Ashram

Ashram means (religious) retreat (center). It dereives from a Sanskirt term aashraya that means protection.

E. Stanley Jones was powerfully touched in a revival at Asbury Seminary in 1905. He became known as "The Apostle to India", for his missionary work there and he worked hard on contextualiztion. Part of Jones legacy in the West are Christian Ashrams. Their website explains: "Christian Ashrams -are unique religious retreats that are Christ-centered and give individuals an opportunity to discover Christian answers for victorious daily living in the 21st century while proclaiming... Jesus Is Lord!"

In Indian folktales, tired leaders would venture to an Ashram and unplug and get refreshed.

Ashrams are usually located away from cities and towns, in the forest or mountains. I think they might not have deserts in India.

Tobiah

Tobiah means the Lord is good. I also read that it can mean "pleasing to the Lord".

The Lord is good. If you are questioning, worried, concerned, anxious or afraid; your answer is that the Lord is good.

On Top of Old Smokie

On top of old smokie all covered with snow
I lost my true lover from courting too slow

For courting's a pleasure but pouting brings grief
A false hearted lover is worse than a thief

A thief they will rob you and take all you see
A false hearted lover will drive you to your grave

And the grave will enclose you and turn you to dust
Not a man in a million can a pretty girl trust

They swear that they love you then tell you more lies
Than cross ties on the railroad or stars in the skies

Come all you young maidens and listen to me
Don't place your affection underneath and evergreen tree

The leaves they will wither and the roots will all die
And you'll be forsaken and never know why

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What's this song about?

A trip to Point Fermin Lighthouse

Arnold and Shirley Fox (front right and back left), Janine's parents, Glenn and Judy (second row); with us three for the day.

Built in 1874, the Point Fermin Lighthouse was the first navigational light into the San Pedro Bay.


A view north, looking at Palos Verdes.

Johnathan tried on the Lighthouse keeper's hat.

A time to pray

• Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.
• Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
• Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
• Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful.
• Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving

Colossians 4:2

There are times to pray, seasons of prayer. There are prayers and there is a continuous praying. Not the same words over and over, as if the repetition would have an affect, but a labor in prayer. It's a keeping at it, from all angles, organic posture. I've got 5 translations here to show the different English words chosen for this word that means to give steadfast attention or devotion, to continue in, to persevere in, with courage, and to wait on constantly. Don't give up. The night is darkest right before down breaks. If you've ever read The Pilgrim's Progress, you'll remember that those wild animal make the loudest noises as you are coming up to the gateway on your road to destiny.

prayers for restoration

My scripture today:

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Psalm 14:7

I think that God is all about restoration. Bill Johnson is talking about this. I listened to Bill's Easter message and he spent half of his time talking and leading in prayer about God restoring stuff. Here is that prayer list:

As we receive today's offering We are believing the Lord for:

• Jobs and better jobs,
• Raises and bonuses
• Benefits
• Sales and commissions
• Favorable settlements
• Estates and inheritances
• Interests and income
• Rebates and returns
• Checks in the mail
• Gifts and surprises
• Finding money
• Debts paid off
• Expenses decrease
• Blessing and increase

Thank You, Lord, for meeting all of my financial needs that I may havemore than enough to give into the Kingdom of God and promote the Gospel ofJesus Christ.

Hallelujah!!!!!!

Life and death in Christ

Death works in us, but life in you.
2 Corinthians 4:12

"There are some aspects of God's great work in our lives that only happen through trials and suffering."
-David Guzik

"It is not a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved in order to manifest the life of the Son of God in our mortal flesh, and it is the disagreeable things which make us exhibit whether or not we are manifesting His life. Do I manifest the essential sweetness of the Son of God, or the essential irritation of "myself" apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy the disagreeable is the keen enthusiasm of letting the life of the Son of God manifest itself in me. No matter how disagreeable a thing may be, say - "Lord, I am delighted to obey Thee in this matter," and instantly the Son of God will press to the front, and there will be manifested in my human life that which glorifies Jesus."
-Oswald Chambers

God is involved with you

David's last three sons were: Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphet. 1 Chronicles 14:7

These names mean: my God has heard, the Lord knows, and God is deliverance.

David's choice of names for these three last boys are filled with truth about God.

God has heard you.
God does know about you and your situation and what you're going through.
God is deliverance for you.

When God hears it means God is going to respond. God never has hearing issues, but God sometimes does not hear for various reasons. The sound is heard, but He can not act or will not act because there's a problem, like when it says that a man's prayers are hindered because he is not treating he wife right.

143

Do you know what 143 means, what it's code for? Most people over 30 probably wouldn't know, but younger people who text message know. It means "I love you". I ventured out of my comfort zone today and went to a gathering of people I had never been at before and I was called out and given $143. I won a raffle that my friend bought me tickets for.

My friends

In the past two weeks, I have, sought after, been sought, and found my seven best friends.

I'm reflecting on how blessed I have been, my whole life, to always have close friends.

I think friends are gifts from God. Plenty of times in my life, I was lonely, and then a new friend appeared in my life. I know that God cares about lonely people and seeks to give them friends.

I never knew you

“I never knew you”, is one thing we don’t want to hear when we get to heaven. How could this ever happen to someone, in the church, doing good deeds all their life? People can do all sorts of good deeds, but not be disciples. Disciple means Christ-follower which means someone who obeys the one who they follow. To know Christ means to live his life style, to live in his ethic. So doing mighty works, feeding the hungry, and giving generously are not the “calling cards” of a Christ-follower, although his followers do all these things.

Notes on the church Jesus builds

In that day, declares the Lord,
I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away
and those whom I have afflicted.

"On that great day," God says,
"I will round up all the hurt and homeless,
everyone I have bruised or banished.

Micah 4:6

Bringing these ones in to church: those with disabilities, people who have been rejected, and all hurt by God. The Lord does the assembling, the gathering, the rounding up. The true church is a group built by Christ. He uses people to gather people, but it’s the Lord who is behind the idea of it and who is the one we gather around.

Frail

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
2Cor. 4:7

Perhaps one of the marks of true apostleship and authentic ministry of God through Christ is suffering on display. I was going to say brokenness, but that really refers to problems in the person's life that are denied or ignored that cause pain. By suffering, I mean a life of human limitations that are acknowledged. It's never the great man of God, but always the great God of man, or we're in trouble.

The Church is like Strawberry plants

I had a dream that I was given a strawberry plant. Reading about strawberries, it struck me that they have some symbolic attributes of the Church that were interesting!

Strawberries are a popular red fruit grown all over North America. The species name is Fragaria, which comes from fragans, which means odorous; referring to the strawberry's pleasant smell .


Strawberries are red on the outside and white on the inside.
The fruit can be used as a teeth whitener.
Each berry has up to 200 seeds on the outside of it's skin.
Strawberries are planted from the end of September to the end of October.
Peak harvest time is from April to June, although it starts in February.
California produces 83% of the Strawberries in the US, followed by Florida.