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.

“Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

Philippians 2:16-18 NLT

I was reading Philippians 2 this morning when the above scriptures pulled at my heart strings.  Saul, his name changed to Paul, when he met the Lord on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians (Act 9:). After that encounter with the Lord, his life took a dramatic change.  Nothing matter more to him than spreading the gospel to the world and having lives changed to really know the joy of the Lord.  And, what excited and gave Paul that joy?  ” I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my life was not useless”.  His life was certainly not useless because his witness and writings have endured for generations and the test of time…..”your work Paul was not in vain”.

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” 

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24

If you are driven by fear, choose to be courageous. If you are filled with hate and prejudice, choose to be loving and kind.  (Norman Vincent Peale)

Chesed (חסד, also Romanized ẖesed) is a Hebrew word commonly translated as “loving-kindness,” “kindness” or “love.”

My deceased husband, Standish, used hesed many times.  He loved to say to me when I was “out-of-sorts” “hesed Coppi hesed …loving kindness is the way to be not angry”.  I think there are many passages in the Bible that reinforce his statement.  Example:  “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26–27). To refuse to surrender our anger is to welcome the devil to wreak havoc in our hearts and relationships. It allows him to take new ground, and to extend his stay in any given situation”. (Marshall Segal)

I read the following this morning and it sums up the word kindness to me:

“Integrity’s everything – No matter how educated, talented, rich, or cool you believe you are,  how you treat people ultimately tells all”.  

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble” – let the wind and rain wash away the ‘uglies’ in your life and let forgiveness, love, and kindness be your solid rock on which you stand.

Following is the lyrics of What A Friend We Have In Jesus.  A wonderful person & friend sent these lyrics to me in response to my prayer of release.  It brought so many memories back to my early life, sitting in a little country church in Fredericksburg, Tx singing about our friend, Jesus.  I hope you will enjoy reading the lyrics as I did….

1

What a Friend we have in Jesus,

  All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

  Everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

  O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

  Everything to God in prayer!

2

Have we trials and temptations?

  Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

  Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

  Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness,

  Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

  Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—

  Take it to the Lord in prayer;

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

  Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,

  Thou wilt find a solace there.

Just a thought by coppi

“Prayer is the most important thing you can do for the most important people in your life.”

Prayer is objectively real — a real God, real communication, real work, real answers. But it also comes in a million shapes and forms. Prayer happens in seconds — short moments in the cracks of our day — and it can happen for hours at a time, even throughout a whole night.

Prayer is conscious, personal communication with the God of the universe. A better question than “How’s your prayer life?” might be, “Have you been enjoying conscious communication with God — over his word, in your daily needs, throughout your day?” Has your relationship with him been real — not a box to check, not just a hurried place for help, not a vague abstract idea hovering over your head and life? Has your faith been tying you to him in your heart? Have you been leaning on him, and not yourself”?  (Excerpt from an article by Marshall Segal, staff writer, desiring God.org

I have written about prayer before and have quoted “I believe when we get to heaven, we will be sorry we didn’t pray more”.  Prayer is talking to Jesus as you would your best friend who loves and understands you without criticism but loves you “warts and all”.  I would lie if I didn’t say, prayer was difficult for me but the more my relationship with Jesus increases, the easier it becomes.  

He has become my constant companion.  I have my prayer list, yes, but throughout the day and night, I will pray for different ones – even people I do not know.  I awakened at 2:00 am this morning and could not go back to sleep.  I started reading the news which is mostly negative.  I do not like to put negativism in my thoughts at night so was about to stop reading when a thought dropped into my heart – “pray for these people”.  I did and all the “uglies” of the shootings, drug busts, wife battery, etc became a prayer of mine.  Finally, I was able to go back to sleep feeling better that I prayed for ones I most likely will never meet.  Prayer – communication with the God of the Universe.  How great is that!

“Hope is what makes you look outside the window to see if it’s stopped raining… Hope is why you buy your jeans a little tight… Hope is why you get out of bed in the morning, and why you dream at night. Hope is what makes us believe that things can only get better. Hope is what keeps us going.” ― Jodi Picoult  

“Love doesn’t come with an on-off switch. It’s made of too many threads of memory and hope and heartache that weave themselves into the very core of who you are.” ―Martina Boone  

“The tears of grief and the tears of joy shouldn’t be too far apart. As we befriend our pain, we discover that resurrection is close at hand.” – Henri Nouwen

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “ Lord, I am coming.””

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Love above quotes….wanted to share with my readers of Just a thought by coppi.

