Will You Take the Path to be Born of God?

Are You Born of God?

When people ask this question, they don't literally mean that you were birthed and

came out of the womb of God, like a baby comes out of the womb of his mother. 

They are talking about it spiritually.



1 John 5 verse 1 says: 

" Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." KJV 

or if you want to read it in an easier standard, let's try the NIV:

 "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1 John 5:1)

and then there is John 3:16 (NIV) says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

In other words, If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you are born of God a.k.a. being born again (spiritually). Our father God and his son Jesus Christ are one, so if you love one, you love the other.  It's kind of like eating ice cream, you like eating the ice cream and all it's ingredients that make up the ice cream. They are all as one.

that concludes being born of God 101



note: all scripture is from www.biblegateway.com
photo is by Expressive Praise by Tanya Kirkendall

Be Careful What you Promise to God

I was reading a book the other day and it mentioned Judges 11:30-39. So I got my old Student Bible out that was given to me around 1986 from my Sunday School Teacher. Do you ever read something in the Bible and you are surprised at what you are reading?

First we read, verse 30 and 31:

" And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,  whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

That prayer may sound kind of reasonable, if you have a lot of animals in your house. Yet I couldn't or don't want to sacrifice my cat Buttons. I don't know what Jephtah was thinking when he asked that request. Maybe he was just desperate for winning. (Let's call Jephthah, "Jeph," for short.)

Let's read on in verse 32

"Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands..."

That sounds great. Jeph got exactly what he wanted from the Lord. 

Verse 34: "When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter."

Oh no, STOP!!! His daughter comes out of his house.That wasn't supposed to happen. I mean, Jeph, never even considered that his daughter would be the one to be sacrificed.  (I would have said, "oops, God, I made a mistake.) Remember what he said to the Lord. God, if you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of Jeph's door, I promise I will give it in a burnt sacrifice.

Let's continue:   

"When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, 'Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.'

(I think it's sad that he seems to blame it on his daughter; she had no idea that he made a vow to the Lord.)

“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.  But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”

“You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry.  After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin."

Wow, what devotion Jeph and his daughter had. I think I would have liked to say, "Just because you made a vow with God, doesn't mean I have to follow through with it. BUT she went along with it. That is devotion or dedication. That's amazing, yet strange to my human eyes and ears.  I don't know what kind of sacrifice he had to make because She says that she will never marry and I guess she will remain a virgin. It seems like maybe there was another kind of sacrifice he was going to do instead of killing her. She grieves because she will never marry, not because she will die. Interesting!!!

 So I am thinking maybe the sacrifice wasn't where he had to kill the offering. Whatever it was, they were both dedicated and I hope God blessed them for it.

How many of us made a promise to God and kept it, even when it affected others? Now that's something to think about.

scripture taken from: 

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+11%3A30-39&version=NIV

picture of sunset by Expressive Praise, a.k.a. Tanya Kirkendall

What Would it say?

If there was a book or chapter in the Bible written about your life, what would it say? What would the end to the story be?
Would it say that you walked with God? Would it say you murdered someone? Would it say you helped people or that people ran from you?
Would it say that you did God's will or that you ran from it? Would it say,hat you gave out love or you took from it. How do you think your story would end?
Was it like Joseph who had bad things happen to him, but God used the circumstances to help his family From famine? Would it be like Moses who was given up for adoption to save his life, and then later he would help his people? Would it be like Noah who did God's will by making an ark, even when everyone laughed at him....and he was able save his family and the animals?
Was it like Cain who killed his brother out of jealousy and had to be on the run the rest of his life?
Or like Queen Esther, Mary the mother of Jesus, or Mary Magdalene?
What's your story? Why are you here? It's something to think about..

Why Did Jesus Listen to the Demons?

In Luke 8:26-39, it says that there was a guy with many demons in him.  Jesus was about to command the demons to come out of the man. The demons begged Jesus to not have them sent to the abyss. The abyss probably meant "the bottomless pit or hell." The numerous demons begged Jesus to have them thrown into some nearby pigs.  And Jesus did it. He cast them out of the man and they ended up going into pigs that ended up going crazy. The demons went into the herd of pigs, and violently ran into a lake and drowned.....

