I believe family is a gift from God and should be treated as such. I love writing with a broad array of intent and purpose. I have written poetry virtually all my life, and much nonfiction in academia. My expanded efforts in all areas have finally taken off in retirement. I have much to accomplish now that I have the time. Other hobbies are painting, researching ancestry and myriad topics for my writing, knitting, crocheting, cooking -- always trying new recipes and always cooking for my health. I have many other hobbies, but these seem to dominate most of my time. Oh, did I mention I am the mother of three grown children and grandmother of seven. I have been blessed immensely and am the happier for it.https://twitter.com/tkbrownwriter/photo
1. Thank the person that nominated you with a link to their blog.
2. Make a Post of the award [with photo].
3. Post the award’s rules.
4. Ask 5-10 questions of your choice.
5. Nominate 10-30 other bloggers.
6. Follow Vincent Ehindero @ vincentehindero.wordpress.com [to qualify for a free blog promotion and shoutout] and more blogging opportunities.
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Thank You, girrrrl_of_two_worlds, for nominating me as a contender for the Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award! I appreciate your recognition of my blog pages. What an honor!
Many Thanks to you as well Vincent Ehindero @vincentehindero.wordpress.com! This award is a great idea! You are to be commended! Everybody, check out his blogsite and thank him for recognizing fellow bloggers in this way!
My Questions from girrrrl_of_two_worlds at Science-tastic:
What’s your favorite unrealistic eye color [eg. purple or orange]?
purple
2. Growing up, what was your favorite story?
Anne of Green Gables
3. Which song is currently stuck in your head?
"Angry Words"by:Horatius R. Palmer
Angry words! Oh, let them never
from the tongue unbridled slip:
May the heart's best impulse ever
check them ere they soil the lip.
Chorus:
"Love one another," thus saith the Saviour;
Children obey the Father's blessed command;
"Love one another," thus saith the Saviour;
Children obey His blessed command.
Love is much to pure and holy;
friendship is to sacred far,
for a moment's reckless folly
thus to desolate and mar. [Chorus]
Angry words are lightly spoken,
bitt'rest thoughts are rashly stired;
brightest links of life are broken
by a single angry word. [Chorus]
4. Which chore do you absolutely hate doing?
When company is here: Cleaning up after a meal.
5. If leaves were any different color–which would you like them to be?
Varying shades of blue.
6. If you had the chance to learn any language, minus the hard work, which would it be?
Greek
7. According to you, what was the last experience that made you a stronger person?
The coronavirus pandemic.
8. Do you believe in afterlives and reincarnation?
Yes, I believe in the afterlife, definitely! I am not so sure about the reincarnation — maybe?
9. Let’s say you were doomed to speak only one word for an entire day, what word would it be?
Hello! [Once I have the person’s attention, I could try to communicate with my hands.]
10. What’s your favorite kind of workout?
Walking or Strength Training
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My Nominations for the Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award:
Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)
Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown
“Sermon on the Mount“
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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 5:21-48
21 — “‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.””
22 — “‘But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Ra ca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.'”
23 — “‘Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,'”
24 — “‘leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.'”
25 — “‘Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.'”
26 — “‘Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there ’til you have paid the last penny.'”
27 — “‘You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.'”
28 — “‘But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.'”
29 — “‘If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell,'”
30 — “‘And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for you whole body to be cast into hell.'”
31 — “‘Furthermore it has been said whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'”
32 — “‘But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.'”
33 — “‘Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'”
34 — “‘But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne,'”
35 — “‘nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.'”
36 — “‘Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.'”
37 — “‘But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.'”
38 — “‘You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'”
39 — “‘But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.'”
40 — “‘If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.'”
41 — “‘And whoever compels youto go one mile, go with him two.'”
42 — “‘Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.'”
43 — “‘You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.‘”
44 — “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.'”
45 — “‘that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.'”
46 — “‘For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?'”
47 — “‘And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?'”
48 — “‘Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.'”
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Lesson Scripture, cont. — Mark 3:13-16
Mark’s Presentation of Jesus’ Disciple / Apostle Selection
13 — “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.”
14 — “Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,”
15 — “and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:”
16 — “Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter,”
17 — “James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of Thunder’;”
18 — “Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thadaeus, Simon the Cananite,”
19 — “and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.”
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Lesson Scripture, cont. —Luke 6:24-36
“Sermon on the Mount,”
24 — “‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.'”
25 — “‘Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.'”
26 — “‘Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.'”
27 — “‘But I say to you who hear; love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'”
28 — “‘bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you.'”
29 — “‘To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.'”
30 — “‘Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.'”
31 — “‘And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.'”
32 — “‘But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.'”
33 — “‘And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.'”
34 — “‘And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.‘”
35 — “‘But love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.'”
36 — “‘Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.'”
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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Matthew 5:21-48
v21 — Exodus 20:13 — “You shall not murder.”
v21 — Deuteronomy 5:17 — “You shall not murder.”
v24 — Job 42:8 — “Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.”
v25 — Isaiah 55:6 — “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”
v27 — Exodus 20:14 — “You shall not commit adultery.”
v27 — Deuteronomy 5:18 — “You shall not commit adultery.”
v28 — Proverbs 6:23-26
23 — “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life,”
24 — “to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress.”
25 — “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids,”
26 — “For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.”
v31 — Deuteronomy 24:1-4
1 — “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,”
2 — “when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife,”
3 — “if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife,”
4 — “then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
v33 — Leviticus 19:12 — “‘And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.'”
v33 — Deuteronomy 23:23 — “That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.”
v34 — Isaiah 66:1 — “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the place of My rest?'”
v35 — Psalm 48:2— “Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”
v38 — Exodus 21:23-25
23 — “But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life.”
24 — “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,”
25 — “burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”
v38 — Leviticus 24:19, 20
19 — “If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him–“
20 — “fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, as he has caused disfigurement of a man so shall it be done to him.”
v38 — Deuteronomy 19:21 — “Your eye shall not pity; life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
v39 — Isaiah 50:6— “I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.”
v43 — Leviticus 19:18 — “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
v43 — Deuteronomy 23:3-6
3 — “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever,”
4 — “because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.”
v45 — “Job 25:3 — “Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise?”
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New Testament Scriptures Related to Matthew 5:21-48
v22 — John 3:15— “‘that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'”
v22 — James 2:20 — “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”
v22 — James 3:6 — “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.”
v23 — Matthew 8:4— “And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.”
v25 — Luke 12:58, 59
58 — “‘When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.'”
