It was as I was in the midst of looking up whether putting up a Christmas tree in some way broke the Sabbath that I realized it was, yes, quite possible learning to celebrate the Sabbath would actually be a process; and amusement would be part of it, at least for me.

If you grew up in the church and you and your family members were actively involved, you might admit that though we regarded Sundays as our Sabbath, they were not a day of rest. This bothered me for a very long time until I finally decided to not fight the busyness of being an active church member on Sundays and to honor the Sabbath Day as it had been in the Old Testament: on Saturday. So began a lovely discovery.

You see, if I was to actually rest on Saturday, that meant I would need to get all of my work done before then, and that meant that procrastination was not the happy-go-lucky, jokey, old friend it normally was. At first, I piled most things onto Friday. By the time sundown rolled around I was exhausted. So then I began to parcel the work out so that poor Friday wouldn’t end up looking like a frothing horse galloping the last mile of the pony express. It worked! And do you know what? I actually got more done than I usually did. I found extra little things to do that I might’ve otherwise left alone. I cleaned closets – that sort of thing. And then the Sabbath! Ahhh!

But there are times when doing something which disrupts the Sabbath rest seems very important. It is those times I’ve learned to lean on several marker stones given in the Bible. First, my memory is drawn to the women after the crucifixion of Jesus. And though preparing His body must’ve seemed paramount, what did they do? They waited that extra day because it was the Sabbath. What honorable examples to us they are! A second reference I lean on is when Jesus says, “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” What a helpful thing to say! And when I must do work to help someone, I also remember what Jesus said as recorded in Luke: “And He said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” His comment is so helpful.

Another perspective I remember is one of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That is to say, that shadow of things to come is given to us with a caution to not concern ourselves with someone else’s judgement of our efforts. And as one who is still (and let’s be honest – always will be) learning, I appreciate the permission given in that scripture.

I look forward to the Sabbath every single week. It’s like a mini vacation! And if something is amiss – too bad. It’s the Sabbath. I’m resting. Zero guilt.

When God instituted the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2, Exodus 20:8-11, Leviticus 23:3, Deuteronomy 5:14), He was showing us the loveliness of balance and enjoyment. But He also holds out a promise for the future when we read “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.” It seems to me it will be a beautiful time of relishing the gloriousness of our Creator in His perfect creation. I, myself, picture myself surrounded by nature without a storm in sight. My little holiday every week is a sweet little taste of the delight to come. Join me!

The hair-raising creep of a scary story, the unexpected jolt, the chill that follows you around afterward: I used to like writing such stories. Reading, not so much. I am, at heart, a cowardly lion. But writing them? Great fun, because I controlled what was said and where the story landed. I think I still would enjoy writing them if I allowed myself. Maybe some day.

Check back in my archives in October (and July of 2014 and again in 2016 I wrote some fun ones), and you will find the type of story I mean. I don’t care for bloodcurdling scenarios, but more of a teaser. Some things are best left to imagination, and I trust readers to fill gaps better than I would. I think the last one I wrote on this blog was a few years ago.  https://www.myfiresidechat.com/2017/10/30/who-was-counting/ But I must confess it doesn’t hold the same appeal when you’re actually living in the most dystopian times you’d never imagined.

When you learn that most of every company and industry of every type in every part of the world is owned by a select few, and those select few relish the trillions of dollars made by those companies and industries – money made by people aware and others unaware; and they plan a future of not simply regulating financial institutions but companies and individuals – including salaries, 401ks, and access; and your knowledge of trafficking drugs, children, women, and young men increases to understanding that it isn’t just drugs and sex but hearts, lungs, and livers; and expands even more to the torture endured by countless unfortunates for the pleasure and power of satanic sacrifice; and you see through recent experience how subtle and not so subtle changes can lead trusting people to cover their face like they used to do to slaves and in ritualistic practices, likewise stand six feet apart, and lead some to be injected with chemicals poorly understood and obsessively supported by the aforementioned select few; and you unwillingly acknowledge that genocide isn’t relegated to the past; well then you finally see that scary stories are not limited to words on paper accompanied by hot cocoa and a cozy blanket.

