Attitude to Determines Your Altitude!

Good morning to all from Orlando, Florida. Thank you for your prayers of safe travels for Waine and I. Yesterday was a very eventful day and by the time I got to Orlando, the Kai-meister was asleep along with the Princess Hailee so I have to wait for a few more hours before I can hug up on these two wonderful people. Freddie and Tracy are well and in the throes of the preparation for Kai's birthday party; we left Freddie decorating Kai's cake as a Boom Box so that the Yo Gabba Gabba figures could be placed on it. Please continue to pray for ET and his family; he will have a biopsy on Monday. May God give him peace and quick healing, amen and amen.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 25 verses 14-30, "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Amen and amen.

I had to really think about this one because there are so many messages. Obviously, there was an underlying difference in the three servants as one was entrusted with 5 talents of money, the other 2 and the last 1 talent. I am sure that the one that had been entrusted with 5 talents had shown himself to be trustworthy in the past and therefore had been entrusted with  more. The master knew that this servant would be wise and not squander the opportunity that had been given to him and the master was not disappointed. You know these kind of people; they are the Go-To people, the people who will get a job done well and increase the inherent value of any project, any company; these Go-To people understand the value of time and trust. When these kind of folk become Christians their kingdom building efforts are non-stop; their life becomes a kingdom building effort and it is like breathing air to them. Every  minute is spent spreading the Gospel and Good News not with words but with the very essence of their being. These folk are continually blessed because they have an attitude of service to the principals of the Kingdom. They are always blessed with more by the Master because the Master knows that He can trust their hearts to be builders for Him. What does it take to be a five (5) talent person--attitude and perspective. These folk trust God for the increase and never worry about outcomes--they proceed as instructed and gain success in the process. These Go-To people "Just Do It" as instructed.

The two (2) talent people will also yield return. They may not be the Go-To people but they have an ability to facilitate the success of others and have a heart for it.  They don't look over the fence to lament that they are not the five talent people, they are happy to be part of the team. The two talent people are industrious and will work hard for the good of the whole. You know these people; you see them in your churches and work places. They may not have as much as others but what they do have will always reap returns. They have a tender heart towards other and it shows. Whether a two talent or five talent person, a hallmark is their ability to follow instruction and stay on point until a project is finished. God uses both five talent and two talent folk all the time and loves them equally. You will have daily opportnities to be a five talent and 2 talent person!

Now then there are these one talent folk. These folk always worry about themselves and use what "might happen" as an excuse not to work or be productive. You know these folk. In the work place they always have excuses as to why they couldn't just follow the instructions of those that have been placed in charge of them. These are the folk that will blame a supervisor for their lack of success and the chief reason is always the fear of retribution. I had an example of the one talent person this week. She is very negative toward the organization for which she works and when called on the carpet her response was "well if I felt I was being collaborated with, then......" This one talent person will never get it because her focus is on SELF. We all have the capacity of being the one talent person when we are focused on SELF. We are to be SELF-LESS -- less self and  more Christ will move you quickly out of the realm of the one talent folk.  These are the folk that you find yourself saying "if you just followed my instructions all would have been well". These folk live their life worried about OUTCOMES and not PROCESS. These folk are the "world" and are the folk we, as Christians, have been charged to preach the Gospel to. At some point it will be too late for these one talent folk. In a secular connotations, their employers will grow tired of the daily hassle of having to plod and admonish them. When Christ comes after His church, these folk will be left behind.

These scriptures are for US to examine our lives. We can all become the 10 Talent Servants by changing our attitude. Truly in these scriptures, "Attitude determined Altitude". The one thing you have control over is the Attitude with which you approach your life today and forever. You also have control over your commitment of service to Kingdom building. You are the master of your attitude today--become the Ten Talent person you were created to be.

Be blessed.

Stephanie

Does Your Lamp have Oil?

Good morning to all on this wonderful Friday morning. This is the eve of Kai's birthday (July 31st); Waine and I are going to Orlando today to celebrate with the Kai-meister and his family. Waine will be able to play golf with some of his buddies and I will be able to hang out with Kai and Hailie. Please keep one of our brothers in prayer; he has a spot on his pancreas and I am praying that God will heal it or it is a pseudo-tumor. Pray that God will give him peace and his family strength. I believe in the power of prayer and that whatever the outcome God's hand is on it. Pray that God remove all fear and pain in Jesus name. Our brother's initials are E.T. and he is "phoning" home to the Almighty. Amen and amen. We don't know the hour or the day of our own calling so may God prepare us all.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 25, verses 1-13, "At that time the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The Bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But He replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Amen and amen.