Did you ever think of why did Jesus listen to the demons?  Why didn't Jesus cast them demons back to hell.  And what happened to the demons after the pigs died.  Demons don't die, as far as I know.  Did the demons jump into someone else's body... I don't know about you, but it kind of confuses or concerns me that Jesus listened to the demons...He did what they asked... Hmmm. Does He still do that?  I guess He knows best....actually I know He knows best... I just don't understand His ways, at times.

26" Then they (Jesus and his disciples) sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.  And when He (Jesus) stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes,nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.

30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.

32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.

34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.

38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him."   Luke 8:26-39

Passing By?

Matthew 27:39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

I have read this scripture so many times, yet recently I decided to think about it more.

Jesus was dying on the cross, along with a guy on each side of him.  Then people were walking by him as he is dying...They are passing by. They are making fun of him and mocking him. Have you ever thought about this?

If I saw someone hanging on some wood, and all beat up and bloody, I wouldn't want to be near that person. If I liked the person or nor, It would be too painful to look at. I don't know, maybe because I am not used to watching people being tortured or dying a painful death like that. I wouldn't even want to watch my worse enemy die a painful death. It's just not my thing.

hmmm just saying...

Living Stone

(picture from Expressive Praise)

I read this scripture today.
"Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:4-5

I have heard this scripture preached so many times, but I always hear people say that "Jesus is a living stone" and that is all I hear about this scripture. Yet even though he is the living stone we also are living stones.  The scripture above says:

"...you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

(picture from photobucket.com)

 It is like he is building our spiritual bodies into spiritual houses. If everyone is a stone, think of how strong our churches or families would be if we work on them together.  Putting one stone on top of another stone can hold things together; we can make big structures out of this rock material. If we are stones, then we are solid rock....what use do stones or rocks have?

"A lot of cities are made from stone... Roads, parking lots, bridges, airports, and highways are all made from crushed stone and concrete." (http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/BuildingStones.htm)    Stones and rocks have a lot of use...we can have that same usefulness in God.

If Jesus is the cornerstone, he's connected to us, and joining himself with us. He is connecting himself with us together; and you and I together, to be stronger. Stones are hard to crush...they are solid. 

Be the solid stone that God wants you to be, yet allow Jesus in your life as the Cornerstone.

by Tanya Kirkendall

To learn what other stuff you can make out of rocks, stone, or minerals, go to http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/BuildingStones.htm...

Expressive Praise Art by Tanya Mae K

photo by Expressive Praise 2013

Besides creative writing, I also enjoy being an artist.  I have loved to take pictures most of my life, even when I was a child I had a C110 camera that allowed me to express myself through taking silly pictures. As an adult I have grown to love nature and I just love to capture God's beautiful creation.

I try to find new and creative ways to use my artistic ability that God gave me.  Who knew that I would be an artist?  I took art classes when I was a kid, but I never thought that I was any good at it.  My family encouraged me to write poetry and expand my creative writing skills. So I did...I so enjoy writing to this day.    It wasn't until 5 years ago, that I just wanted to try oil painting so I bought an inexpensive, miniature oil painting kit from Michaels Craft store. I bought the 99 cent one, just in case I wasn't good at it, I didn't have to worry about wasting my money. Well, the rest is history... I thank God for him allowing me to use these gifts for his glory...It's these gifts that keep me going.

I added more pictures of my artwork to my art portfolio. Please click on the link below to view them:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151605309576611&type=1&l=0c40de905e

"The Pathway" copy of oil/acrylic painting by Expressive Praise 2013

God bless, and may you discover and enjoy the gifts that God has given you...

Tanya

and God Rested...

"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.  By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.Genesis 2:1-3 (NIV)

Can you imagine that there was nothing on this earth; there wasn't an earth, yet?  

No people working in the office or outside walking their dog. There wasn't even a dog to walk, because animals didn't exist.  No one had to pick up their dog's poop, or carry a bag to carry it. lol  (oops, Sorry...had to throw that in there).

There were no buildings; no office supplies, no desk or computers, paper clips, scotch tape,  nor paper to put in the printer....No phone calls, no faxes, no emails, no chattering employees, no bosses, no hard workers, nor were there even lazy workers...There wasn't anyone to complain about and there wasn't anyone to complain to.   

One didn't even have a bad day because there were no people, and nothing to do on these vast planets.  There was nothing out there that could be seen with our human eyes. 

So God creates the planets and everything in it.  

