Stop Cheating! Prove It Yourself. How to Make a Sadducee Mad. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Stop Cheating!

"Cheating is increasingly becoming the normal way of doing things. What are the reasons people cheat, and why should cheating not be a part of your life?

It seems like cheating has become a commonly accepted way to get ahead in today’s world. Consider some high-profile cases involving cheating that have recently made headlines:

Six global financial institutions were fined a total of $9 billion for fixing exchange rates. One trader wrote to others, “If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.”

Scandal has surrounded the FIFA organization for allegedly accepting bribes in World Cup venue bids.

American and British schools are rife with students learning to cheat instead of learning. One university student said, “A lot of people think it’s like you’re not really there to learn anything. You’re just learning to learn

the system.” There are also online services offering “contract cheating,” where students can purchase completed papers and assignments.

Marriage infidelity continues to increase among those aged 20 to 30. Oddly, though, David Popenoe of the Marriage Project (Rutgers University) noted that in one recent survey 90 percent believed that cheating on one’s spouse is always wrong. Sadly, those beliefs don’t always translate into behavior. The recent hack of the infidelity website Ashley Madison exposed the account information and emails of 37 million people worldwide who used this website to facilitate cheating on their spouses.

Though cheating is so widespread in society, it is interesting that when a celebrity is caught in some kind of cheating scandal, there is still widespread negative coverage and self-righteous shock.

Yet in general, people find excuses for their own cheating. What does God think of the common justifications for cheating?

Everyone else is doing it….."

Rest of article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/blog/stop-cheating/

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Prove It Yourself

Acts 17:11

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

After Paul’s vision of a man from Macedonia pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9), Paul and his companions began their memorable journey into Europe. After being jailed in Philippi and escaping from a riot in Thessalonica, they came to Berea.

Not much is said about Berea, but what is said is a tribute to the people who heard Paul. The King James Version uses the word “noble” where the New King James has “fair-minded.” The nobility was probably not of birth, but of character. Adam Clarke says, “It was a maxim among the Jews that ‘none was of a noble spirit who did not employ himself in the study of the law.’”

The Jews who heard Paul in the synagogue were ready to listen and prove what they heard to themselves. They didn’t allow preconceived ideas of what the Bible says to keep them from examining what it really says. As the New Living Translation puts it, “They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.”

God is pleased when we search the Scriptures and make sure what we believe is what He is revealing to us from the Holy Bible.

For more about the importance of the Bible, see “Why Study the Bible?”

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How to Make a Sadducee Mad

"Mark 12:24

Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

The Sadducees were known for their devotion to the first five books of the Bible, the only part they accepted as Scripture. They were sure they were experts on these books and experts about God.

So they tried to trap Jesus to either make Him agree with their conclusion that there was no resurrection or make Him look foolish. Their story of a woman marrying seven brothers who each died after she married him was quite elaborate. If there was such a thing as a resurrection, “whose wife will she be?” they asked (verse 23).

Jesus didn’t pull any punches. He used a passage from the book of Exodus—one of their approved books—to demonstrate that God would not call Himself the God of Abraham if Abraham would remain dead forever. He is the God of the living—and thus God has the power to bring back to life Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the others called by His name.

Before God’s power “a thousand such difficulties vanish” (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary on Mark 12:24). And the difficulty of their question was eliminated by the fact Jesus presented, that “when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (verse 25).

God wants us to know the Bible and His power.

Learn more about God’s power and the resurrections in “Resurrections: What Are They?”

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Update:

Writing this late again.  I was busy clearing out some of Ray's stuff that he left in the guest house bedroom, and then I groomed Maddie the Yorkie in the afternoon.

Repairs to the guest house are going very slowly.  Nobody wants to get up and go to work any more!!  I had to buy five 2"x 8" boards for floor joists because when we removed the water damaged bathroom floor we found that they were rotten, too.  Now the new joists sit in a pile, because I can't do it by myself.

I don't know if it was the nicer weather or if many folks were sick, but hardly anyone showed up at church.  Just a few of us old regulars, but we still had a great time.