No, this October I’ll leave scary stories to those who are still blind to the horror around them or who partake in it, themselves. Instead, I’ll break the darkness with light. Because, you see, no matter the times or situation, God is stronger. And He really loves us. And when we encounter the blackest night, He hands us a flashlight. Or a new idea to bring healing. Or He sends rescuers. Or, sometimes, He reaches down and does it, Himself. The letter writer of Colossians 1 put it this way:

. . . giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. . .

One more thing: All Saints Day is just around the corner.

https://lpeproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Peoples.Ledger.DRAFT_.pdf; https://rumble.com/vo6n5f-monopoly-who-owns-the-world-must-see.html; https://theminnesotasun.com/2021/10/08/world-renowned-psychiatrist-global-predators-fauci-gates-schwab-behind-the-covid-reign-of-terror/; Revelation 22:2; Images: httppixabay.comenanimal-autumn-background-bird-89182-public-domain.jpg; Nina-Hale-Flickr-C.-CC-by-2.0.png; 281-Bokeh-Free-Images-on-Pixabay.jpg

There are people in nearly every circumstance who are the servants. They might not immediately stand out, but eventually we notice who they are by their dependable help. Are they born that way or do they cultivate that character? Or, perhaps, a little of both and more. In times of trial and trouble, they are the ones who keep going. They don’t throw up their hands in futility, rather they put one foot in front of the other every minute of every hour of every day.

What makes a person like that? Besides sterling character, one of my favorite authors would say it is hope. Victor Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Being a Holocaust survivor he should know. He also cautioned:

“Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man, his courage and hope, or lack of them and the state of immunity of his body will understand that sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.“

We, none of us, can know the future. When things are bright and pleasant, we imagine the same is ahead. Likewise, when we are in the middle of tough times, it can be easy to imagine only darkness in the coming days and years. And that’s where the importance of hope arises. It gives us just enough glimmer of light ahead to keep going; to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That glimmer can even help us recall better past days so that we can imagine brighter future ones.

Some people scoff at optimists. I’ve always wondered why someone would do that. But hope isn’t optimism. Maybe it’s just the knowledge that none of us knows the future, and that knowledge removes the certainty of dark days as surely as it nudges us to understand the road is never always straight, but, rather, turns here and there and even loops around. We keep on because one of those bends in the road might erupt into light and beauty. It didn’t happen at this turn? Maybe it will at the next.

There are a lot of choices in life. Among your selections, might I offer one? Choose hope.

Man’s Search for Meaning, 1946, by Viktor Frankl; Romans 5:1-5 (Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.); Image: pexels-gift-habeshaw-3415211

If you’ve ever moved, you know the indecision of having a lot to do and not knowing where to begin. Some of you feel this on a regular basis as you stare into space over your morning cup of coffee. We sympathize, but this isn’t that.

We’re moving, alright. The direction just isn’t terribly clear. Over the space of a year, we’ve been confronted with, well, with one confusing decision after another. Among family, friend, or foe we land on the same or opposing sides of these questions, with some of us standing in the middle, our hands over our mouths, turning one way, then another. It’s a nightmare for people who break into hives at even the thought of confrontation. We’re a motley crew, to be sure, and we don’t harmonize that well just now.

We experienced an explosive reaction about the death of a man who was detained in Minneapolis. Everyone has their own opinions about what happened, but we can agree that it started countrywide protests and destruction by two notable groups that continues to this day.

We then experienced what some said was an accident and some say was a bioweapon. Whatever it was, the narrative and reaction generated fear world-wide. Depending on a state’s governing bodies, too many lost their lives through sickness, suicide, or lack of human contact. Many small businesses – businesses run by everyday people who worked hard, sacrificed their money and time, and pursued their dreams – were driven to closure. States and nations encountered economic troubles as people lost jobs and a way to provide for themselves.

We faced an unusual Presidential election in which the frontrunner had a seemingly landslide-like lead, some states stopped counting votes late at night and the nation found that in the morning election results had flipped to opposite of what they had been. This last and most recent trouble has led many to believe our free country has fallen to communism through a color revolution.

