admin, Author at MyBellaViews.com

You should Youtube or check amazon for the song “He’s Alive” by Dolly Parton. It is SO stirring. The songwriter is Don Francisco, and he sings a great rendition also.

Exodus 12:3, 6 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. . . Take care of them until the fourteenth of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

Exodus 12: 1-51 (This whole chapter concerns the rules of the initial Passover and what Moses told them to do to spare their lives and escape from Egypt.)

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for one’s life.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Matthew 21-28 These chapters all are what Matthew wrote about concerning the Last Supper, the mock trial Jesus had to endure to His crucifixion, death, and rising.

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.'”

Matthew 26:26-29, 40-41 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. . . . Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 11-16 The Last Supper, praying in Gethsemane, being arrested, the crucifixion, and His rising.

Mark 14:37-38 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 14:51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind

John 11 (raised Lazarus from death a few days prior to His own death)

John 11:49-52 before His death (John’s personal input of days before Christ’s death)

John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

John 12:37-40 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reasons they could not believe, because as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn–and I would heal them.”

Acts 8:32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

On Sunday, the tenth of Abib, or Nisan, (the first month of the Jewish calendar, normally in March-April calendar to us) Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem to cheers, honor, and the excitement of the Israel people honoring Him as their Messiah. The people cheered, waving palm branches in HIs honor, praising Him, thanking God that their Deliverer had finally arrived, after years of being prophesized; now He was coming. And just as the prophets predicted, He rode in on a donkey. They did not realize He was the Lamb, they viewed Him as the Messiah, the one who would somehow overthrow the government. But they knew He was the Promised One. Somehow this gentle Man would overcome and take away their oppression. They just did not understand how God had intended it to happen all along.

This is the beginning of what we Christians call Holy Week–from Palm Sunday through to Easter. But Jesus knew what He faced–and basically had about 96 hours to go before facing His brutal end as a Man.

Pharaoh became angrier with each visit from Moses telling of whatever threat God had told him to tell Pharaoh was coming. But in his arrogance, he scorned Moses. But he was not totally without retribution. Afterall, the Israelites were his possessions, his slaves. He demanded the foreman make the Israelites search for their own hay to make the mud bricks, but to put out the same number of bricks. As more and more burdens were added, the people became less and less sure of Moses.

Moses finally told of the last plague God was sending. All the first born in the land would be killed. Again, Pharaoh scoffed. Before the Israelites left Egypt, they had asked and been given gold, clothing and other riches from the Egyptians. So, God had told Moses to tell the people to find the perfect, pure lamb on the tenth of Abib or Nisan, (the same month), to bring the lamb into their homes and feed and care for it four days. On the fourteenth of the first month, they were to slaughter it, roast it, and make sure all was eaten that night. If the lamb was too much for one family, they were to ask another family to share the meal with them. The blood of the lambs were to be painted along the outside of their door posts. They were uncertain, apprehensive, but they followed. But Moses and Aaron had insisted they spread blood over their doorposts, and STAY IN THE HOME AND eat all the lamb that night. But if one disobeyed, his family would also be mourning in the morning. This was to be their first Passover. God and the Angel of Death would pass by their homes when destroying the firstborn of each family, animal and so forth of the Egyptians. God was sending the Angel of Death and whomever was in the house where the lamb’s blood was painted around the doorposts, no one would be touched within that home. But the Egyptians, who knew nothing of the blood, they lost firstborn within all the animals, and most grievously, they lost children, siblings, as the last plague God sent was to kill the firstborn, and only those who had the blood painted on the outside of the doors would be saved. The cries and screeches must have been horrible with the loss being realized. But it was the final insult to Pharaoh; now he ordered them to go, all of them, with their sacrifices, herds and so forth, but to flee Egypt so no more suffering would be upon the Egyptians.

I can just imagine how insecure and nervous, anxious many of the Israelites were. They had known Egypt all their lives, and now they were being asked to leave. And killing a lamb, what was that for? Did Moses or Aaron explain, or just give the order. The people must have wondered how they and all their belongings would be able to leave. The Bible says nothing about them having wagons–were they all just on foot, with herds of sometimes stubborn animals moseying along? They had their own belongings and then more since they had been given gifts of gold and clothing before they fled. I think it must have been very scary going into the unknown.

But now, it is centuries later than when the Israelites lived in the desert; and not fully understanding the many different prophecies of Jesus and His death, atrocious murder, the true Lamb was being sacrificed as the ONLY SIN offering worthy. God had made His only Son the atonement for EACH of US. I know Jesus knew what was coming–I hate to think of the countdown of those last days, hours.