59 — “‘I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.'”
v29 — Mark 9:43 — “‘If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–‘”
v29 — Colossians 3:5 — “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
v32 — Luke 16:18 — “‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.'”
v33 — Matthew 23:16 — “‘Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'”
v34 — James 5:12 — “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes,” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.”
v37 — Colossians 4:6 — “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
v39 — Luke 6:29 — “‘To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.'”
v42 — Luke 6:30-34
30 — “‘Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.'”
31 — “‘And just as you want ment to do to you, you also doe to them likewise.'”
32 — “‘But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.'”
33 — “‘And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.'”
34 — “‘And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.'”
v44 — Luke 6:27 — “‘But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.'”
v44 — Romans 12:20 — “Therefore ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink, for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.'”
v46 — Luke 6:32 — “‘But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.'”
v48 — Colossians 1:28 — “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
v48 — Colossians 4:12 — “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you always laboring fervently for your prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
v48 — Ephesians 5:1 — “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”
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New Testament Scripture Related to Mark 3:13-16
v13 — Luke 9:1 — “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”
v16 — John 1:42 — “And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas‘ (which is translated, A Stone).”
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Old TestamentProphecy Related to Luke 6:24-36
v25 — Isaiah 65:13, 14
13 — “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry: behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed;”
14 — “behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit.”
v25 — Proverbs 14:13 — “Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief.”
v30 — Deuteronomy 15:7, 8
7 — “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,”
8 — “but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”
v35 — Psalm 37:25, 26
25 — “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread.”
26 — “He is ever merciful, and lends, and his descendants are blessed.”
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New Testament Scripture Related to Luke 6:24-36
v24 — James 5:1-6
1 — “Come now, you rich, weep and howl, for your miseries that are coming upon you!”
2 — “Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.”
3 — “Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”
4 –“Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”
5 — “You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury, you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.”
6 — “You have condemned, you have murdered the just, he does not resist you.”
v24 — Luke 12:21 — “‘So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.'”
v24 — Luke 16:25 — “‘But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted and you are tormented.'”
v25 — James 4:9 — “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”
v26 — John 15:19 — “‘If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.'”
v27 — Romans 12:20 — “Therefore ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.'”
v28 — Romans 12:14 — “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
v29 — Matthew 5:39-42
39 — “‘But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.'”
40 — “‘If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.'”
41 — “‘And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.'”
42 — “‘Give to him who asks from you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.'”
v29 — I Corinthians 6:7 — “Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
v31 — Matthew 7:12 — “‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.'”
v32 — Matthew 5:46 — “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?'”
v34 — Matthew 5:42 — “‘Give to him who asks from you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.'”
v35 — Romans 13:10 — “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.”
v35 — Hebrews 13:16 — “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
v35 — Matthew 5:46 — “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?'”
v36 — Matthew 5:48 — “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.'”
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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown
The Sermon on the Mount provides a guideline, rulebook, blueprint for living the Christian life. Jesus frequently refers to working toward the goal of being ‘perfect’ like God the Father. God treasures righteousness above all else. He knows, and Jesus knew, it is impossible for mankind to achieve perfection. The word ‘perfect’ in the New Testament can be translated to the English word ‘mature’ for better understanding of what is expected. There is not one of us without sin, but maturity — exhibiting behavior free of sin — should always be our goal. We will never achieve ‘complete maturity’ in all areas, but we should always be working on overcoming our sinful nature. Here, I attempt to summarize Jesus’ message in the scriptures above. As always, be sure to check behind me and verify that I have summarized it correctly. Your salvation and eternal home in heaven depends upon it.
— We begin this lesson continuing with Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” The beginning segment in Matthew Chapter Five, versus 21 through 24 addresses the commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” Jesus takes this even further. He said cursing your brother puts you in danger of judgment and calling your sibling a fool puts you in danger of hell itself. He cautions those who have anything against a sibling — or if a sibling has anything against you — it is damnation to your soul if you partake of the Lord’s Supper. When this is the case, one should leave the worship service to go make things right with the sibling. Only when you have atoned or attempted to resolve the rift can you partake of the Holy Sacraments. This approach to differences between brethren can — and should — also be applied to relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
— His instruction then addresses the case of an problem with an adversary. You should not disagree or debate the concern. If this is done, the foe may file charges and imprison you. Then, freedom will not be regained until the other has received payment for all the courts say you owe. Sometimes the courts allow you to remain free in order to do this very thing. The court record imprisons one in the community at large until the debt is paid. This would be when the courts require a period of parole and/or house arrest.
— The question of divorce was as prevalent during the time of Jesus’ life on earth as it is today. Addressing this, Jesus said if one ‘looks at another with lust in the heart,’ adultery is being committed. If a divorce is secured for any reason other than adultery, He said the one seeking the divorce causes the other to commit adultery, and anyone marrying the person who is divorced for reasons other than adultery is committing adultery.
— Then, He cautions about the tendency to repeatedly commit the same offense. “If any part of your body causes you to sin, it is better to cut it off and live without it rather than face damnation in the judgment because of that sin.”
— Old School teachings tell us to never swear, and to never take God’s name in vain. Rather, we should make oaths of affirmation to God. Jesus said we are not to swear at all: neither by God, by heaven, by the earth, by Jerusalem, nor even by our own head — “because we are not truthfully able to change one hair on our head to white or black.” His command is for us to see that our “Yes” means “Yes,” and our “No” means “No.”
The form of discipline put forth under the Hebrew Law in the Old Testament was “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” This was the guidelines in the Law given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is the way the Hebrew Nation dealt with infractions causing harm against other people. Jesus said if someone slaps us, we are to turn the other cheek so the person can slap that one too. If someone asks for our jacket, give our clothing also. If someone asks us to go with them one mile, go two. In other words, if someone has need and asks for our help, we are to give it without expectation of a return.
— The Laws under which Jesus grew to maturity said, “love your neighbor, hate your enemy.” Jesus said we are to love our enemies too. We are to bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and spitefully use you. He said it is nothing for us to love those who love us and do good to those who do good to us. The true test of our devotion to God is for us to extend that love to those who set about harming us as well. This is God’s way. He sends blessings to the evil and to the good, to the just and the unjust–and we are to work toward the goal of doing the same.
— In Mark Chapter Three verses 13 through 19, Jesus appoints The Twelve as Apostles and bestowed upon them power over demons and illness. Thus, we see He begins training them for the ministry they will continue after His Ascension back to heaven.
Related Scriptures in the Book of Luke are a bit scattered throughout the book rather than grouped together as they are in Matthew and Mark. Therefore, I have referenced them in the ‘Related Scriptures’ section above.