"Okay, let me put a "God" size pebble over here; I will call it a mountain. Hey, Jesus. Check out this mountain.  Isn't that awesome? I think I will put them all over the place.

 "Okay let me put some water over here.  Hmm, let me see...Yes, there it is, I will put  a bunch of water over here and some over there. I will put a bunch on this planet, but maybe a trickle on this other planet.  Wait, I put too much; let me take some water out of the planet and add it to this planet; I will call this one earth. You know, this is some great stuff. Yet it is missing something...Oh yeah, greenery....I am going to put a lot over here...well, actually, I think I will put the greenery all over the earth, because it's so beautiful.  Oh yes, let's see...lets add some colors to some of the greenery...Wow, it's so gorgeous...Wow, Holy Spirit, look at all this beauty. It's awesome." said Father, God (part of the Trinity).

"We see this beautiful creation, too, because we are creating it along side you," Jesus and the Holy Spirit, (who are both part of the Trinity) said simultaneously.   

"I know, but I just had to voice it because it's just so marvelous and breath taking." says Father, God.

"It's so beautiful, let's share it with others. Okay, why don't WE make some mammals, animals, birds, and some critters and than WE will make some people to help manage it's beauty,"  says Jesus.

After 6 days of creating, the Holy Spirit said: "Ta da, It's done."

"You are too funny," said Jesus.

"Okay, WE are done. Let's take a day of rest." said Father God.

I know it probably didn't  go like that, but my creative mind lets my imagination flow and think of what it could be like.

So how do you think God, who created all of this, rests?  Does He sleep in His majestic bed? Does He watch TV, play video games, read a book? lol. Probably not.  Have you ever thought of how the creator of the universe rests? Maybe He just sat down and just admired all His work... Have you ever done something like that?  May be you sat back and watched your newborn baby coo or smile for the first time.  Or maybe you planted a garden, and after a hard day of pruning, you stand back, and look at its beauty.  Or maybe you are an artist, like I am, and you paint, and then sit back and be amazed at the painting.  

Sometimes I like to observe and marvel at a tree, a flower, or the blue sky and just think of God's great awesomeness.  It totally relaxes me and puts my mind at ease.




It's okay to take time out of your day and admire God's beautiful creation.  It's so relaxing.

(Photography by Tanya Kirkendall (Expressive Praise)

Is Your Wick Trimmed?

When the candle is lit, it brings light into a dark room.
It's not the wax that makes it glow, but the wick.
The wick needs to be trimmed to get the best results.
The wick can't be too long, nor can it be too short. 
Yet the candle is stagnant without something to light it up.


We are like individual candles. 
Our body is like the wax  and our character and soul are the wick.
We need to constantly change and be trimmed so that we are more effective.
God can use us to light the room around us.



When Jesus lights your candle,
He illuminates you and makes you shine so much brighter.
Impurities start to melt and the candle takes on a new shape with the light of the wick.
It's best to make sure our wick is well trimmed and ready to shine Jesus into a dark world.





(wrote poem on 3/21/2013)

Do You Have A Ram or a Bull nearby?

I was reading the first half of Numbers 23 and I could not help but laugh because of my big, creative imagination. Read this scripture and then I will explain.

Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” ² Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height."

etc...

First of all Balaam tells Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” First I am assuming he has to get the animals before he can sacrifice them.  I am picturing Balak trying to catch seven bulls and seven rams..  He decides to gather some of his friends to help him. Some of them chickened out and asked, "Are you crazy or what?" Yet Balak insisted that he needed these animals so he can hear from God.

So he gathers about 5 of the strongest men he knows.  

(photobucket.com)

"One by one they capture the rams. Okay 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...yes they are all here. We have captured 7 rams. Okay now we need 7 bulls." 

He and his friends head over to where the bulls are.

Have you seen a bull lately? They are not the most gentle animals out there.  And you must never make them mad, is what I gathered when watching a bull fight on TV awhile ago.  

(wikipedia.org)

Picture Balak getting ready.  He has made a loop in his rope and has it ready to catch the big bull. He throws the lassoed rope and misses the bull. He gathers up the rope again and throws it again. Missed again.

The next thing you know, the bull is running towards him.  Balak is getting all hot and sweaty...He is gritting his teeth because this bull won't cooperate and he is thinking as he is running down the field: "Man, I have to get seven of these." He yells for his macho friends to help...They are doing the best they can by lassoing their own ropes and swinging them toward the bull. Yet they keep missing.