I am not big watching any show/movie where there is a lot of torture, abuse, violence. But I have a good idea of the horrific torture He suffered and endured for Me and My sins. His disciples did not fully get it, I don’t think. They celebrated the Passover meal, then He was arrested, tortured and crucified. And finally, Jesus breathed His last; but it was Friday, and preparation for the weekly Sabbath needed to be completed by sundown. So, Joseph of Arimathea came and took His body and wrapped in Him linen and placed Him in the tomb he had recently had prepared as a burial plot. It was getting near the time of the Sabbath, so hurriedly Joseph placed Him. (Matt 27:57, Mark 15:42-46, Luke 23:49-53, John 19:38). It cursed the land in God’s eyes to leave a man killed, hanging on a tree. (Deuteronomy 21:22-230.

Saturday evening, once the Sabbath had ended, Mary Magdalene went out and purchased the spices needed for Jesus’s burial. The next morning, Sunday, Mary and another traveled to the grave site, wondering how they would get the stone removed. But, to their surprise, the stone had been removed, and angel sat there, and told them Jesus had risen, as He had told them. The rest of the Easter story is next week.

Lord, how humble and unworthy I am and feel every time I read of the Gift of Your Son, and His willingness to die for me. Thank You for the grace of this gift, this reassurance that You are always there and care for me and ‘mybellaviews.’

Exodus 23:25 You shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.

Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Deuteronomy 28:1-6 Now it shall come to pass if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I give you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

Psalm 1:1-6 Blessed is the man who walks not in the way of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, not sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of righteous…

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Psalm 35:27 Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant.”

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he waits himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice, blessed are all those who wait for him

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper and not to harm

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

What a different life I live now that I know Jesus has me and is ensuring that all things will turn out for good in my life. I used to be weighed down with worry, anxiwty, “no time,” tending to family members who needed extra during certain health issues, raising a family, working full time, attending school and all the work and studying that required, and seeing no end in sight. I am so much calmer, less apt to get nervous and worried. This trust has enabled me to slow down, and feel content, reassured, and joyful, secure.

But as in all things, changes come; circumstances improve or sometimes they deteriorate. Occasionally, we see change as an automatic negative. During the above stressful time, my job offered me and one other girl on our ICU unit to work 10 hour shifts instead of 8-hour ones so we could each have a full day to attend classes to get our advanced degrees.

The offer not only helped each of us but helped the unit. Instead of reporting to work at 6:45 each morning, I came in at 6 am. This allowed the night shift to finish up notes, last rounds, make sure all meds were delivered and so forth. It left me to answer any alarms that might have gone off, do final vital signs and intake and output totals for their shift as well as the 24 hours. They were able to finish all the tasks that come at the end of a night shift when patients are waking and needing to use a bathroom, wondering what the day will bring them, when the docs will be in. Because I was free to answer any call bells, I was free to give them some info, sometimes, set them up with a basin of water to wash face and hands, brush teeth and help them feel a bit more refreshed.

Instead of reporting off at 3:15 PM, I was free to hand off the patients I had cared for to the next nurse, but then free to answer call bells, assist docs who might be coming in to do a test and needed a second set of hands, and so forth. It helped the oncoming shift gather their thoughts and meds and plan the care each person was going to require.

In the meantime, the other gal who had been offered the 10 hour “gift of shift” came to work at 1 PM, and was able to cover for lunches, help with final duties with the day shift nurses, and make it less busy and stressful for day shift to finish all required. She did leave at 11:30, when all the other nurses from that shift were leaving. Generally, the night shift is less busy, so there is no need for them to have an overlap at the start of their shift, but it is helpful to have someone there when their shift is ending in the mornings.

It was a win-win for the unit as well as for the two of us. And it helped the patients; we were able to answer call bells sooner without interrupting shift report. The “float” RN could then report to the oncoming nurse whatever issue they had helped the patient with so the oncoming nurse was up-to-date and not having to rush to answer a call bell, but could start her meds, get her vital, assess patient recently back from surgery, or another procedure.

But that change relieved so much stress for me. I had more time to study, to spend with my son, to do errands than you never got to when working so many weekends and weekdays. I could cook and prep meals in advance, could make doctor appointments on that scheduled day off, and it was a blessing I thanked God for daily.

We get so many blessings daily. For me, sometimes, it’s a good, needed rain benefitting reservoirs and water sources and gardens and lawns. The sun comes out and we love the brightness, the vibrant colors of seeing flowers in the sunshine, seeing the leaves on trees and plants sparkling with water drops that in the sunshine look like sparkly diamonds. But there are birds, pets that love us and give us so much—love, tolerance, happiness on a return from vacation or whatever.

God has placed so many wonderful, beautiful things in our paths. The joy and innocence of children, the benefit of being a grandparent rather than the parent and worrying about money, work, promotions, doing the job right in raising your children, and all the other stressors of parenthood that decrease when you are now the grandparent. He has given us wisdom and experience, and the ability to offer advice and assistance, but still is usually not solely responsible for raising these blessings.

