Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday

Good Friday marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday

Good Friday is a significant day in the year for Christians. It honors the most important weekend in the history of the world. Good Friday is celebrated two days before Easter.

Good Friday we remember the day Jesus accepted his fate of the cross and sacrificed himself for all of us. Jesus died for our sins, was buried and then raised from the dead on the third day.

Jesus was crucified by the Romans on a hill outside Jerusalem. The Good in Good Friday comes from old English when Good meant Holy. The crucifix, or cross, which represents the way Jesus died, is an important symbol seen on Good Friday. Some crosses bear a figure of Christ. Other symbols of Good Friday include black cloth used to cover the cross, paintings, and statues in churches and some homes to signify mourning. Check out my website

Good Friday is an observance that involves people fasting and praying. Some people don’t eat bread or meat only fish. Some people bake hot cross buns, a traditional Good Friday sweet. Church services are normally held between the hours of 12 noon and 3 pm in remembrance of the hours when Jesus hung on the cross. The crucifixion was the culmination of several events in Holy Week, including the triumphal return of Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus; and the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday.

There are several excellent Good Friday bible verses that should be read to commemorate the day:

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. – Romans 5:6-10. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. – 1 Peter 2:24. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes, we are healed. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday.

So, as we lead into this holy week remember the true meaning of Good Friday and all Jesus sacrificed for us. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Good Friday. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For the Modern Day – Baseball – Religion

“It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when all the days are all twilight when you need it the most, it stops.” – A. Bartlett Giamatti The Green Fields of the Mind. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Rogers Hornsby. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

THE BOYS OF SUMMER ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

Baseball is a tremendous sport. For starters, baseball has the most amazing and loyal fans. Look at the Chicago Cubs fans that waited 108 years for their team to win the World Series. Then there is Opening Day. It is the most phenomenal thing. There is a sold-out crowd who is cheering, smiling, and filled with such expectation for the new season. Then there are also the team mascots. Team mascots work hard to keep the fans engaged when there are breaks in the game such as pitching changes. Professional mascots make about $25,000.00 per year but the best in the field can command a six-figure salary. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion. Check out my website

You never know what to expect with baseball. The game can change dramatically from inning to inning. You could have a pitcher’s duel, or an offensive onslaught where you can’t keep up with all the runners rounding the bases, or a nail-biting possibility of a no-hitter. If the pitcher gets it that puts him in the Baseball Hall of Fame. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball -Religion.

The glove pop, the whiff of the bat, the home run. There are so many aspects to the game of baseball but there are other things that run-in three’s in baseball such as 3 strikes and 3 outs. The Trinity is also composed of three: The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. There are 108 beads in a Catholic Rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

This year Opening Day is July 24, 2020, because of Covid-19. Normally Baseball starts in late March or April close to Easter. Baseball has a lot to instruct us about Easter. In both Baseball and Easter, there is always a taunting crowd. We are all aware of this from Good Friday. We are also keenly aware of this in our own lives. At Easter, as with Baseball, we don’t go the course alone. We are always encircled by our team. And the Lord, he is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. – Deuteronomy 31:8. A Baseball team has 9 players on the field. Jesus, who is omnipotent is always with us, so he is on the field as well.

Baseball has its highs and lows just like our daily walk with God. In baseball, a guy can have a multiple-hit game like hitting for the cycle which is a momentous day! In our daily walk with God, we could receive a clean bill of health from our doctor after running major tests when the original diagnosis was bad. In baseball, you can strike out 3 or more consecutive times for the day and at the end of the game have a batting average below 200 which they say is batting below the Mendoza line. Mario Mendoza is a Mexican former MLB player who had a lifetime batting average of 215. He is a member of the Mexican League Hall of Fame. In your daily walk with God the promotion you were expecting to receive you didn’t get. In both situations, tomorrow is another day and you get to start again fresh and new with endless possibilities because God is with you.

“The similarities between Baseball and Religion abound. The ballpark as cathedral; saints and sinners; the curses and blessings. But then what I’m arguing is beyond that surface level, there’s a fundamental similarity between baseball and religion which goes to the capacity of baseball to cause human beings, in a context they don’t think of as religious, to break the plane of ordinary existence into the plane of extraordinary existence.” – John Sexton Former New York University President from his book Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game. – Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Baseball – Religion.