This is a beautiful passage of process and closure.  All ten virgins understood PROCESS only five got the meaning of closure! It is not enough what you meant to do; you have to get it done. I see examples of the unprepared virgins in the work place all the time. Somehow we have developed a culture in which workers expect employers to APPRECIATE what they INTENDED TO DO as opposed to just getting the job done. You will find folk in your life that always want to rely upon you for the success of their outcome. These are folk that have excuses like, "I meant to be ready but something came up.", "I couldn't get to work on time because the traffic was heavy." , "I don't have my rent/mortgage payment this month because, because, because.....". These folk will actually try and make you a villain for their shortcomings. DOWN BUY INTO THE HYPE!

You also have some folk who always enable the unprepared. These folk always give a sympathetic ear and share their "oil". These folk will kick themselves when they run out of "oil",  i.e. miss their own deadlines, miss opportunities, burden emotional baggage for others and then become worn out. These folk get angry and feel unappreciated. Didn't they do the right thing? DON'T SHARE THE OIL UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A SURPLUS. Also these folk are never loved by the people they share the oil with; most often than not the people to whom the oil was shared will always criticize the person who shared because in the long long both parties will run out of oil before  a positive outcome is realized.

We are to be ready at all times and not only go out with lamps (process) but go out with lamps that have oil! We can admonish others, encourage others but at the end of the day each of us must be prepared! As we go about Kingdom building and sharing the love of God, distinguish between sharing love and assisting in the maturity of others and enabling others. We are not told to become the "mules" for the emotional and spiritual baggage for others. We are told to share the Love of God and encourage others to accept the love of God and mature in Christ. Mature folk are always ready.

Now I am not saying we should not be generous with the less fortunate. If you have it to give, give it and expect nothing in return--that is the Christian thing to do. However, I don't think it is healthy to continue to bear the burdens of others without teaching others to mature in Christ and begin to bear their own burdens. PROCESS AND CLOSURE are the twin towers to the success of anyone's walk in Christ and in the world in which we live. Be successful today and be prepared.

Stephanie

Are you Prepared?

Good morning to all on this beautiful Monday morning. Waine and I spent the weekend in Hawkinsville, Georgia where I was able to sharpen my clinical acumen and Waine was able to hone is putting acumen. In all a very great weekend. We were able to finish several projects not the least of which was the "story" of our recommitment ceremony last year. We finally got all the pictures organized and put pen to pencil to tell the story of our love.

I am continuing my journey into Matthew 24 verses 36-51, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Amen and amen.

Christ is continuing to prepare His disciples to live a victorious life without Him walking the earth with them and emphasizing that they can always count on the Word of God to help them in their daily life.  The advice. "JUST BE PREPARED" and "JUST BE READY".  This advice is as good today as it was 2,000 years ago. It doesn't matter when Christ comes for His Church (us) it just matters that He will come, SO BE READY. So what defines READY? The Church is READY when the CHURCH is obedient. Our obedience is reflected in our performing our duties--KINGDOM building. Did someone see the Love of God through your life yesterday. Did you have an opportunity to share Christ through your life yesterday or did the world see itself reflected in your life? The Commandment given to the Church was real simple --WIN OTHERS TO CHRIST THROUGH YOUR LIFE!  With all the confusion everyone encounters in just the day to day process of living, the world deserves the safe and peaceful haven provided by Christ. Remember Noah and remember the concept of rain was not applicable in the days of Noah prior to the flood. God watered the earth through the morning dew and not rain. Noah did not live  by a river or ocean but was seen day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year building a boat just because God told him to build it. Noah's life was a reflection of Noah's belief and obedience. THEN THE RAINS CAME. He didn't listen to the noise of the world; Noah listened to the Voice of God. The the rains came! Then the rains came! Then the rains came.

You are ready is your family. Are your friends? Is the world? be about Kingdom building today and spread the Love of God with your life. Hallelujah and amen! The alter is ready; lay your burdens down.

