PRAY FOR ISRAEL ...

Looking Back March 13, 2024

Waves and Shadows will describe the complete disruption of a life that appeared to have settled into a time of our retirement years with traveling, camping and simply enjoying our home, family and friends. I could not have seen what was coming in October 2021. A disclaimer is in order because of the nature of this horrific time, not just for us personally, but globally. An attack was unleased on humanity by an enemy that had no face (at the time) and with a force that was unexpected and undefended.  

I'm simply telling our story as it unfolded without judgment of the medical community that was also caught unaware and ill prepared, yet controlled by those with the power to harm an unsuspecting world. 

I survive through prayer and staying in God's Word each day, journaling my prayers, His Word, and emotions that could otherwise engulf me. I offer no advice on how to grieve, rather share how the Lord has brought me through each day beginning with my husband's hospitalization. If it's helpful, thank Him.

I will be adding more entries I made in my many journals since the week BW (Bud to many) entered the hospital, if you care to follow this journey. My prayer is for God to use this effort as He chooses and to give Him the glory for any encouragement, especially for the saving faith that comes only through trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  John 3:16.

LOOKING BACK

June 9, 2023

One of the scriptures from Praying God's Will for Your Life by Stormie Omartian was Psalm 41:1-3. When I returned to my Bible in my quiet time today, I saw that I had read Psalm 41:1-2 on October 18, 2021, in the early morning hours. I often turned to the Psalms during those middle-of-the-night, sleepless times. Looking, begging really, for a word of encouragement.

On the eleventh day of my husband lying in that hospital bed in ICU, separated from everyone he loved most, I prayed these words would be a promise of his healing and recovery. He had been in the ER several other times with complications of COPD and pneumonia, then sent home with medications and instructions to rest until he recovered. I expected this would be the case this time.

Psalm 41:1,2:

"How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth. And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies."

BW had always considered the helpless. In his twenty years on the Oklahoma City Fire Department, he barged into burning homes and businesses, looking for victims and working to extinguish flames to save property. He was a certified NAUI Instructor/Diver on the Underwater Rescue and Recovery team. He would don scuba gear and dive into the murky Oklahoma lakes to look for drowning victims. On one occasion, he recovered murder weapons that led to the conviction of the guilty. On another occasion he knew the heartache of recovering the lifeless body of a small child. He had never told me about this, but he tried to share the experience in a Dale Carnegie class at our church. Emotions overtook him, and he could barely say through his tears, "Teach your children to swim."

One summer afternoon, he did revive a toddler that had slipped into the lake at the family's boat dock. The little boy was under water long enough that he had stopped breathing by the time BW made it from our dock to theirs. God had prepared him for "such a time as this." The revived tyke was taken by ambulance to the local hospital, and we would soon learn that he was fine. He made a full recovery.

BW's lifelong  career in roofing and construction meant helping those who could not help themselves in repairing their own homes. He donated his time and energy in mission projects in Mexico and Thailand. On any given day he could help a stranded motorist with car repairs on a gallon of gas, his day was complete. 

Whether he was fully decked out in fire department gear, diving tanks, or blue jeans and a T-shirt, he was always wearing the heart and soul of a hero. Surely, this passage of scripture was the promise, the assurance, I was desperately seeking.

BW died that evening at 9:41 PM, October 18, 2021.

I cried through those verses again tonight.

My close friend Mary LaFrance called from Washington state in the middle of those thoughts and tears. She scanned through the remaining verses of Psalm 41.

Verse 7: "All who hate me whisper together against me; Against me they devise my hurt, saying, 'A wicked thing is poured out upon him, he will not rise up again.'"

Verses 7 and 8 spoke to the pandemic, biological warfare some would say, that had brought BW to this place. As he continued to require more oxygen, the nurse told me they had taken him off of the Remdesivir after having given it to him for four days. I was never informed that he had been given that drug, and I told her as much. We had a conference call with BW, daughters Gea and Mandy, and myself. His nurse was at this bedside. When the nurse mentioned the ventilator, BW said, "Nancy doesn't want me to do that." 

