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 Henry Nouwen. Prayer is laying hold of God’s willingness not His reluctance .

Dear God, I am full of wishes,full of desires,full of expectations.Some of them may be realized, many may not,but in the midst of all my satisfactionsand disappointments,I hope in you.I know that you will never leave me aloneand will fulfill your divine promises.Even when it seems that things are not going my way,I know that they are going your wayand that in the end your way is thebest way for me.O Lord, strengthen my hope,especially when my many wishes are not fulfilled.Let me never forget that your name is Love. Amen

Just a thought by coppi

“who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What pit are you in?  One of God’s promises is He will redeem you from any “pit” you are in.  He is faithful to his promises.  Joseph, when his brothers because of their jealousy threw him in a pit to die.  Ironically, the hostile brothers’ plan to throw Joseph into a pit and then “see what will become of his dreams” (Genesis 37:20) ultimately serves God’s plan to bring fulfillment to those very dreams (50:20).  Sometimes our pits are God’s opportunities;  Trust him even if you are sure He has forgotten you.  I speak for myself, I have been in many situations through my life, which have caused me much sorrow.  I thought Jesus had forgotten me, because it took years before I crawled out from under the rubbish.  Keep hanging on, keep trusting.  He is faithful to his promises.  You will be renewed like the eagle!

The world lies in the power of the evil one. The world does not recognize the light that shines in the darkness. It never did; it never will. But there are people who, in the midst of the world, live with the knowledge that he is alive and dwells within us, that he has overcome the power of death and opens the way to glory. Are there people who come together, who come around the table and do what he did, in memory of him? Are there people who keep telling each other the stories of hope and, together, go out to care for their fellow human beings, not pretending to solve all problems, but to bring a smile to a dying man and a little hope to a lonely child?

It is so little, so unspectacular, yes, so hidden, this Eucharistic life, but it is like yeast, like a mustard seed, like a smile on a baby’s face. It is what keeps faith, hope, and love alive in a world that is constantly on the brink of self-destruction.  By Henri Nouwen 

Henri Nouwen is one I enjoy reading his thoughts.   I thought I would share this one with my “Just a Thought” readers. 

My twin sister went to be with Jesus a couple weeks ago.  There is a lot of sorry moving around among our family.  It’s a difficult time.  Grief is hard. It comes in all kinds of packages.  Loss of a loved one, loss of a marriage, loss of friendship, loss of finances, etc etc.  in my meditation, I read the above and it was medicine for my soul.   I guess because coming from a family of ten, I experienced many losses within my family.  I am the only one left.  But, I am a believer in Jesus and the word of God.  His promises are steadfast. The one I lean on when I have lost a love one is that: “We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine). There are many others also.  I lean on scriptures as my healing medicine.  We all have our way to grief….mine is scriptures and prayer.

Just a thought by coppi

On the cross, Jesus has shown us how far God’s love goes. It’s a love that embraces even those who crucified him. When Jesus is hanging nailed to the cross, totally broken and stripped of everything, he still prays for his executioners: “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”

I think of all the suicides that happen in the world, and I know many are causes by drugs but many are from intense pain inside them. My youngest brother was one. He was only 42 when he decided alcohol and Valium could not cover his emotional pain.  He opted to take his life rather than deal with it. Of course, my family was devastated as we had no idea that was an option for him.  I remember the day, after this tragic loss of my brother, a letter came in the mail from a dear minister, he was the father of a very dear friend of mind, and in it were uplifting words but the what stood out in the letter was this “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”  He then went on to say “Do you think your brother knew what he was doing….no, I believe the pain he was in emotionally overtook any rational decisions.” It was a beautiful written letter, which I will forever be grateful to have received.

God is love.  He loved us so much that He sent His son to die for us that we may live eternally with Him.  Grace, wonderful grace.  We don’t have to earn it.  It is a gift.

Proverbs 25:20:  singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.

When the winds blow – whence did it come – no one knows.  When bad news blows in & brings in sickness, pain, financial problems, or whatever you are facing today, do you need someone singing a cheerful song in your ear?  Your heart is heavy overwhelmed with fear, pain, tears, sorrow, & the unknown.   Please don’t overwhelm me with anymore.  I only need you; yes I do.  

Really, that is the cry of many facing a big challenge.

Just a thought by coppi – written in 2017

We will glorify the King of Kings
We will glorify the Lamb
We will glorify the Lord of Lords
Who is the great I Am
King Jehovah reigns in majesty
We will bow before his throne
We will worship him in righteousness

We will worship him alone
Hallelujah to the King of Kings
Hallelujah to the Lamb
Hallelujah to the Lord of Lords
Who is the great I Am
He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth
He is Lord of all who live
He is Lord of the universe
All praise to him we give. (Author Twila Paris)

The above song came on BBN radio as I was driving to Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club and as I listened I started crying.  Why i don’t  know but it’s effect on me was a wonderful experience of worshipping the great I Am.  God speaks to the heart of mankind in many different ways, and we don’t know where and when it comes.  John 3:8 says “Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit”.  Music is one venue God uses to reach our hearts and it certainly did for me when I listened to the song “The Great I Am”.  The next time you hear a word, a song, etc and it moves deep within be assured the Great I Am is tugging your heart strings.  Which is a good thing.

Just a thought by coppi

““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

The great secret of the spiritual life, the life of the Beloved Sons and Daughters of God, is that everything we live, be it gladness or sadness, joy or pain, health or illness, can all be part of the journey toward the full realization of our humanity. It is not hard to say to one another: “All that is good and beautiful leads us to the glory of the children of God.” But it is very hard to say: “But didn’t you know that we all have to suffer and thus enter into our glory?” Nonetheless, real care means the willingness to help each other in making our brokenness into a gateway to joy.  Henri Nouwen 

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Who does not change like shifting shadows”.  I love this because I do not like change.  I want stability.  I guess the reason being my life was drowned in shifting shadows and uncertainty.  I am now at a “young” age, the shadow I am sitting under is blithesome  and I do not want it to shift.  I also know life does not go that way –  but what a blessing the Lord I serve does not change; He is steadfast, unchangeable, full of love, and will carry me if and when the shadow I am sitting under moves and fades away. 

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just a thought by coppi

A cosmic game of hide and seek is often how many view the search for God. “Where are you?” is the question that echoes throughout the ages as human beings seek for God in a vast universe often filled with inexplicable mystery- Margaret a Manning Oct 19, 2020
Have you ever wondered where God was when the storms of life blow into your life. I did. And, as I read the scriptures in the Bible I note that the Apostles did too. Not only the Apostles, but the prophets, Kings, and the Israelites. No one is exempt from problems. Why God do you hide your face from me when I am in need? Where are you? How long before you answer my prayer? These are just a few questions thrown toward God. His answers are not always the way we want, but He will answer your prayer. It may seem like forever before you see a glimmer of the answer, but it will come. I went from different training periods in my life before I realized the importance of my answered prayers. Yes, training is difficult, but the end results is the catalyst God is after. He wants you to know Him and His love. He wants a relationship with you.