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.

Bird Nest

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In our garage on a shelve is a small basket we decided to keep, because of it being a gift plus it’s a “cutie”.  The only problem, it’s in the garage, and mom and dad wrens have located it and have been very busy making it their home to raise their babies.  When we are home we leave garage door opened, but at night we close it.  It’s a conundrum for us. We don’t want to leave our garage door opened and then again, we do not want keep the wrens away from their home.  

Reading the above scripture I relate myself to the wrens.  I am so happy the doors to Jesus are always opened for us.  We can always come to Him – near to His altar – His protection -and love.  No garage door to shut us out night or day, only a resting place laced with blessings near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King, and my God.

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi written in 2015

While the pieces of my life seem hopelessly scattered, I remember, Jesus, how You told Your disciples when You fed the five thousand with five barley loaves to “gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost” (John 6:12). Gather my fragments, my Friend who loves me beyond measure, and make a miracle with them.
Carol Knapp

You, Lord. I just don’t love what I’m going through. Bring me the peace of knowing You’ll use it for good.
Help me accept what is. Show me where to go from here. May I use my energy to move forward instead of trying to change the past. Guide me along this difficult path. May I experience the joy of reaching its destination, having held your hand every step of the way. Kim Henry

I read above early this morning….both prayers spoke to my soul. coppi

I wrote the following note to my niece when she lost her mother, and my beloved sister:

“To love a person is to see all of their magic, and to remind them of it when they have forgotten.“. Unknown

I see a lot of magic in you – your thoughtfulness, your love, your beauty, your work habits, your love to care for your grandmother, your love for your family, and I could go on and on.  You remind me so much of your mother, Beverly.  She too was a caring and loving daughter and mother.

Ruth, my beautiful sister, I believe, will be leaving us for her journey to meet our Savior and love ones; I write this note to you to remind you that you were the best grand daughter I have ever witness to the care of someone they love.  You went beyond and above caring, loving, and wanting the best for her.  Yes, you will be criticized because people like to find fault with others to make them feel better.  Ignore it.  Know in your heart 💖 you did everything possible to make her last years comfortable.  I salute you and admire you…..I see the magic in you.

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

Where He leads me I will follow

Where He leads me I will follow

Where He leads me I will follow

I will go with Him all the way

I thought of the above song one night in New Orleans.  On our last night in New Orleans, Tom and I spent the time retracing our steps on the different streets we previously walked in New Orleans.  We did a lot of walking in New Orleans but this particular night, it seemed we added several more blocks than other days.  We were headed back to our hotel which was approximately two blocks away from our destination.  Tom, who is spot on in directions got turned around and we walked way out of our way, across several unknown streets, under the Freeway and ended up at an out-of-the way area where we met a young lady sitting at a table by herself outside a large building smoking a cigarette.  I told Tom let’s ask her where we are – he replied I don’t think she will know but it won’t hurt to ask.  He was right, she did not know.  We were at Grace Recovery home.  The courts had put her there to recover from drugs, alcohol and no telling what else.  To make a long story short, this lady and I had a nice long talk and we ended up praying together.  Tom was busy finding our way back to the hotel but said to me afterwards, “I knew what you and the Lord were doing…helping a soul find Him and a way out.  Where He leads me I will follow even if it’s under bridges, freeways, etc because He knows one of his lost sheep needs help and encouragement.

Just a thought by coppi

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Joan, my twin sister, was in the hospital having a pacemaker placed in her heart to stop her heart from racing. My sister is very thin so they had to do a different procedure for the pacemaker.  The pacemaker is put in place using a long, thin tube called a catheter. The catheter is inserted into the femoral vein through a very small incision in your groin. Her surgery was very successful and she was released to go home.  As she was waiting on her husband to get the car, she decided to go to the restroom.  The next thing she remembers is that she was on the floor laying in lots of blood. She called for help but no one heard her. When a nurse finally came to her room, and saw her laying there she immediately rushed to her side. She had no pulse. Action was taken and her room was filled with help.  They were working very hard to revive her.   Her husband, Nick, came back to her room wondering what happened.  He was waiting in the car for an aid to bring her down. He came in to her room when they were lifting her off the bathroom floor.  His words to me was “I knew she was dead”.  Joan said to me, “during my dead to life time that I went through a dark tunnel before I saw light” and wanted to understand the darkness before seeing the light.  It bothered her until the above scripture “popped” off the pages of her Bible into her heart. She has now framed the scripture and is placed in different places in  her beautiful home as a reminder that “yes, she encountered the area of great darkness, but the LIGHT has (and did) dawn. 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬, ‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

“It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”
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Invisible. Moses kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. I like to see ‘skin’. But is that faith. Heb 11:1 – “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” (Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬). I can only speak for myself, but it would be hard for me to think I could manage my life without God. One of my deepest prayers is “may I never forget what you have done for me”. Even in my darkest moments, I put my faith in this unseen God. When I moved to Florida from Texas, I often used the analogy of God sending Abraham to a land he did not know. I knew no one in Tampa, Florida, but my husband. It was the beginning of a new life for me – I believed and trusted the invisible God to show & direct me in this unknown territory. Yes, bad things happened, but like Moses I kept my eyes on the one that is invisible – the God I trusted and believed in since I was a very young child. He was there – unseen and invisible but I know because I know He carried me through the darkness to the light.