It overwhelms me with the number of blessings that I have received in my lifetime. I recognize we all have individual paths to walk in this life. Not everyone has been as richly blessed as I have, and yet they too are children of God, and worthy of His blessings, strength, grace, and the peace one gets to enjoy.

I think that is one of my greatest blessings. I am mostly at peace with all. His word promises He will turn all bad into good, He has a plan for my life, and He will always protect me with His righteous right hand. I have only to believe and follow His guidance, seek Him, and be ever so grateful I found Him—or chose to answer when He knocked on the door.

Thank You, Lord, for the many blessings You have bestowed on my family, me, and mybellaviews.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 33:20-22 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let your mercy be upon us, Lord, just as we hope in You.

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people

Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchman for the morning.

understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Micah 7:7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me

Galatians 5:5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

James 5:7-8 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

I have always hated waiting. Now, it is less cumbersome, now I mildly dislike it—still am not a fan but have learned that His timing is better than mine. And also, I know that I am selfish and can be arrogant and impatient. Yuck! All qualities I recognize and dislike in others.

Oh, thank You, Lord, I can see improvement, but I am so resistant to not getting my own way. Thank You, I know so many verses, I know that Your timing is better than mine, I know that IF it is Your will, my desire will come at the right time—not necessarily my time.

But I am able to more patiently wait, and even though there are things I would love to happen in my life, if it happens—BLESSING, but if not, my life is full and I have so many blessings to be thankful for daily.

Have God in my life daily, has so decreased my impatience, has almost totally omitted anxiety in my life, and has helped me grow in every area of my life.

As a younger person, I learned it was better to receive a goal if you had worked hard for it. For instance, as a teen, I wanted a larger bike, but mine was perfectly good—very serviceable with a few scuffs, scars, and a dent or two, but still in good shape. My parents had given me the bike for my fifth or sixth birthday, but now I was twelve and had a younger sister who wanted to ride it all the time. She was 5 years old, and I didn’t want her hanging with us—we certainly were doing things we were not supposed to at times, as well as going places we had been warned against going.

Anyway, my parents were not going to buy a new bicycle, but I could buy one. I received a weekly pittance (0.$25, and if I had raked the yard or done some mega activity, 0.$50) and they said I could save the money and use that to buy a bike. “That will take FOREVER, FOOORRR-EVVVEEERRRR.” Anyway, one of the first bigtime waits, goal oriented, purpose ahead and then reward of purchasing a brand new bike.

I’m unsure of how long it took to save enough. My parents spread the word to family that I was saving so I got money for birthdays, Christmas, and before too long, I had a spiffy new bike. It think I was prouder of the fact I had worked toward the goal than the actual purchase of the bike itself.

The next big wait in life was to wait until I was old enough to date. It seemed like that would be years. I was good at math, and it was easy to see that until the age came when I would be old enough, mature enough, it would be years—and then my impatient brain would break that down into months, and then more torture as I figured how many days until I got there. . .

I was my own worst enemy when it came to waiting. And yet, I had learned that waiting for something I worked for the time seemed to pass more quickly (since family had slipped a couple bucks here and there—it had not taken as long as my math skills had initially indicated!)

But life is a series of different waits, and not all of them are difficult to wait through. One waits for grades to come out while in school, waits for the bike, the age and ability to get a license to drive, to graduate high school, and then go one with whatever one has chosen to do whether it be college, a trade school, working full-time until you get it figured out, or whatever.

Waiting is part of life. Frequently, we get impatient and decide what is right for us NOW. That has brought me trouble each time I have done it—costly trouble. I have paid dearly for some of my impatience, so that I think having to pay dearly a few times, I finally learned that maybe God’s words were right. Things come in His time, and He delivers at the correct time.

I am so much better at waiting now than I used to be. And have learned and felt the blessings He has for me when I shake my finger and send the impatience demon out of my life, with one of the many quotes I have stored in my memory bank. My life is quieter, less stressful, I am not impulsively doing something then groaning asking myself WHY I had doe whatever? Why did I jump the gun? Why did I AGAIN let impatience rule and get myself into this quandary?

Thankfully, I wait now with more patience. Some things are still difficult to wait for—a diagnosis for oneself or a loved one, the healing of someone who’s been in an accident and undergoing all sorts of therapy to attain good health again, to see the escrow in your home increase as the mortgage balance decreases, to determine where your child will go to school after high school, and so many other things. Waiting, a part of life that I now am able to do with far more grace and trust.

Thank You, Lord that You have shown me the cost of waiting and trusting You over the years and for all You have blessings You have shown me and ‘mybellaviews.’