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The Slowest Fastest Christmas

15 Dec

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Christmas is in ten days. Nine days if you count Christmas eve. It’s is coming on fast and I am moving slow.

Some years will celebrate Christmas in Florida and other years at our home in the North Carolina mountains. This year we will have a mountain Christmas. To jump start the season, our daughter who was visiting over Thanksgiving, prodded us to set up the Christmas tree and decorate it.

We have boxes of ornaments including the special ones from our children’s growing up years. As our daughter rummaged through the decorations I hesitated. While I would love a tree filled with memories, I didn’t think my energy level would be up to the effort required to later take down the tree. We settled on a one color tree.

Our daughter returned to Florida, and the tree stood lonely in the undecorated house.

When our daughter who decorates for every holiday and season told us she wasn’t going to put up any Christmas decorations this year since she was going to be with us, I knew I needed to get moving on the holiday cheer.

My moving started slow. I like to decorate our guest bathroom with the seasons.. I store seasonal flowers and small ornaments under the sink and a change of seasons is a five minute operation.

Photo Credit: Hobby Lobby

Next, I ventured to the attic and brought down a small,handmade, net Christmas tree and a matching indoor wreath made by the same crafter.They are a fairly recent addition to our Christmas decorations and they make me smile.

More time passed and I I began to feel twitching of Christmas past. I remembered I had tucked some Christmasy items into the drawer of an antique sideboard. It didn’t take much effort to take them out and place them along the sideboard.

The Christmas spirit in me was moving and it began to spread to my husband. We aren’t able to put up Christmas lights these days, but we do put out Christmas lasers. My husband surprised me by setting them up in the yard. Then I put a big red bow on the artificial topiary on the porch.

The stair bannisters leading to the attic began nagging me to dress them for Christmas as well, followed by the front step bannister. Greenery was abounding.

And finally, I dug into the closet where seasonal tablecloths, chargers and place mats are stored. I chose a cloth with a poinsettia pattern. It looks very nice and Christmasy. I think I am finished decorating. It was a slow process, but I think we enjoyed it more that way than rushing through it.

Now it’s on to baking and making Christmas treats. This year I am corralling my husband to help with the candy making. Christmas is coming fast and we are moving slow-but we are still moving!

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I’m a general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2023 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.

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2023 Road Trip-Part 9A

8 Nov

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 9 – July 23: Continued:

It wasn’t far from the Manitoba Museum to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights located at the “Forks” where the Red River & the Assiniboine River meet, which is also considered the birthplace of the Metis (indigenous peoples).  The museum’s amazing architecture (and I thought the Canadian Mint Building was unique), with its wrap- around exterior ‘Dove Wings’ and its eight interior Alabaster walkways that take you up, from gallery to gallery, is all breath taking.  Each walkway leads you to where the various aspects of the history of human rights are displayed.  I had to stop and think about ‘The Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation’ (What are all those short basalt rock columns all about?).  The 360-degree view from the 328-foot-high Israel Asper Tower of Hope gives a person a truly magnificent look at the city of Winnipeg and the surrounding area to appreciate its scope and beauty.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed a few miles out of town to try to visit the Prairie Dog Central Railway Museum located at the Inkster Junction Railway Station.  This turned out not to be a museum as much as a scenic railway system situated in the old restored 1905 Canadian National Railway Station.  This railway offers 1-hour train rides in their restored early 1900s Pullman train cars pulled by a restored 1882 (4-4-0) stream locomotive (Old No. 3) to Grosse Isle and return.  These train rides give passengers an idea of what it was like to ride the train in the Winnipeg/Manitoba area at the turn of the century.  I had missed the scheduled Sunday train ride to Grosse Isle and headed back toward town to check out another museum.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

On my way back downtown, to the “Hotel” for the evening, I stopped to visit the Winnipeg Railway Museum, located in the beautiful old 1911 Union Station building, but it was closed.  So, a few blocks from the Union Station I tried to visit the Fort Gary Horse Museum located in the old 1912 Armory building that was originally used by the 34thCanadian Army Calvery Regiment during WWI, but that museum was also closed.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

