc-f96c-11ec-958c-cf53a4dfd54f.amp.html – 24 jobs?! Reminds me of what they said would happen with more gas pipelines. What was that like 30 jobs and not even permanent. Do the people of Flint want this? Their water is already messed up – is this company going to make a positive or negative environmental impact on this community? Seems predatory to me. Hope I’m wrong. I read that plastics is where fossil fuel investments are headed. Is that the best they can do ? Make more crap and we can’t even manage what we’ve already made! Why are these people, making these choices that affect us all, here?
What’s your individual power? How you spend your money. You can say “No!” If we don’t buy it, they don’t make money. Until such a day money is no longer currency, that’s what we have to do. Figuring out why you are here involves taking personal responsibility for the choices you make. I am trying to do this myself and it can be really tough! It’s so easy to succumb to the allure and ease of convenience.
There is one earth. All of those trying to build ships to leave need to remember that if you abandon earth without having done all you can to save her your just going to do it all again someplace else. Where you go – there you are. Even if you proclaim it will be different it won’t be because YOU are still the same. Look at how it is here at all levels. We run and take ourselves with us where we run to. The other thing to consider is whether or not God and the rest of the Universe is going to actually welcome us beyond earth? We are not alone – as time goes on I feel pretty certain it’s going to be made abundantly clear what God and the rest of creation thinks of us and what is happening to this planet. You get one.
Hello to you. How are you today? I have been thinking a lot about being a responsible guest in Gods house, this planet we call earth. Yesterday I took a walk and and saw the usual varieties of litter. Some intentionally disposed of in the wrong place and some cumulative from trash day trash that gets away from the trucks, stuff that gets out of peoples vehicles. There are many things we buy that we just don’t know what to do with once we are done with it or it’s inconvenient and complicated to do so. It’s beginning to feel like no matter where we put all of this it’s ending up in undesirable places like living bloodstreams:
So after another walk like this and really feeling tired of cleaning up after people or trying to encourage them to do it – not just consumers but companies that begin the pipeline of trash. I got to thinking about the upcoming holiday and all the gatherings and events happening this time of year. Metric tons of trash generated that has to go somewhere. Think about all those plates, to go containers, plastic utensils, plastic red solo cups, napkins, beverage containers and expended firework containers! What if event coordinators incentivized people bringing their own stuff to these things? Like a picnic basket concept? I am not entirely sure what the answer is but that idea popped in this morning….. just passing it along for taking, leaving or ignoring.
“Plastic forks, knives, and spoons are one of those things that we tend to think are inevitable when eating on the go or feeding a crowd. Even though alternatives do exist, these are not widely known or accessible, which is a pity, considering the impact that plastic cutlery has on the environment. It does not biodegrade, and a recent study found plastic cutlery to be among the 10 most common types of plastic trash found on California beaches.”
Let me take you on a trip Around the world and back And you won’t have to move, you just sit still Now let your mind do the walking And let my body do the talking Let me show you the world in my eyes
I’ll take you to the highest mountain To the depths of the deepest sea And we won’t need a map, believe me Now let my body do the moving And let my hands do the soothing Let me show you the world in my eyes
That’s all there is Nothing more than you can feel now That’s all there is
Let me put you on a ship On a long, long trip Your lips close to my lips All the islands in the ocean All the heaven’s in the motion Let me show you the world in my eyes
That’s all there is Nothing more than you can touch now That’s all there is
Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes Let me show you the world in my eyes
Hello to you today. How are you? I hope you are well and if your not, believe me your not alone.
What’s up there? Crab apples growing all over and they don’t taste too bad! Part of the litter problem comes after trash day – getting out of the garbage trucks I think this is a Yucca plant – Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of the Americas and the Caribbean. Wikipedia
This morning I got to thinking about a phrase I hear a lot, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” If so many thoughts and prayers are happening why does it seem like so little meaningful change has occurred? What came to me is if there is no conviction and intent on action behind the thoughts…the prayers…. so nothing changes. A lot of us say we care but are still firmly entrenched in our own way of things. Our thoughts remaining true to our own perception and desires and prayers empty rhetoric we are “expected” to say when tragedy befalls us, no matter what it is. Many sorry something bad is happening but unless it directly affects them – no intention of taking action to change. I’m not innocent in this but I am aware of my character defects and trying to follow up thoughts and prayers…words, with action. God provides but will not do it all for us – that’s in part why WE are here! Even doing just one small thing, starting today, can change the world. Open the eyes God placed in our hearts not just the ones in your head.
Matthew 5:8New International Version
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,(A) for they will see God.(B)
As I look back over my journey thus far and look at the landscape of the world, one of the biggest obstacles seems to be money. For what we need to happen and as fast as it needs to happen, what seems to be in the way is funds. I keep reading and hearing, “it costs too much.” An idea that came to mind was “blank check.” What would happen if we collaborated via teams of our best representing all the different crisis areas and said, all accountabilities in place, “do whatever it takes to fix this, we’ll get you whatever you need.” How fast could people like Boyan Slat from Ocean Cleanup get things done if the obstacle of financing was removed?
“(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace Love And Understanding”
As I walk on through this wicked world Searching for light in the darkness of insanity I ask myself, “Is all hope lost?” Is there only pain, and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside There’s one thing I wanna know What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?
And as I walked on through troubled times My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes So where are the strong? And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slipping away, just makes me wanna cry What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?
So where are the strong? And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slipping away, just makes me wanna cry What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding? What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?
To be 