My reply was, "O, Honey. I can't make that decision for you." 

He stated in definite terms, "If I need the ventilator, I want it." My husband was a fighter, and he was not ready to give in to this attack.

The nurse responded, "I have the DNR in my hand. If he agrees to the ventilator, I'll tear up the DNR and have him sign a release for the ventilator." (I had asked the nurse prior to this time if she had seen patients come off the ventilator and recover. She said she had. I had heard the opposite was true more often than not.)

But now...some choice. A DNR - Do Not Resuscitate - or a ventilator proven to have a lousy record for saving lives.

I would later learn from printed and published material that, on average, Oklahoma hospitals received $219,000 for each patient who was diagnosed with COVID, was given Remdesivir, put on a ventilator, died, and COVID was listed as the cause of death.

Based on that information, BW entered the Oklahoma Heart Hospital South on October 7, 2021 with a price on his head.

The first conversation I had with BW's pulmonologist, Dr. Nazir, who had cared for BW's COPD issues for years, was when he called to say that things were not going well for my husband. I begged the doctor to put him on Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine, the two medications successfully given to President Trump when he had COVID, but Nazir flatly refused. He said they didn't work. When I told him I had heard they did work, he told me I had been lied to.

My husband was on his death bed. What harm could those two medications have possibly done.

Psalm 41:9:  "Even my close friend (his doctor?) in whom I trusted who ate my food (took money for his fees?) has lifted up his heel against me."

I had tried to get BW transferred to Baptist Hospital. At least he would have been given some vitamins there, but their rooms were full, and BW's doctor would have to release him to get him transported to another facility. When I asked BW if he wanted me to pursue that option, he said, "No. They're taking good care of me here." (Verse 9: "in whom I trusted.")

Mary continued to scan through Chapter 41, then exclaimed, "Here it is. This wraps it up."

Verses 11-13:  "By this I know that You are pleased with me. Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity. And You set me in Your presence evermore. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen."

God answers our prayers from His eternal perspective. Job 14:5 tells us our days are determined. That the number of our months is with Him. He set the limits that we cannot pass.

Gea and Mandy agreed that it was for their dad to decide about the ventilator, yet my doubts haunted me. What if I had kept him at home and looked for one of the doctors who would have prescribed the two meds that have since been used successfully for others? But he had already had one fever spike at home that we were able to bring back down. Now the percentage of his oxygen level was dropping into the 80's.

My niece Tara is a home health nurse, and she had said earlier that oxygen that low would mean taking him to the ER. When I asked BW what he wanted me to do, he said, "I guess you need to call the doctor." The nurse at Nazir's office said to get him to the hospital.

I'll always regret letting my fear and emotions overtake me. Rather than spend that 20-minute drive to the hospital in tears, I should have reassured him. When we arrived at the ER, I did manage to pull myself together enough to tell him he would be fine, assure him of our prayers and once again tell him of my love for him, that we needed him to get well and come home! 

Since we had been out of state within a certain time frame, I was not allowed to go in with him. I would wait in the parking lot for about four hours while he was tested for COVID and the diagnosis was confirmed. We talked a few times by phone, but he needed to rest more than he needed to talk. Once he was admitted to the hospital rather than come home with me, I had to drive away. Alone.

After his death, I was still grieving over the scenario and the lingering feeling of "What if...Gea simply said, "Mom, what if you had kept him at home,. and he died anyway?" She couldn't have known the power of those words in that moment. BW had said before COVID struck him that if he ever had it, it "would get him" because of his COPD, but that he knew he was on God's watch, he knew where he was going, and he was not afraid. Ken and Mandy would reassure me with the same wisdom in the face of that haunting question that refused to die.

In reality, if he had died at home, I would never have been convinced I had done everything I could possibly have done for hm.

I searched more scripture. During this nightmare the time with God and letting His word wash over me was what kept me in complete reliance on Him. It sill does.

BW was in a Catch 22, a no-win situation. Only God could have saved him. 

And He did.