By this time, I was getting hungry, and started looking for some place to eat (I didn’t want to have to resort to KFC again).  I spotted Smitty’s Restaurant & Lounge and decided to stop in for my evening meal.  I had their Fish & Chips plate (with Onion Rings instead of chips).  The Cod was deep-fried with an excellent batter and was wonderful, but the onion rings were absolutely the best I have ever had.  Yummm!  There was way too much food for me to eat at one sitting, so, I would be able to enjoy this leftover meal again tomorrow evening.  After that incredible meal, Greata (My Garmin) took me back to the “Hotel” and I was surprised, and pleased, that there was no hollering and banging of doors tonight.  There was no TV in the room, so I recorded my day’s activities and went to bed.  I had a surprisingly good night’s sleep.

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/Fish+Onion+Rings+Smitty’s+Restaurant+&+Lounge+Winnipeg

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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We Don’t Fly-Part 2

19 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I’ve been looking back on our July Cruise vacation. We flew from Florida to Alaska. We had a lot of anxiety but didn’t feel we could turn down our daughter’s gift of an Alaska cruise, The flight to Vancouver was not ideal, but it wasn’t as nerve wracking as we feared. We were both able to relax For the return flight, our daughter downloaded movies to her iPad Pro for her dad to watch during the flight and he was a happy man.

Our hotel in Vancouver was in the same shopping strip as the famous Tim Horton Donut shop. Now I am a die-hard Krispy Kreme fan. People from up north swear by Tim Horton donuts, so we had to give them a try as they were practically next door. Plus my husband hasn’t found a donut he didn’t like.

This picture was taken the morning after our late and traumatic arrival in Vancouver, so he wasn’t looking too perky. The donuts did lift his spirits.

We made several visits to Tim Horton’s and after multiple “tastings” we gave them a rating, comparing them to Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts.

Overall taste and texture Krispy Kreme was the winner, with Tim Horton a strong second and Dunkin Donuts in last place. Tim Horton did win first place in the apple fritter category, my husband’s favorite treat. Eating one is like enjoying a fried apple pie with a nice amount of apple bits. Dunkin Donuts came in last place.

Moving along back to our flying experience…Going through airport security was exasperating. Seeing our stuff going through a scanner ahead of us made me crazy. ANYONE could pick up our stuff. My husband was in a wheelchair and I was always ahead of him while they detained him.

Our daughter became so stressed trying to make sure my husband and I were ok that on the flights home, I agreed to being wheeled through the airport too. It kind of hurt my pride, but truth be told, the wheelchair escorts walked so fast I couldn’t keep up with them.

By the time our trip was over, we had overcame our fear of airplane travel. We would definitely be willing to fly again if anyone offers us a free vacation! Well, except for the scam caller who claimed to be from Expedia and offered me a too good to be true deal.

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I Will Heal, I Will Love

28 Aug

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Photo Credit:Pixabay

I will heal their backsliding,

I will love them freely,

For My anger has turned away from them.

I will be like the dew to Israel;

He shall grow like the lily,

Lengthen his roots like Lebanon.

Hosea 14:4-5

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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My Favorite Breakfast-Part 3

28 Jun

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

My son, Billy, tells me that he and his wife, Lisa, like a variety of things for their breakfast.  Billy seems to be taking after me with his daily ‘healthy’ breakfast of a bowl of sliced fruit, like mango, strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, with milk and his own blend of coffee.  Billy has always liked hot and spicy food.  So, I wasn’t surprised when he told me that his favorite restaurant breakfast is a Western Omelette (like the Colorado Omelette he can get from IHOP).  He adds a splash of one of their hot sauces and tops off the meal with a cup of ‘Redeye’ or ‘Blackeye’ coffee (He had to explain what those are to me).

Photo Credit: www.ihop.com/colorado-omelette

He says sometimes he likes to add a side of New York Cheesecake Pancakes topped with raspberries or strawberries and lots of whipped cream.  He always tops his favorite breakfast with a cup of steaming hot ‘Redeye’ or ‘Blackeye’ coffee as mentioned before.  That is WAY TOO MUCH food for me, and I think he actually takes half of the Omelette home in a doggy bag, I know I would.