The Bible readings were Deut.16:18-21:9, Isa. 51:12-53:12, and Heb. 10:28-31.  The teaching was about a Larger Life, with God in the pilot seat.

The potluck was great as usual.  The big crockpot of leg of lamb was delicious, and there were plenty of salads, potato salad, veggies, mashed potatoes, beans, chicken enchiladas, roasted chicken, garlic bread with cookies and pies for dessert.

Another great Sabbath day.

Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament. In The Wrong Place Twice. Your Pet's Food? Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament

Luke 24:44

"Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms designate the three sections of the Hebrew Scriptures we call the Old Testament.

The Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, make up a seamless, unified whole. Jesus Christ inspired hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that He later fulfilled through His birth, life and death. And there are many more prophecies that will be fulfilled in His second coming. The Old Testament actually revealed Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ then revealed the Father in the New Testament (Luke 10:22; John 14:6-11).

After His resurrection, Jesus “opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). Though much of the Bible is accessible and helpful on many levels, without God’s help we can’t fully comprehend the Scriptures. But with the help of God’s Spirit we can understand “the things of God” that are “spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:11, 14).

For more about how God opens our understanding of the Bible, see our article “How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?”"

Web version: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=ad9dd5f87b237fd19d9082492&id=6c1f3825b5&e=195dcbaebc

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In The Wrong Place Twice

An Amazing Fact: "A 29-year-old engineer for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, was on a business trip in Hiroshima, Japan, when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. On the morning of August 6, 1945, Yamaguchi was stepping off a streetcar when the atomic device, nicknamed “Little Boy,” detonated above Hiroshima. Yamaguchi said he was less than two miles away from ground zero when he saw the blinding flash of light. Then his eardrums ruptured and his upper torso was burned by the blast that followed. The explosion destroyed most of the city’s buildings and killed 80,000 people. Yamaguchi spent a painful night in a bomb shelter and the following day returned to his hometown of Nagasaki, 200 miles away.

By August 9, Yamaguchi made his way to his Nagasaki office, where he told his boss about the terrible Hiroshima blast. This was precisely when the second bomb, known as “Fat Man,” was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 people there. Yamaguchi said, “Suddenly the same white light filled the room. I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me from Hiroshima. I could have easily died on either of those days.” Yamaguchi became the only official survivor of both atomic blasts to hit Japan in World War II.

Six days after the Nagasaki attack, Japan surrendered. Yamaguchi recovered from his wounds, went to work for the American occupation forces, became a teacher, and eventually returned to work at Mitsubishi. He was in good health for most of his life, said his daughter; despite the double radiation exposure, he lived to be 93 years old.

 
The Bible talks about other cities that were wiped out by fire from heaven, but the witnesses were not so fortunate. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah, having “given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh” (Jude 1:7), were completely destroyed. Sadly, they turned away from the only Source of life.

KEY BIBLE TEXTS:- And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
- 2 Peter 2:6-9

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You Wouldn’t Eat This, So Are You Feeding It To Your Pets?!

"There has been a great deal of discussion over the contents of pet foods in the news, mostly due to the lawsuit between Nestle Purina and Blue Buffalo. Blue Buffalo prides itself on being a “natural” food, free of any by-products. However, Purina discovered that Blue Buffalo’s claims are not exactly what they say.

Here is a run-down of what you might be feeding your pet, and why it may be time to change your food.

You could potentially find a whole smorgasbord of ingredients in animal by-products, from the whacky to the plain disgusting, including

• Livers
• Heads
• Road kill
• Dead animals donated by zoos
• Intestines
• Brains
• Spleens
• Undeveloped eggs
• Livestock that died from disease
• Euthanized pets or shelter animals

Basically, then, animal by-products are what’s left of a slaughtered animal after the edible parts have been removed. And they can also include other…um…colorful ingredients.

Why does it matter? Well, chances are good that you wouldn’t want to eat food that could contain euthanized shelter animals. So why would you take a chance when feeding your pet?

“How do I avoid giving waste to my pet?”

Not all foods tacked with the label “by-product” are bad, and there’s an easy way to identify which ones are.

