Chris' Christian Blog

November 20, 2020

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I have some time on my hands all of a sudden. I was coughing yesterday and went to the doctor, certain that I had an upper respiratory infection. I get them every fall because I alternate between being too hot or too cold. Anyway, the doctor said "I can assure you that you do not have enough symptoms to call it COVID-19. However, since you do have a cough we are going to test you for COVID-19 and have you follow COVID-19 testing protocols, which means self-isolating for 48 hours while the test results are pending."

So I am in COVID-19 jail temporarily because I have bronchitis. They started me on medication for what is really the problem while they prove that I do not have COVID-19. SO that means I get to spend excessive amounts of time working. I usually work alone anyway so other than closing my door for the temporary isolation, things are pretty much the way they were. The difference is that aside from answering a few questions from other students, which my Master's level classes require, I am done with my school work for the semester. So I have more time now. Look out blog!

Prompt: "Hi All

A little late with the prompt, but here it is.

Proverbs 3:9

9. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:

10. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

How do you think Thanksgiving might fit with these verses?"

I believe Thanksgiving fits well with these verses because the verses indicate that God is the source of everything we have. Yes. People have to take part in God's plan of action. He has never simply rained fortune out of the air and He never will. However, He blesses the efforts of those who follow His will. I like to use myself as a prime example here. I was on a type of disability for years because I allowed myself to believe the lie that I was somehow incapable of holding a full-time position. The disability was my only source of income. When I moved here to the West Virginia Veterans Home I lost that source of income because you cannot receive it and live in an institutional setting. So I have not had a regular income in over a year. Yet there has never been a time throughout that year that I either had everything I could possibly need and want or I had money to get it. Right now I have twenty-one cents between poverty and I but all I would have to do is make a phone call and I would have some money in my pocket. My Internet bill is my only expense and it is paid ahead nearly one thousand dollars. I will not receive a bill from it until 2021 late in the year. My phone is also paid ahead until 2022. My needs are all met and I am in good financial shape even though I have not had a steady income in over a year. Yes. I am the floor leader of my floor here at the home. That position pays room and board plus a two dollar per hour stipend so I have 300 dollars per month coming in that way. That is supposed to pay on the fifteenth of each month. The reality is that we may go for two months without receiving it, however. We always get it but it is not reliable to arrive on time. So how do I make it? I make it because God blesses my efforts. Everything seems to fall in place almost magically. Yesterday for example, I was talking to the chaplain at the Woody Williams VA Medical Center. I was waiting for my ride home to show up and the man driving did not know I was waiting for him. I talked with the chaplain for awhile and "decided" to go outside and wait for my ride. I walked out the door half-an-hour before my ride's scheduled arrival time and saw my ride pulling up a half-an-hour early. Had the Lord not led me to go outside when I did my ride would have left and I would have been forced to take public transportation to get home.

Some people would say that things like that are coincidences or luck. I know better. God protects me and blesses my life. I am so thankful for the Providence of God. He saved my soul through the spilled blood of His Son Jesus Christ thousands of years before I was born. He has saved my life miraculously by protecting me from my own foolishness and countless lethal overdoses when I was addicted. My normal routine back in those days was to take 25-35 capsules of diphenhydramine at one time. Doctors have told me numerous times that such high dosages should have killed me. Yet I did it hundreds, even thousands of times. God was watching out for me even then. Now that I am a Christian He watches out for me even more. I may be broke at the moment but I have a credit on my student account at university that will be transferring soon and my unreliable income should also be here any day now. If I need money I can borrow some to get me through. Right now I do not need anything.

How does Thanksgiving fit with the scripture quoted? Thanksgiving fits because God blesses the believer's efforts and meets every need. Our very effort itself comes from the Providence of God because without His sustenance we would not exist. He sustains all things. I thank God for His maintaining the universe for me to live it.

"Father God we approach your throne as unworthy creatures who deserve your wrath and not your love. Yet you do love us and gave your own Son so that we could be brought into fellowship with you. Therefore we humbly approach your throne to say Thank you for all you have done and all you continue to do. Words are inadequate to express the gratitude we feel. Let us express our gratitude by doing your will. In Jesus's name. Amen"

Prompt: "On a routine patrol through the gigantic galaxy of cyberspace called WDC, we came upon a star system the captain has encountered before. The star is 🎄pwheeler joy to the world . The captain being the spiritually natured person that he is took a mission down to

STATIC

God Loves You  (E) Ghazal celebrating God's great love for His children #2153076 by 🎄pwheeler joy to the world

and has been chattering about the love of God ever since. What about you? Do you believe God loves you? Do you even believe in God? Tell us about your spiritual beliefs.

I spoke about my spiritual beliefs in the entry for the day to

FORUM

Take up Your Cross  (E) This will be a daily blog forum. #2225667 by Marvelous Friend

just above this. I am a contented believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not expect everybody to believe as I do although I wish they would. The Bible itself is very clear that many will not hear the Lord nor accept Him. I have no idea why perfectly rational people would choose not to live a Christian life. It is a life of joy, contentment, and peace. I do not mean to imply that Christians do not have problems. We have many problems just like any other human being. The key however is how we react to those problems. When one is in Christ they do not sweat and worry over the small stuff. The neat part is that my God is so big that my puny problems are all small stuff to Him. I have come to trust Him explicitly. I know that no matter what comes my way He is going to use it to develop me into a better Christian and to further His kingdom. Yes. I am always going to have problems in this life. Some of those problems will be consequences of my own sins. Some will be the ripple effect of the sins of others. Problems are part and parcel of life. However, Jesus is at my side through every struggle. When I think He has abandoned me and there is only one of us walking it is Him. He is carrying me! He never abandons me and knowing that gives me a peace that surpasses all understanding. The fruits of the Spirit in my life are love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and a measure of self-control. I am not the same person I was before I was saved. I am still me, but I am changed at the core of me to be a much better me.

Prpmpt: "The song is Grown Up Christmas List. Use this song to inspire your grown-up Christmas List."

I always loved Amy Grant. I think she has the most beautiful natural singing voice and she is a very beautiful lady. I have never met her so I don't know how she is personally, but she looks and sounds wonderful. I know she is a Christian lady and that makes her even more attractive.

As to the song, I too wish right would always win but the reality is that this is not going to happen. We live in an evil, fallen world. The prince of this world is Satan. God allows him to reign so that Satan can deceive those who choose to reject God's Son Jesus Christ and allow Satan to deceive them. In time God will throw Satan into everlasting chains and bind him deceiving anybody else. God knows when that time is. During meanwhile God allows Satan to sort out those who reject Jesus by deceiving them and causing all sorts of chaos.

Prompt: "November 20, 1986 - The one billionth Little Golden Book was printed. The title was The Poky Little Puppy. What was your favorite Golden Book? Why?"

I never had a favorite Little Golden Book. I was an avid reader and read everything I could lay my hands on. I read so many Little Golden Books that I lost count. I almost got to publish with Little Golden Books. Then the deal fell through because an arsonist burned my house down and destroyed the manuscript. I was angry but it is what it is. God has used that loss to make me into a preacher today and I am much more at peace as a chaplain than I ever was a writer.