Photo Credit: www.ihop.com/new-york-cheesecake-pancakes

One of Lisa’s favorite breakfasts is a stack of Buckwheat Pancakes with lots of butter and molasses that she tops off with a cup of her favorite blend of coffee.  When I heard that she liked molasses, it reminded me that my dad was raised on ‘good-old’ sorghum molasses in southern Louisiana.  Of course, as a youngster, I was introduced to sorghum molasses and ended up acquiring quite a taste for that sweet syrup.  But DiVoran and our kids didn’t care for it and over the years its use has been lost in the drive for healthy substitutes. Bummer!

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/buckwheat+pancakes+with+molasses+and+coffee

Our daughter, Renie, and her husband, Ron, also have their own favorite breakfast treats.  Ron was introduced to his favorite breakfast when he was an Eagle Scout by a Brevard County Deputy Sheriff he was riding on rounds with.  They stopped for breakfast at a IHOP and he ordered what the deputy did and that’s been his favorite ever since.  He likes a chili-cheese omelette with hashbrown potatoes grilled to a golden brown.  This tasty combination of ingredients is all mixed together to create his number one favorite breakfast with coffee.

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/chilecheese+omelette+with+hahsbrowns

His backup favorite is a two-egg and bacon sandwich made with Chicago Italian or Cuban bread that is buttered and toasted in a pan.    He enjoys more than one cup of coffee and water with all of his favorite breakfast plates.

Photo Credit: https://images.search.yahoo.com/bacon+and+egg+sandwisch

Renie likes her one egg, with the yellow broken but not scrambled.  She flips it over, adds a splash of salsa sauce, and cooks it in olive oil.  Then the egg is folded in half with some cubed avocado, seasoned with pepper and garlic powder, inside.  She likes a cup of hot coffee with cream and sugar and water to drink with her favorite breakfast.  

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/search/imagesfried+egg+folded+with+avocado

Well, it seems that everyone has their favorite combination of items they like for their breakfast, and that it may change from time to time.  However, I do think most people who eat breakfast take the time to really enjoy what they eat.  I’ve also been told that taking the time to eat and enjoy your breakfast, as with any meal, is much better for a person’s health than rushing through your meal.  Of course, that’s easy for me to say, since I am retired and usually don’t have a job or an appointment to go to that rushes my breakfast.  I just found it really interesting to find out how the different members of my family put together and enjoy their favorite breakfast meal.  It seems they are all very enthusiastic about their breakfast each morning and look forward to it.  How about you?

A picture containing coffee cup, drawing, mug, cup Description automatically generated

Photo Credit: https://yahoo.com/breakfast/clipart

—–The End—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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Deeper

5 Jun

My Take

DiVoran Lites

John 20:29

Jesus said, So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes.  

Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing: 

Photo Credit :Pixabay

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

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It is Finished

7 Apr

Odisha Ellis

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the entire land until the ninth hour, because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.  And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” And having said this, He died.  Luke 23:44-46

My thoughts

Every deity I have read of, required some sort of sacrifice to itself. A food offering, blood and some even human sacrifice.

Jesus became the sacrifice. For me, for you, for everyone. It’s up to each to decide if they will accept the sacrifice.

“ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 3:16-17

Sunday is coming!

The Bible Story Lady-In Person

26 Mar

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

In my post of January 8, 2023, I mentioned my time in Dallas, Texas, my birthplace.  In thinking about the First Baptist Church of Dallas, I also mentioned Ms. Bertha Mills, the nursery worker who would take me on her lap and read a story.  I have vague memories of that.  My brother Bill says he really doesn’t remember that.

She wrote down some of her stories and published them in book form.  It was published by The Story Book Press out of Dallas, Texas, and copyrighted in 1948.

I contacted First Baptist Church of Dallas, and asked about any more information on Ms. Bertha they could give me.  Ruth Turner, the Director of the Truett Memorial Library for the church replied to my request.  She gave her permission to use any/all of the information she sent about Ms. Bertha.

Ms. Bertha died January 12, 1964.  The following article was in FBC’s weekly “Reminder” by the pastor, Dr. Criswell.