If you ever have questions about any of the information presented, please feel free to ask or comment in the section below the ‘Like’ button. I appreciate you reading the lessons. Please continue to come back. Your feedback means much to me. Blessings upon all! May God meet your daily needs and ‘pat you on the back’ after you have successfully cleared a hurdle in life.
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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . .
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus Birth Foretold . . .
Lesson Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . .
Lesson Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . .
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted by Satan
Lesson Ten -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part I)
Lesson Eleven -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry -- Sermon on the Mount -- Part 1
Lesson Twelve -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry -- Sermon on the Mount -- Part 2
Lesson Thirteen -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry -- Sermon on the Mount -- Part 3
Summertime! Summertime! So glad you're here!
Apricity, grilling, picnics galore
help us appreciate you soooo much more
as Covid-19 has brought most everyone fear.
Warm weather activities all around
entice forbidden choice which does abound--
water sports, basking in alluring sun--
have beaches packed along gulf, bay, ocean.
Rivers and lakes add boating, fishing too;
camping, floating, rafting, a gumbo roux
and not a few more add to the allure--
such a tempting lot most do adore.
Social distancing does not fit the scheme,
nor does the nightmarish midnight dream
of sickness and death, the 'wakening scream.'
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Image Above:Seascape, Sailboating by Francine Sreca @pixabay.com.
Summer heat melts most ev'ry day
and seems to give erotic sway
as opportunity surmounts
all thought in those special moments
of delightful, hot arousal.
Then, sudden, shrill silence doth stall
as the heat sets in, shimmering
the sky, passersby in faux bling
seem to be seeking summer breeze
that pushes out upon the seas.
'Twas lost upon the desert sands
drifting in from faraway lands.
The virus again takes a toll
amongst reveling protestor's roll
and partygoers on a stroll.
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Image Above:Fourth of July Fireworks @depositphotos.com/vector-images/
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As a citizen of this great nation, I have sat quietly watching as racism has tugged from this side, then tugged from that side, then another . . . and another! I watched the Watts Riots of California being televised across the nation. I watched the peaceful protests led by Dr. Martin Luther King. I watched as civil unrest divided the nation between those supporting the violence and rioting and those who did not — which is happening again as I write! I watched as segregation was addressed and desegregation was enacted. I watched decades pass when black Americans and white Americans were mostly united against the onslaught of other nations and the wars — both hot and cold — were fought. I watched and listened to both sides. Having parents, one of whom was a Democrat and the other who was a Republican, whose differing viewpoints taught me that we do not have to agree to get along — we can sometimes agree to disagree!
I watched all of the above, then I experienced my writing — a poem — as it was accepted and lauded by classmates and faculty to the extent that it was published in my High School Newsletter my senior year. Then I experienced the disappointment of silence after I presented another of my poems, entitled “They’re People Too.” I had seen firsthand the difference in the way even young black children were treated versus young white children. I hoped my poem could make a difference. It was silently rejected, and I was never asked about my writing again.
I have watched as ‘drive-by shootings’ killed many black Americans due to poverty, violence, gangs, drugs, etc. Drugs were infiltrating the American scene, and where drugs go–violence follows. I watched as immigrants from other countries flooded our great land to escape tyranny and persecution. Then, I watched as that persecution began being quietly turned on white Americans as a means of expressing disgust regarding past treatment.
Ironically, by the time this happened, most white Americans had accepted people of color and of other nationalities. Yes, those remained who fought integration, but most accepted and embraced it. Silently, I hoped and prayed the acceptance would overcome, and I did as much as I could to encourage that acceptance in all areas of my life.
Then, I watched as the racist attitudes infiltrated those toward whom it had been directed. Now, the shootings were enacted or instigated by black Americans against white Americans. I watched in horror, as that reverse racism was directed–even at me who had fought for black Americans all my life. Reverse discrimination against me became the norm as the national turmoil steadily increased.
Now, the riots have begun again. Mostly black people attempting to destroy white America. One even said outright, he looks forward to the day when intermarriage and interracial relationships do away with truly white people and interracial becomes the norm. How much more racist can one be? Yet, in the news, most of what we see and hear discusses only the racism of white against black. Few have the courage to discuss the reverse, the black against white that is destroying our nation–and reporters seem to thrive on making that destruction happen.
When are we going to realize: It is not JUST ‘Black Lives Matter’, ALL LIVES MATTER, but black Americans are being allowed to say only people of color matter. By phrasing it as such, they make it appear that they support the Latinos, the Asians, the Native Americans, etc. who are also people of color. Then we hear again, repeatedly, “BLACK LIVES MATTER!” This excludes all others, but nobody pays attention to tht fact. There is racism in America, but this time, it is the black against the white — and all others — that is creating the unrest in America. I have sat quietly watching as it has chipped away at the fiber of our interdependence, weakening even the strength of this country against foes who are other countries on the planet called Earth. When white Americans who ARE white supremacists began responding in kind, black America cried wolf every time until the situation became what it is today — even though black America had instigated that response.
When are we going to stop destroying America and begin stressing that ALL LIVES MATTER — not just BLACK LIVES? That is reverse racism to the hilt. When will reporters begin to call a spade a spade, and expose it for what it is? No one will say what is really happening, because any white person who speaks out about — and black people too — will be persecuted into oblivion. Well, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? I am speaking out about it. In the Holy Bible, the book of Philippians is about racism and the fact that it is not supposed to be allowed among those who profess to be Christians. Well, I have to ask Black America — where is your justification for the reverse racism that is destroying America today? You profess to believe Christ is the Son of God, You profess to accept persons of other colors — then why do you persecute white people and persons of other origin — even those who support you? I am sorry, but according to the book of Philippians, your behavior is not Christ-like! Get down off your pedestals! If those statues you are destroying were of Black People, the whole nation would have been razed by now!
It is time that ALL RACISM STOPS, and America begins to heal. It is time that all colors — including white — and black — accept each other. I, and all white people, have the right to Freedom of Speech too, but you and your reporter friends try to deprive us of that right. Well, I am reclaiming my right to Freedom of Speech! BLACK people, it is time to STOP! Dr. Martin Luther King would NOT approve of what you are doing today, and his daughter recently said as much publicly. Peaceful protests are protected by the United States Constitution, but violence which destroys both life and property is NOT protected by the United States Constitution because it tears America down! The Constitution DOES NOT protect YOU when you riot!!!! So, stop it or accept the consequences!!!!