Stephanie

The Future is Bright

Good morning to all on this glorious Thursday morning! All is well in the B. Waine Kong household. Waine and I played 9 holes of golf on Tuesday evening instead of veggie out in front of the TV.  It was a short par 3 and I actually got 4's on two of the holes so I was very happy. Its nice to just have to take care of he and I. I think I have been raising children and tending to a house hold for over 40 years and its nice just to kick back now and enjoy this time with my best friend, Waine.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew. This commitment to read the New Testament through and try and understand it has been a labor of love for me. On many occasions I have been tempted to abandon this commitment because I don't understand the deeper meaning of a passage or for some other reason; then I stop and think that the only being that would find the Word of God abhorrent is the Devil himself. So on those days, like today, I punch through it and trust that God has a message for me. So today I was blessed with Matthew 24, verses 1-35, "Jesus left the temple and was walking away when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" He asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"  Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away. Amen and amen!

Obviously, the disciples of Christ knew something was wrong. You can feel it in the scriptures and the Words of Christ Himself! Christ knows that His time is drawing nigh, when He will have to take on the sins of the world and become sin itself so that His Church, us, can be redeemed. This is the Christ who knew no sin; He knew that He could not be in the presence of His Father when He took on our sins and I am sure He was burdened. His Father is His best friend and when you are cut off from your best friend your heart aches.  He is admonishing His disciples to take each day, one day at a time. They wanted a measure of reassurance that they would be okay; they would have a future; that this mission they started would have a lasting effect. Although Christ gave them a forecast, what I am hearing more is that like them, we cannot control the circumstances that will overtake us in the last days so don't worry about it. The message is that WE SHOULD BE READY no matter the hour of day. Some Christians from the days of the disciples until now have suffered and will continue to suffer as a result of their faith and their actions for Kingdom building. That isn't the important message; the important message is that we are to have a FEVER; an overwhelming desire to ensure that as many people as possible hear the gospel of the love and sacrifice of the Savior so that they too can be saved. Whatever is happening in your daily life, what you are in control of is how you will respond to the challenges that you will face each day. Learn to let go of what you cannot control and put those issues in the hands of the One person who knows all futures including mine and yours. These Words of the gospel are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.  Be blessed and encouraged.

Stephanie

Look to the Cross for Truth

Good morning to all on this wonderful Monday morning. Waine and I are back to the US and we had a wonderful week in Jamaica and I am well rested and invigorated. I had a lovely birthday celebration in the sand and heat of Jamaica and was pampered from head to toe. Waine got to play golf with a Jamaican golf legend, so all is well in the Basil Waine Kong household. You can read about our week at Breezes on this blog.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 23 verses 13-39. Christ is preaching to His disciples and labels His instructions as the Seven Woes; "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen and amen!

You can tell that these religious hypocrites had gotten on Christ's 1/2 half last nerve! Sin is abhorrent to Christ and "religious" leaders who prey on the unsuspecting are doomed to a life eternal without God. Christians have an obligation to reflect the Love of God; it is the Love of God and the life we lead that should convict and then convince others to give their lives to the One and True God. All too often, we find ourselves with religious rulers who begin to create the "rules" by which someone can have a life with God. These folks are referred to as vipers who are condemned to hell, in this passage. Chris was so taken aback that the religious rulers of the chosen people who act and behave in the manner in which they confronted Him and His early followers. The Pharisees were more concerned with protecting their power base than preaching the Power of the Kingdom. It is our job, job, job to spread the Good News, that Jesus died for ALL and then was resurrected so that we as Christians could have eternal life with Him.

Reject those who wold have you believe anything other than your duty to follow the principles as taught by Christ. Your life will then bear the Fruits of the Spirit. If your life is bearing anything other than the fruits of the spirit than refocus your gaze on the Cross of Calvary. There is no confusion or fear there. Only love. Be blessed today because Jesus loves you.

Stephanie

Our Breezes Vacation

Basil Waine Kong

We took the opportunity of my wife’s birthday to drive over from Kingston to celebrate at Breezes in Runaway Bay. My wife and I have been privileged to visit many resorts in Jamaica and throughout the world, some superior to Breezes, but absolutely none give you as much value for your money as this slice of heaven in Runaway Bay in our Island in the Sun. For a modest charge that is equivalent to about the food charges at other resorts like the Ritz or the Half Moon; you can play unlimited golf, unlimited tennis, receive unlimited entertainment, food and beverages, unlimited water sports and more importantly, unlimited hospitality. The staff (particularly Amoi Leon) is always at the ready to bring everything up to your expectations, assist you to book reservations, tours and to answer your questions.