Last week we laid to rest in the arms of Jesus our sweet Miss Bertha Mills.  The record of her ministry among little children in this First Baptist Church of Dallas is nothing less than phenomenal.  It covers a full half century….will be preparing a beautiful memorial for this worthy and noble teacher….write a tribute in verse that would say better than we could in prose our tenderest thanksgiving for Bertha Mills.  It is so true to the spirit of this noble Nursery Leader.“

As I’ve said before, she was a much-loved lady in the church.  If I can figure out the copyright laws concerning her stories, and it is okay, then I will share her stories with my readers.  They are short, but very entertaining – to both children and adults. 

For now, this is all about Ms. Bertha.  

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.

Philippians 1:3

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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Three Questions to Determine How Prepared You Are to Face Life’s Troubles

7 Mar

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Reblogged 3/7/23

Are we living in dangerous times as troubles intensify? Facing them requires courage, conquering them requires faith.

Photo Credit:Canva

A couple of decades ago, it was a fall, breezy afternoon. The traffic was heavy in downtown St. Louis. My hands shook a little when I held my white cane and stood at the edge of the sidewalk. My very first attempt to cross the street on my own.

“Remember what I told you,” my mobility instructor said.

I gave a shy smile.

He placed his hand on my shoulder. “Listen carefully to the sound of engines, focus on each step forward, concentrate on the direction you’re going, do not hesitate or be intimidated, take firm steps swinging your cane from left to right.”

The loud and constant noise from car and truck engines before me was deafening. I froze, then looked in his direction and gave him a you’re out of your mind look. “I think we’ll go with plan B,” I said. “I’ll have a sighted person with me when I need to cross a street.”

That was the end of my mobility training. Go ahead, I give you permission to judge me as a coward and a wimpy blind gal. Without sight, crossing streets on my own was not happening.

You might also be intimidated by the traffic of troubles before you. You’re not alone. Some are paralyzed with fear. Some are confused. And others shrink back with helplessness. But perhaps you belong to the group who looks beyond the traffic, holds on to the white cane of faith and trusts in God’s understanding of your limited vision, of your uneasiness and the fear that attacks when crossing through the junk of life.

That’s why the answer to these three questions determines how equipped you are to face what’s before you and measures the level of your courage.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

“Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).

When your Divine Teacher speaks, His voice drowns out the noise from the traffic of troubles, of persistent evil and approaching threats. And rather than follow the trending lines on social media, we follow Jesus as we hear His voice of comfort: “My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

And the closer we follow Him, the clearer His promise: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you” (Psalm32:8). As you cross, He will watch, guide, and shield you.

When you’re trying to navigate through days of desperation, looking at the financial struggles, broken relationships, situations you can’t change, God’s fingertips of love lift your chin for you to declare: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

If He made all in the universe, He will make the way for you to receive His strength. He will make the path clear for you to follow His lead to keep you safe during the journey.

Is it the uncertainty of tomorrow, is it the stress you cannot handle? Is it the marriage that’s crumbling? Is it conflict with the kids?

No matter which one threatens your security or peace, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

No number of threats can bring you down, remove your courage or keep you defeated when you declare: “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).

You trust Him with each struggle, with each heartache and with each anxious moment, because He will be by your side as your steps take you to the other side where peace is found, safety awaits, and confidence is yours.

Let’s Pray

Lord, I confess I’m often paralyzed at the edge of the sidewalk of life, afraid of what could happen, but from now on, I will trust in You, listen to Your voice and with each step, hold on to Your hand for strength.

What keeps you from moving forth with courage? (For you: Bible Verses for difficult times.)

Janet

It’s my joy to have you as part of my inspirational family. Please feel free to share today’s post with others.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. Hop on over to this CONTACT FORM.  Once there you can leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE. You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

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Three Ways to Prepare for the End Times

18 Feb

Walking by Faith,Not by Sight

Janet Perez Eckles

Many ask what to do as we reach the end times.

I was so very curious when I visited my hometown of La Paz a few years back. In particular I wanted to visit the home I was born in where I lived part of my childhood before moving to the U.S.

My desire was satisfied when a cousin and I visited the house. It was in the same place. And it was the same house. But oh, so different. The three-tier garden was leveled and, in its place, sat a two-story building with condos. The garage was turned into a small apartment. I hardly recognized it because of the drastic changes.

