We watched Jentezen Franklin @ Free Chapel church yesterday morning. What a powerful, powerful message! The message wasn't about Palm Sunday, as one would have expected. I'm not going to tell you what it was about; I did send a link to a couple people and asked them to listen to it. One couple sent a note back to me and said it was powerful even to them - and I highly respect these people of God. I have it on my phone and plan to listen to it again. If I didn't send it to you, you can find it on YouTube. I forget the actual title, but it has something like Jentezen Franklin and Palm Sunday in it. Please - take the time to listen to it. You will be glad you did. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.
We didn't do much yesterday, being it was Sunday. After listening to the above service, we headed over to Target cause hubby wanted to pick up some personal items. I still had the gift card we had received from his brother for Christmas. That's how often we go to Target. He got what he wanted, we got dentasticks for Sheeba and.... enroute to home... I saw a DQ sign. We were on a mission. Yep, that made lunch! I got a turtle pecan blizzard and I ate every single bit of it. Hubby got a chocolate malt. Mine was better. Much bettter. It had crunch. So good. And the last one I will eat for awhile. Got to wean myself off the candy in my candy dish and eating things I shouldn't.
Why? Because the day after Easter I plan to start a new meal plan that will help me get my body healthy. Yeah, my blood test showed my triglesrides (sp) were up and the doctor wanted to put me on cholesterol meds although it showed only 194 (below 200 is good). I told her that I would like 3-6 months to get it back down where it should be, that I was starting a new meal plan after Easter. (I don't want to limit myself on Easter! I bought pie to take!) She agreed and wrote a 6 month prescription for my thyroid meds, which is why I had to get the blood work done anyway.
I was thinking of my children last night. I sometimes make a dish they dubbed "garbage"back when they were growing up. There wasn't a name for it other than 'Hamburger Casserole' and although it isn't my recipe but one I had found in the newspaper, I thought it sounded good. And it was. Last night I made another dish that they labeled 'Trash'. Why? Because I had no idea what the name of it was. When I had had surgery someone had brought us a dish for dinner, and that was it. It was so good and I tried to make it as well. Recipe was simple enough. Hamburger, green beans, cream of mushroom soup, mashed potatoes and cheese. Yeah, simple enough. So I made it and let the children name it. And name it they did. "Trash". I made that dish last night for hubby and I. And it was so good. It was so good, in fact, that hubby did something last night that he never does. A couple hours later he got up and said he wash hungry and made himself a dish of some of the leftovers! I guess it was that good. I'm glad I love to cook and am not afraid of trying new recipes. Even those without names. Oh - you probably know the real name for that dish.... it's called "Shepherd's pie".
Both of my sisters created me angst yesterday. Yes, both of them. The oldest one called to ask if I had talked with her son yesterday (no, I haven't talked to him since Christmas). She began to say some things that I knew was not true, and I said he was a liar. Perhaps that was a poor choice of a word, I could have softened it and said 'what he is telling you isn't true', but I just called him a liar. When he says things about my children or about other people I know isn't true, don't get me started. We ended our conversation on a good note, regardless. She must have gotten ahold of him later because she called here later in the evening but I was already in bed, nearly asleep, and I was not going to answer her call. I knew it wasn't important. Now my younger sister.... we had been chatting all afternoon via text cause I was helping her with something she wanted to say at her mother-in-law's funeral this week. I mentioned about the older sister's call and what I had said about her son. I think the little sister was trying to admonish me... I know she doesn't like the word 'liar' nor 'hate'... and she says she doesn't use those words. Fine. Soften it up anyway you want to, but it doesn't change what it is. Anyway, she came back at me with "does God like the word liar or not the truth"? Excuse me? I sent a quick note back that did not God use the word Liar in the Bible? AND I sent her a couple scriptures with it in it (so there!). She came back with "I was just checking to see if you knew". I'm stopping there, no sense in getting into it. She doesn't like those two words and always admonishes me or tries to soften the word.
No one enjoys being around people they can't trust to tell them the truth. Most times we can see through conversations and know the truth, especially if we know that person well. And God does not like 'people who lie', or as we would say, 'liars'. God is Truth and He never lies to us. Everything He has said through those who wrote the Bible is true. You want to know Truth? Go to your Bible and read Truth.
Read the Ten Commandments. They tell you how to live. People say they don't want restrictions and the Ten Commandements are outdated. No they are not. Go back and read them ... they are not really restrictions, but how to live a healthy and whole life. When we apply these to our lives, our lives are full of life and hope and peace. Read the Gospels and hear what Jesus said. "Read the Red" is what some people say. Some Bible translations don't even highlight Jesus' words anymore. The current Bible I bought for each of my children (and for this nephew), Jesus' words are in BLUE. Haven't figured that one out yet as to why. I bought the Bibles because of the messages that are within the books of the Bible. Messages from some of his sermons. I have hopes that my children will read them, especially if they don't go to church. I learn so much from them and surely they can read a page or two. Start in Matthew and you can learn a lot of what Jesus' said.
Jesus will restore us. He will restore our families and those we love. He gives back that which was lost, and brings peace and healing to those who need it. Jesus will restore our dreams. Dreams that we feel are gone and forgotten. He will restore what was taken from us, and give us much more than we could ever deserve. He watches over every word that He speaks to us as we sleep. We may not remember any of it, but He loves us and speaks over us His love. And He patiently waits for us to acknowledge HIm. He wants to give you the desires of your heart and bring your dreams to completion.
Restoration. Something many of us long for. What are you holding back on? Won't you let Jesus bring restoration to your dreams, to your heart, today? Just ask Him. He's waiting to hear from you. Tell Him what is on your mind, and thank Him for all He has provided for you.
God is a good, good Father. You can always trust Him to provide just what you need.... perhaps not the way you want it to be, but the way it needs to be. Trust Him. I know I do. Regardless.
Happy Monday, indeed!
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