John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Ephesians 6:13-18 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
We live in a beautiful land full of different sites in one area or state to another. But this truly is one of our Creator’s masterpieces in my mind. Fortunately, throughout our young history, we have had men and women willing to go out an defend our freedoms, our way of life, our belief in a God above, Creator of all, and in the right for you to have and hold a different belief.
Our military are men and women who are prepared–educated, trained, and outfitted with clothing and weapons to support us, to defend us, and to protect us. They stand for us and the freedom we live with in our country. They are willing to defend us to the death; and there is no greater love than this to be willing to fight and face death, to protect us. They are men and women to be proud of. I remember as a child going to the Memorial Day parade. Sometimes, I was a spectator, other times I was marching also because of scouts or something. But there was a little pride and awe watching the parade, seeing the former service members marching with the pride lift of shoulders and chin, knowing they had faced bullets for me and my family to be safe, so our space program could move forward, so we could have a good education, and for so many reasons.
To me, military members have always elicited a sense of pride and thankfulness. I was able to get a full education, work in my field freely, without fear or rancor, I was able to take my children to church and raise them to be productive hard working members of society, and I was able to pray for these men and women to be safe and protected while they were serving in far away lands.
But I was aware, even as these proud older former military men and women marched, they had lost friends, siblings, family members and had felt the immediate and heartfelt grief of losing a loved one in battle. I did not. The ones I had lost were fighting in the civil war, quite a bit before my time. But still I felt honored, and very thankful and proud of those who walked past now.
We have a lot of freedoms in this country other countries do not have. And we owe our military and constitution for those freedoms. God has richly blessed this country. I am not sure He receives a lot of thankful hearts from many, but I know my friends and family are grateful for the blessings we have and for the military who have helped bring those freedoms about. And to all those who have sacrificed their lives for me and for this country, there are no words. Thank you for your service, for the service and loss to your family, and for being a part of keeping our country free.
God watch over all on this Memorial Day, remember those who have fallen and sacrificed.
God bless you all and your families. Thank You, God, for blessing me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Deuteronomy 7:6-7 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;..”
Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Isaiah 43:10 You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that you fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
1 Thessalonians 1:4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you,
It is a constant, amazing fact to me, that God CHOSE me. He knew ALL the mistakes, all the times I repeatedly made the same ones…because I had to keep up with friends, I really liked smoking at the time, my friends were all going to this event my parents would be disappointed in, but to fit in, I had to go too. We all have our own tales, our own mess-ups, and confessions, and life tales.
But for me, I finally found a biblically teaching/preaching church, so I chose Him. I was so lucky to get accepted; hearing the story of the last man and then the gates closed, scared me to death. I knew I was the last one in because I was pretty awful! As the old nursery rhyme goes, ‘There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead; when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid!’ Both grandmothers sang this to this curly headed child often, (I was convinced they had written it about me!) and I knew I was at times horrid to my brother, thinking bratty thoughts when I was scolded…I was unworthy! Horrid!
It was not until I was well into my bible studies, my interactions with church members, preachers, and some tv preachers that I learned ‘NO, girlfriend, you are not good enough, you can do anything to be good enough…this has nothing to do with what you do behavior wise. God CHOSE you, and you chose to accept the invitation to have a personal relationship with the trinity.
No, that does not then give me permission to do wrong, although I still have many flaws needing correction and dispelling, I know it is a growing process. But my sins are forgiven, and I am one of the chosen. No matter how horrid, no matter how imperfect, I am chosen to be in the Kingdom with God, His Son my Savior, and the Holy Spirit.
For a time after I realized God chose me, I worried about friends and family who are not believers, who allow their boredom times to be doing anything rather than delving to see who God is, why I am free, happy, and urge and encourage them to do their own research. But had God not chosen them? Was it really,’ He said, this one I created gets in; these three, I choose not to let in; the next seven after than will come in?’ I wondered if certain ones in my large circle were predisposed to heaven and some to sin, by not accepting the invitation. Would my praying for them to experience others who had faith, and a deep belief, just not be wasted? No, I don’t think. There is an opportunity until the last breath to accept Jesus.
NO, I don’t believe that or think that any longer. I believe He gives us repeated opportunity to accept His invitation.
I believe He CHOSE us all; but the glitch is we have to make the CHOICE to choose Him back. That’s a life and death decision if you make the wrong choice. Unfortunately, when folks are restless, seeking something,– but WHAT thing—they play on a device, read a book, go socialize. They recognize a void, and I think most often don’t mention this “emptiness, this hole within” but they are aware of it. I think often times, they feel something is wrong with them, and they should NOT feel wanting.