The same thing has happened to our country, the USA, the greatest country on earth. It too looks way different. Same country, same location. But goodness gracious, the changes in the moral landscape are alarming. Check out just some of the social changes we’ve seen in the 54 years since Woodstock.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. In the book of Timothy, God lists the terrible times which sadly, mirrors today’s culture: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of godliness but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

It’s hard to deny this depravity at its best. And although we’re in the middle of that mess, we should be at the beginning of wisdom to know how to face it, how to react, and how to prepare.

These three steps could be the start of that preparation: Fear not. Clean up. And be bold.

1: Fear Not. Instead, stand firm, confident on the truth of God’s Word that remains solid no matter the terrible times. God has the victory in place. And He has the reassurance we will remain victorious (Romans 8:37).

When the enemy of our soul advances in this world, he’s powerless. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Through Christ, the divine power that’s at work to demolish, destroy and to dismantle any stronghold is ours. We carry that power and strength. That’s why we don’t sink in fear but rise up in faith.

2: Clean up. It’s true our sins have already been washed, cleaned and forgiven through the blood of Christ Jesus. Of course, they have. But sadly, if today you choose to sit at the table of sin, consequences are disturbing. They disrupt your peace, break you down, and usher in sorrow.

The woman caught in adultery knows this firsthand. With hair a mess, red eyes swollen from crying, and arms limp at her side, she waited. “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin’” (John 8:10-11).

Although forgiven, Jesus didn’t ignore the sin or condone it. He acknowledged it, giving a clear instruction to leave her life of sin. Why did He give that instruction? Because He knew she, as well as you and I, had free will to make choices.

A prisoner is quoted saying: I followed Jesus and believe He died for all my sins. But I made the choice to commit the crime and these cell bars remind me of my choices. I

God wants us to live in the freedom of good, Godly choices. As we prepare, as we wait and anticipate His return, He’s offering the same freedom to leave behind that sin-filled choice which traps us, brings on sorrow and puts us behind bars of regret.

Jesus’ return is imminent, and whom we allow to control our mind is an urgent decision because “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace…” (Romans 8:6).

3: Be Bold. The world is sinking. Disasters are increasing, souls are in darkness, and the discouraged are turning to despair. Therefore, being passive is now a thing of the past. Boldness and courage need to be renewed to carry out God’s orders to spread the good news. No need to write books or speak from a platform. Your message is loud enough through the way you conduct your life. How you follow God’s orders. And how you carry God’s Word to dictate what you think, what you do, how you work, how you love and where you go.

God’s pattern is clear: Feeling anxious? Invite God’s peace. Facing troubles? Cast them to the Lord. Seeing financial collapse? Fix your eyes on things above. Others insult and criticize you? Pray for them anyway. Going through trials? Commit to persevere. Government is corrupt? Declare God’s still on the throne. Immorality is growing? Praise God for His mercy. Personal conflicts don’t end? Turn them over to God. Despair threatens? Declare the victory you have in Jesus.

Jesus will return while we’re in the middle of reading blogs, posting on social media, shopping online, heading to the doctor, changing diapers…but we’re prepared, we fear nothing, we make wise choices, and we become bold in sharing the Gospel.

Let’s pray.

Lord, the end times, the tribulation, the persecution and the signs of which we need to be aware are becoming more real. But I will not fear, succumb to the world’s ways, or give in to worry. Instead, I will declare your victory through my thoughts, words, and actions till the day You return. Amen.

Which of these three steps have you taken to prepare for the end times?

Janet

It’s my joy to have you as part of my inspirational family. Please feel free to share today’s post with others.

Let’s Stay in Touch

You and I are only a click away. Hop on over to this CONTACT FORM.  Once there you can leave your prayer request, make a comment, ask a question, or invite me to speak to your group.

I also invite you to visit my WEBSITE.  You’ll find more inspirational blogs along with my story, books, and videos. You’ll also learn the passion and mission of JC Empowerment ministries.

Janet Eckles Perez

Some say she should be the last person to be dancing. Her life is summarized in this 3-minute video: http://bit.ly/1a8wGJR

Janet Perez Eckles’ story of triumph is marked by her work as an international speaker, #1 best-selling author, radio host, personal success coach and master interpreter. Although blind since 31, her passion is to help you see the best of life.

www.janetperezeckles.com

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