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault

“As the Misfit in Flannery O’Connor’s short story observes of this resurrected one, Jesus went and “thrown everything off balance.” The unlikely prophet reasons, “If He did what He said, then it’s nothing for you to do but throw away everything and follow Him, and if He didn’t, then it’s nothing for you to do but enjoy the few minutes you got left the best way you can.”

In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul addresses those who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns (verse 12). Paul rebukes them, since, if there is no life after death, they may as well live according to “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (verse 32). At its root, the philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry” is an expression hopelessness.

According to the Christian Acts of the Apostles: The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, whereas the Pharisees did.  The Sadducees also rejected the notion of spirits or angels, whereas the Pharisees acknowledged them.

My comment on the Sadducees belief is they are “Sad-you-see”. Yes, if there is no resurrection eat, drink and be merry.  Do your on thing whatever it is.  But, if there is a resurrection, which I believe, have hope, joy, and peace.  Life is full of choices. And, from my own experience, I have made some bad ones but also good ones.  I have deeply regretted the wrong ones but when I said, “yes” to believe and have faith in Jesus, His grace covered all my wrongs.  The resurrection of Jesus declared a new winner. Thus, his resurrection is not a promise for a later time, another world, another house, but rather this house, God’s house, this life, now.  “The house of God is occupied by one whose death and life and resurrection prepares a place for insiders and outsiders, neighbors and enemies all around us. Whether prodigals or pilgrims, in this house we discover the God who welcomes the multitudes eternally home.”  Jill Carattini

Again, we choose – I chose.

Just a thought by coppi

Embrace each day as a gift……….i used to think life was forever.  That there was loads of time.  That I could do everything I wanted if I did it all slowly.  I don’t think that anymore.

Life is a gift from God.  What we do with it is our choice.  God did not make us robots but we were created in his imagine with a free will.  The older I become, it seems the faster time flies by. And before I know it, this time on earth will be over.  Did I do everything I wanted to – probably not.  I truly believe God was after my heart – to know him and have a personal relationship with him, love people, and not”all”‘the things I thought he wanted me to accomplish.  I also believe he knows me and all my insecurities and the why I do/did things for acceptance, and approval of the world …..also his.  I remember Standish, my deceased husband, telling me what he wanted to hear the Lord say when he died..”Well done my good and faithful servant”..and, I am sure he heard those words when he met Jesus because he definitely was a servant of the Lord’s.  Come to think of it, I want to hear those words too.

Just a thought by coppi

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.  John 15:11

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Ps 94:19

Until now you have asked for anything in my name.  Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.  John 16:24

So that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. Rom 15:32

Did you ever stop to think that Jesus had joy.  And he wants us have joy in our lives.  I never thought about Jesus having joy until I read John 15:11.  I do not know how I could have skipped the word joy in that scripture but I did.  This morning I googled “joy in scriptures” and found many scriptures on joy.  It’s amazing as I read them, I found joy “popping” up in my soul.  Paul with all his problems with the Pharisees, etc still had joy as he made his journey to the other believers – to the church in Rome “that I may come to you with joy”.  I know it’s hard to have joy when you are sinking under the circumstances – I have been there.  But I do know, if you hang on to Jesus and his promises – joy will come.  Ps 30:5. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  Hold on.

‘If you need to laugh, God longs to bring you unfathomable joy—“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy then they said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them’  The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:1-3) Craig Denison 2/21/19. First 15.

My husband came in this morning and said “I want to read to you something I read in my mediation this morning”?  It was about a lady who was stressed out about her life and how one day she went outside and fell into a hammock in their back yard.  As she laid their she started noticing the birds, the trees, and the life that surrounded her.  She forgot about her lists and all the activity of the ‘dos’.  She was enjoying the quietness of being with herself and God.  Nature reveals to us God’s beauty, glory, power, wisdom, presence, creativity, and, most of all, his loving care. This is why we’re drawn to spend time in the beauty of nature and to enjoy animals. To take a walk on a beautiful day, play with your dog in the grass, or hold your cat are reliable ways for many people to connect with God’s loving presence.  I need this in my life, and I wonder why I keep allowing my ‘dos’ to take priority in life, but I do.  “Stop and smell the roses” has been one of my sayings – I need to do that.

Just a thought by coppi