But God designed us to have a relationship with Him. And when we don’t, we have a void, something which is unidentifiable, a restlessness, emptiness, and until we find and accept Jesus into our lives and make Him savior, this can remain.
So He designed us, created us, knew every error, mistake, sin we would and will commit; and still He CHOSE us. He does fill our emptiness. He gives us forgiveness, grace, guidance, Light, Truth, and conviction so we can deepen the relationship further. But He CHOSE us. We, who believe and follow, just realize we were smart enough, humbled enough, low enough, empty enough to reach out and CHOOSE Him. But He chose us first.
Then things fall into perspective—no, not that we will not have concerns, family issues, hurts, disappointments and life things….we may still have to crawl out of a barrel of slime. But we are not alone. God is with us and urging us forward, reminding us He is with us.
Always there will be life things, but how much easier to walk through the dark, stressful, painful periods with the Creator who loves you. , and Jesus said we would all have tribulations. But we are chosen, and if smart enough, we chose back; therefore we are also His children and NEVER alone. He promises that. (Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:5. Hebrews 13:5).
Thank You for making me one of Your chosen; You send Your blessings daily for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
Psalm 104:12,13 The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
Spring is my very favorite time of year, although I am real happy with summer and fall seasons also. I tend to want to hibernate more in the winter. Yet with the approach of Spring, birds are singing, flowers burst with color, the days start seeming longer and brighter, and everything about this time of year to me is bright and pretty. The hummingbirds start coming to the feeders, and I have an occasional red winged black bird, as well as sparrows, cardinals, chickadees and so forth. It always feels to me like God has renewed the entire earth!
One of my favorite plants is the desert rose. It’s only preference is for heat, it will bloom just as lovely with or without sun. It wants it warm. During the winter it goes into a dormant state, and looks like naked arms raised. It has a sturdy trunk and structure, a thick base and a short, squat stature. The blossoms, when they finally arrive and burst on the scene are a fuchsia pink with sometimes a white throat. Hummingbirds like them, although don’t just hover to get some of its nectar. There is no scent, and it is almost no maintenance since it grows slowly, requires little water, and in the late Fall when you bring it in, it basically goes into a room, sheds its leaves and looks forlorn. Slowly, that changes as the weather warms. The leaves appear as buds and take their time bursting forth into full leaf fruition. And then you wait longer for buds of the blossoms. But then suddenly you are greeted with this happy flower, and frequently there are many different blooms on the one shrub.
One of my other favorite Spring bushes has to be the azaleas. Oh my, the colors, the vibrancy that burst forth from these bushes. They come in white, pale pink, fuchsia, and rosy red, and even a peachy salmon color. My favorites, since I cannot possibly choose just one, is the white and the fuchsia, and maybe the rosy red too. Again, these bushes have no scent (at least to us) but they are attractive to deer, bees, and hummingbirds. My breath is snatched away in amazement often during the couple of weeks the azaleas are showing off. The vibrant colors against the rich, medium greens are so wonderful, so beautiful…a blessing. They only bloom for a few short weeks in the Spring, but for me, they are the big hurrah that proclaims we are in the renewal of the seasons.
There are irises, narcissus, forsythia, phlox and more. So much color and variety to the plants and shrubs that make one pause in appreciation. some of these photos are from my garden or plants and some are from my neighbors. I am so thankful that I have the ability to see, and the health to garden.
I’ve included some of the pictures of spring
Thank You God for another Spring full of Your colors from the Artist’s palette.. You make my life and ‘mybellaviews’ full.
1 Corinthians 10:13 When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so you will not give in to it.
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation
Matthew 6:13 ….and lead us not into temptation..
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.”
How are you at resisting temptation? I can readily admit, I struggle here often.
We are tempted several times throughout a day, sometimes throughout an hour. Different things tempt each of us. Some are tempted by sugar, others by pizza, others by cigarettes, alcohol, working, reading and on and on. We just fall into the desire to want, want, want more and more of whatever tempts us. For me, I love sugar, and pastry, pasta, breads, and wine, and I used to deal with cigarettes about controlling my life.