Carefully read the packaging of your pet’s food. Does it have any of these vague terms?

• “Meat meal”
• “Meat and bone meal”
• “Meat by-product meal”
• “Animal by-product meal”

If your pet’s food label doesn’t identify the type of meat it came from, stay away! As your mother may have told you when you were a kid, “You don’t know where that’s been!”

Alternatively, labels that identify the type of meat used (e.g. “chicken by-product meal” or “beef by-product meal”) are better options for your pet, although you should try to avoid any by-product in your pet’s food. The price is a bit higher, but the benefits are monumental.

By-products aren’t the only danger in pet food either. Over the past year we have seen numerous recalls due to illness and death in animals from contaminated food. Both of these practices can be stopped if enough voices are raised."

Read more at:   http://blog.theanimalrescuesite.com/warning-petfood-byproduct/

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★ Help Support Stronger Pet Food Regulations! ★

"Pet food has long been a source of worry for pet owners and health officials. Reports of salmonella contamination are frequent, and threaten not only animals eating the food but also the owners handling it. Nutritional deficiencies and toxins have been found in pet foods as well — including melamine, which caused a tragic loss of life in 2007. The FDA’s new proposal includes safety requirements similar to those in place for manufacturers of human food, ensuring that manufacturers are proactive in their efforts to keep pet food safe.

Help protect our pets from toxic food!!"

HELP NOW!

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Delayed Update because I had so many interruptions on Sunday:

Well, on Monday 17th because I made it to 80 years old my daughter surprised me with a visit.  She brought one of her dogs with her, the little one, Foxy, a very laid back and quiet MinPin.  That's very unusual for a MinPin!  Her other dog, Shep is 135 lb! 

 

Then Wendy took me to the dam on Lake Conroe because she wanted us to eat at a restaurant overlooking the water.  We ate some really good Mexican food at Fajita Jacks, and had a wonderful visit.

 

There is also a marina there and the Texas Children's Hospital has set up a fish feeding area. You get one of the cups, put a quarter in the machine and a handful of fish food comes out.  There is a circular fenced place open to the water in the middle of the pier, and these great big fish come to be fed. Lots of them as you can see.  Several species, but mostly carp.  They are not trapped in that circle, they just know to watch for people on the pier.

I bought myself this sign at a thrift shop, as it never seems to happen.  But then, I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't working on something.

Tuesday, I went to the doctor for a follow-up from my hospital stay and her only prescription was "Drink More Water".

Still working on the guest house floor. James has been showing up most mornings.  He is doing the leveling and making sure that the floor joists are all in good shape.  He has also been insulating the water lines that are under the house as the new floor is not battened down yet. 

For a couple of days I couldn't use Jay, he was too hung over, but then he straightened up again and turned into a good worker.  We took out the bathroom shelf units and the floor is rotten there too.  Ray really let things leak around there.  So we also removed the vanity and toilet.  We will probably have to take down the walls and pull the shower so that we can put a continuous new plywood floor everywhere.  Then rebuild the walls on top of it.  This patching the floor here and there is just not logical.  I hope that I can see this finished soon, as I need to get back to selling stuff and getting my house ready to sell.

Jay wasn't well enough to go to church, but I took two dishes for the potluck, a tuna noodle casserole au gratin, and braised celery and onions. 

The Bible readings were Deut. 11:26-16:17, Isa 54:11-55:5, 1 John 4:1-6.  The Teaching was about the approaching God's Holy Days in the 7th month (September)   Tishrei is the first month of the Jewish civil year, but the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year.

Tuesday, Sept. 14th is the Feast of Trumpets. Day of Atonement is Thursday Sept. 24th. Then the biggie, the Feast of Tabernacles starts Tuesday 29th (it will be a High Day Sabbath) to Tuesday October 6th, (also a High Day Sabbath) Then the Eighth Day. 

So there will be several Holy Day Sabbaths in the middle of the week, just like there was one during that fateful Passover (some call it Easter) on the Thursday. This was the first annual Sabbath or high-day - the first day of Unleavened Bread, the day after Jesus died on the Wednesday, then there was the regular Sabbath on the Saturday and He was resurrected on the Sunday.  This was to fulfill "three days and three nights". 