Fact and rumor are being tossed around like the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz and they’re just as scary. We face a flood of information the truthfulness of which is difficult to determine. Some people say Q was a psyop to lull people into complacency, others believe it was a military op to wake people up. More recently, some people are claiming our nation’s history includes the Act of 1871 which should peel the skin off your teeth if you believe it. If you’ve read Agenda 2021 from those darling people who meet at Davos, you’ve already found a cave in the middle of nowhere and measured it for drapes.

And in the middle of all this are the people who say we’re so close to the rapture, you’d better have the “What to do if you miss the rapture” letter sitting out where some unfortunate soul can see it if you twinkling of an eye out of here. You think I’m kidding? You’ll find it in the citations below.

I am hopeful that things are not what they seem just now. I am hopeful that righteous people are doing everything possible to oust communism from our dear country. I have planted my flag and I stand. Even so, should my fervent hope materialize, it is only a matter of time until the unspoken horrors we have been exposed to will come to pass. When they do, the world might not call it The Great Tribulation, but that’s what it will be.

I’ve learned that what I thought was the world being sifted a few years ago was nothing compared to the overdrive sifting we’re witnessing now. Seriously. It’s like being in a food processor where you’d like to stay your happy carrot self, but the cook thinks you’ll be more useful shredded. It’s the kind of sifting that asks not only, “Do you have faith?” but “Do you have faith absent physical proof? In the face of seeming physical proof to the contrary?” This sifting seeks to examine whether we live out our Christian declarations in the face of much controversy and trouble. We can no longer read the Bible and chuckle at the people who couldn’t see prophecy happening right in front of their noses. We no longer have the luxury of taking anything we’ve enjoyed all our lives for granted. We cannot afford to stand in the middle of this mess (especially where our relationship with Jesus is concerned). We have to research and we have to pray and we have to choose.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mötley_Crüe ; election fraud:https://www.dailysignal.com/2020/11/03/us-election-fraud-is-real-and-its-impact-is-being-ignored/; https://cnsnews.com/commentary/hans-von-spakovsky/heres-what-election-fraud-deniers-dont-want-you-know; color revolution: https://www.conservativedailynews.com/2020/09/what-is-a-color-revolution/ ; O,: qanon.pub ; Act of 1871: https://americannationalmilitia.com/the-organic-act-of-1871-with-notes/ ; annavonreitz.com/actof1871pdf ; Agenda 2021: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/12/21/world-economic-forum-digital-davos-2021-to-reveal-great-reset-initiative/ ; https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/64002-what-to-do-if-you-miss-the-rapture; Revelation 6: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%206&version=KJV

Salt can make things taste good, but it can also make your dog throw up. And, frankly, any kind of meat doesn’t taste that great (to me) without seasoning of some sort. Maybe that’s why some people don’t like vegetables. They don’t put salt on them. I confess I put garlic salt, tumeric, and olive oil on my salad. Though salting a salad seems counterproductive, it’s not against the law. Yet.

Living in an area where snow and ice aren’t uncommon, I don’t rejoice like people in Texas did this week when I see those little flakes falling. But I am grateful if I see sand or salt being scattered on the roads and sidewalks, because I know then that I’m less likely to slip and fall, crash, or end up in the ditch.

If you’ve ever had a bright light shined smack in your face, you know that it doesn’t help you see. It blinds you. If the person holding the light is a police officer, that blinding light helps you understand that you’re not in charge just then. But if you’re walking somewhere dark, you are very grateful for even a little bit of light. You don’t feel as vulnerable as you did before it appeared. Unless, I suppose, you believe in UFOs.

Salt has a lot of uses. Some people are glad for salt, but maybe, for some, it makes them want to throw up. Light is usually welcome, but not always. And I’m thinking just now that it doesn’t matter how it’s received; only that it’s there. It isn’t meant to be restricted to one thing or area, but every single area. The world, in fact.

This last paragraph is directed to Christians. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking our faith needs to be present in some places, but stay away from certain areas: Like pornography or trafficking or politics. The world is the world and everything in it. God put us in charge. He uses us in the world and everything in it because that is His intention. He intervenes sometimes, but He doesn’t expect us to stay out of the fray. And if we do and pat ourselves on the back for it, I believe He’ll be shining a blinding light in our faces very soon.

Images: pexels-kaboompics-com-6401-scaled.jpg; pexels-emre-kuzu-4820763.jpg;  Matthew 5:13-18  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.