When children need a safe place, they cry out trusting that the parent will be attentive to them. When God’s children sing praises every morning they joyfully proclaim their trust in His caring provision. With maturity comes understanding that even in difficult circumstances His unfailing love is present. – Teresa #safeplace #understandingHisdemonstrationoflove

  Psalm 59:16,17 (ESV)

16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.    Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

    a place of safety when I am in distress.

17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

    for you, O God, are my refuge,

    the God who shows me unfailing love.

A double rainbow makes us happy because we remember not just once but twice God’s covenant signature. When the whole earth flooded, God’s regret let loose in remembrance of His perfect creation. We trust you, LORD. Even when we are tossing with worry or overcome by a flood of dissipation (1 Peter 4:4) our mantra is to remember You. Why? Who else collects our tears in a bottle and keeps count of our tossing? Who else bought us back to what He originally intended? #peacewithGod- Teresa

 Psalm 56:8-11 (ESV)

You have kept count of my tossings;[c]

    put my tears in your bottle.

    Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back

    in the day when I call.

    This I know, that[d] God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,

    in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

    What can man do to me?

By believing there is no God (or rejecting God), the fool suffers God’s rejection. Lacking knowledge, working evil and persecuting others, the fool ultimately becomes terrified at nothing and his bones are scattered. Calling upon God, we can avoid foolish behaviors and understand salvation. – Teresa #byreceivingforgivenesswecanforgive

Psalm 53: 1-6 (ESV)

53 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;

    there is none who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven

    on the children of man

to see if there are any who understand,[b]

    who seek after God.

3 They have all fallen away;

    together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

    not even one.

4 Have those who work evil no knowledge,

    who eat up my people as they eat bread,

    and do not call upon God?

5 There they are, in great terror,

    where there is no terror!

For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you;

    you put them to shame, for God has rejected them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

    When God restores the fortunes of his people,

    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

 Although the scribes had a position of honor and respect, their conduct was less than respectable. By devouring widows’ houses (or getting rich off of the devoted hearts of the poor), their judgment was determined by the Creator. Jesus Christ our Lord sees the heart of every matter and judges rightly. -Teresa #bewiseinurgiving

Mark 12:38-44

38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.[a] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

If you ever had to figure out why a child is in pain, then you know that the process involved in resolving this may require tremendous faith. Jesus was called on to help this son. He addressed the pain by name and had the authority to heal it. The key component was faith -of the father and faith of those assisting this work. The disciples did not have the faith required but the father trusted Jesus wholeheartedly, crying for mercy. -Teresa #helpmyunbelief

Mark 9: 17-29 (ESV)

17 And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19 And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out[d] and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”[e]

We may be asked to stretch our minds around a concept that is not comforting for us. It may be a self-revelation that carries emotional implications. By holding on to the faithful One, we can survive our growing pains. Calling the elevator when we are in the depths of a “mood” means that Jesus can walk on water! He will deliver us out of “worthless” feelings. -Teresa

Mark 6: 45-52 (ESV)

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night[b] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Not only were Aaron and his sons ordained by God but they lived through the experience. For seven days they were required to stay in the tent of meeting and fulfill their duties to boil and eat the flesh and bread from the ordination offering basket, burning any leftovers. When Jesus calls us to follow him, he pulls us away from worldly concerns to meet with Him, eat His flesh which is the bread of life. When He becomes our food and drink, we not only live but find life abundantly! – Teresa

 Leviticus 8: 30-36 ( ESV)

30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

31 And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ 32 And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. 33 And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. 34 As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. 35 At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” 36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses.

There are times when our greatest creations start to crumble. One thing is certain, for the humble to rejoice our soul must boast only in the Lord. When YHWH is put in His rightful position as Lord, we can take ourselves off the throne and take rest in His abundant strength and overall magnificence! – Teresa

 Psalm 34:1-10 (ESV)

34 I will bless the Lord at all times;

    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

    let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me

    and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant,

    and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him

    and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps

    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,

    for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

This picture of our daughter was posted on her salon website for years. During the ten years she worked as a hair stylist, she helped me with various oils and concotions for my hair to make it more manageable and ultimately more beautiful. The priesthood of the Old Testament had a specific recipe for the annointing oil used to consecrate themselves when engaged in service to God. In the New Testament, we also as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been annointed with oil (the Holy Spirit) so that our lives will be an aroma pleasing to God. When we keep in step with the Spirit, our lives serve Him. – Teresa 

Exodus 30:22-33 (ESV)

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin[d] of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

Although no one knows the day, we are sure of one thing- it will be unexpected when He comes again. Those who are faithfully doing His will (aka wise because they fear God more than society) do this by carefully watching over those in their care. Are we ready (with eyes wide open) waiting for the unexpected?- Teresa #carefortheorphansnadwidowsindistress

Matthew 24: 34-51 (ESV)

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[a] but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,[b] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[c] and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.