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.  

‘“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Believe that He exists…..that is the key.  Do I believe?  Not mere words Coppi but a belief that transcends from your brain and goes deep within your soul.  If so, you can stand on His promises given in the Bible. Example Matthew 21:22. “All things whatsoever you ask in prayer BELIEVING you shall receive.”  I quote that scripture many times praying that the word “Believe” will somehow light up as a neon light and burn into my soul.  It’s a dichotomy: as Paul says in Romans 7:16  “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate.”  I remember years ago when I did modeling jobs for Tanya Blair Agency, I was asked to do a job modeling for Southwest Bible school.  They picked me to model as a person hanging on a curtain looking out the window with an expression of “wondering why – what – when is this all going to end.”   That was years ago so I do not remember what was happening in our country at that time.  Now, at times, I find myself looking out a window saying “I believe, I believe”.  I read somewhere that was a good practice of believing.  Lol. Saying all of this, I end with “I do believe in the written word of God, The Bible, and have for decades. Being human I suppose sometimes I am like doubting Thomas, one of the disciples, when the other disciples told him “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”  To sum it up-belief is not necessarily seeing, but believing the unseen and TRUSTING in the word of God that He will do what He says He will.

Just a thought by coppi

“Each step you take brings you closer to home.  Before you know it, you’ll enter the City.  You’ll hear your name spoken by those who love you.  And maybe, just maybe—in the back, behind the crowds—the One who would rather die than live without you will remove his pierced hands from his heavenly robe and…applaud.”  Max Lucado 6/1/19

Yes, that’s one of our Lord’s promises that we will see our loved ones again.  Not only my beloved family and friends, but also my dear little pets who loved me and I them.  I believe there will be a lot of rejoicing and love among the redeemed – it will be quite a celebration of joy and delight.  But I also want to see Jesus and His nail print hands applauding and hear his voice say “welcome home”.

“The truths of God’s never-failing faithfulness, that are contained in His redemptive plan for Israel are equally pertinent for the Church today. He will satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness. He will continually guide us in the way we should go, and teach us all things, through the power of the indwelling Spirit. He has gone to prepare a place for us and is coming back to take us to be with Himself and like Israel, we will be like a watered garden, from whom will flow rivers of living water.  In Christ, we will be like a spring of water whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11

“Our loving heavenly Father has not only promised to lead us sometimes, or ofttimes, or even many times, or most times. He has promised to lead us and to guide us at ALL times and in ALL ways, through ALL places and throughout ALL the circumstances of life.”

“I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings—I want you to know me.  Hosea 6:6

God doesn’t want anything from us, but He wants us to know Him and His love.  We can’t earn His love and grace  – it’s free.  Most of my life was doing and not being.  I worked hard to please God by works.  I think back at that time in my life and just thinking about it makes me tired.  In reading Isaiah 58, the Israelites were complaining to God that He did not answer their prayers.  God- we are fasting, etc., and you have ignored us.   God responded: “Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry,” meaning fasting and then paying fast offerings. If you would do that, he promised, “Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.”  Motivation is important to God.  Why are we doing it.  I tried to earn God’s love and forgiveness so many of my ‘ works’ were for that reason.  “Stop it”.  I heard within – stop and check the why you are doing this.  I did and then I had to stop and check my reasonings.  God loves us and if we will submit to His guidance, not only will we do good works, but we will be doing the works God has set out for us to do and not be running in circles trying to be the world’s ambassador.  This may not be your problem, but it was something I had to deal with and did.

An elderly professor once said to me, “Son, be kind to everyone, because everyone’s having a hard time.” Everyone you know has reasons to wonder if God loves them.  (Jim Denison quote in First 15)

Interesting quote by Jim Denison’s professor.  We never know what is inside someone’s being, and what they are going through.  I know some people push the belief of what happened in your childhood should not affect you as an adult,  if you do not dwell on it and become effective in this life.  I disagree.  I was in a program years ago where different ones of all ethnicities and levels of plentitude were in a room together where what they said stayed in that room.  We were honest and spoke of our inner child and hurts growing up.  Very well-to-do and impoverished spoke of inner pain.  No one was allowed to give advice or condemn.  You were there to confess what was going on in your inner self to people that cared and understood, because they too were there for the same reason. Acceptance, kindness, and love were keys to healing the pain.  

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

“Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together.” The Good News: Love goes hand-in-hand with things like patience and kindness and being humble”.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  Mt 7…..NIV

Just a thought by coppi