Please also see timeline here: http://www.centuryone.com/crucifixion.html

The pastor's wife gave me the chicken carcass from the potluck, so I made bone broth and it will be used in several recipes during the next few days.

Five Keys to Answered Prayers. God’s Fishermen. Wipes. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

Five Keys to Answered Prayers

"How do we know that God will hear our prayers and that we will receive answers to them? Here are five things the Bible tells us to do.

If you are like me, you probably relate to King David’s poignant prayer:

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for to You I will pray” (Psalm 5:1-2).

We know God deeply cares for us, and He wants us to come to Him in prayer. But how can we know that He will hear us and answer our prayers?

Thankfully God answers that question for us. The Bible reveals five keys for receiving answers to our prayers.

First key: Ask

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you” (emphasis added throughout). This is a very basic starting point. However, it is one that too often is misunderstood or not used.

A young man told me once that he hadn’t prayed in two years. I stressed to him the importance of prayer. His reply was, “But doesn’t the Bible say God knows what we need before we ask?” He was referring to Christ’s words in Matthew 6:8.

Yes, our Father does know what we need before we ask, but by asking we show our Father that we see the need as well, and really want His help to meet that need. Asking shows Him how important the need is to us. God, of course, also sees the difference between habitual, repetitive prayers and persistent, fervent, heartfelt prayers.

Luke’s account of Jesus’ words adds an important truth, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find. … For everyone who asks receives. … If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? … If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”(Luke 11:9-13).

To learn to worship and serve the true God, we need His Spirit, which reveals to us His truth (John 4:24). God says He will give His Spirit to those who ask Him. We need to be asking for help and power from God (which He gives through His Spirit) on a daily basis.

Second key: Have faith."

(For more about the Holy Spirit and how to receive its benefits, see the article “How Do You Know You Have the Holy Spirit?”)

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/prayer-fasting-and-meditation/how-to-pray/five-keys-to-answered-prayers/

The three keys Jesus gives for seeing answers to prayer can be summed up as: Be persistent, be purposeful and be personal.

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God’s Fishermen

An Amazing Fact: "Researchers studying walleye vision found that orange is the color most visible to walleyes, followed by yellow and yellow green. Surprisingly, red is the least visible color. No wonder you find so many orange and chartreuse lures in the tackle boxes of savvy walleye anglers.

Another interesting fact about walleye fish is that a sudden decrease in light level triggers them to bite. That explains why the fish usually turn on just as the sun is disappearing below the horizon and the light intensity is rapidly decreasing. It also accounts for the biting that starts when the dark clouds preceding a thunderstorm roll in.
The very best time to catch a trophy walleye is five to seven weeks after the fish have completed spawning. That’s when the big females, famished after not having eaten for nearly two months, go on the prowl for food. And with the natural supply of baitfish at its annual low, they’re likely to hit almost anything you throw at them.

Maybe you can’t think of anything more boring than fishing, but many of Jesus’ first disciples were fishermen. The first time they heard Jesus, He asked them to push their boats out into the lake and let down their nets. Inside they laughed, “What does He know about fishing? You don’t catch much fish in the daytime!” But they agreed to do it anyway. “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking” (Luke 5:6).
Peter appropriately responded to the amazing catch of fish. “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (v. 8). Jesus replied, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (v. 10). The proud fisherman was not ready to serve the Master fisherman until he was humbled. We are best prepared to go fishing when we recognize our limitations and listen to the Creator of fish and men."
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:11

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Disinfectant wipes are the most convenient ways to clean anything from kitchen countertops, to bathroom sinks. However, traditional wipes containing bleach can cause skin irritation and the fumes can be toxic if over-exposed. Soak 20 paper towels in a Ziploc bag full of 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a 1/4 cup of seltzer. Feel free to add scented oil for scent, and wring out the excess liquid before use.

MORE CHEMICAL-FREE CLEANING TIPS

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Update:

Still have not heard from Ray, it has been nine weeks now, but after paying more in court costs and fees, the guest house and contents are now legally mine.  No one was supposed to be in there until the final Writ of Possession was done.  Ray left a lot of mostly junk behind, but there are a couple of things worth selling to try to recoup my losses.