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others

Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. – Matthew 7:12.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. – Luke 6:31. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others

The most familiar version is: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others

The Golden Rule is the name given to a principle Jesus taught in his sermon on the mount. This is a very simple concept but one that has fallen by the wayside. Society predominately has taken on an attitude of “it’s all about me.” This is not the way God wants us to live. The only time you see and hear about people coming together on a magnanimous scale is when there is a tragedy like what Las Vegas and Orlando Fl encountered. There are also the hurricanes that struck Texas and Florida. Most recently the school shooting in Parkland Fl which has now caused many people to cry out and speak up and ultimately a culmination of marches has taken place, the biggest one in Washington DC regarding gun control laws. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others. Check out my website

See what you think would be an appropriate do unto other’s responses to these situations but be true to yourself. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day- Do Unto Others

1- You’re in the ladies’ room and you are air-drying your hands and look over your shoulder and see a woman walk away from the sink and forget her cell phone.

A – you say to yourself it’s not mine so why should I care and ignore it.

R – you run over and grab it and try to track her down and return it.

2- You are waiting to use the ATM machine and the person ahead of you finishes and forgets their card in the machine.

E – you take it out of the machine and run out to the parking lot to return it.

B – you take it out of the machine and leave it on the side and process your transaction thinking nobody can use it because they don’t know the pin number plus a banker will find it eventually.

3- It’s your weekly shopping day and you’re in the supermarket with a full shopping cart and the person behind you only has 3 items.

C – you make them wait their turn thinking to yourself I was here first.

S – you turn to them and say, “you can go ahead of me because my process will take a while.”

4- You are driving to work and there is a big accident on the road that has you late for work. Two lanes of traffic are closed, and everyone must merge into one. The car beside you is trying to come into the lane ahead of you.

P – you signal to them and let them know they can go ahead of you. You’re already late so what does it matter.

D – You think to yourself they have some nerve. They didn’t even put on their signal, I’m not letting them in front of me.

5- You’re a huge baseball fan and you are at your first game of the season. You have your glove and you are ready to catch a foul ball if it comes your way. A foul ball starts careening in your area. You reach up and it lands in your glove. You’re pumping your fist and the crowd is cheering. You look down and see a little boy with his glove who was trying to catch the same foul ball.

T – you walk right past him and ignore him and keep reveling with the crowd.

E – you turn to the little boy and put the ball in his glove and pat him on the shoulder and smile.

6- One of your passions is roller coaster rides. You have been waiting for hours to get on this ride. It is the height of the season and your feet are tired and aching. You hear a mother say to her 3 kids behind you, “if you don’t get on this time we are leaving.” The kids start sighing and saying, “mom please.” There is only one coaster cart left to load before the ride starts. It is 3 persons per cart.

F – you jump on the ride and say to yourself oh well too bad the kids will have to decide on which 2 will join me in the coaster cart for the ride.

C – you turn to the kids and their mother and say you can go ahead. I will wait for the next coaster cart ride.

7- You’re at the airport and you are checked in and the agents at the counter make an announcement stating who would be kind enough to travel tomorrow instead because we have a man who is on standby in dire need to get on this plane because his pregnant wife is having contractions and the flight is only 1 hour and 2 minutes. The airlines will set you up in a hotel for the night and fly you out first thing in the morning. You are a single person with no commitments, once you arrive home you had no plans and you have completed your business trip.

T – you walk up to the counter and hand the agent your ticket and state you’ll be willing to stay over, you just need to retrieve your luggage bag from the plane.

G – you think to yourself oh well too bad buddy you shouldn’t be traveling so close to when your wife is due to give birth and jump on the plane.

If you are a person who follows and believes in the golden rule your answers should have been:

1= R, 2= E, 3= S, 4= P, 5= E, 6= C, 7= T

You will also see that these letters spell out the word RESPECT. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others

Respect – a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, and should be treated in an appropriate way.

So, let us all think about how we would like to be treated and freely transfer that to all of mankind. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – Do Unto Others. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint

Blueprint – a design plan or other technical drawing. Draw up (a plan or model). Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint.

Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint. Two of the well-known professions architects and engineers use blueprints. An engineer is a person who designs and builds things for the benefit of society. Engineers use math and science to design and build structures, equipment, and processes. An architect is a person who develops creative designs for buildings or structures. So, the jobs of an engineer and architect, although similar, vary in some details.