He saved my husband from staying in a fallen world where evil was running rampant and destroying lives as it pulled hard on our freedom in all walks of life. If BW had survived, his health would have been even more compromised. He is now fully healed and living in the presence of Jesus, under His constant protection, living the life we all crave and watch for.

Satan did not win that merciless battle. Jesus did that on the cross.

Daniel 4:35: "All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heavens. And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to him, 'What have You done?'" (NKJV)

Not only can we not know God's timing for us, but anything we try to do to change our appointed time to be in Heaven will be in vain. And His word says that He is not accountable to us for His sovereignty. That's why our relationship is defined by faith for our number of days and for where we will spend eternity. His great love for BW was/is stronger than any love and desire we have for him to be here with us.

Acts 17:26: "And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own posts have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'"

Psalm 116:6 "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."

Luke 16:22 "So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom."

The scripture in Acts 17 tells us that not only did God pre-determine our time on earth, but also "the boundaries of our dwellings." BW regularly thanked God for placing us in America. Often, he mentioned that we could have been born into a land of no freedom and with no means of self-support. He truly was a thankful man every day, and he showed that with a heart of compassion and by using his strength to work hard until the last few weeks of his 75 years.

Two Missions

     It was a beautiful fall day on the earth below. Morning light had released the moon and stars from the night watch. Soft eyes watched every move from their lofty place.  

      Golden hair hung loosely about shoulders that were slightly slumped forward as this one rested his elbows on his knees. Waiting. His quiet countenance set him apart from the others. Today this his mind was fixed on what lay ahead for him. He didn't hear the firm footsteps of his comrade as he entered the chamber.

     "Why are you so thoughtful today?" said the one with dark hair. The difference between the two was stark. They had the same Creator, yet were given completely different auras and features. This one did not have the softness, rather his angular jaw spoke to the strength that also showed in his muscular shoulders and upper arms. His deep-set eyes were piercing and reflected ages of experience.

     "I see so much angst in the lives below," the first replied. "Humans scurrying about, some watching warily around them for any signs of danger. Others are responsible for spreading hate and violence. This is nothing like the world we had in the beginning. It was filled with pure beauty and perfect peace. Sin entered through the first man and woman. And the anointed cherub became prideful because of his beauty; his wisdom was corrupted because of his splendor. He turned on our Creator and was cast out of our paradise. The earth has never been the same.

     "So many kings and leaders, good and horrid, battling through centuries. Lives have become cheap. And here we are again. My work will never be complete, at least not until our Creator reclaims His world and those who have placed complete trust and faith in Him through His Son. Never again will one reside in His kingdom who will betray Him the way the great deceiver did."

     The one who wore gleaming armor across his chest stood and stepped forward overlooking the chaos. "I agree. Because of the vanity of that 'anointed cherub'," he scoffed, "our work is ongoing, and our assignments were made and sealed for times such as these. The chaos is intensifying day by day. Some are responding by placing their trust in the Father. Some are still struggling with their own pride. Others have sadly grieved The Holy One for the last time; their eternal fate is sealed. We can no longer help them."

     The fair one continued his observations: "The people are once again making decisions today. Who will be the leader of this nation that has for so long followed goodness and has reached out to the countless countries with nowhere else to turn? The Throne Room echoes with prayers and praises of those who continue to seek the Creator's mercy and grace. Will this earthly power of the people continue to struggle against the evil force that hatches lies to discourage and bring fear, or will they finally give in to the relentless attacks by taking an easy way out?"

     The strong one returned to his spot and hoisted his helmet to protect his mighty head and neck. He grasped his sword and belted it around his waist. He strapped the iron protection around his thighs. His feet were firmly planted inside the boots that would soon thunder across the heavens on his way to battle.

     The gentler one slowly rose from his seat and took one last look at the scene below. His mission would be one of sharing hope from The Father with His anointed ones. He would see that each one of the messages held securely in his grasp would be delivered.

    Michael and Gabriel were ready for the day.

