Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi – written in 2015

A light house does not blow fog horns but it only shines.  

When I read the above I thought of our walk as Christians.  Does our life reflect the light  of Jesus.  St Mark 4:21: and he said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?  A candle beams its flickering light so we may find our way in the dark as does the Lighthouse.  As Christians we should let our light shine & walk in the light of Christ.  We need not blow fog horns but just shine & let the Holy Spirit beam through us.  Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord……i grew up in a very legalistic religion & if we did have a little light, it was totally blown out with dos & don’ts & lots of fear. 1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God….10: herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us & sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4 is filled with scriptures of love.  The pendulum swings both ways but should be in balance.  I guess my desire is not to be a fog horn but a flickering light for our Lord.

A prayer by Henri Nouwen that spoke to my heart today. I wanted to share it with my readers.  Coppi

Dear Lord,

Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. I know there is light in the darkness that makes everything new. I know there is new life in suffering that opens a new earth for me. I know there is a joy beyond sorrow that rejuvenates my heart. Yes, Lord, I know that you are, that you act, that you love, that you indeed are Light, Life, and Truth. People, work, plans, projects, ideas, meetings, buildings, paintings, music, and literature all can only give me real joy and peace when I can see and hear them as reflections of your presence, your glory, your kingdom.

Let me then see and hear. Let me be so taken by what you show me and by what you say to me that your vision and hearing become my guide in life and impart meaning to all my concerns.

Let me see and hear what is really real, and let me have the courage to keep unmasking the endless unrealities, which disturb my life every day. Now I see only in a mirror, but one day, O Lord, I hope to see you face to face.

“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬

‬Commit to surrendering everything to him today. Hand over control of your plans, relationships, finances, and emotions to the one who will guide you daily into the abundant life he died to give you.  (Craig Denison 7/23/19)

Surrender is hard to do, because fear will raise its ugly head and remind me “God is invisible and you are trusting a shadow –  will He truly guide you – is He really wanting the abundant life for you – on and on negative thoughts flood my mind like bees surrounding a bee hive.  Then I think of the quote I have put to memory “Those who trust in God will be radiant with joy”.  Trust and go back over your life and remember all the “uglies” that God carried you through.  The devil is a tormentor, and he loves to use his time on earth to torment people with negative thoughts and defeat.  Romans 12:2 – says “Do not conform to the pattern of this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I am sure the Apostle Paul faced the devil’s evils; he had to learn this truth.  Paul, I thank you for all of the writings on your journey so we sojourners could glean our way through your help.  Thank you.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He does not change like shifting shadows….

““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I awaken this morning with fear hanging over my shoulder, because I had a bad dream that pushed joy out of my heart and filled me with fear.  When that happens to me I go to my recliner and with a cup of coffee and pick up a pen and pencil and journalize my dream and fear that have engulfed me. I then pick up my Bible for comfort – there is where I find a scripture that lights up my life.   My life is tainted by my past experiences and sometimes the buried thoughts come forth in dreams.  “My thoughts are not your thoughts” says the Lord – I recommend reading the entire chapter of Isaiah 55, you will find joy and healing in His word. I did. 

Just a thought by coppi

What a challenge it is, Lord, for me to let you take over.

I read this today and thought “yes, that is a true statement for me”.  I remember as a child reading about the little train plugging along to climb a very steep hill  – “I can do it, I can do it”, it kept repeating until it reached the top.  There is truth in “I can do it” but the reverse side is ‘I don’t need any bodies help, I can do it myself”.  It was when I totally faltered at being the administrator of the world that I said Jesus I can’t but you can, i turn this headache, problem, difficulty, etc over to you & I will trust you to take care of it.  As the words in song & scripture says “take your burdens to the Lord & leave them there…..leave them there……..leave them there.

Just a thought by coppi

A woman named Hagar first used one of these names. When God met her in her distress, she said, “You are the God who sees me… I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). This phrase, “The God Who Sees Me,” is translated as “El Roi” in Hebrew.   He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I was reading Genesis 16:8-12 today.  I love the part where God met her in her distress and when she said “you are the God who sees me”.  I really never gave much attention to the blessing given to Hagar;  It is quite a blessing.  “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”  Ishmael is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God will hear.” Gifting baby this biblical title is a lovely way to honor one’s faith and remind baby of their religious roots. In the Old Testament, Ishmael is the name of Abraham’s firstborn son and is also considered the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. 

I am not a theologian and do not claim to be, but reading what I did about Ismael, I will say the prophetic blessing given to Hagar rings true.    

God is a God of love and His love reaches into a world of calamity and calmness;  His mosaic of people are brought together in one big mosaic, and every little stone completes the mosaic. 

Proverbs 15:3, “The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” (NLT)

Just a thought by coppi

A woman named Hagar first used one of these names. When God met her in her distress, she said, “You are the God who sees me… I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). This phrase, “The God Who Sees Me,” is translated as “El Roi” in Hebrew.   He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I was reading Genesis 16:8-12 today.  I love the part where God met her in her distress and when she said “you are the God who sees me”.  I really never gave much attention to the blessing given to Hagar;  It is quite a blessing.  “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”  Ishmael is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God will hear.” Gifting baby this biblical title is a lovely way to honor one’s faith and remind baby of their religious roots. In the Old Testament, Ishmael is the name of Abraham’s firstborn son and is also considered the traditional ancestor of the Arab people. 

