Good morning to everyone. Grace and Peace be with you.

Once upon a time, I could eat and I loved summer sausage. A slice of meat on a cracker made for a hearty meal in the summer heat. My husband would add a piece of cheese to his stack, and that has been supper meals on more occasions than I can count. However, I believe that my time for such a meal has come to an end. The last couple of times we have done that, last night being the latest occurrence, I have awoken in the middle of the night with an upset stomach. I believe that this is going to be one of those items that I will like from afar … like cucumbers. I like them, but they do not like me. It is a sad thought. Haha.

Have you ever had your routine disrupted? Like you have done the exact same thing the exact same way for an eternity only to find out that it does not work anymore. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with the situation where the process does not work anymore, but it does not. Aggravating and confusing, isn’t it? Just as I enjoy the above-mentioned foods, I cannot eat them without creating a situation in the middle of the night. So, sometimes, God changes our direction without warning.

Now, if you are anything like me, you will continue the old ways over and over again … ‘knowing’ that it will work because it always works. I am kinda stubborn that way. However, eventually, my stubbornness will give way and the way that He is telling me does in fact work so much quicker, easier, or just plain better.

One of the reasons that I believe that this is the case is that we get into a pattern and that pattern is comfortable. When we are comfortable in our pattern, then there is no reason to change … at least in our minds. The same goes with our walk. If we follow the same routine day in and day out, precisely walk the same steps each day, watching closely for pitfalls and valleys, we will miss the very item that God gave us to make our lives better. We will miss the rainbow because our head is down. We will miss the elderly person who needs a hand. We will miss the young child who wants to give us a hug. We will miss the little ducks following behind mom. We will miss life. Sometimes, God will change our path because we are no longer walking that path for Him, but for the routine. If we are in a routine, the enemy can plant barricades to keep us on that path where he can orchestrate a dynamic that is seemingly correct but really is us sitting the fence.

Routine is good; however, it should not become the sole purpose of existence. The routine is to help us stay on track, but it should not be the only way. When we are in a routine or pattern, the enemy can be satisfied that you are not doing anything to hurt his domain. When God sees this, he will give you a slightly altered direction so that His will be done and not the enemy’s. The next time your direction changes, look at the pattern you were in and see if the water has become stagnant and stale … if it has … then you know that the call to change something up is from God.

Be blessed.

**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 by men. You are the light of the world. A city 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. –Matthew 5:13-15

EGYPT:
An Egyptian priest dressed in white was in his sanctuary. His name was Potipherah. A torch was lit and placed in a stone handle on the wall. The limestone walls were covered with sacred hieroglyphs that narrated the ancient stories of the gods, and before him was the majestic and beautiful statue of his beloved solar deity, Ra. The statue of Ra was at the center of the altar. On his right was the beautiful goddess, Isis, breast-feeding her son Horus, and on the left was Osiris, lord of the afterlife. The sanctuary had other small statues of the gods of Egypt, like Horus the adult with his head in the shape of a falcon and his long hair, the goddess Bastet with a cat head, Anubis, with a jackal head, and a few amulets of the same gods that were used for protection.
Potipherah loved the gods and believed the gods loved him back, which was why he was praying to Ra that night. He was a bit anxious because he had recently awoken from a nightmare.
"Mighty Ra, I know that it is better to pray to you during the day, but I had the most disturbing dream. I pray to you for your protection. I am not sure what this dream means. I believe that you or one of the gods has sent me a message tonight. There will be a foreigner among us. A foreigner who will rule. I pray to you that this does not happen. Please prevent it. Egypt is mighty and prosperous, and I am afraid that we might be conquered. I pray to you. Please prevent a conquest of Egypt, if that is what will pass. I love you. I venerate you and worship you. I beg you to listen to my prayer—me, the Priest of On, Potipherah, your humble and obedient servant. Ra, I will leave you here with this offering of fruits. Please, I beg you to accept this offering in exchange for an answer."
Potipherah then grabbed a basket filled with the best fruits for the god Ra, fruits like dates, figs, grapes, and raisins. He left the basket at the foot of the statue. Potipherah looked up at his god and bowed, showing deep respect to the statue. Then, he prayed to the other gods beside Ra and made offerings to them too.
He lit some frankincense, closed his eyes, and prayed silently again. After he was done, he approached the statues and kissed the feet of each one. He grabbed the torch from the sanctuary's sconce and took it with him. The sanctuary remained dark. Afterwards, he left the room and noticed that his daughter, Asenath, was calling him. She was in her bedroom, in her bed, whispering to him.
"Father. Father. Father," she said.
Potipherah walked into her room. Potipherah placed the torch on his daughter's sconce. The bedroom had hieroglyphs on the walls and paintings of Pharaoh, Ra, Bastet, Osiris, Horus, Isis, and other gods. She slept in a wooden, long, rectangular-shaped bed carved with lions' paws. Her sheets, fitting her status as the daughter of a wealthy high priest, were woven from the finest, bleached Egyptian linen.
"Asenath? Why are you up, you little girl? Your teacher will come tomorrow," Potipherah told her.
"Father, I heard you were up. I was scared," Asenath said. Potipherah hugged his daughter.
"All is well, sweetheart. Go to sleep," Potipherah told her, and he kissed her on the cheek.
"Father, I had a strange dream," Asenath told him, and this immediately interested her father.
"You did?" Potipherah asked her, and although he could only see shades of her in the dim firelight, he noticed a brief smile. She nodded.
"Yes, father, I did," she replied, so Potipherah asked her about it.
"I dreamed of a boy. He was very cute. He looked at me and smiled. Then he held my hand," Asenath said.
"And what happened next?" Potipherah asked.
"That's all. Then, I woke up. Oh, father, he was so cute. I didn't want to wake up. I wanted him to kiss me," Asenath said. Potipherah arched an eyebrow.
"Asenath, and tell me, what did you feel during this dream?" Potipherah asked her.
"Love, father. I felt loved," she replied. This was not the answer he expected, but it wasn't a bad answer.
"Okay, time to go to sleep now. Your teacher is coming early tomorrow," Potipherah told her, and then he tucked her in.
"Goodnight, sweetheart. May Osiris and Isis protect you," Potipherah told her. Asenath lay back and smiled.
"Thank you, father. May Ra protect you," she replied.
Potipherah kissed her on the cheek, and then he took the torch from the sconce and left. He thought that this peaceful dream was the exact answer that he needed from Ra. He believed the offering had been accepted, and so, as he walked to his room, he thanked the god for answering his prayer—wholly unaware that the true, living God of Heaven was already arranging the pieces of history.