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I believe this song, “A Beautiful Life,” written by William M Golden, posted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt-v5D2Ozko best expresses my feelings about what needs to happen now. Please follow the link and listen, “Like” my post (if you do like it), and Comment below to tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from you!
I consider myself Blessed far beyond any expectations I could ever have imagined. I have been nominated for the AWESOME BLOGGER AWARDby Sonal Mishra! She is an avid supporter! Many, Many Thanks, Sonal Mishra, for being such an Awesome Supporter of my blog site!
I cannot say enough to adequately express My Thanks! You are wonderful! And, you are talented to go along with it! Your artwork (sketches and paintings), your writing (poetry and blogs) are all from the heart. I have no doubt your singing is from the heart too! You have a special talent for expressing what you feel and see!
Please visit Sonal Mishra’s blog site: https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com/. She is a very talented up-and-coming artist, author, singer, and poet who has a very big heart. Please support her work. I am sure we will be hearing a lot about Sonal in coming years! Her talents are many and varied!!
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Rules for the AWESOME BLOGGER AWARD:
-- Thank the person who nominated you.
-- Tag the post with #awesomebloggeraward.
-- Answer their questions.
-- Nominate up to 5 bloggers and ask them 10 new questions.
-- Inform them of their nomination.
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Sonal’s Questions to me:
Favorite place to visit?
Mountains — When I am in the mountains, I feel so very close to nature and to our creator! It is an awesome feeling!
Describe life in three words?
Choices — Consequences — Experience
Describe love in three words?
Admiration — Respect — Understanding
What advice would you give your teenage self?
If I could go back in time, I would tell my teenage self to “always hold to your moral values, and live the life they instill in you. Do not give in to pressure from others to forsake those values!”
How does it feel when you get ‘Likes’ or ‘Comments’ from bloggers?
I treasure the ‘Likes’ and the ‘Comments’ I receive from other bloggers. They give insight into how others respond to my writing. I know I will never please everyone with my posts. I would never want to please everyone, because to do so would be to give up who I am in order to be ‘a people pleaser’. The problem with this is, I may end up not liking myself in the end. It does help, however, to receive input as to what is liked and disliked. The comments give me food for thought.
What kind of books or blogs do you read?
I read a mix. I enjoy reading both nonfiction and fiction–if it is not vulgar, full of cursing, or obscene. My favorite fiction would be a very well-written historical fiction, but I read many genres. My nonfiction reading runs the gamut of the Dewey Decimal System. I just enjoy reading!
A memory that is closest to your heart and what did it make you feel in that moment?
I was walking with my grandson. He was not quite one year old. As we walked, he held to my finger, and I allowed him to set the pace. One day, he heard music and looked around to see where it was. I pointed to the pipe wind-chimes on a second-floor balcony. The look of awe and amazement on his face was precious. I will never forget it! Seeing the world through the eyes–and ears–of a toddler is like no other experience.
Few words for art?
Art comes in many forms. One might say it comes in as many forms as there are artists. I would say: Each artist may posess talents in many artistic areas. Thus, it comes in as many areas as the sum-total of all artists’ varied talents–because each artist expresses each form of art differently. Art is portrayed in photography, sketching, painting, sculpting, singing, authoring both prose and poetry (both of which are wrought in many forms), needlecraft of wide and varied options, even science is a form of art (when you think on it). So, choose your art, hone your talent. As a result, you will develop skills in a new area. When we utilize one talent to the best of our ability, we develop diverse artistic skills, because we begin to see the world with artistic eyes.
What were the challenges before you started blogging?
I was on Twitter long before I set up my WordPress page, and I was on WordPress for a year or so before I began actually blogging. I did not actively engage Twitter until I set up my WordPress page, which I did not feel comfortable imprinting with my blogs. I was afraid what I would write would not be liked. I had to get past that one fear. Finally, I decided the fear would not leave until I jumped in with both feet, and I was right. It took a bit after I began posting blogs to be comfortable in so doing. The more I wrote, the easier it became. Now, I post both inspiration and projects I assign myself. The more I write, the more I enjoy writing, and I write much that is never posted because I hope to publish it in physical form.
What is something that you want to learn?
Everything — lol. I have always loved reading; the more I read, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I discover I want to learn. Probably, the one thing I would like to have learned–and put into practice–would be neuropsychology. It is a relatively new area of study. The more we learn about the human brain, the more we see there is yet to be learned about it. To me, it is fascinating.
In what form(s) of artistic expression do you engage?
How much of what you write is inspired versus assigned?
Do you have one physical location where you are most able to express yourself artistically? If so, where?
One becomes an author / poet by setting pen to paper whether or not he / she is ever published. Do you agree? Why?
Is there an area of artistic expression you would like to try, but have not yet engaged? If so, what? Why?
How much do you rely on social media?
In which brands of social media are you engaged, and why?
How much has the coronavirus pandemic affected your artistic expression, and in what ways?
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Again, Thank You, Sonal, for nominating me for this award! Your awesome support is Much Appreciated!
To those of you reading, please go visit Sonal’s blog at https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com/. She is an up-and-coming author, singer, poet, artist of many forms. Check out her many talents! I have no doubt, you will be amazed.
I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed creating this post! I look forward to you stopping by again soon! Blessings!
Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)
Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown
Sermon on the Mount
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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 5:1-20
1 — “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.”
2 — “Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:”
3 — “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'”
4 — “‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'”
5 — “‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.'”
6 — “‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.'”
7 — “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'”
8 — “‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'”
9 — “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'”
10 — “‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'”
11 — “‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.'”
12 — “‘Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'”
13 — “‘You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.'”
14 — “‘You are the light of the world, A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.'”
15 — “‘Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.'”
16 — “‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.'”
17 — “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.'”
18 — “‘For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot of one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.'”
19 — “‘Whosoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.'”
20 — “‘For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.'”
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Apostle Selection Completed
Lesson Scripture — Luke 6:12-15
12 — “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.”
13 — “And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:”
14 — “Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,”
15 — “Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.”
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Luke’s Description of the Sermon on the Mount
Lesson Scripture — Luke 6:17-23
17 — “And He came down with them and stood on the level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,”
18 — “as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.”
19 — “And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.”
20 — “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.'”
21 — “‘Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.'”
22 — “‘Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.'”
23 — “‘Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.'”
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Prophecy Related to Matthew 5:1-20
v5 — Psalm 37:11 — “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
v6 — Isaiah 55:1 — “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
v6 — Isaiah 65:13, 14
13 — “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed;'”
14 — “‘behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit.'”
v7 — Psalm 41:1 — “Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.”
v8 — Psalm 15:1-5
1 — “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”
2 — “He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;”
3 — “He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend.”