The new worker, James, hasn't been back, but Jay and I have been busy installing an air conditioner through the wall in my bedroom.  I had quit having it in the window when the burglars broke in my house that way.  They just pushed in the AC, so being installed through the wall will stop that.  Now the windows are screwed shut, and potential burglars will have to break one to gain entry.  Also, I have a motion detector security light on that side of the house. 

Jay and I went to church early as the pastor and his wife were out of town and I was volunteered to ramrod the potluck.  An elder also arrived early to help me, which was a good thing as I didn't know how to cook boxed shells and cheese!  I only know how to cook from scratch and use real cheese, not some yellowy goop that squeezes out of a pouch.  I looked at the long list of ingredients and said "none for me."

The congregation brought a lot of great contributions for the pot luck, but strangely, all the meat was chicken, except for my turkey chili and beans.  My red cabbage and apple dish was made from fresh cabbage.  I had made both dishes the day before and put them in crock pots. The other veggies were frozen, so it didn't take long to get it ready.  One lady brought cornbread with sliced onions cooked in the top. Then there were three kinds of potato salad. Usually we have too many desserts, but this time only one, plus the standby cookies.  You never know what people will bring, but it is always good.

The Bible readings were Deut. 7:12-11:25, Isa. 49:14-51:3, and 2Cor. 4:5-6, 13-15. The teaching was about how the season for some of the Feast Days is approaching, and how we should be glad and anticipate it.

Even though it is still hot, I do believe that it is a little cooler each day.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Water Woes. 64 Comet. Update.

 

For "Scripture Sunday":

70TH ANNIVERSARY:
LEARNING FROM HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

"The horrors of nuclear war were unleashed 70 years ago this August. What have we learned and what do we have yet to learn to avoid a nuclear nightmare?

In August 1945, after 3½ years of brutal fighting island to island across the Pacific, the United States and its allies were preparing to invade the Japanese homeland to finally end World War II. But a new top secret weapon changed the plans.

So on Aug. 6, 70 years ago, a U.S. bomber nicknamed Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. In seconds, 5 square miles of the city were incinerated, and an ominous mushroom cloud spread deadly radiation much farther. The bomb itself killed perhaps 100,000 people, and many thousands more died from the horrifying effects of radiation.

From the devastating descriptions in John Hersey’s 1946 book Hiroshima to the lingering aftermath of suffering and death, it became clear humanity had crossed a new threshold of horror."

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/discern/july-aug-2015/learning-from-hiroshima/

From me:  I was 10 years old then, and remember it well.  Those poor people!

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Water Woes.

What is happening to our water supplies? Will shortages affect our health, economy and lead to more conflict? What does the Bible say about future water woes?

WATER IS A BASIC NECESSITY FOR LIFE.

"Unfortunately, freshwater resources are dwindling rapidly. The world today is experiencing a surge of water-related crises, as reservoirs dry up and lake levels drop to historic lows.

At least half of the 50,000 rivers that existed in China in the 1990s have disappeared, the water drained for use by factories and farms. Pakistan’s emergency water reserves are down to a 30-day supply—a far cry from the recommended 1,000 days for semiarid countries. Last summer, the eastern basin of the Aral Sea dried up completely—the first time in 600 years.

Use of the Jordan River is drying up the Dead Sea, and now thousands of sinkholes dot its banks. The drought is so serious in southeastern Brazil, residents have begun drilling through their floors to try to reach water, and schools are discouraging students from using water to brush their teeth.

All people “must be more mindful about how much water they are consuming, and be more efficient in their water use,” Adeel says. “Governments must improve internal water policies that support efficiency and conservation. Countries need to negotiate such things as river alterations and shared groundwater usage, and not act unilaterally.” "

Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/end-times/water-woes/

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1964 Mercury Comet

An Amazing Fact: "Most people would consider themselves fortunate should they get 150,000 miles out of a car engine. For Rachel Veitch, however, her car has passed the 150,000 mile mark well over three times. Her vehicle is a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente. She bought it new off the lot for a mere $3,289. And that low price even included all the upgrades. Rachel has given her beloved car the nickname Chariot, which is fitting considering it has safely carried her thousands and thousands of miles on the original engine. Ms. Veitch confessed that she once drove her Comet up to 120 mph “just for a mile.” She later had cruise control added because she kept getting speeding tickets.