Last week our state experienced an October surprise that had nothing to do with the upcoming election. An ice storm. An epic ice storm that sent tree branches crashing TO the ground and INTO the ground like spears boring into the earth at an angle. Trees that had been planted and nurtured for years now stand stripped of their glorious branches and leaves. The power outages have been rampant, and more than 300,000 homes in our communities were left without power during the freezing temperatures. Those homes had more than one person living inside so that number doesn't tell the entire story. A week later, 120,000 are still waiting for their comfort to return with lights, heat, and in rural areas, water. Thankfully, our beautiful fall weather has returned making it so much easier for clean up crews and residents trying to stay warm without power.an

As I look at the widespread broken tree limbs around the city, I’m reminded that at one time or another we all experience brokenness. And then I’m reminded of the amazing process of healing that follows. Through our salvation, we are all made new. A clean slate that is our heart and one on which the Lord will write a new beginning and the work that He has begun will be completed. He is faithful to help us over the bumps along the way and eager to forgive because those missteps the Bible calls “sin” are already covered by the blood of Jesus. I find great comfort in knowing that His mercies are new every day. Like trees that will return in full splendor next Spring, our lives can flourish in the promise of redemption.

’m reminded 

The Tale of Two Worlds

     The struggle is real. Two opposing forces are battling for the hearts and minds of America. Who will lead the nation as the most powerful person, not just in this country, but in the world? Who would sit among the nine justices as either interpreters of the constitution or as litigators according to whatever standards serves the purposes of their political persuasion? That choice was recently decided through another embattled process that ended in a narrow majority vote.

In the end, both sides win. But one, only for a season.

There are a growing number of Americans who seek to govern according to the standards that can look like a free-for-all of personal ideals. No rules for marriage or childbirth; no financial responsibility because everything will be “free”: Education, health care, housing. A society of live-and-let-live that certainly sounds like a utopian existence.

In this world, there will be no borders because America should have a heart and soul for anyone wishing asylum for every manner of lawlessness alongside those who genuinely seek a better life for their families and themselves. A world where only the strong survive.

In this world, no thought toward a certain field of education that will lead to a desired career is needed. The government would be more than happy to make that decision for everyone, along with the number of hours that will be worked and the amount of “wages” to be paid. “Don’t worry. Be happy. We’ve got this,” says the big brother with the long arm. And the control. Of everything.

In this world, your excessive tax dollars will not be wasted on the elderly, the infirm, those with birth defects, or even the unborn child, i.e. another mouth to be fed by the government because the parents won’t be able to feed him. Those tax dollars will be enjoyed by the powerful forces who are so much better at making decisions for the less intelligent, less motivated tax payers who will soon become even less motivated day by day. Then they will also become more dependent on the government whose laws are meant for everyone except themselves. Those same government leaders will also be the ones enjoying the fruits of each American’s labor much more than the crumbs the laborers will get to enjoy. And if you want something that someone else has worked for, just follow the government’s example and take it. Because it’s the land of “only the strong survive”.

There will be no religious guidelines to clutter the minds of the individuals. Because the general belief is everyone can be his/her own god. All-knowing and wise in their own eyes. And the law allows for the punishment of anyone who chooses to believe in a one true God. Close those pesky churches, take away their rights to a parking lot, a bakery, a beauty salon, or a gym. Starve them out. That will teach them.

For those who are becoming increasingly impatient, just hang on because your earthly Utopia is coming. And it’s coming soon. In the blink of an eye, you’ll notice that a vast number of people have vanished. Some who are mid-way through surgery, be it a heart bypass or a root canal, will be left wondering where the surgeon has disappeared to and why is no one monitoring the machines and oxygen levels. There will be a skeleton crew in these vital positions wondering the same thing. Where did the pilot of the 757 go? It’s an odd time for a coffee break that seems to never end. Isn’t it about time to land this thing?

Not to fear because a leader of all worldly leaders has been in place for such a time as this. He will have all the answers to your questions. He will provide every need. His voice will be the one in the midst of the chaos calming the world through a technology that will undoubtedly reach each and every terror-stricken heart. God calls him “the anti-christ”. For these three-and-a-half years it will be a time of unity and peace. This may be the world you presently think you want. No more churches or people trying to drag you there. No more hypocrites saying one thing and doing another. No one trying to encourage you with Bible verses and prayers spoken in your behalf. No one meddling in your personal life. But it’s probably a world you will not want to be in when it becomes a place where the Holy Spirit no longer dwells.