Satan is the master at tempting and lying, whispering you NEED to answer the temptation, give into it….’you’ll feel better, and it’s just this once…’ And your mind, if like mine, sucks that up. “Yes, true, I have not had that in three days, so I can just have a taste now. However, I have to cook the entire thing in order to have just a couple of bites….and isn’t waste a sin? I think so. I remember my mother telling of starving children….
By not giving into whatever tempts us to fall, it strengthens us in our walk with God, and it also gives us a source of pride because we did NOT give into the desire. We overcame.
Each time I’m teased, taunted, and tempted to follow my weakness, and choose (because our Lord equipped us with free choice) not to give in, even if I have had to beg the Holy Spirit for help, I feel a success. I know how much I crave sugar… and also how often I have given in. I am unable to fight my temptations always alone. There are times, I can argue with myself, tell me I’m being ridiculous, weak, giving in, a loser… But until I screech, ‘Holy Spirit, please help me resist and remember my body is a temple, and You do not want me poisoning it. For me, sugar, pastry, etc are poisons. I have one, well, maybe another….and let me grab just a bite (which is at least 1 tablespoon, well…maybe three tablespoons. I am equipped to fight the temptations, but I do have to ask for help to fight the battle and win. Sweets and sugars are not an issue for many. I wish it were not for me. But one for me leads to … well many, at least most of the time.
But those times I have given into temptation, listened to the lie of ‘just this one time. It’s no biggie,’ I have felt awful; guilt, shame, and disappointment. It just does not compare to the feelings of success when I walk away from my temptation of the moment. Please don’t think I am successful all the time, because that is not so. I am a work in progress. But I do know that resisting temptation brings me good feelings, and God rewards me with other things I enjoy.
What are your temptations? Are you usually successful at overcoming them? The Holy Spirit is anxious to help.
I’m a work in progress fighting temptations, walking through life and “Mybellaviews.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord.
Joshua 1:6,7,9 (6)Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. (7) Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law… (9)Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Isaiah 54:4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame, for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you; let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
God recognizes that we are going to be fearful and afraid at times. His command to not be afraid is a reminder to us to hand over our fear to Him, and He will guide our steps in what He wants us to do. He will be with us. And though fearful, Moses followed His instructions, Gideon followed and God won the war. We feel the same way. ‘Whoo, that looks scary God. No, I’m afraid, I’m not good enough, that is not in my skill set so I will fail.’ His word is really to direct us to know He is with us and He will be facing the reason for the fear, so hand it over to Him.
Once I learned the many verses regarding fear and God not wanting us to hold fear, I was better able to hand it up to Him. His word promises to take my worries, cares, fear, and give me what I need to rest. The issue may still be present, but if I have handed it to Him, now His word promises to be with me, and I need to trust in that.
This does not mean I will have no worries, that life will be smooth sailing, and there will be no fear. The Word does not say that. The Word commands that we be strong, courageous whenever we are facing whatever worry, trial. We must trust that God’s will will be done. He promises He will be with us.
And I know this may sound cocky and arrogant, and I don’t mean it like that. Certainly I am not looking to leave this world now, but I have no fear of death itself. I know I am heaven bound, and will be with God, and have an opportunity to get all sorts of questions answered. I will be in a wonderful place, my body healthy, my mind relieved, and able to sing and praise my Creator all the time. There will be no aches, pains, stiffness, dementia, cancers, and so on. We will be freed of that and living in glory.
Please don’t misunderstand, I do not want to die soon, I just know my fate and the outcome of my death. I do have a niggle of disquiet in regards to being comfortable and not being a burden on my family, but that is it. There is confidence for me that I have a place reserved in heaven and it is going to be GLORIOUS.
Satan certainly does try to stir up unrest at times. But again, I remind myself that God is in charge, His promise is to never leave no forsake me, and if I will hand over the worry, problem, unrest, etc, He will deal with it. That has been repeatedly proven to me as I’ve tested it frequently over the years. General, I will write out the concern and put the paper in my God bag. Then I have to forget it. It is in His hands, no longer something for me to worry over. If Satan tries to pull it back in, I push him away and remind him God has it, and he is not welcome in any area of my life. Be gone, Satan!
And it works. As soon as I realize my mind is beginning to worry about something I have handed to God, I am easily able to pull it away, send a quick apology to God, then let Him have at handling it all His way.
So, bottom line, I have more courage, less worry, more peace, more joy, more confidence, and I know I have nothing to fear.
Praise You, God for writing the words to teach me to hand over fears, worries, and problems to You. You are everything to me and “mybellaviews.”
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!