HEBRON:
Everything was dark until the fireball appeared before him. It was huge, radiant, and hot. Then, a few feet in front of that huge ball of fire, appeared a silver sphere. Joseph realized that he was looking at the sun and at the moon. Later on, tiny dots of bright lights appeared in the dark void. Joseph counted each one, and together they amounted to eleven. These, he noticed, were stars. The rest of the universe was dark.
"The sun, the moon, and the stars," Joseph said to himself.
The sun, the moon, and the stars strangely developed into bodies that were all dressed in white undergarments. Joseph noticed that the bodies seemed familiar. One of the stars had the body of a boy who looked like Benjamin. Another one had the body of a man, and it looked like Reuben's. The moon had a female body; maybe the moon was Leah. The sun looked like his father, Jacob. All of them bowed down flat to the earth before Joseph, giving reverence to him. Joseph woke up to the light of day, the prophetic weight of the vision resting heavily upon his spirit.

So I was awoken up from sleep last night with a new way to share the gospel. The first study in this format I typed these verses. It sounds like advice for all that is happening in today's world. We should all listen to God's word, including me. Here is the verses.
Isaiah 8:11-15 NKJV For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying;
"Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.
He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken."

Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.

Last night, as I said my prayers, I could hear a coyote howling very close to the house. Before I finished my prayers, I got up to see if I could locate where he/she was because they literally sounded like they were standing right outside my window. The yard was dark, except for the area near the street where the streetlamp was. I could not find them. I looked for quite a bit, it felt like, but still no sighting. I was even a little confused, because my dog, who reacts so quickly to the dog next door going outside, lay in her bed unbothered.

I climbed back into bed and completed my prayers. My mind was circling the ever-continuous howls of the coyotes, and what could this possibly signify? Was this a sign of importance, or was it just another attempt by the enemy to steal my peace? Ultimately, I turned the howls into white noise and fell fast asleep.

This morning, when the dog woke up to my first alarm, she moved and whined quickly. I, on the other hand, chose to rise at the second alarm. She was steadfast at the closed door, ready to bolt. That is not like her. Pulling open my door, she headed straight for my husband, who was already awake.

He has awoken with swollen glands in his throat. It is atypical of a cold or flu-like symptom and does not seem to be bothering his breathing.

Today is another challenge-filled day, and it appears that I must have passed the test yesterday since I survived, so the enemy is adding my husband into the mix today. If today were a day when my husband would normally be alone, I would be a little more concerned. Right now, there is only concern, not panic. However, I am a prayerful woman and would ask that you all pray for him today. Allow the fluids to soothe the throat and shrink the glands. Pray for healing and protective coverage. Much appreciated.

I guess the enemy missed the part where we, as a team of two, have declared and imparted that “this is a house of servants to God”; we don’t scare that easily. We trust. We obey. We prosper.

Be blessed.

*What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?—Romans 8:31

Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.

He really provided the perfect day yesterday to pay honor to those who have fallen and to truly celebrate the family that we have.

I was blessed to have my kids and their families over for cookout. A spread to fill three tables and enough to spread the wealth to neighbors. The weather was on point. Thank you, Jesus.

In my line of work, having an extra day off is a blessing and a curse. When I first started at the post office, the day after any holiday measured up to Christmas volumes in a single day and it felt like it took a week to catch up. Though the day after is still a big deal, it is nowhere the conundrum that it used to be. The most entertaining part about the holidays is listening to upper management try to figure out what they need to do to make it a smooth operation. Like they don’t happen every year or something. Haha.

As a new norm, I have awoken with lyrics in my head. I would love to tell you the song, but I cannot. All I know is that it is a new song and it is telling me a strong message of not being afraid and knowing that God is with me.

No you might be thinking, duh, but everyone needs a solid reminder. Apparently, I am one of those who needs His musical prowess ringing through my ears.

Outside my window I can hear the majestical rhythm of the robins singing their good morning song for all to hear. A song of reverence and promises of a beautiful encounter of His presence. As I sit here sipping my coffee, listening to their morning call to worship, I am at peace with whatever the post office has to throw at me.

Today, my friends, whatever may be in your path, know that the Lord of lords, King of kings is with you and walking with you. Nothing that is thrown at you can hinder His plan. We need to just be willing vessels to execute when necessary. I read on my social media page that a friend’s dad was called home just as the cannons were sounded for the race. They made a comment about how he needed one more bang to go. That, to me, was an awesome tribute to their loved one. Let’s make today our bang moment and spread His love. Let’s make today a day of joy and peace. Regardless of what the enemy attempts, we will always seek the Light and spread the Truth.

Be blessed today my friends and make it a point to bless someone else.

***His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. – Psalm 112:2

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