Then reality will set in. Once this smiling and reassuring “person” allows his true heart to shine, the terror will erase every comforted thought he personally delivered that short three-and-a-half years prior in the wake of the mass disappearance of unnumbered family and friends. “It was just the aliens, you know. Everything will be fine. Just follow my lead. I’ll take care of you. You can trust me.” The same lips that uttered that nonsense are now snarling to the point of dripping venom as his predestined reign of terror begins. It will also last three-and-a-half years.

Need food? Just take this little mark. No need to worry about losing it. It’s permanent. It’s your ticket to food, medicine, fuel. All of those things without which no one can survive. What? You mean you realized those Bible thumpers were right after all? It wasn’t the aliens, but the Savior of the world who fulfilled his promise of coming for His bride, the Christians, at a time only His Father God knew. “’No mark for you,’ you say? “No problem. We’ll just take your head.” Because, you see, this will be the price of refusing the mark of the beast the Bible warned about. To refuse the mark of the beast is to choose Heaven, but it will mean sudden death by decapitation. For those who do take this mark, they are also signing onto an eternity in a place where the fire never goes out and the worm never dies. It’s called Hell. It’s real, and it’s forever.

Choosing this world is very simple. You simply do nothing.

It takes complete faith and a repentant heart to surrender your all to the Jesus who is just who God says He is. God’s Son. One hundred percent God, one hundred percent man. His death on the cross paid for the sins of the world. A one-time event to cover every sin in every heart. He loves you that much! The amazing thing is that it’s a free gift to anyone who will call upon the name of the Lord to be saved:

 

“for if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”  For these is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Romans 10:9-13

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  John 3:16 KJV

 

Speaking of the world already chosen by generations through that child-like faith, it begins the moment “Jesus steps up on a cloud to call His children” which is also the beginning of the first three-and-a-half-year period mentioned above. The dead in Christ will rise first to meet Him in the air. Living, born-again Christians will follow immediately behind them to a place of eternal peace and joy. (I Thessalonians 4:16) Our heavenly home prepared by Jesus Christ Himself. In His own words, He said:

 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places: if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 NASB

This “place”, this other world, is a place with no sickness, no death, no murderers or thieves. A world where believers will be reunited with other loved ones who did choose to believe and to receive God’s gift of eternal life. A world that needs no sun to light the day or moon to light the night, because God’s glory is the eternal flame. A land of milk and honey, of streets paved with gold so pure that it will be translucent in appearance. The Garden of Eden God created, but this one will last for eternity. No sin will ever pollute this world.

A place with no tears:

 “And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying or pain: the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write: for these words are faithful and true.” And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he will be My son.” Revelation 21:4-7 KJV

There are some who will not be in this world:

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:9 KJV

What is your heart’s true cry? A world of temporal freedom that will lead to eternal imprisonment in a place where no one even has a name. One pastor refers to it a “wasteland of humanity”. And don’t forget about the eternal fire.

Or would you prefer to live in perfect peace and walk among giants of faith spoken of in Hebrews and loved ones who likely were praying for you with their last breath? With Jesus Himself. I can only imagine. A place where we will, indeed, have jobs and responsibilities. One of Satan’s biggest lies is that heaven is a boring place where its residents just float around on clouds eternally.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” II Peter 3:9-10.

This could be your moment. Your invitation to accept God’s free gift of eternal life in Heaven with Him. You can do this right now, right where you are. The following is from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: 

RT YOUR NEW LIFE WITH CHRIST

You can have real, lasting peace today through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Start your four-step journey now!

Step 1 – God loves you and has a plan for you!

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, [Jesus Christ], that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”—a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10).

But here’s the problem:

Step 2 – Man is sinful and separated from God.

We have all done, thought or said bad things, which the Bible calls “sin.” The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The result of sin is death, spiritual separation from God (Romans 6:23).