On March 9, 2012, the 93-year-old Rachel Veitch parked her car for good. She said her eyesight was not sharp enough anymore to be driving. The 48-year-old car has actually outlasted her three husbands. Rachel adds, “With significantly less trouble.” How many miles did she clock on her beloved Mercury? Would you believe 576,000?
What’s her secret? For one thing, Rachel faithfully takes her “Chariot” in for all scheduled maintenance. We should mention she refuses to leave the Mercury’s side during any servicing or inspections. She also makes sure to show the mechanics a diagram outlining all the grease fittings on the car. Ms. Veitch is also always on the lookout for lifetime warranties on any parts, and when she finds one she makes sure to use it. Rachel’s car has gone through seven mufflers, three sets of shocks, and 16 batteries, all for the price of only one. Those half a million miles also included a recent trip to Rachel’s 70th class reunion, a trip that added over 3,000 miles to the historic odometer reading.

If a little loving care and regular maintenance can multiply the lifespan of a car, it makes one wonder how long our bodies might last with proper care? The Lord not only wants us to be in good health (3 John 2), but would have us be prepared for the Second Coming by caring for our bodies. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). God doesn’t want us to only care for our minds, but our whole being—bumper to bumper!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. - Psalms 20:7

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Update:

I didn't post on Sunday the 2nd because I was in the hospital.  They found out that my pancreas was inflamed from a combination of being around some chemicals, being hungry, dehydrated, a new medicine, some very sweet cheese cake and a lot of stress.   I had gone to afternoon court for Ray's eviction on an empty stomach except for some cheesecake, and afterwards I ate a bunch of samples at Kroger's when I went in there to get some bread.  Suddenly I felt really bad, sweaty and pressure in my chest, so when I got home I called 911 and was rushed to the hospital.  I sure was hoping that it wasn't my heart.  They gave me fluids by IV, and nothing by mouth for three days.  All I wanted was some Brussels' Sprouts, avocados or asparagus.   Finally on the fourth day they let me eat some cream soup, and sent me home.  Chris, my neighbor SPCA foster mom came twice a day to see to Nala, my foster cat.

This last Sunday, the 9th, our cable, internet and phones were out all day, so I couldn't post again.  But I did go down to Jay's Mom's house and help Jay install a new AC.  His sister arrived with food from Olive Garden, so that was nice.  Jay only installed the AC in a temporary fashion for now, and will finish it out later when they have bought some trim.

I have a new helper, James, who comes for about two hours most mornings to help with leveling the guest house and installing the new floor. Then he goes on to his other job. He is a lot more precise than Jay, but also  costs more.

We have had to replace a couple of the main floor joists, and so I am glad that James is doing it.  Jay wanted to just scab onto them and not do it properly.  My job is still to be "gofer" and get what tools, lumber or parts that he needs because I know where they are.

I went to church by myself, as Jay hadn't slept very well when their AC went out.

Another new couple came to church as his boss finally gave him Saturdays off. Hopefully that situation will not change. He was raised as a Jew, so he knows the importance of keeping the Sabbath.  The Bible readings were Deut. 3:23-7:11, Isa. 40:1-26, Matt. 4:1-11.  The Teaching was about "Being Connected" and how important it is for us to fellowship with other believers in Christ (Yeshua). 

The potluck was great, as usual.  I took some chicken tamales and turkey chili. My favorite dish was the pasture raised ground beef that was for the tacos, and the guacamole, refried beans and sour cream. I didn't eat the soft tacos as I don't eat white flour.  There were also salads, lots of veggies and several chicken dishes. We all had a great meal and conversation together.  I can't imagine not having that fellowship after church.  

Even running the sprinklers, the grass isn't growing well without any rain during these very hot days.