The next thing you know is that there are 10 bulls running down the field in their direction.  All the men are scattered in the field running for their lives. They each finally get to the same spot, yet out of breath. The older guy asks Balak how badly does he need these bulls...Balak tells him that he really needs them. Another guy pipes in and says that he knows of a place in the city next over where they can buy the 7 bulls. They all decided unanimously that they will just go buy the 7 bulls in the next city over.

Balak finally presents the 7 rams and 7 bulls to Ballam to sacrifice.

I have just given you a picture of what might have happened at the beginning of Numbers 23... Some of the stories in the Bible, we have to speculate what happened because, they do not tell all of the details. Like this story you just read, Ballam tells Balak to sacrifice 7 rams and 7 bulls; he doesn't say how he was going to get the animals that he had to sacrifice. Just picture yourself in that situation and see where it takes you.

The rest of the story you will have to read on your own to find out what happened...

Check out Numbers 23 from www.biblegateway.com 

Are you like a Cat?

I have noticed that my cat Buttons has a mind of his own. Buttons comes to me when he is hungry, when he wants love, and when he wants to play yet ignores me when he wants to, like when I want to pet him. Yet he always comes running when I am cooking or if I give him his food.  He comes to me when he wants attention, like when he wants me to pet his long-haired fur. Many times, even in the middle of the night, he will meow to get my attention while I am asleep and wake me up, just for me to pet him.  I won't allow him on my bed, so I tend to sleepily, throw down my arm and try to find him in the darkest of night to stroke his gobs of fur.  During those times, he just starts purring as though he is content because he has made contact with me and then he will go off on his merry way. There are other times, I just ignore him because I am too tired to reach down to where he is even though he will be persistent in his meows. Sometimes I wake up with him just starring at me while sitting beside my bed.  I wonder how long he watches me.

During the day, I enjoy petting Buttons. He has this beautiful purr that touches my heart.  I like to cuddle him in my arms and pet him. I don't have children, so this is the next best thing, or is it? lol. Half of the time, he tries to jump out of my reach so I can't touch him when he doesn't want to be petted. Most of the time if he wants to be petted, he will come to me so I will pet him. I love it when he throws his body down, and lands belly up; it's my invitation to rub his belly.  Yet there are those times that he still wants to be rubbed but he will lay just far enough so I have to move closer to him so I can pet him... Even when I give him treats, at times, he will sit or lay close to me, yet far enough for me to have to reach him.  I decided he may be trying to play a game or outsmart me, so I put the treats where he has to move.  I have seen him become so lazy that he won't even get up; he will lay down while he eats his treats or food.

My cat can be a "scared-y" cat at times.  If I turn on the vacuum cleaner in the living room, he will run as fast as he can and go hide under the bed. Then when I am vacuuming the bedroom, I know he is under the bed and I know he will jump out and run to the living room.  He scares me at times when he jumps out from under the bed even though I know he will do it. It's like I know he is coming, but I never know just quite when. He hates those vacuum cleaners.

I have a recliner. I have to be careful with the recliner. Because when I pull the leverage to recline the chair, Buttons runs as fast as he can to the other room as though the recliner is alive. He is afraid of the mop, the broom, and even anyone that comes to the door. He will growl when he hears the doorbell ring.  I kind of feel sorry for the 15 lbs of fur.  I try to console him when he is afraid.

If I pet Buttons too much, he voices his complaint. If I don't pet him as much as he wants, he starts meowing even more. Yet I have learned to understand the different ways he meows to know what he wants. I know when He is hungry, doesn't want to be disturbed, when he is sick, wants attention, when he is afraid, wants to be petted, or just misses me.

The more I think about it, I realize that sometimes I am like Buttons. I go to God when I want something. I want him to nourish me, keep me healthy, and console me when I am afraid. I want him to take care of my needs and my wants when I want them taken care of.  I know there are times that I do not want to be bothered, don't want to pray, don't want to do what God wants me to do, and I even will vocalize my complaints to him. I may do everything else that I think I am supposed to do while I am in God's presence but then I realize I haven't shut off the Internet, the cell phone, Facebook,  the radio, and maybe the TV.