The good news?

Step 3 – God sent His Son to die for your sins!

Jesus died in our place so we could have a relationship with God and be with Him forever.

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

But it didn’t end with His death on the cross. He rose again and still lives!

“Christ died for our sins. … He was buried. … He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6).

Step 4 – Would you like to receive God’s forgiveness?

We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty. We suggest praying the following prayer to accept Christ as your Savior:

 

“Dear God,

I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died
for my sin and that you raised Him to life.
I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord,
from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will.

I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”

https://lp.billygraham.org/find-peace-with-god/

 

Time is running out for those who need to decide. Jesus could come for His children today. Which world will you choose?

© Nancy K. Sullivan

     October 29, 2020

 

 

 

 

Draw Me

Photography by Mid Stutsman  http://midspix.wordpress.com/

Draw Me


Draw me through my tears
  Embrace me in my fears
In the stillness of the night
  Draw me

Draw me through my doubt
  Use truth to draw me out
When lies of the world deceive
  Draw me

Draw me into Your joy
  Use praises to employ
Your mercy and Your grace
  Draw me

Draw me to new heights
  Lift me with Your might
To Your ways higher than mine
  Draw me

Draw me through the skies
  To Your glorious home on high
Forever in Your light
  Draw me

© Nancy K. Sullivan    
    February 4, 2014

The Hill of Beran

It was almost like the Garden of Eden, this little valley where they lived. The petals of each bloom were succulent in appearance, filled with fragrant oils and life. The Clan K of four tended their plants and marveled at how the God of the universe had blessed them.

As the day faded into another beautiful evening, the mother spoke.

“You know,” Elle K said as her eyes embraced the fields and moved upward, “the top of the Hill of Beran looks to be a lonely place. No one ever goes there. The climb is so steep, and there is no reward awaiting. Just a plain crest surrounded by thin branches and trunks of trees that have lost their desire to grow. We should take seeds from the beauty we have sown here to the top of the Hill of Beran and plant them.”

The Clan K was blessed with two fine young men who were always eager to help tend the fertile Valley of Florae, but the thought of trudging up to    place where no one ever went just to share some of their precious flower seeds brought many grumbles.

“Now, boys. Don’t be too quick to think badly of your mother’s idea. She rarely requests anything of us. If this is something that feels important to her, we should give some serious thought to her idea,” cautioned their father, Papa K.

But Papa K’s heart was far from his spoken words. He had traveled to the top of that hill before; he knew the journey would be long and demanding. He had seen that crest up close and knew it to be void of any nutrition for their precious pips. But he would not deny his lovely bride of anything within his power to deliver.

By morning, Elle K had filled each seed sack with some of the best nuggets ready to be planted. The sacks were heavy on their shoulders. They left their fertile Valley of Florae and started the climb to the Hill of Beran.

The longer they walked, the steeper the climb became. Their seed sacks rubbed against their waists and thighs until tiny holes began to wear into the coarse burlap. The Clan K were too busy struggling with their footing to notice that as they climbed higher, more seeds fell to the ground.

When at last they reached the top of the Hill of Beran, they lifted the seed sacks from their shoulders. That’s when they noticed that they were no longer heavy. Most of the seeds had fallen out along the way.

“Papa, look! Our sacks are almost empty. We’ve climbed all this way. My shoes are nearly worn through from the rocks and crags, and now we’ve practically nothing to plant!”

Elle K examined her own flimsy seed sack that had been filled tight. She sighed. She could not let her husband and their boys feel their trip had been in vain.

 “Look at the seeds,” she implored. “The smaller ones fell through the tiny, worn places, but some seeds did survive our trek. Let’s find the very best spots to plant them. We’ll pray for the God of the universe to bless them. Then they will be in His hands.”

The Spring thaw had left a few shallow ponds among the thin trees, and there would be at least some shade there to protect the flowers, if they grew at all. The Clan K went to work and tenderly set the seeds just below the surface of the soil nearest the water ponds, then made the long trip downhill to their beautiful Valley of Florae.