I am not a theologian and do not claim to be, but reading what I did about Ismael, I will say the prophetic blessing given to Hagar rings true.    

God is a God of love and His love reaches into a world of calamity and calmness;  His mosaic of people are brought together in one big mosaic, and every little stone completes the mosaic. 

Proverbs 15:3, “The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” (NLT)

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”  John Milton

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” – Mark Twain

Gratitude and anger.  Two words – one will brighten your life and one will eventually destroy it.  I am fully aware that it is hard to be grateful when everything around you seems to be crushing, but I also know if you can muster enough energy to fine one thing that you are grateful for and dwell on it, you will experience a twinkle of light.  Anger on the other hand eats away at any joy you have.  It is like acid to your body and will eventually destroy you.  I remember years ago when I was taking a course in ‘A Way Out”, my counselor put boxing gloves on me and made me punch a pillow.  She said to me “coppi, you do have anger but you don’t know how to express it”.  Truly, anger to me was fear.  I was frightened of anger – mine and others so I squelched it.  I did feel silly standing there with boxing gloves on looking at a pillow to start expressing built-up anger on it, but with my counselor’s continuing coaxing, I finally beat it to sunder.  She said some anger is good and needs to be expressed.  Jesus express anger over the money changers in the temple (John 2:13-16).  There is also anger that hurts people. Kills people.  We have a lot of that in our world today.  The anger I am speaking of is the anger we have tucked way down inside our ‘temple’ because we are afraid to express ourselves because of fear.  I still deal with it, but being aware of what it does to my soul, I will journalize my feelings and ask Jesus to help me sort through it in a healthy way.  I have not purchased any boxing gloves – journalizing is the way for me.

“And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16

Jesus’ words “Pray unceasingly for the strength to survive all that is going to happen and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36) are of crucial importance for us in these days. Prayer should be our first concern. Without prayer even our “good busyness” will lead us to our destruction.  (Henri Nouwen)

God is calling us to a restored life where our need for wonder is satisfied in him—producing peace, joy, fulfillment and purpose. He is calling us to stop seeking to marvel in that which is fleeting and to root ourselves in him who is eternally satisfying. He is calling us to look at the world through a heavenly perspective to see that all of his creation, good or bad, would draw us to himself. (Craig Denison)

God longs to guide you today. What trouble is before you? Where do you need guidance? Where do you need help? God promises to be your Good Shepherd. You have the most high God on your side. You can trust in his leadership. Jesus was faithful to come and die so that you might have eternal life. If he was faithful to lead you to heaven, he will certainly lead you through whatever trial you are going through now.  (Craig Denison)

“These are the things I do, and I will not forsake………”.  

Just a thought by coppi

A friend loves at all times, 

and a brother is born for adversity.

“This proverb draws a comparison between a friend and a brother and what is being highlighted is the constancy of a true friend. In the day when this proverb was written, there would have been strong cultural obligations upon family members to care for one another.  That is why brothers are born for adversity, it is their duty is to take care of you in times of need. But what makes true friends so sweet is that their love for you is being expressed at all times, not only in times of adversity. Why? Because a friend is someone who has chosen to love you – but a brother is obligated to love you.”

I had a wonderful surprise Sunday!  A friend of mine called me – she was/is my friend from Fredericksburg, Tx, High School. I met her in the ninth grade.  We were called the “shadows”.  Oh, indeed, we had differences, but the differences never came between us. She lived on a farm on one side of  Fredericksburg and I on the other.  We would have over night stays.  She would spend the night with us and I would spend the night with her.  We graduated High School. She went her way, and I went mine. We drifted apart.  I may have seen her a couple times during the long years of absence, but we remained friends in our hearts.  When my twin sister died;  She heard about her death and contacted me to tell me how sorry she was to hear about Joan’s death.  She now lives in Ohio.  We talked, laughed, cried, and promised each other we would stay in contact.  Funny all those years of separation, and, yet, when she called me, we were back on the same wave length of friendship as we were many years ago.  It was a special Thanksgiving gift to me, and I am grateful we reconnected.  Friends are special – they are the family I chose. 

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

“Luke Ditewig of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston writes: “We Brothers say that the person who most gets under your skin in the community has a special role to play. That one is your teacher. Often what annoys us in another relates to something in ourselves. Uncomfortably, he or she is the one whom you especially need on the bus. We all belong in one large, messy family of God.” 

I read the above quote several times before it really sunk in, and when it did, i said “yes, from my experiences in life that was always the issue.  If jealousy was the problem, it usual represented itself in something I envied in another person.  I detested the way I felt and would usual be in my closet praying to God about the situation.  The ‘ugly’ was never removed until I honestly confessed to the Lord exactly what the problem was.  In Ps 32:1-5 NLT -David was faced with the same issue ‘“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. I Finally, confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I ll confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”  Complete honesty is what the Lord wants – truth is hard but it works.