4 — “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;”
5 — “He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”
v8 — Psalm 24:3-5
3 — “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or, who may stand in His holy place?”
4 — “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.”
5 — “He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
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Prophecy Related to Luke 6:17-23
v21 — Isaiah 55:1 — “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the wters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
v21 — Isaiah 65:13
13 — “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed;'”
14 — “‘behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit.'”
v21 — Isaiah 61:2, 3
2 — “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,”
3 — “to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
v21 — Psalm 126:5, 6
5 — “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
6 — “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
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New Testament Scriptures Related to Matthew 5:1-20
v1 — Mark 3:13 — “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.”
v2 — Matthew 7:28, 29
28 — “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,”
29 — “for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
v3 — Luke 6:20-23 — (See above.)
v4 — Revelation 21:4 — “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
v5 — Romans 4:13 — “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”
v6 — Luke 1:53 — “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”
v8 — I Corinthians 13:12 — “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
v10 — I Peter 3:14-16
14 — “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled (Isaiah 8:12).'”
15 — “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who askes you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 — “having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
v11 — Luke 6:22 (See above.)
v12 — I Peter 4:12-14
12 — “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;”
13 — “but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed you may also be glad–with exceeding joy.”
14 — “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”
v12 — Acts 7:52
52 — “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,”
53 — “who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it (Exodus 20:1).'”
v13 — Luke 14:34 — “Salt is good, but if the salt lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?'”
v14 — John 8:12 — “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.'”
v15 — Luke 8:16 — “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.'”
v16 — I Peter 2:11, 12
11 — “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”
12 — “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
v16 — John 15:8 — “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so, you will be my disciples.'”
v17, 20 — Romans 10:3, 4
3 — “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”
4 — “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
v18 — Luke 16:17 — “‘And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.'”
v19 — James 2:10 — “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
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New Testament Scriptures Related to Luke 6:17-23
v17 — Mark 3:7, 8
7 — “But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea”
8 — “and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan, and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they hard how many things He was doing, came to Him.”
v19 — Matthew 9:21 — “For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'”
v19, 20 — Matthew 11:4-6
4 — “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.'”
5 — “‘The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them,'”
6 — “‘and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.'”
v20 — Matthew 5:3-12 — (See above.)
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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown
I apologize for the absence of a post last week. Sometimes things happen and prevent me from completing a post. I do hope you will forgive me when that happens. Thank You!
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As we begin studying the Sermon on the Mount, I would like to note, I have included Jesus’ selection of His additional six apostles as depicted in Luke Chapter 6. Luke’s presentation shows this was immediately followed by the Sermon on the Mount.
The Sermon on the Mount covers much territory and lays the foundation for Christ’s ministry here on earth. For this reason, I will divide it into several parts in order to not overwhelm you, the reader, with too much information to be digested at one time. It is important to understand how Christ’s words tie-in to other Scripture in both the Old and the New Testament.
Christ’s ministry took place under the Old Covenant until His death, we will see the vail protecting the Ark of the Covenant rent into two pieces–top-to-bottom. On the day of Pentecost, Christ’s church was established with form. Prior to this time, His kingdom is always referenced as being ‘at hand.’ After the day of Pentecost, His kingdom is always noted ‘in the present form.’ This means His kingdom was publicly established on the Day of Pentecost — when His church was established with the baptizing of three thousand souls.
Hopefully, this information will help you to ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ as we study the course of Christ’s ministry. However, do your own studying to verify whatever I mention in my notes. Do not ever take another person’s word for what the Bible says. Your salvation depends upon this one factor. The scriptures I present above are directly from the Holy Bible (NKJV). When I make a comment in my notes, verify it in the scriptures. Events noted regarding the vail and Christ’s death will be reviewed as we come to them. Study for yourself and prove all that I put forth in my writing.
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In Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus’ teachings show the underdog as more likely to go to heaven than the upper crust. The underdog’s tendency is to present as more meek and merciful and to have faith that studying God’s Word and applying it to daily life leads to purer hearts and righteousness.
Jesus alerts those in his hearing of other people’s tendency to persecute and revile those who follow God–just as they persecuted the prophets. Christ suffered during His life here on earth, and many persecute Him now and deride His teachings and life as untrue. Jesus assures you, when someone persecutes you because you are patterning your life after Him and His teachings, they have their reward already.
These trials are God’s method of refining our Christian hearts and skimming off the impurities each time suffering occurs and is met with a Christ-like attitude. Just as gold must be molten, allowing impurities to rise to the top to be skimmed off, we as Christians must also be refined. We must grow in Christ, increasing in our ability to forgive and move on. This is how maturity in Christ is attained–one trial at a time. This is also how our lives become a living example amidst a sea of worldly souls. Our lives become the light–beacon, if you will–leading others to Christ. This is why we are the salt of the earth.
Never be ashamed to stand up for what is right and be different. This is what Christianity promotes. This, and our faith, is what makes us Christlike–awaiting a home with Him in heaven.
There are those who, even today, say Jesus came to destroy the Old Covenant. He assured the crowd and His apostles this was not so. He came to fulfill the Old Covenant, and until all is fulfilled and heaven and earth pass away, not one iota of the law is destroyed. Anyone who breaks the commandments set forth by the law and by Jesus will never be great in heaven. In order to see heaven, Jesus said our righteousness must be greater than that of the scribes and the Pharisees.
Moving on to Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we see that just prior to this sermon, Jesus chose six more disciples to be a part of His twelve apostles. All followers of Christ were, and still are, known as His disciples. However, only thirteen have been called apostles of Christ. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he revealed his enslavement to Satan, with whom he will spend eternity. Saul of Tarsus was subsequently appointed as the replacement apostle. We know Saul as Paul. He was one of the most grateful, for his sins prior to conversion had been great, and he was the first to admit this. Thus, he worked hard to teach others about Christ and His salvation.
Luke words his portrayal of the Sermon on the Mount a bit different, as we have seen in previous lessons, but it means much the same. He shows that those who have little are more likely to seek God through Christ and to be blessed. Those who have much are not interested in God’s blessings.
In the next lesson, we will continue reviewing the Sermon on the Mount. This is where the parables begin. Each teaches a valuable lesson for living the Christian life. Come back and join us in the feast God’s Word and Christ’s teachings provide, leading to the ultimate reward of a home with Them in heaven. Have a Blessed Week in Christ’s love!
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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . .
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus Birth Foretold . . .
Lesson Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . .
Lesson Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . .
