Spiritual Thirst

Would that I were a dry well, and that the people tossed stones into me, for that would be easier than to be a spring of flowing water that the thirsty pass by, and from which they avoid drinking. Kahlil Gibran

The Samaritan woman did not walk away from the Living Water Jesus was offering her at the well that day. There were multitudes that had walked away from Him, and very sadly still do, never quenching their soul's spiritual thirst. Without Him, their soul will eventually die.
Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

How amazing to see her showered with His Grace and be given this Living Water, spilling out on those that she knew. They did not just go their merry way after believing on Jesus. They wanted to find Him, and learn more. They asked Him to stay with them, continuing to drink in His water of life.

v. 39-42 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them, and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word, and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

The villagers actions show us ... "Man needs not sneak to the world for comfort; the work and the witness of the Spirit in the heart furnishes him with a firm foundation of hope and an overflowing fountain of joy." Matthew Henry
"Amid all changes of external circumstances - in heat and cold, hunger and thirst, prosperity and adversity, life, persecution, contempt, or death - it (Living Water) still lives on, and refreshes and cheers the soul." Barnes

The unstoppable, life-giving water that is Jesus, the only way to find eternal life, continues to disperse throughout the world, in all circumstances of life.
Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

Anything or anyone else is imperfect and will leave us thirsty again.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Whenever I find myself indulging in worry, depression, desiring more "stuff", it may take some time to sink in, but I eventually realize it's usually because I haven't been seeking out the Lord's supply to keep me strong and satisfied. I'm afraid it happens all too often. Self discipline is a difficult work in progress.

A Good Book - A Good Movie

A good friend of ours, who is a lawyer and author (among other good things), has written a very important book. Protecting Your Church Against Sexual Predators. He's a fairly new blogger too, so go visit Brevia Notes and look around at all the good information he offers in his links, you'll probably want to be there for days. Recently, Voyle had quadruple bypass surgery. His Legal Spaghetti blog (March archive) links to the story of what he endured. He and his wife have raised great kids. One of their sweet daughters went to school with my daughter, Deliverance, and was in the same youth group with my son-in-law Josh, and is presently a missionary.

My husband and I went to Ben Steins new release Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (watch the super trailer on the right).This film shows that the careers of top scientists have been squashed by their superiors and ostracized by their peers for even mentioning that Intelligent Design should be considered as part of the creation theory. Both sides of the issue were interviewed for fairness, and I loved the short clips of humor injected here and there, but especially the interview with Dawkins at the very end. It's a must-see for everyone. Even if you don't think it sounds worth your while, you'll be glad you did, or at least rent it when it comes out.

And, just a cute P.S...
Owed To A Spell Chequer
Eye halve a spelling chequer, it came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue, miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word, and weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write, it shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid, it nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite, its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it, I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh, my chequer tolled me sew.
- Sauce unknown

"Weeee" Wii

Stephen's friend Shawn got a Wii game. Now we have been trying to find one but they're almost as hard to find as in December.
In case you can't figure it out, they are bowling. Thanks to my daughter, Deliverance, for catching this video clip on her digital camera.

Another Word-filled "Wordless Wednesday"

Wordless Wednesday is a good time to just put up some pictures or a video clip when you want to take a break from blogging. But seldom does any blogger leave it at that. So this one is no different.
Stephen (L) and Shawn (R) have been friends since Stephen was 5 yrs old and Shawn was 8. And so has Shawn's mom and I. Now they are 24 & 27.















I'm not telling you how old Bonnie(L) and I(R) are! (but we're the same age)

The Gospel According To Oprah

It's amazing how many Christian women have become influenced by Oprah to consider her (seemingly) "spiritual" words as truth. We can see how vitally important it is to "rightly divide the word of truth." 2Tim.2:15
Be a "Berean" and examine everything you hear from so called "wise" people of our day. Know what God's word says, and choose your heroes carefully.


Oprah was raised in a bible-believing church and knows a lot of the Bible and the "Christian talk", but that doesn't always mean you're a follower of Christ. It seems like she is always trying to fill a void in her life.

Every Christian knows that the Bible very emphatically states, again and again, that JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth , and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." ~John 14:6
And also, living the doctrines of the Bible is very important.
"That henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" Ephesians 4:14
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires," 2 Tim.4:3

It's frightening to think of how much influence Oprah has. So many speakers say we must do away with the blood of Jesus and being held accountable for offending God, then it's easy to do away with our sin and guilt.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." Romans 16:17

Guilt is not bad when God uses it to bring us to repent.

Polycarp - Martyr At Age 86

He lived at the end of the age of the original apostles, when the church was making the critical transition to the second generation of believers. Tradition has it that Polycarp was personally discipled by the apostle John and that he was appointed as bishop of Smyrna (in modern Izmir, Turkey) by some of the original apostles.

After being a Christian all his life, it is not clear why he was suddenly arrested in his old age. He was escorted to the local proconsul, Statius Quadratus, who interrogated him in front of a crowd of onlookers.

"Swear, and I will release thee;--reproach Christ."urged the proconsil. Polycarp answered, "Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?"
Quadratus threatened to throw Polycarp to wild beasts, he'd be burned at the stake, and so on. Polycarp just told Quadratus that while this fire lasts but a little while, the fires of judgment ("reserved for the ungodly," he slyly added) cannot be quenched. Polycarp concluded, "But why do you delay? Come, do what you will."

Soldiers then grabbed him to nail him to a stake, but he was only tied, he assured them he would stand still. He prayed aloud, the fire was lit, and his flesh was consumed. The chronicler of this martyrdom said it was "not as burning flesh but as bread baking or as gold and silver refined in a furnace."

The account ended by saying that Polycarp's death was remembered by "everyone"—"he is even spoken of by the heathen in every place."

Excerpts taken from Fox's Book of Martyrs - (The Fourth Persecution), and Christian History & Biography