Today, I had to make a special effort. I turned off everything for 1 hour and had a candle light dinner with God. I realized that my mind was racing because of all the advertisements I had seen today. All the bright lights that are on the high-tech things I own felt like it was making my brain literally light up.  Then I had all these ideas running through my brain of all the to-do-lists of things like, I have to check my emails, my Facebook, my Blog, and all the other stuff I do with all these high-tech things I own and use daily. I had to keep refocusing on God and his presence.

 I realized I haven't been spending a lot of quiet time with God. I am either reading about Him, writing about Him, etc...but I haven't had quiet time with him. So again, I turned the high tech things off, and decided to spend more time with God. I decided to lay face down on the ground, and pray.  I  sensed God tell me to just keep silent before the Lord before I spoke a prayer to Him.  The only thing I heard was the buzzing sound from the air purifier in my living room. I remember thinking, wow this is so nice and peaceful as I had my head face down on the blue pillow I had on the carpet.  But then I started to think about other things.  

Like I said earlier,  it  is so easy to get consumed with all this stuff now-a-days.  I remember when I was younger, I used to just think about like what is for dinner, or what is on my to-do-lists when I would try to pray and I would have to refocus.  Yet now it seems like it is so much harder to focus on God even when praying. I try to pray through out the day when I am doing things around the house or even when I go out, I acknowledge God in my mind and heart daily.  Yet I noticed I need to get back to having more quiet times with God.

Well, there I was, I finally was refocused on God. Then next thing you know, I felt a plop. Well, if anyone could hear a plop, I could...I look up from the blue pillow that I was leaning on to find Buttons' back, right at my face.  I told you he has a mind of his own. I began to pet him, and of course, he started purring. But then I realized, I had stopped praying and lost my focus on God and started to pet Buttons.  It was then that I realized I am a lot like this cat when it comes to doing what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants to do things. It is so easy to get distracted when praying. Well, I stopped petting the pile of fluff that was in front of my face and started praying to God.  

I love Buttons so much, and I know he loves me. He knows that I will take care of him.  God loves me so much, and I love Him and yes, I know that He will take care of me. When I go to touch Buttons, I realize that God reaches out to me, just as much, and even more. When I hear Buttons purring his contentment. It reminds me that God knows how much I love him. He hears my delightful heart.  But then again, when I know Buttons is ignoring me or wanting to do things his way, it makes me realize that God knows when we ignore Him and want to do things are own way. It is hard, but I need to stop acting like a cat, and really focus my attention on my God who loves me and takes care of me just like I take care of my cat.  

All pictures where taken by Tanya Kirkendall. The cat is my baby Buttons.

About the picture of the cat in the TV: the TV is a template in my Samsung Camera.  It's a picture I took inside of a picture on the template.

Do you ever wonder why?

Why do bus drivers wear seat belts and no one else in the bus does?

Why do Internet users have to pay to block porn? and why is porn free? Shouldn't it be the other way around? 

Why did the CA zoo pay millions of dollars on an elephant exhibit upgrade when there is a financial crisis and the money could have been spent else where, like on humans?

Why do athletes or movies stars get paid millions of dollars while a teacher seems underpaid?

Why does it cost so much money to deliver a baby yet to get an abortion is inexpensive?

Why do parents get notified before giving shots or birth control to a teenager, but keep it a secret when an abortion is involved?

Why do some people have "dry eye" yet they can produce so many tears (when crying)?

Why do you have to "press '1' now for English" when listening to an automated message when calling a company.  We live in the USA, shouldn't it just stay on English, and if you want another language "press 1 now."

Why is their braille on the bank's drive up window?

Why is their braille on the bathroom door? A blind person still has to search the door to find the braille, and it's not always easy to find?

Who was the first person that invented kitty litter? Was the first domestic cat's potty found in some dusty, sandy pile of tiny rocks?

Why do cans of beverages have serving sizes? Everyone knows that one person will drink the whole can.  Why don't they just say like it is, that the whole can contains 46 oz of sugar instead of 23 oz of sugar yet it is 2 servings. Just say it is one serving of 46 oz of sugar.


Why do we have middle names? Is it only to be used for when we get in trouble as a child?

There are so many "whys" in the world. What have you thought about before? Write your question in  the comment section.

Thank You God, for My Sense of Smell

God, you made the beautiful fragrance of blossoming flowers that enhance my senses.