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted By Satan
Lesson Ten -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 1)
Lesson Eleven -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2)
~~~~~~~~~~Photo above by:kieutruongphoto @pixabay.com.
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I have been nominated for the Ideal Inspiration Award by Sonal Mishra @ https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com. I am honored, humbled, and happy Sonal saw the qualities in me and my posts to deem me worthy of the Ideal Inspiration Award. Thank You, Sonal! Words cannot express my thanks as I humbly accept this magnificent honor!
Sonal is an up and coming poetess, writer, author, artist/illustrator who strives to encourage other bloggers along creative paths shared on this, our journey through life. She is proficient at voicing praise and love for those of us with whom she comes into contact. I feel especially Blessed for having made Sonal’s acquaintance here in the blog posts of our WordPress pages.
I am doubly Blessed by her because she also nominated me for the Liebster Award. I was so surprised and humbled by her generous spirit and by her nominating me for these two awards, I actually had to sit back, collect my thoughts, and look at what I do for a couple of days. My goal is always to impact the lives of others by encouraging acceptance of the paths that others choose to take without allowing that acceptance to negatively influence my own response to life and others in it. Sonal seems to have picked up on my acceptance and love of others sharing my journey in life.
Sonal Mishra, Thank You so very much for deeming me worthy to be nominated for the Ideal Inspiration Award. I am honored, elated, happy, and humbled by your nomination. I strive with all I do to be a positive influence on others. Thank You for seeing that quality in me!
The Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award is a non-official award created by the members of Team Ideal Inspiration and is given to bloggers by bloggers as an acknowledgment of the inspiring work published on their blogs. The award reflects the positive impact people can have on one another in life. It is a recognition of bloggers by bloggers as a means of inspiring aspirations to positively impact the artistic expression of other bloggers.
The Ideal Inspiration Award was introduced by Rising Star from “It’s all about inspiration” @ https://idealinspiration.blog. Thank You, Rising Star for seeing the benefit of such recognition being focused upon other bloggers. I am especially honored to be nominated by Sonal Mishra @ https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com. In the short time I have known her on here, I have developed a respect and admiration for her work and her attitude toward others whom she meets along the way. Bloggers, do not forget to Thank Rising Star and provide a link back to his blog @ https://idealinspiration.blog.
Here are the rules:
— Thank the person who has nominated you and provide a link back to his/her blog.
— Answer his/her questions.
— Nominate up to 9 other bloggers and ask them 5 new questions (maybe you’ll see your name down)
— Notify the nominees through their blog by visiting and commenting on their blog
— List the rules and display the “Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award” logo.
As I noted above, my nomination was put forth by Sonal Mishra at https://ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com/2020/05/23/ideal-inspiration-blogger-award/. Be sure to visit her blog site and let her know we appreciate the inspiration she provides toward the continuity of inspiration in the blogging world. When you visit her blog posts, take note of the writing and of the illustration–both are her creation. She creates wonderful artwork to illustrate her writing. She is an up and coming poetess, writer, author, and artist/illustrator. Encourage her to continue creating, because she excels at both writing and paint/sketch art. I believe she will continue to excel at whatever paths she might choose along life’s journey.
Sonal’s Questions for me:
What was the first inspiration you got in your life?
My first inspiration came at an early age. I participated as a singer in local talent shows as early as age three, and I wrote my first poem at about the age of five. I had been learning, in Sunday School, of Jesus’ love for us. So, I wrote a poem about Jesus. I do not remember the words, and I no longer have the poem; but I do remember the topic.
From there, I wrote several poems during my teen years with one being published in my High School Newsletter my Junior year. I continued to write sporadically through my children’s growing-up years. My most proficient writing period, though, has been the past ten years. My inspiration comes at all hours, and I have learned to listen and write when it occurs.
Have you ever done any good for anyone?
Yes, I have always tried to do good for others, even from an early age. I was a Sunday School teacher of five students, ages 5-12, when I was only fourteen. I was much more mature than most young people my age, thus I was asked to fill the position.
From that, I became an advocate for children with special needs when my own children were quite young. That developed into advocacy for childhood public education as an officer in my children’s school PTA organization. I also coordinated efforts with the District and State offices of PTA.
I then moved into advocacy for community members with special needs, serving as a volunteer for two-and-a-half years before being paid for part-time hours and volunteering hours to supplement paid time. By then, I had realized my own natural abilities as both social worker and counselor. I pursued an education in the latter.
My greatest hope is: When my time on earth has ended, I will have left a warm spot in more than one person’s heart–because that is what life is all about, I believe. I try to ask myself: “What Would Jesus Do?” and pattern my life after Him.
Do you live to eat or eat to live?
I eat to live. Do not get me wrong, I love to eat–good food–but I daily research my health’s nutritional needs and design my diet accordingly. Health concerns have presented the need for this–in the past decade especially. I have always eaten a healthy diet, but it is now much more prevalent in my planning of what I will eat. There are days when my writing might make me forget to eat, if I did not need to eat nutritionally for my health. So, I do both.
How important do you think modernity is?
It depends upon the person and his or her lifestyle. I believe modernity is important in that many would not know how to live without it. The pandemic, I believe will lead some to learn more of the old ways just to ensure survival, but many will ‘fight’ if you will, to keep the modern ways–and that is ok–because they need the modern ways to be all they can be too.
I grew up old-school, and I know the old ways–live by them to a large degree–but I embrace modernity too. I enjoy learning new tech skills. As my poetry, my novel, my essays, blogs and painting skills grow, I hope to publish and branch out from there. I plan to create an author/artist web page in the near future and would like to be able to do my own upkeep and IT work.
What would you choose from both modernism and traditionalists?
From modernism, as I said above, I want to create a web page for my authorial endeavors and for my painting and sketching. That will involve a lot, so I will need to embrace modern phone technology and continue to grow in other technologies as the need arises.
From traditionalists, there is nothing and no one more important than my children and grandchildren. They are gifts from God, and I treasure them more than they can possibly know.
I also love to garden, preserve my own foods through canning, freezing–and want to begin dehydrating–in order to limit unhealthy additives. I love the process of doing the old crafts of knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, etc. There are not enough hours in a day to do all I would like to do–but I try!
My Nominees are:
Arlene Somerton Smith
100 Country Trek
ajeanneinthekitchen
Amouri Mohamed
Themba-Katlego
Earthwalking13
Questions to My Nominees are:
What inspires you to create?
How do you determine what you create with a specific inspiration?
If you could visit face to face with the one person of all time by whom you have been inspired, who would that be?
During this pandemic, what have you done to kindle inspiration in its midst?