Most of us however never really encounter blueprints. The main reason we would ever be interested in them is if we purchased a home. Buyers usually ask for a copy of the land survey and blueprints. Buyers want as much information they can get their hands on. If the seller has this information available, they will hand it over with the keys for the property at the closing. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint.

However, don’t expect that where your life is concerned. God does not give us a blueprint for our lives. If he did then we wouldn’t need him. We wouldn’t have to have faith. God wants us to lean on him and trust him with the life he gave us. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint. Check out my website

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua 1:9.

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. – Psalm 9:10.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. – Mark 11:22-24.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you. – Matthew 17:20.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. – Matthew 21:21.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:7.

I live in Florida which has several playgrounds like Disney, Universal, Lego Land, SeaWorld, and more. All of them have roller coasters. If you are a fan of roller coasters you don’t ask for the schematics and blueprints before you get on the ride. You just jump on scream, holler, and enjoy yourself. Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint.

Life is short, and we are to enjoy this life God gave us. There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. – Ecclesiastes 2:24.

God didn’t need our assistance or advice when he created the world. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. We just need to trust, have faith, believe, and praise God. Stop complicating your life, there is NO BLUEPRINT! Book of Proverbs – Proverbs For The Modern Day – No Blueprint.

Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper

Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. – Isaiah 54:17.

Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper

Weapons come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. Weapons can be knives, guns, tanks, hand grenades, etc. There are also other types of weapons like words, racism, bigotry, prejudice, hate and the list goes on. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper.

It’s amazing that God sent his son Jesus to deliver love to the world he created but so much more has evolved since Satan was exiled from heaven. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! – Isaiah 14:12. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper.

Satan starts early in the morning to corrupt us before we even get up out of bed. He tries to put all types of bad thoughts in our heads to confuse us and cause strife and make us believe God doesn’t care for us. What mother who carried a child for nine months of pregnancy or possibly less if the child was born prematurely doesn’t have maternal instincts for her child. A lot of men will tell you that once the baby was born they went directly to the back of the line. If we as human being’s mothers and fathers included can care so deeply for our children, the love that our heavenly father has for us supersedes and surpasses that. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper. Check out my website

Dealing with Satan daily is like a boxing match. For those of you that are avid boxing fans, you know what I mean. For every below the belt punch that Satan throws, we must counter with an uppercut. Some of the most famous boxers like Sonny Liston, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, and Mike Tyson had the greatest uppercut which when they unloaded their opponents fell backward in the ring and lost the fight from a count-out. We have been blessed because God taught us how to deal with weapons of warfare so that we always prosper. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:11-18. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper.

When the world is overwhelming you with financial problems, health issues, unemployment, car issues, a divorce, death of a family member or friend, or just all the negativity on the news daily remember God has you in the palm of his hand and nothing lasts forever, and no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Book of Proverbs – No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice

Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice. God watches over us and gives us rest at night and is eager for the morning when we awake to commune with us and have conversations with us. This is the romance that God has with us as pair figure skaters have on the ice, Exhilarating, Intoxicating, Mesmerizing. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice. Figure Skating and Ice Dancing are the most romantic sports in the world. The glistening of the ice that has just been resurfaced by the Zamboni. The crescendo of the music that the figure skaters choose to do their routine too. The single male or female skater that tells a story with their routine on the ice. The pair skaters that display some of the most incredible, lifts, spins, death spirals, jump combinations and so much more. God has that same type of romance with us. Book of Proverbs – Romance On the Ice. Check out my website

R = Russian Split – A split jump in which the skater performs a straddle position with the legs and the body forming a “v” shape. Many also touch their toes. http://www.wickipedia.com. A lot of times in life we feel like we are doing a Russian Split ourselves. We are being pulled in so many different directions between our work life, family life, and trying to find personal downtime for ourselves that we feel tired, burned out, and overwhelmed. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. – Lamentations 3:22-24. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint. – Isaiah 40:29-31. God is right there with you when you are doing your Russian Split. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

O = Open Stroke – In ice dancing, a step that is started close to the skating foot that doesn’t cross in front or behind. http://www.wickipedia.com. There are times in life when we are in an Open Stroke. We find ourselves in a position where we are stuck in the middle. We are trying to forge forward and cannot, and then sometimes when it gets too hard we want to give up and pull back, but we cannot. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. – 1 Timothy 2:5. God is our man in the middle. He stands as a bridge for us, so we never need to fear the Open Stroke. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