Yesterday, for Stephanie’s special day, we woke up at six and helped ourselves to coffee that is available 24/7 and went to their fabulous beach to watch the sunrise and wade in the healing waters of the Caribbean. We brought our snorkeling gear as we anticipated seeing a variety of fish on a nearby reef within the swimming area. We were not disappointed. When I located a number of sea urchins, I went back to the beach, found a stick and destroyed several of them. My wife was delighted as the fish then swarmed to feed on the exposed sea urchins.
The sunrise was colorful; the water was warm and the company delightful. We learned long ago that there are no angry, frustrated or unsociable people on a beach in the early morning so we delight in engaging whoever we saw with “Mawnin”. It is just a wonderful way to make friends. Strangely enough, the aches and pains from playing golf and just being old disappear. My wife (a physician) believes that the salinity of the water provides buoyancy that takes the pressure off the joins. My grandmother (from St. Elizabeth) told me that the therapeutic minerals penetrated the skin and provided relief from whatever ails you. She often asked whoever was visiting the ocean to bring back a bottle of sea water to slap onto her arthritic knees.

We went back to our room to shower and get dressed for breakfast. We find that we shower several times per day after each swim, golf or other activities as well as in anticipation of our meals. At breakfast, we chose a table overlooking the ocean where we enjoyed a cool breeze while dining on a combination of American and Jamaican treats. As a roots man, I am one of those people who like to eat dinner for breakfast, so I take healthy portions of escovitch fish, liver and onions, Callaloo, boiled bananas, yam and dumplings. They ignored my request for corn pone. Stephanie loved the omelets lovingly prepared by Latasha Morris,(a real egg breaker), and we both absolutely love the variety of fruits in season. Our fruits man (Owen Anderson) makes a lovely smoothie with mangoes, bananas, melons, pineapple, yogurt, wheat germ and honey. That will definitely put lead in your pencil. Half way through breakfast, there was a downpour that created a pitter patter on the roof. Stephanie and I looked at each other, smiled and without saying a word, took each other’s hand and made our way back to our room. Nothing like rain on a zinc roof to put us in the mood.

On our way to the golf course, we got a flat tire and after putting on the spare, were sent all the way to St. Ann (10 miles away) to have the tire fixed. So, our tee time was delayed until 10:00 am. The Breezes course is in great shape. While it is long and difficult, it only took 3 hours to complete 18 holes. For the past four years, during the last week in February, Mr. Ken Wimberly from Atlanta , brings a group of us to Breezes for a week of golf and fellowship and we always find the accommodations and the golf course a great test of our golfing and social skills. A good time is always had by all.

Today, it didn’t matter that the scores were high as the wind picked up and the sun beat down from above, we enjoyed the caddies. They started out laughing with us but they ended up laughing at our game. We finished in time to get back to the hotel, shower, have a quick lunch and meet the horsemen at 2:30 pm for a leisurely carriage ride (accompanied by Champaign) around the residential areas of Runaway Bay in the company of newlyweds from Chicago. This is a popular destination for weddings.

On our return from the hill and gully ride, we took a nap, checked our e-mails, called friends and relations, caught up on the news and took a walk on the breach to watch the sun set. We then went to the Japanese Hibachi Restaurant to enjoy hot sake, shrimp, beef and chicken prepared by a chef that neither spoke Japanese nor did the usual tricks with his utensils but cooked a marvelous meal. A birthday cake was brought out to the singing of “Happy Birthday Stephanie” and well wishes from the staff and seven other diners. She loved her cake and card.

Immediately after dinner, we got front row seats to hear “Tommy T and Craig” (wonderful singers from Montego Bay). They are really great entertainers and we danced the night away. We were tired but happy campers when we retired for the evening.

Every day at Breezes is sweeter than the day before. This is definitely a place you can come to get into healing water or ever hot water (hot tub), try a different routine like wake up when you should be going to sleep and sleep when you would normally go to work. Whatever time of day or night, there is always something fun to do. While we are too old to participate in the goat races and other organized fun and games on the breach, there is no shortage of things to do regardless of your age or interests. We look forward to coming back. Happy Birthday darling!

Have the Heart of Christ to obtain the Power of God!

Good morning to all from Runaway Bay Jamaica! Waine brought me to this resort to celebrate my birthday and I have been having a blast! Last night was capped off by a performance with a fire eater. A good time was had by all.

I wanted to continue my travels in Matthew 23 verses 1 - 12, "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi. But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Amen and amen.