With what one inspiration would you like to impact society today?
Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)
Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown
Disciple Selection Begins
Lesson Scripture — Matthew 4:12-25
12 — “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.”
13 — “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,”
14 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying:”
15 — “‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.'”
16 — “‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.'”
17 — “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”
18 — “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.”
19 — “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”
20 — “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
21 — “Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,”
22 — “and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.”
23 — “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”
24 — “Then His fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics, and He healed them.”
25 — “Great multitudes followed Him–from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.”
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Prophecy
v15 — Isaiah 9:1, 2
1 — “Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon who is distressed, as when at first He lightly esteemed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more heavily oppressed her, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the Gentiles.”
2 — “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.”
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Related New Testament Scriptures
v12 — John 4:43 — “Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.”
v16 — Luke 2:32 — “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”
v17 — Mark 1:14, 15 — (See below.)
v17 — Matthew 3:2 — “and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'”
v18 — Mark 1:16-20 — (See below.)
v18 — John 1:40-42 — (See below.)
v23 — Matthew 24:14 — “‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.'”
v23 — Mark 1:34 — (See below.)
v24 — Luke 4:40 — “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
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Lesson Scripture — Mark 1:14-20
14 — “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,”
15 — “and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'”
16 — “And as He walked by t he Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.”
17 — “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'”
18 — “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
19 — “When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.”
20 — “And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him.”
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Related New Testament Scriptures
v14 — Matthew 4:12 — (See above.)
v14 — Matthew 4:23 — (See above.”
v15 — Galatians 4:4 — “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,”
v15 — Matthew 3:2 — “and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'”
v15 — Matthew 4:14 — (See above.)
v16 -- Luke 5:2-11
2 -- "and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets."
3 -- "Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the land, And He sat down and taught the multitude from the boat."
4 -- "When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, 'Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.'"
5 -- "But Simon answered and said to Him, 'Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.'"
6 -- "And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking."
7 -- "So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink."
8 -- "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!'"
9 -- "For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken."
10 -- "and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men."
11 -- "So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him."
v17 — Matthew 13:47, 48
47 — “‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,'”
48 — “‘which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels but threw the bad away.'”
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Lesson Scripture — John 1:35-51
35 — “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.”
36 — “And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!'”
37 — “The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
38 — “Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ They said to Him, ‘Rabbi’ (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), ‘where are you staying?'”
39 — “He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where He was staying and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).”
40 — “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
41 — “He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ).”
42 — “And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the Son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone).”
43 — “The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.'”
44 — “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.”
45 — “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'”
46 — “And Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.'”
47 — “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!'”
48 — “Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.‘”
49 — “Nathanael answered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!'”
50 — “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.'”
51 — “And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Sun of Man.'”
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Prophecy
v47 — Psalm 32:2 — “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
v47 — Psalm 73:1 — “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart.”
v51 — Genesis 28:12 — “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”
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Related New Testament Scriptures
v36 — John 1:29 — “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'”
v37 — Matthew 4:20, 22 — (See above.)
v40 — Matthew 4:18 — (See above.)
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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown
Here in these four sets of Lesson Scriptures–from Matthew, Mark, (Luke as it is connected to Mark’s depiction via the Related New Testament Scriptures), and John–we are shown how Jesus began selecting his disciples as he set about preaching, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” These four presentations vary slightly as one might expect the testimony of four witnesses in a court of law to vary. Human nature is such that each of the four saw slightly different things taking place. Luke presents his in slightly more detail as an adjunct to Mark’s. In these four presentations, Jesus selects the brothers Andrew and Simon Peter, the brothers James and John — sons of Zebedee and partners with Simon Peter in the fishing industry, Philip, and Nathanael–both of Bethsaida.
Simon Peter doubted the likelihood of a successful cast after toiling all night and catching nothing but agreed to cast anyway at Jesus’ request, only to bring up nets so full of fish the nets were breaking. They summoned partners to assist in saving the catch. Then Simon Peter, ashamed at his lack of faith, tells Jesus to depart from his sinful self. Jesus assured Simon Peter that he would need only catch men in the future. In the Related New Testament Scriptures, we see Matthew13:47 and 48 connected to Mark 1:17 as an example of Jesus–in later sermons–reminding Simon of this catch.
Almost instantaneously, as Jesus begins to preach, people are drawn to Him. His command of the Word, the authority with which He casts out demons who readily obey Him, and the compassion evidenced in His ready willingness to heal the sick spoke to their hearts, and the multitudes flocked to Him wherever He went.
The beginning of Jesus’ ministry will be divided into several lessons due to the extensive and varied aspects of His interactions. Next week, we will look at the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus lays the groundwork for all His teachings while living here on earth.
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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . .
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus' Birth Foretold . . .
Lesson Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . .
Lesson Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . .
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . .
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . .
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . .
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted By Satan
Lesson Ten -- Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part I)
Hi Everyone, I have just received one of the greatest complements to be granted a relative ‘newbie’ in the blogging arena. Sonal Mishra, at http://www.ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com, has visited quite a number of my posts here on my WordPress page. Just the reading of so many posts on my blog, in and of the behavior itself, is such a high honor to me. There is no greater honor to an author than to be deemed worthy–by another author–of being read. No words can express my gratitude to Sonal for reading my blog so voraciously. Now she steps up to a much higher rung on the ladder and shouts my blog to the world as being read-worthy. Sonal, Thank You! I am humbled by your praise. As you read my blog, please visit Sonal Mishra’s blog as well: http://www.ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com. She is a young and upcoming author searching for all the input she can possibly gain from fellow writers, poets, sketchers, and artists of all forms. The illustrations on each of her blog posts is her own. Her talents abound, and she is using those talents abundantly–so she will continue to amass new talents. This is our promise with assurance. Sonal also engages in the most effective learning and refining tool a writer has–she reads and peruses the work of fellow artists. This will contribute to your success, Sonal. As you journey various paths throughout life, this habit alone will refine you and your talents. Thank You for sharing paths with me. I am honored! You are an artist who speaks and illustrates from the heart.
I urge you, please visit Sonal Mishara’s wordpress blog page and support her efforts as an up and coming author / poet / writer /artist / sketcher / illustrator / etc. Her blog post link is: http://www.ouractionisourluck.wordpress.com. Again, Thank You, Sonal!!!
The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by other bloggers, https://bloggingfilter.com/liebster-award/. This blog post tells us “Liebster is German — it means ‘sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.'”
Rules to the Liebster Blogger Award:
Thank the blogger who nominated you and give a link to their blog–which I have done above. Never can I Thank her enough for this nomination. Again, Sonal, Thank You for this high honor!