M = Mirror Skating – Two or more skaters skating in such a way that they are mirroring each other. The opposite of unison skating. http://www.wickipedia.com. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. – Genesis 1:27. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 3:18. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. – Isaiah 41:10. God is with you skating through life with you. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

A = Axel Jump – The only jump counted as a jump element that starts from skating forward. An Axel jump has an extra half rotation (180 degrees), and as all jumps are landed with the skater gliding backward. It was named after Axel Paulsen. http://www.wickipedia.com. Sometimes in life, we are moving forward smoothly, and then suddenly, we run into Murphy’s law and that takes us backward. We need to remember that God is strategically orchestrating your steps as Joel Osteen says. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. – Jeremiah 29:11. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

N = Nationals – A country’s national championships, used to decide their national champion. The highest-level competition on the national level. http://www.wickipedia.com. Whatever your passion is in life ultimately you will be on a national stage. Whether you are aiming to be a singer your national might be an American Idol try out. If the passion is to be in the New York City Ballet or to be one of the New York City Rockets dancers, you must have a tryout. A pianist, a sports figure in the majors, a bull rider, an equestrian, a ballroom dancer, a public speaker, or an author/writer and many more. These all require you to step out into the spotlight and let your vulnerability show. Remember, fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. – Isaiah 41:10. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

C = Camel Spin – A spin position during which the free leg is extended in the air in an arabesque position parallel to the ice. http://www.wickipedia.com. The Camel Spin position in skating looks beautiful but no doubt it is an awkward position for the skater. Jesus, when he was here on earth, was also put in an awkward position when Satan followed him into the wilderness to tempt him for forty days. When Jesus stood his ground and told Satan to go away the angels came and ministered to Jesus. The angels were around the whole time but once Jesus had completed his awkward position they were able to minister to Jesus. There are times when we all will be in the Camel Spin position in life but remember, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. – Matthew 28:20. Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice.

E = Extension – The way a body part is held in a stretched position. http://www.wickipedia.com. There is a story called The Potter and The Clay. The story is told of a couple who went to England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and shopped at a beautiful antique store. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially tea-cups, and so spotting an exceptional cup, they asked “May we see that? We’ve never seen a cup quite so beautiful.” As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke… “You don’t understand.” It said, “I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, don’t do that. I don’t like it! “Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!!” “Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. “Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy! I’m going to be sick!” I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; ‘Not yet.’ He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then…he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. “Help! Get me out of here!” ‘Not yet.’ When I thought I couldn’t bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! “Ah, this is much better,” I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. “Oh, please, Stop it! Stop it!” I cried. He only shook his head and said. “Not yet…” Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. Only it was not like the first time. This time it was twice as hot, and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged… I pleaded… I screamed…I cried… I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up and just then the door opened, and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What’s he going to do to me next?” An hour later he handed me a mirror and said, “Look at yourself.” And I did… I said, “That’s not me, that couldn’t be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful!” Quietly he spoke: “I want you to remember, then,” he said, “I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. “I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn’t put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn’t done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. “And if I hadn’t put you back in that second oven, you wouldn’t have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.” God is your extension who is shaping you towards victory! Book of Proverbs – Romance On The Ice. Check out my website

Book of Proverbs- Dream Big

Book of Proverbs – Dream Big. Dream – a visionary; a strongly desired goal or purpose. Something that fully satisfies a wish. http://www.merriam-webster.com.

When we are young kids in school sometimes even as early as when we are in kindergarten the teacher asks us “what do we want to be when we grow up?” The regular answers range from a doctor, lawyer, teacher, ballerina, police officer, and firefighter. After mom and dad come into our room to kiss us goodnight we lay awake in bed staring up at the ceiling dreaming about what we said we wanted to become when we grow up. – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big. Check out my website

As we grow older and become adults the way for some of us becomes a winding road and, sometimes life gets in the way. The passion for our dreams lifts up, up and away just like the space shuttle when it leaves Kennedy Space Center. -Book of Proverbs – Dream Big.

