But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?
These questions are always so interesting to be answered, and it’s even more intriguing to wonder if the answer is completely true or maybe just one of the recent searches in the the day.
When asked what was the last thing I searched online, my first thought was so I really want to answer that prompt? Because sometimes, the search can be so random, and something I wouldn’t normally search.It can be something someone brought up into a conversation, or a word I heard but didn’t know the meaning, or even a place I hear mentioned, and I’m wondering its location.
So, when I’m asked what’s the last thing I searched online and why were you looking for it, I secretly sneak over to my history tabs to see what I might find before I choose to answer. And then, I wonder do you want to know the last, last thing, or rather do you want to know the last interesting thing?
The last lady search is a bit random because I saw some friends advertise other acquaintances in a play locally; so, I searched the characters of Steel Magnolias to see what characters they might be playing. It’s been so long since I actually watched that movie, I couldn’t even remember the whole storyline, much less the characters’ character.
Then, the last thing before that, which would be what I actually answer as my prompt was something I was researching to speak about in a meeting: Matthew 5:13-16.
This is the Scripture about salt & light. If you’re a believer like me, we have this directive, to be salt and light to the world around us. And this scripture is so descriptive and so instructional that when I read it and then, think of where we are today in our world, it almost makes me sad…and convicted.
Now, if you’re not a Christ believer, as I am, this might not apply to you, but if you call yourself a person of faith in any way, this has our names written all over it! This was Jesus speaking to his disciples and all those who chose to listen to Him on the Mount of Olives. This is the same time frame when He gave us the famous Beatitudes that everyone loves to quote and preach to others of how we should live.
But these scriptures get a little more pointed, a little more laser focused on our personal lives and how we should be living them. This word brings it home to where all of us live.
We are to be salt. Salt of the earth. Salt brings flavor. Salt brings preservation. Salt brings health. Salt can also bring destruction. If you do more research, there’s lots of debate on what Christ meant when He told us to be the salt.
Instead of debating, I’d say He might have meant all of the above. Let me break it down a little…
Be salt that brings flavor to the world around you. Bring kindness, love, faith and hope.
Be salt that brings preservation. Preservation of the Truth. Preservation of His Word. Preservation of His Name and of all that He is.
Be salt that brings health. We, as humans, must have a measure of salt to be healthy. We, as Christians, must bring a measure of hope to bring health to those around us.
Be the salt that brings destruction. Not destruction of good but rather of evil. Bring destruction to lies, hypocrisy and evil intent against the innocent. Bring destruction to the deconstruction of faith, holiness and all things right, true and good.
Be the salt.
Being the light is a bit easier to comprehend. But for sake of congruency, I’ll break this down a little, too.
We are to be the light that shines in the darkness. We are the light that sits on a hill. We are the light that cannot be hidden. We are to be the light that transform the dark.
Light shines in the dark to protect from predators; so, protect the innocent and those without a voice.
Light shines in the dark to brighten a path; so, bring joy to someone else.
Light shines in the dark to lighten a room and dispel a fear; so, bring peace to another.
Light shines in the dark to expose the shadows; so, bring confrontations of truth to break deceptions and lies.
Light shines in the dark to lead the way; so, guide all you find to a better tomorrow.
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
They claim we simply must be more kind, more loving, and more peaceful.
Yet, when love is proclaimed so elementary by pointing fingers at others and declaring what you must do,
I believe we are neglecting to look in the mirror at our own souls to see what we must do.
When kindness is demanded from others so readily, and it is said to be performed so smoothly,
I believe we are avoiding the reality that our flesh never truly desires to be gracious and kind.
No one is born good. We are not birthed in righteousness.
Our natural tendencies do not lend themselves to be like Christ without first dying to self.
If we long to truly be like Christ, we must remember He had a wilderness where He was hungry, tempted and had to be bold in faithfulness.
If we truly long to be like Christ, we must remember He had a Gethsemane where He was alone, discouraged and had to be brave in love.
If we long to truly be like Christ, we must remember He had a cross by which He was broken, disgraced and had to be truthful in kindness.
If we truly long to be like Christ, we must remember He had a Judas by whom He was betrayed, ambushed and had to be confrontation in peace.
When we profess others should be Christlike, we need to actually know who Christ is and what He did.
When we confess a desire to be Christlike, we need to actually recognize who our Savior is and what He did.
When we assert there is a common ground with a mighty King, we must acknowledge and embrace what must be crucified within us to become someone we are never capable of becoming
Without first, surrendering all to Him.
