THANKING THE CUP

I recently watched a 'God-tube' video that had been recommended to me...I was told that I would "be amazed at this person's testimony."...

So while I was visiting my daughter I decided to watch it with her. I loaded up the video while she poured us two cups of coffee, and we began to watch. It was a popular tv show in which celebrities judged contestants, and then they would beg for the contestant (if they were any good) to choose them to form a team. So we watched while this young woman beautifully sang an old song, and after her performance we watched as one of the celebrity judges literally threw herself down and bowed before the contestant...I thought to myself...This must be where she will say something about Jesus giving her the talent and to thank him and give him all the glory...But no, that did not happen. Instead the young woman only giggled as the celebrity bowed before her. So, okay...I thought...I'm sure she's just a bit nervous, and didn't know what to say...but I'm waiting to hear what she does say.


So then the contestant begins to tell her story about overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, and I thought for sure this is where she will tell of the mercy and strength of Jesus to get her through it, but instead she credits being a Mom and wife instead of persuing an acting career for keeping her sober; to which the same celebrity who bowed speaks up about how being a Mom is the hardest job, and then she talks about the young woman's hope...and I thought: Oh wow, maybe the testimony will start now, and perhaps it will start with an unlikely source- through this celebrity who is by this time really kissing up to the young talent in hopes that she will chose her group. And then we watched as the video was nearing the end, and when the contestant spoke, I was so hopeful that she was finally going to talk about her Christian faith.

And then this came as a response to the statement made about her hope, she said:

"Well, the Universe had a plan for me!"

{What? THIS was what we were waiting for? I asked my daughter.}

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.


Romans 1:21-25

After hearing this "amazing testimony" I promptly picked up the cup of coffee my daughter had just made for me, and said "Thank you to the cup that holds my coffee..." My daughter laughed and then I explained to her that thanking or giving credit to the Universe for our blessings is as silly as thanking the cup that holds the coffee instead of the hands that prepared and served it.

In other words, instead of giving our gratitude and glory to the Creator of this universe and all therein, many people will give all credit and praise to the vessel that contains all His blessings...The universe is just the cup that contains us, and it is in fact, just a fellow creation. That's right, God Created this vast universe and all that is in it.


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Jhn 1:1-4




Oh, and as an end note...the contestant did chose the celebrity that bowed to her. I'm not surprised.


For [in the last days] men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,..2Ti 3:2



　*By the way, I want to thank my dearest friend, {Deb} for the pretty teacup pictured at the beginning of this post...I love you, my big Sis!
(In case I can't get back on here this weekend)...

Happy Resurrection Sunday to everyone!

~BLESSINGS & LOVE~
and always remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN!~　

　
　

Eagle Strong!

What a beautiful and powerful bird to see in action!

 

 

I once witnessed an eagle disembowel a small deer right in front of me...It used only its talons to do so.

Parent and young eagle together...the crows flying overhead are a good reference to the size of these birds! When the parent left the carcass to fly closer to the youngster, we knew we had overstayed our welcome and promptly left.

Juvenile ...It takes five years for him to develop the white head and tail.
This one hung comically in the air just a few feet over the road as if caught in a wind shear before he joined his parent in the field where she had either found or took down an animal.

 

Psalm 103:5               
Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Isaiah 40:31               
But they 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.

These photos were taken on a Sunday drive...just moments before, I had told Jeff that for the first time in more than two years, I was finally feeling strong and healthy again!

Knowing that the enemy would likely try and persuade me otherwise, I almost didn't say it out loud...But, my God is greater than the enemy...and He brought me through it all in order that I would have life...not death.


John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Here's a really neat thing I want to share with you...At times in my life God has sent me eagles and sometimes other animals, and although some would disagree, I believe they are messengers...Two different Birthdays...once while I was boating and another time while fishing. And recently when I was overly anxious about going someplace on my own, and felt like turning back, an eagle flew just over my van nearly the whole way down the road, and so close I could see her looking side to side as she soared just above me!
The day of my mother's memorial service, as we were heading out to leave, there were two young raccoons in the yard with their mother nearby...I sat down on the ground (in my good clothes), and fed the babies from my hand...They gently took each morsel of cat food from my palm using their tiny fingers while the mama stayed back a few feet watching.
So, the sight of the young eagle with its parent providing for it and protecting it with its close presence is, to me, a sign from my heavenly Father that He will keep me in health for such a time as this...It is not time for me to leave yet. There's still work to be done. But my Abba Father will go before me and behind me... Just like that parent eagle, He never takes His eyes off His child. When danger comes near...He hems me in.

Psalm 139

 

¹ You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

~Blessings & Love~
and always remember, we are...

~NEVER FORSAKEN~