Some of us, unfortunately, take those dreams with us to our graves. Others realize as long as you are still alive God has a purpose and a dream for you to fulfill and it doesn’t matter how old you are. Start today! – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big. Check out my website

Every four years we are fortunate to watch other’s dreams come to life with the Olympics. The 2018 Winter Olympics have come and gone and it was exciting to see the smiles on people’s faces and the stories behind their lives and what they had to overcome to be in the Olympics. The one theme that resonates with all of the participants is how grateful they are to be at the Olympics performing and living their dreams. – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big.

We were made in the image of God and God had dreams as well. This is documented in Genesis 1:1-31 and Genesis 2:1-25. – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big.

Genesis 1 King James Version (KJV)

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and overall the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you, it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:1-31

Genesis 2 King James Version (KJV)

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground, the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam, there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

So Dream – Dream Big! Don’t take your dreams to your grave. Follow your bliss. – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big.

Congratulations to all of the medal winners from all of the countries represented in the 2018 Winter Olympics and a special congratulations to 17-year-old Red Gerard representing the United States who won the gold medal for snowboarding, and Shaun White who became the first snowboarder to win three gold medals at the Olympics. – Book of Proverbs – Dream Big.

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Christian Books – Donna Louis – Drop The Puck

Christian Books – Donna Louis- Drop The Puck.

HOCKEY IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

The puck glides across the glistening ice that the Zambonis just resurfaced, the player’s race across the ice with lightning speed trying to blow the puck past their opponent’s goaltender into the net, and of course the ice version of the WWE wrestling with all the fights that break out. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Drop The Puck. Check out my website

Canada holds the torch for hockey enthusiasts because hockey is like a religion for them. In Canada, there is one season that runs all year round and that is the fifth season – Hockey season. However, never count the United States out because our arenas are just as full of hockey lovers. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Drop The Puck.

What is it about hockey and religion? Religion and the Goalie are built on trust, passion, doing the right thing at any cost. That is what we are supposed to do as followers of Christ. We are to trust him completely with our lives because as we all know God’s ways as not our ways and he sits high and looks low and knows all things. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Drop The Puck.

What does the bible say about trust?

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. – Psalm 37: 4-5

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. – Psalm 28:7

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. – Psalm 9:10

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. – Psalm 112:7

Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord, Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. – Isaiah 12:2

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. – Psalm 62:8

What does the bible say about passion?

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. – Galatians 5:24

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. – Colossians 3:23

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. – Psalm 84:2

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. – Matthew 5:6

Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. – Matthew 22:37-38

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. – Romans 10:2

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. – 1 Kings 8:61

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. – Proverbs 16:3

What does the bible say about doing the right thing at all costs?

But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled. – 1 Peter 3:14

Therefore, to him, that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. – James 4:17

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. – Galatians 6:9

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. – John 14:23

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. – Psalm 34:14

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith. – Romans 1:16-17

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. – John 14:21

The goalie is the man who bails out all the other player’s mistakes. Goalies are often looked to for leadership. Do those last two statements sound familiar? Of course, they do! God is the one who bails us out of all our mistakes when we don’t use wisdom and when we don’t ask his opinion before we do something. The holy spirit dwells inside of all of us so we don’t have that far to go when we ask. The same way that goalies are looked to for leadership from their teammates we are supposed to look to God for that same advice, wisdom, and leadership. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Drop The Puck.

So why not drop the puck and keep your religion and goalie (GOD) daily all year round not just when hockey season starts? Gotta go now, my team is on a POWERPLAY. Christian Books – Donna Louis.

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Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding

Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding.

Christian Books – What does it mean to be abase? According to the dictionary it means to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem. http://www.merriam-webster.com.

What does it mean to be abounding? According to the dictionary it means existing in or providing a great or plentiful quantity or supply. http://www.merriam-webster.com.

We all in life at one time or another will have highs and lows. Truthfully, we should be expecting it because it will befall all of us. – Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding.

The only perfect man to walk this earth was Jesus and he had his share of highs and lows. Some examples of the high points in Jesus life was when he changed the water to wine and when he raised Lazarus from the dead. These were the abounding times in his life. The low points or abase times was when he was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness for forty days and when he had to suffer crucifixion and death on the cross. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding.

In all the abase times in Jesus life he never sinned. The bible says, “for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. – Hebrews 4:15. Also the bible states for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”– 2 Corinthians 5:21.

