some thoughts

I had the scripture Romans 1:16 come to my mind about an hour ago. Then how there is neither jew or gentile, one above the other, but all are called heirs and friends of God.

I didn't have morning prayer but did a little devotion and then this came to mind, even though I wasn't reading it. What came to mind as well was a song that I thought Maranatha sings but I can't find it..."oh lord, lord you are good, your tender mercies, endureth forever..."

I got some cool things about God. Last night and tonight, when I asked about how to exalt God or praising him above myself or others (other people and their impressive works), I kept landing on verses about lifting God high so that is probably a confirmation on the idea.

Last night I turned right to a verse about how God would bring a country down or some of the people for a time, just to have his own name magnified because it had been ignored. All about God being exalted. And then today wasn't as much doom, but about exalting his name and how one guy was ashamed to ask for assistance of soldiers and things because he'd told the king and everyone that God was powerful enough to help those who turn to him, so he asked people to fast and pray instead and they were victorious. I got this as I was thinking about fear God and not man. and then I found Mark "the greatest commandment" is to love God with all our heart and all our minds.

Some other insights too. The verse I got from the Y basket was about not complaining among brothers and sisters, James 5:9a. And then I thought this doesn't mean we are never to complain but probably not to grumble and argue all the time. The I read Jeremiah's complaint to God, which is pretty frank. He had just been locked up in the stocks, outside a holy temple of God. Imagine. He's the designated prophet and tries to speak the truth and he gets locked up right next to the holy temple, out in public, for everyone to ridicule him. So he says, "GOD! you have made me a laughingstock! God, you deceived ME! I was deceived..." and reading the passage, he goes from being mad at God or saying what he thinks to praising God, and from saying his enemies have been victorious to reaffirming that God is victorious and is the ultimate judge of the heart.

I read about Mary Magdalene too, and how she first saw Jesus after he was resurrected. And the others, how they saw him. Last night thought about and read how Jesus was given this purple robe, just to be mocked in it and then have it taken away and then be crucified. It made me think more about what Jesus went through and this whole idea of how he was being "put in his place" about any ideas that he was "a king".

Just had a lot of new readings and then I am starting to feel a little bit better. I've been trying to get over a bad cold that went to my chest. I have NOT had the same energy level since the nuthouse incident. It is horrible because I am trying to get my energy level back so I can actually get some things done but I'm trying to take it easy to get over the cold too.

Lots of pretty birds out yesterday. Green and black, red, grey with white on the wing, robins, pigeons. Big bird day.

I saw them while walking and when I was looking out of the friend's church window.

I'm sort of keeping up on news, and there is a lot going on right now but my power cord has to be replaced...it's not totally broken, but needs to be replaced and I won't use the computer much today for research and reading.