I had to think about this passage for a minute. There are those occupy places of power and authority, perhaps in your home, place of work in government. The heart and soul of these people may be questionable however we are to be obedient to the position and not to the person who may occupy that seat, believing God for the outcome. I know Christian women in very bad marriages; they are obedient to their husbands however pray for their salvation constantly. The prayers of the righteous do more good than all the criticisms one can amass. Likewise, you may work for a boss that does not have the love of God in their hearts. Again obey the position and do not mimic the person. The opposite is also true. I have found Christians always "using" the scriptures to criticize their bosses, or judging  their fellow workers. Christ would seem to say that this is the behavior of the Pharisees; "false" prophets as it were. The love of Christ commands uf to be obedient to the people who have been put in positions over us as our reasonable service to God. The love of Christ also commands us to let our light so shine that even the lost husband, or the lost boss can see the Love of God within us.

If you find that you have not been elevated or exalted then search your heart and repent. The natural order of things is that Christians will be lifted up like the serpent in the desert. Our life is not of struggle or turmoil. If you are living a less than abundant life, search your heart for the love of Jesus the Christ and repent.  Amen and amen. May the Power of Jesus rule your life today.

Stephanie

No One Could Say A Word!

Good morning to all on this wonderful Saturday morning! Waine and I are in Bainbridge, Georgia and are nestled in at the Days Inn.  We scoped out where the fireworks will take place tomorrow and a found a wonder little park that has a petting zoo and a discovery park. It would have been a wonderful place to take Mackenzie and Brooks the weekend they were here! Knowledge is power and "Ain't that the truth!" Waine and I want to wish you and yours a Happy 4th of July--be safe and enjoy the log weekend.

I am continuing my journey in Matthew 22:35-46, "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls Him 'Lord'? For he says,  'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?" No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask Him any more questions. Amen and amen! NO ONE COULD SAY A WORD AND FROM THAT DAY ON NO ONE DARED TO ASK HIM ANY MORE QUESTIONS!

Jesus the Christ is so POWERFUL--I could feel the POWER of the Holy Spirit grip me as I read these WORDS even some 2000 years later. Christ always answered the attacks of the evil one with scriptures and what I have learned in my spiritual journey is that you can only defeat the evil one through the Word of God and in this instance when the evil one, through the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus, He just defeated them with the Word of God--the very Word these false teaches and rulers were to uphold.

Let's look at these two commandments. As Christians we are to love God with all our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our mind. I don't think the progression from heart to soul to mind is an accident. When you love from the heart, its unconditional. Most of the time you can't "help" that type of love. This type of love doesn't make sense to the mind--it goes against what can be reasoned. You love for love sake! You love with "rose colored glasses on". That's how God love us!  He loves us because He can't help Himself. When He sees us, He sees Jesus and the sacrifice Jesus made. Hallelujah. God loves us from His Heart. Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus that you love us from Your Heart because we don't deserve this LOVE! Who should you love with this type of LOVE? We are commanded to love everyone with this LOVE.

When you love from the Soul its in RESPONSE to THE LOVE OF THE HEART. At this point, as Christians your faith has convinced you that the LOVE of God is real because He has demonstrated His love and you have received this love through faith. Your soul has responded at this point and you now have validation of what your heart has known all along. You tested your FAITH and did not come back empty handed. Waine and I were recently struggling over a problem and we stopped and prayed for the outcome we needed and sure enough our prayer was answered. When you walk with Jesus and turn your cares to Him, your soul begins to mature and it responds back to God sometimes without you even "knowing it".

When you love from your  Mind its because you can no longer deny that the Love of God has been present in your life. That when you say "To Know Him is to Love Him; to Love Him is to Serve Him". When your MIND loves Jesus you have unshakable, undeniable love response. You just WANT to do as the Holy spirit commands because you have surrendered your WILL to Jesus. This is when Others will see you and want the same thing you have--people will ask you "what is different" about you and want it. This is when you are a CHEERLEADER for Jesus. This is when you will look at me, your neighbor, and love me enough to sacrifice your ego for me and tell me about this overwhelming, life changing LOVE of GOD!

Are you at the point of your Christian walk when "NO ONE COULD SAY A WORD AND FROM THAT DAY ON NO ONE DARED TO ASK HIM ANY MORE QUESTIONS!" Love God today with all your heart, soul and mind and I will be loved in the process.

Stephanie