This is to be Christlike.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:9-11
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Desires can thrust you into success or throw you down in shame.
And what you do with hidden desires will be the difference in honor or humiliation.
Desires have to be pulled out into the sunlight and exposed to verity and axiom.
Desires have to have the magnifying glass of honesty peered over them in full.
Desires have to be broken down with integrity and authenticity all wrapped in accountability.
Otherwise when concealed, neglected, and cloaked with insignificance, those same desires will become a dragon thirsty for flesh.
Those veiled desires throw off their disguises and unleash a furious reckoning that cannot be hinged.
So no matter how wise of a sage you have grown to be,
Those ignored desires will grow to be a beast not easily reconciled or silenced.
No matter the might you believe you posses,
No matter the expertise you trust you’ve acquired,
If those desires are held in secret, they will become your evil demise.
Reveal them to absolute truth and faithfulness, and those demons who seek your soul may be impeded and chained.
…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battlewithin you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
James 4:1-3
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, yousinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Is freedom being able to “do what I want when I want and however I want?”
Is freedom having an absence of confinement and restrictions?
Is freedom being able to speak, work, and live without rules and boundaries?
Truly, in this day and age, freedom seems to be negotiable to the person or parties making those decisions.
However, because we are children of God, our truth doesn’t change with culture nor with man.
Our truth comes from the Word of God; so, when seeking the definition of freedom, we must seek what God tells us is true.
Jesus said, in John 8:36, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Then, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
And in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Christ has given us a clear picture of what freedom is and what He has meant it to be in our lives: true freedom can only be found in the redemption fo Jesus Christ!
So, if you are a child of the King today, YOU ARE FREE!
If you are saved by the Blood of the Lamb, and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, YOU ARE FREE!!
Let us rejoice in His freedom!
Let us praise Him for the great things He has done!
Let us raise our hands and lift our voices with a grateful heart for the freedom He has brought us both within our spiritual lives and within this country that we live because we are free to worship Him today!
I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
If we choose anger, confusion, fear or agony, that is our prison.
If we choose joy, love, hope and grace, that is our sentence.
It is a choice, and it becomes our confinement.
Choose well.
For your choices will overwhelm and set shackles on you.
One is for life and one is for death.
And you get to pick and choose.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:15-18
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I love the thought of my God loving me enough to protect me.
I love the realization that He loves me enough to defend me.
And I love the image of imagining Him as a lion running to me.
He will do this.
He is a mighty God, an everlasting Savior, an all Powerful Lord,
And yet,
He cares for me. He cares for you.
And He longs for us to be with Him.
And if He needs to run to us,
He will.
And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Luke 15:20-24
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
I cannot escape or refuse. I cannot run away or hide.
I shift in the uncomfortable silence,
Hoping you’ll say something to ease the pain.
You look me eye to eye, I glance away, not knowing what to say.
You begin to speak, and I cringe, terrified you’ll find me lacking and left wanting.
And suddenly, I hear Your voice gently call my name.
All fear is forgotten.
All doubt is erased.
As I lean into Your grace.
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:40
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
There are moments in life when reality settles in. When the hard work of living pauses for just a moment, and you’re able to look back and recognize where you’ve been, what’s been accomplished, and where you’re going.
There comes a time when you realize some sacrifices were necessary to carry on; some were foolish, and still more were simply necessary for survival.
Then, there’s that season of recognition when the fear of the pain is passed, the apathy of the seared feelings has diminished, and all that is left is the confidence of your preservation.
When you’ve walked through the flames of life, innocence may be lost and intimidation may be vanquished, but the growth and strength that rises cannot be denied.
So, walk on, my friend. Walk on.
Be a flame walker. Take the fiery journey.
You can endure.
And then, go and rescue someone from that same inferno.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
Jude 1:20-23
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
Get ready to celebrate. Get ready to share some joy.
Even in the hardest moments, even in the deepest grief,
Someone needs your smile. Someone longs for your love, even if it’s brief.
No matter your tradition, no matter your religion,
Get ready to shower love. Get ready to share some cheer.
Even in the hustle and bustle, even in the busiest season,
Someone desires your embrace. Someone yearns to hear the true reason.
So, pour a glass of milk and set out the cookies.
Brew up the cocoa and drain a hot cup of Joe.
Share the purpose of peace and show them how to cope.
Share the story of Christmas and show them The Hope.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:10-11
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
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