You created our sense of smell to enjoy even the different foods we prepare.

You flood our souls with peace like rivers and unconditional love that is oh so good.

You have even made the hint of rain producing some kind of scent.

You created our nose to behold the most beautiful aromas of this world.

You made even our senses to enhance life so much more.

Even the smell of meat barbecued, outdoors, makes our mouth water.

Lord, thank you for thinking of even small things like this to pleasure us.

But God, why?  Why did you create the skunk?

Don’t you know that the skunk stinks?

Remember, you created the skunk to spray and be smelled for miles?

It’s not a pleasant aroma that feels my nostrils.

           

And yes, I am grateful that I have a sense of smell. 

Thank you that you made our senses to enhance life so much more.

Thank you that I can smell, see, hear, taste and touch.

I think the skunk was made to remind us....

Actually I can’t think of anything good that it could remind me of,

Except that I still have my sense of smell. (lol)

One time my friend and I saw a skunk coming towards the building;

We jumped out of our seats so fast. God, I bet you even chuckled that night.

Not only do you have all your senses, you have the best one of all...the sense of humor.

Tanya Kirkendall

8-20-2012

3:30 am

Just Blogging..hmmm....Interesting!!!

Darlene Douthit drew a caricature of me

Last night when I spent my alone time with God, I started thinking about how I should be more intimate with God. I tried thinking of people in the Bible I could research who had an intimate relationship with God and I could follow their example. You may think it sounds strange to ask about who has an intimate relationship with God because some people associate intimacy with their lover or sex. I am not talking about that kind of intimacy.  


In the Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus, it defines intimacy as very close or familiar; deep and thorough; and private or personal.


When I say I want an intimate relationship with God, I mean that I want a very close and deep relationship with Him.  I want to know Him more. What does God like? What does He desire for me? When one has an intimate relationship with someone, he/she will try to learn all about that person. What do they like? What are their goals or aspirations?  What are their hobbies? What do they do outside of work? Are they a Christian or are they totally against God? What is their favorite color?  What do they like to do for fun? What is their favorite meal? How do they like to spend quality time with you?  One can not learn about the other if they do not communicate to each other. 



I sometimes imagine God sitting beside me and talking to me. I try to sit still and listen to His quiet voice and then, I communicate with Him. I will tell Him things that I like about Him (praising Him) or I may share a need that I have for me or others (interceding). Other times I may just talk excitedly in my thoughts or out loud and just tell Him all the great things that are happening in my life. I know this may sound crazy because He already knows everything. Yet it's in those times that when we stop and communicate with God, that they may be the most precious moments we have with Him.  But if we are doing all the talking then we are missing out on LISTENING to HIM about HIS desires, HIS love, and HIS will. HE desires a two-way communication.


Okay, so getting back to my little Bible study I did. I desire to have a strong, intimate relationship with God.  Because I want to be as close to God as I can, I tried to think of someone in the Bible who had an intimate relationship with God. While trying to think of people, I came to the conclusion that Enoch must have had an intimate relationship with God, so here it goes.


When I first started researching information about Enoch, I did not realize that there were two of them in the Bible.  I started studying one of them in Genesis 4 and realized I was researching the wrong one. The first Enoch you hear about is the one who is the son of Cain also known as the son of Adam and Eve. Cain was not a good person because he killed his brother Abel, so therefore, his parents, Adam and Eve, had to have another son, Seth, who would be a family link from Adam to Jesus' birth.


I want to talk to you about the second Enoch that is in the Bible; this "Enoch" is the son of Jared.  First, we read in the paragraph above that Seth is a son of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 5:6 Seth had a son named Enosh and then Enosh had Kenan; Kenan had Mahalalel; and Mahalalel had Jared. When Jared was a ripe age of 162 years old, he had Enoch. Enoch was the sixth person born in Adam's line from Adam to Jesus.  So now we know that Enoch's dad is Jared. We don't know much about him except after he had Enoch, he lived 800 more years and had sons and daughters.  I wonder if he was still having children while he was at the age of 789. What kind of father was Jared to Enoch and his siblings? Were Jared and his wife strong believers in God?  Did they teach their children to serve God? How was Enoch's mom in all of this? Actually how OLD was she at the time all of her children were born and how many were there? Were they changing diapers at this old age? 