Fall came, then Winter. Life settled back into their routine with few thoughts of their venture to the Hill of Beran.

Then Spring arrived.

After an afternoon of watering and tending their lush florals, Elle K rolled back onto her heels and stretched her neck upward.

“Look!” She exclaimed.

The path they had taken to the top of the Hill of Beran was alive with blooms, just like the Valley of Florae. And the top of the Hill of Beran was afire with color as the sun provided the spotlight for God’s blessings on those few surviving seeds.

Clans from far and wide now make the journey to the top of the Hill of Beran. The once barren crest is now covered with beauty. Every year the flowers increase in number and size, especially at the very top.  

And God smiles.

“How lovely on the mountains

 Are the feet of him who brings good news,

 Who announces peace,

 And brings good news of happiness,

 Who announces salvation,

 And says to Zion,

‘Your God reigns!’”  (Isaiah 52:7 NASB)

A fable to honor a special family. 

Sealed With Color

Sharing Ken Kniskern's photography and beautiful reminder that God teaches us through His creation.

(c) www.K2ProStudio.com

     "Sitting home on a warm fall day, contemplating the events of the past few months, and remembering some of the incredible things that God has done in and through the lives of our family this past year. We have been so busy with life, and as the fall and holiday season approaches, I am ready to slow down... to catch the beauty in the colorful display of God's artistry across the sky.

     Did you ever learn why the leaves change colors in the fall... well, technically they don't. I know, I know, the pictures I have posted the past few days prove me wrong, but lets look at what actually happens. During the spring and summer while the tree is busy producing food, the Chlorophyl in the leaves creates a bright green color that masks the colors already there. Once the days grow short, the tree begins to store food, and production stops and the chlorophyl is absorbed into the leaf revealing the beautiful colors that were already there. The glucose and waste left behind in the leaf provides additional vibrance and color to the display.

     Why the science lesson? In Genesis 9, God gives Noah a promise sealed with the colors of the rainbow after the flood had destroyed the earth. Interestingly enough the fall leaves mirror this promise... Life is not over, all is not lost... Spring will come once more, as it always has... If you are in a season of despair, this is God's promise that though the season is changing, He is still the artist behind each brush stroke of our lives.

     A closer look reveals something more - Something for ALL of us. Remember that while the tree is busy producing food, the colors cannot be seen... It is once the production stops that they are revealed. Perhaps this fall as we approach the holiday season, you are in a season of business... Production is in full swing, and your beauty is being masked by your business. 

     I pray that you will take some time to slow down, and allow others to see Christ in You - the beauty that has been there all along, simply masked by the business of life. Oh, and that left over food that adds to the beauty of the leaf... Perhaps you can share that Beauty (Christ) with someone around you, and help spread the color of God's promise across the forest of your existence!" 

     Happy Fall! KK

(c) www.K2ProStudio.com 

"And the bow shall be in the cloud; 

and I will look upon it, that I may 

remember the everlasting covenant 

between God and every living creature 

of all flesh that is upon the earth."

Genesis 9:16

(You can see more of Ken's work at www.K2ProStudio.com )

Dead Sea Rising Review

       Dead Sea Rising is an invitation to experience two worlds: The first, the Bermans', a modern-day Messianic Jewish family. The second, Terah's family in biblical Mesopotamia.

        Jerry Jenkins has his feet firmly planted in both worlds, and he intertwines the two with intrigue and danger that will make you willing, eager even, to travel with him through Dead Sea Rising.  If you enjoy serials, hang on. This one is going to be big!

       Hurry now to Barnes & Nobel or Amazon to get your copy before they're gone!

Launch Team Update on Dead Sea Rising by Jerry Jenkins

Reposting to bump this reminder to the top for anyone near Brentwood, TN this evening at 7PM.

Moving right along in the launch event for Dead Sea Rising. If you're in the Brentwood, TN area on November 9, 2018 this announcement is just for you:

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  Friday, November 9, 2018 at 7 PM – 8 PM

• pin	Barnes & Noble Cool Springs 1701 Mallory Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027