Answer the 11 questions given to you.
Nominate between 5–11 other bloggers.
Ask your nominees 11 questions.
Notify your nominees once you’ve uploaded your post.
Sonal Mishra’s Questions for me:
“If you want to become a Great Writer, you have to be a Great Reader.” Do you agree?”
Yes, it is not possible to understand all the nuances of great writing from a vacuum. The works of other writers, great or not, teach us by example. There is no greater way to learn than by example. I am honored that you find my postings so readable. You do my heart good!
What is the Purpose of your blog?
I started my blog as a means of developing my Writer’s Platform. Since I write such varied works, my postings might confuse the visitor in the beginning. However, as the postings are read, a common thread in each alludes to who I am. I strive to live my life in honesty, integrity, compassion, acceptance, understanding, and with agape love as demonstrated by Jesus Christ when He lived on this earth. I hope my poetry, prose, and poetic prose postings depict this. Thus, the purpose of my blog is to introduce myself and my authorial creations to those who choose to read. As I move further along the timeline of my blog, I will share my paintings and sketches as well.
Give two good and two bad habits of yours.
Two Good Habits: I would say my two strengths are persistence and caring about others. I am persistent to a fault. Once I begin something, I want to finish it, sometimes to the point of not getting away from it until it is done. This is both good and bad. So, it is one of my bad habits as well. I have been known to neglect myself in order to finish the project on which I am working.
Caring about others is the second good habit I would share. It is a most important factor in my work. I try to soften more pointed factors in my work by providing reasons for a certain aspect or characteristic. My acceptance of a particular concept or belief promotes my sharing it in my writings. That sharing does not mean I expect the reader to embrace the same concept or belief. I strive to accept each person as he or she presents. I do not try to mold them to my own form. The world would be a very boring place if we were all formed from the same mold.
Two Bad Habits: As mentioned above, persistence is both a good and a bad habit for me. While it is most valuable in my ability to see a project through to completion, regardless of how long the project takes, it is also a deterrent because neglecting myself due to persistence can lead to serious health problems. So, I make a conscious effort to spend adequate time taking care of me.
The second Bad Habit I would share: I sometimes care too much about others and what they need from be becomes sort of distorted. I have to be careful that I do not give of myself and what I have so much I do not have sufficient left for myself–whether it be energy, physical supplies, etc. For the most part, I have learned through the years to balance this.
According to you, “What defines a Writer?”
A writer is someone who puts personal thoughts to paper. It matters not whether those thoughts are ever published. If the writer/author has composed a work of value to others, it will be published at some point in time. If it is only of value to the one who does the writing, he/she is still a writer. Journaling is not typically intended to be shared. It is for the personal and private growth and reflection of the individual writer. There again, some of the best writers were discovered posthumously.
Wouldyou rather travel or read a bookat home?
Initially, I prefer to read a book in order to learn about the place I would then like to visit. If the author has taken the time to properly research the locale, either in person or through the writings of others, references in the book to specific places will be well-placed. This will assist me in choosing my agenda while visiting in person, should I choose to do so.
What is your favorite genre?
I would tend to say historical fiction is my favorite genre – with conditions. The work must be well written, well researched and appropriately reference events and persons from that time period, unless the foreword specifies otherwise. Sometimes authors insert people and events. This should be noted out of respect for the reader. Leading the reader to believe the events and characters actually played roles in that time period when they did not can confuse novice readers regarding actual historical timelines.
Now, with all that said, I actually love reading many genres — so long as they do not have too much violence, blood and gore, obscenity and sexual focus. These abound and allude my interests. Any genre presenting intellectual authorship is actually to my enjoyment. I also enjoy reading non-fiction in many areas of the Dewey Decimal designations.
How are you spending your time in this lockdown?
I am remaining very active during the lockdown. In my normal routine, I engage in many activities around my home. I am proficient in several needlecrafts, I paint, try to sketch, read, write both poetry and prose. I also enjoy cooking and cleaning. I research healthy eating for specific medical concerns, find recipes using the ingredients needed, then create my version of those entrées to enhance my own health. These are things I could never find the time to do while working outside my home. So, I am enjoying my time in lockdown. The only thing I do not enjoy about it is: my family has not been able to come see me. I look forward to the day the virus is controlled enough that it will be safe for them to come visit again.
What is your favorite book?
Actually, there are so many it is hard to narrow down to just one. My all-time favorite book is the Holy Bible — King James Version. I grew up reading it and often turned to it for guidance in daily living concerns.
However, I believe in this instance I should note my favorite person-authored book. After much thought, I believe it would be a non-fiction book by Alison Weir: Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters who ruled Europe. The book is written much like a well-written historical fiction novel, but with historical accuracy throughout. I also enjoyed reading Sharon Kay Penman’s Lionheart. On a lighter note, I enjoyed J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, and various other books too numerous to mention here.
Reading is our connection to the world as it is seen by others. The author tells his/her view of the world whether or not the book is historical. The readers see the world as presented by favorite authors. As a result of this interaction, the world is viewed differently with each person.
What would you do if you received an extra day in a year?
Since I stay busy with activities I enjoy, my preference would be to spend that day with my family. If that is not possible, I would choose one of my favorite hobbies and strive to do something different with that talent. I try not to allow any of my talents to stagnate. I always look for ways to increase my talent and skills.
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The award is a way to be discovered but also to connect and support the blogging community. A great idea in promoting your own blog and others. Originally it was given out to blogs with less than 2000 readers but this has slowly lowed as the reward has gained popularity. It is now only 200 readers or less. It’s really an arbitrary number. If you like helping other blogs out go ahead and do it regardless of its size. This award is all about promoting and viewing other peoples blogs.
What is the Liebster Award?
The Liebster Award is an award that exists only on the internet and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.
Like Sonal, I would like to put these same questions to my nominees.
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Again, Thank You — Sonal Mishra — for being so kind as to nominate me for this award! You consume what you read and take it into yourself to be used in the things you write. This is the mark of a writer to be recognized. You illustrate with the best already. I am highly impressed with such advanced talents in an up and coming author / illustrator. You are a rare individual to have developed your talents to this level. I commend you! This makes your nomination of me so much more touching.
I encourage all whom I have nominated to visit Sonal’s blog, https://ouractionisourluck.com, and peruse her writings and artistic illustrations. She is very talented! I also thank all of you for the support and referrals you have given. Please continue to do so. Your “Likes”, “Comments”, and referrals are Much Appreciated. Blessings to all!
by tkbrown 
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