It doesn't mention the age of Enoch's mother, let alone her name. I think anyone having a husband for over 800 years deserves to be named. You know, she could have died at an earlier age after all her kids were born. We will never know, until we get to Heaven. Okay so now Jared dies at an old age of 962 years. Wow, I wonder what they used for wrinkle cream back then. Did he have a lot of people at his funeral or did he outlive his friends and family? Sometimes I think that 40-50 years on earth is a long time; I couldn't imagine living 800 more years. Wow, that just seems so long!


In Genesis 5:18-21, Enoch lived only sixty-five years before he had Methuselah. I said "only" sixty-five years because it just seems so young compared to the age his father was when he had Enoch; Jared was 162 years of age. Sixty-five years sounds like a baby when you think about that Jared died at 962 years. Any way, after Enoch had Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years and had sons and daughters within that time frame.  The Bible doesn't mention that Enoch walked with God before Methuselah so I wonder what happened in Enoch's life to get him to that point of wanting to walk with God. Was Methuselah one of those miracle babies that was going to die and they needed lots of prayer to keep him alive or did something else happen around that time?  I was thinking that he might have had some kind of encounter with God or some kind of closeness or intimacy with God. Did Enoch's parents train him to live a godly life? Maybe at one time, Enoch was living for God, but when he became a teenager or young adult at the age of 65 (lol), maybe he started living the way his parents taught him to live. We can only speculate at this time because not much is said.


In Genesis 5:23-24 "Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years.  Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."


Can you imagine that being in the news about you or I.  NEWS FLASH!!! "Susan lived 365 years. Susan walked with God; then she was no more, because God took her away."  I can just see the headlines now, making fun of this event or doing some kind of report on a mysterious missing person of some UFO sighting that must have abducted Susan. 


The Bible does not mention how he disappeared or how he was taken. It just says that Enoch walked with God and then God took him. Period. He's gone; The end... but why? Why did God take Enoch away?


Hebrews 11:5-6  "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."


Can you imagine one day, your father or your husband had just disappeared? Did Enoch's wife or children get the warning ahead of time that he was leaving this earth? Did his wife look for him everywhere and were the police investigating what happened? Was there a search party for him? Was his wife or children not pleasing God like he did? Wow, he was walking with God and then poof, he's gone; because he pleased God.  Does God still take people off of this earth when they are walking with God?




What do we know about Enoch?  The only other thing I could find about Enoch was in Jude 14 where it says that Enoch prophesied. Okay, so we know that Enoch had children, a wife, and many siblings; plus he walked with God and he prophesied. That's about all we know. 


How do you think Enoch walked with God? When it says that he walked with God, I imagine him doing everything in his life he could, to please God. Are we pleasing God or are we pleasing our own earthly desires? Are we living on this earth just to fill space until it's our time to leave this earth, or are we living on this earth in doing God's will and pleasing Him.  Do we include God in our everyday life? or Are we just a Sunday Christian; do we pray and sing to God only on Sundays?

Prospect Park, Redlands, CA (photo by Teensy's Art)

I challenge you (and myself) to walk with God. Be so close to God that you can listen to His heartbeat. When you are listening for a heartbeat on a person, you have to be still and be quiet so you can hear it beat. When is the last time we heard God's heartbeat? How can we please God, our creator? We are on this earth for a reason; there is a special reason why God chose us to be born? He did not have to include you when he created people and their souls. I mean, he knew you and I would be born ahead of time. I am pretty sure God could have said, "hmm,  I know the future and in 1994, Tanya will not please me so let's not even create her soul."  Thankfully He did not do that for probably none of us would be born and He doesn't want robots serving Him.  Do you like it when people do things for you because they love it or just because they have to? Now put those thoughts and ideas into serving and pleasing God. You will be amazed how enjoyable it becomes.


Oh, I forgot to mention: about the thing of how Enoch served and pleased God and then God took him. Yes, I believe that was a special case. I can't imagine God taking everyone away who pleased Him. It was something special that God did with Enoch at that time, and hopefully in the eternal future, we will see or understand why He did that. Be free to please God; He might just bless your socks off.


Note: If you would like to read information about the genealogy of how Adam, Seth, and Enoch are in the ancestry of Jesus, read 1 Chronicles chapter 1 (refer to verse 3) and also read Luke 3:38.


Note: all scripture in this post is from the (New International Version) NIV, 1984 edition.


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