When everything is going smoothly in our lives and we don’t have a care in the world those are the times we should be aware and on guard and keep doing the godly things. The bible says, “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8. When things are great we become complacent and stop doing the right and proper things we should be doing. We stop praying unceasingly and don’t go to church regularly because we say to ourselves we are too busy. This is where we begin to sin because we are moving away from the intimate relationship we are to have with Jesus. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding.

When we reach the low times in our lives and are abase this is when we know Jesus the most. We pray to God daily sometimes even on an hourly basis. We dust off our bible and begin to read every day unceasingly. We prepare our clothes for church days before because we are desperate to have the pastor pray all our troubles away.

What happens when we do all of these things and nothing has changed? These are the times that we need to remember that nothing lasts forever including trouble. This is when we must remember the words of Paul, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” – Philippians 4:12

We all pray and say. “I want to be just like Jesus” however, when God starts to test us and put us on the potter’s wheel to refine us we all start screaming and crying “no stop, take me off.” God hears us but continues his work until he has removed what was impure and refined us. “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.”– Isaiah 48:10.

Everyone would love to have short testing, molding, and refining times but that is not how God works. The bible states, “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”– Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

The verse that I really want you all to see is this one “a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” I am not a farmer, I am a city girl but even I know the principals of planting and harvest. You must plant the seeds and then wait for a harvest. In between there is watering and pruning. This takes me back to what I said earlier when we are in our low times and are abase this is when we become complacent. The watering is the reading of the word and praying unceasingly. The pruning is what God is doing to us. He is cutting back things in us that are unfruitful and shaping us for a more fruitful growth. These are the times when we feel pain, when we cry, when we don’t see where the light at the end of the tunnel is. We have all been there and if you are a person that is a type A personality like myself you want the uncomfortableness to go away quickly. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding.

God works in his own timing not ours and if you want to become more like Jesus then you need to start adopting what the apostle Paul said, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” – Philippians 4:12. The sooner we do the faster we will pass the test, be refined and molded as God wants us and he will give us beauty for ashes. Christian Books – Donna Louis – Abase and Abounding. Check out my websitehttp://www.miraclebook.net

Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised

Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised.

Surprised – feeling or showing surprise because of something unexpected. http://www.merriam-webster.com

I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. – Isaiah 42:8-9.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. – 1 John 3:20

And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen. – Acts 1:24

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. – Proverbs 15:3

God will always surprise us, but you can’t surprise God. Christian Books – Donna Louis- God Is Never Surprised.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. – Matthew 10:30

Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised. Check out my website

God is not surprised about where you are right now. If things are bad he is not taken off guard. He is not shocked about what has happened to you.

God knows each and every situation we come into better than we can ever understand it.

God wasn’t surprised when Peter cut off a man’s ear. He wasn’t when Jonah was swallowed by a whale. When Noah had to build an ark. He wasn’t when Adam and Eve bit into the fruit.

We all give ourselves much more credit than we should. We think we know exactly how our lives should progress and end up. We make our plans but don’t realize that God’s thoughts are higher than ours. He has placed a gift (or gifts) inside of us and knows exactly what our purpose in life is. Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. – Romans 12:6-8.

We all love to follow that iconic Frank Sinatra song “I did it My Way”. God knows what he has placed inside of all of us and what our true potential and what heights we can achieve. Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised.

I watched a movie last night called “The Right Girl”, It is a Hallmark Movie. I love Hallmark movies. The essence of the movie had to do with a young woman who lost her father and started down a selfish, obnoxious path with her dealings with people since she was wealthy. Her mother arranged with their attorney to notify her that both the mother and she had lost all of their money reckless spending and bad investments and would have to find a way to survive. She had to get a job that she never had and actually wound up working two jobs at one point. She had to share an apartment with her mother, use a loaner car from a friend which was a far cry from the corvette she was driving at the beginning of the movie. She eventually humbled herself and became a giving, caring, considerate, loving person which is the person her mother knew was inside of her. Eventually, her mother told her the truth and notified her that all her money was there and placed it all back in her bank accounts. She actually thanked her mother for doing what she did because that changed her life. Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised.

For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. – Psalms 73:14

The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. – Psalms 118:18

God knows exactly what has happened and is happening in your life. He has allowed certain things to happen so he can mold and shape you into the dynamic person he has designed you to be. Christian Books – Donna Louis – God Is Never Surprised.

Have Faith, Trust GOD, and humble yourself and realize that GOD is omnipotent and God is never surprised.

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