Today's #photo: me and the beautiful #summer river shoreline: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-1kA #NotAI #nature #photography #canada (Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire scene.)

Matthew 19:27-30 Jesus has just made it clear that following Him has a cost up to and including a believer's life. The rich young ruler has dejectedly walked away after being told that the one thing he lacked to obtain eternal life was apparently the one thing he wasn't willing to give up. His wealth. Think about it. Sam Walton was one of the wealthiest men in history, Truett Cathy, Jackie O'Nassis, Queen Elizabeth all were extremely wealthy. All had comforts in life that now mean nothing. All of them take their place behind beggars and those who were believers in extreme poverty. Jesus makes the point that the rich seem to believe their wealth gives them extra privilege or consideration at judgement because there's more they have to surrender. And again Peter makes sure to say the entirely wrong thing. So he looks around seeing the rich man sadly leaving Jesus, perhaps because he had much he could afford that he refused to surrender. So Peter says, Lord, What's in it for us? The ruler likely had houses, funds he would not run out of. So Peter considers what he's left for Jesus. He left his home, his career, and he's been following Jesus for a few years, now. And he wants to know what his reward is for doing so. Jesus has already informed them on more than one occasion that they would follow Him in death. And each one died a martyrs death, executed by government or religious leaders beginning with James, brother of John and ending with John, James’ brother. These brother's deaths formed the bookends of apostles’ deaths with James being first and John the last. Jesus says yes, you will all be awarded, but it comes at a cost. The cost is going to be the terrible suffering they would experience prior to death. Not that their suffering earned them anything, the way the rich believed their wealth earned them something. But that their allegiance with Jesus and relationship with Him gave them eternal life. In particular, Jesus promises the apostles specifically that they will be on thrones judging Israel. Perhaps this is meant as a small mercy for the apostles whose last living moments will be being judged by those will end up ‘judged’ by them. Not that the apostles will get input on the eternal judgment of these individuals but that they will judge Israel as a whole including these Jewish leaders who are currently burning in torment awaiting eternity. This really should be the perspective we hold to. The rich young ruler, do you think he regrets his choice now? After 2,000 some odd years of suffering where time has no meaning and no end? How important do you think he considers his summer home now? His retirement? His first century equivalent to a Bentley? How about the leaders who knew the Scriptures pointed to Jesus but didn't want to give up their power or position. But these leaders to whom the benefits of eternal life were promised if they remained faithful to God. These Jews were considered first because the promises were made to them. But they, they will be last. And those who were considered last, the Gentiles, pagans, all who responded to Jesus would take the place of those who had been considered first. The temporal life fortunes in eternity are oftentimes flipped. The temporal riches of this life lure many believers over to a side that appears successful because financial gains are made, but in actuality is abject failure. No wealth we gain is worth what is lost if we don't have Jesus. So those health and wealth preachers, the ones insisting that poverty is a sign of disfavor with God? Yeah, they will be within sight of the rich young ruler forever reconsidering their life choices and forever incapable of changing them. We don't get the chance to change our minds after death. Our fates are locked, so what are we waiting for? What's in it for us? Only Everything. [27] Then Peter responded and said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” [28] And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms on account of My name, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.

🌿 Mystical Gardens Tale 🌿 The Cooling Waters Jill had decided that summer had officially become personal. The heat had been unbearable for days. Not the pleasant kind of summer warmth that made people want to sit outside with a cold drink. This was the kind of heat that seemed to crawl beneath your skin and stay there. Jill woke up irritated. She stepped outside and immediately began sweating. “Wonderful,” she muttered. “It's going to be another one of those days.” Her car wouldn't start. “Of course it won't.” The air conditioner at work wasn't working properly. “Of course it isn't.” Someone had left a door open, letting hot air into the building. “Who does that?” Then someone accidentally bumped into her in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The woman stopped and stared at Jill. “I'm sorry.” Jill walked away without answering. She didn't notice the hurt look on the woman's face. By lunchtime, Jill was ready to scream. The restaurant was crowded. Someone's child was crying. A man at the next table was talking too loudly. The waitress brought Jill the wrong drink. “This isn't what I ordered.” “I apologize. I'll get you another one.” “And could you please get it right this time?” The waitress's smile disappeared. Jill didn't notice. Or perhaps she did, but she was too irritated to care. Everything seemed to bother her. A phone ringing. A dog barking. Someone chewing too loudly. A car driving too slowly. A person looking at her for what Jill was certain was too long. “What are you looking at?” she snapped. The man quickly looked away. By late afternoon, Jill was exhausted. And angry. Mostly angry. She couldn't even explain why anymore. All she knew was that everything was getting on her nerves. Then, on her way home, Jill saw something she hadn't seen before. A narrow path between two old trees. It hadn't been there yesterday. Jill stopped. She stared at it. Beyond the trees was a faint green glow. Normally, she would have walked away. But today she was hot, tired, frustrated, and completely out of patience and whatever was there had to be better than here, so she stepped onto the path. Within moments, the world changed. The heat disappeared. Jill stopped walking. A cool breeze brushed across her face. She closed her eyes. “Oh…” She hadn't realized how badly she needed that. The garden stretched out before her. Tall trees formed a canopy overhead. Little streams wound between moss-covered stones. Flowers opened beneath the shade, and somewhere nearby, water trickled over smooth rocks. There were no car horns. No ringing phones. No barking dogs. No crying children. No voices demanding anything from her. Just quiet. Beautiful, peaceful quiet. Jill sat beside the stream and dipped her hands into the cool water. For the first time all day, her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath. Then another. And suddenly, something uncomfortable happened... She began remembering. The woman in the hallway. “Watch where you're going!” The waitress. “Could you please get it right this time?” The man at the restaurant. “What are you looking at?” Her coworker. “Who does that?” One memory after another came rushing back. Jill lowered her head. “Oh no.” She hadn't simply been having a bad day. She had been handing that bad day to everyone around her. She had taken her frustration, her discomfort, and her exhaustion and thrown them at people who hadn't caused any of it. The garden remained silent. But Jill had the strange feeling that the giant tree at the center of the garden was watching her. “I was miserable,” she whispered. A leaf drifted down beside her. Jill picked it up. “I was hot. I was tired. Everything was going wrong.” She sighed. “But that doesn't mean I had to make everybody else miserable too.” The breeze moved gently through the branches. Jill smiled sadly. “You know what's worse?” She looked toward the path. “I don't even know if any of them deserved an apology from me.” She paused. “Of course they do.” For the first time that day, Jill laughed at herself. She had spent hours thinking everyone else was the problem. But the garden had given her something the heat never could. Perspective. Jill stood. “I can't undo what I said.” She looked toward the great tree. “But I can go back and do better.” The garden seemed to grow a little brighter. Jill stepped onto the path. The heat returned when she reached the other side. But something inside her had changed. The temperature hadn't changed. Her circumstances hadn't changed. Her car was still broken. The air conditioner still wasn't working. Tomorrow might be just as hot. But Jill wasn't going to let the heat decide who she was. The next morning, she found the woman from the hallway. “I'm sorry,” Jill said. The woman looked surprised. “For yesterday. You didn't deserve the way I spoke to you.” Then Jill found the waitress. She apologized there too. And when someone accidentally bumped into her later that afternoon, Jill felt irritation rising inside her. She opened her mouth. Then stopped. She took a breath. “It's okay,” she said. The person smiled. And Jill smiled back. That evening, Jill returned to the garden. She sat beneath the great tree with her feet beside the cool stream. “Thank you,” she whispered. She finally understood something the garden had been trying to teach her. Sometimes we are uncomfortable. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes the world seems to be working against us. And sometimes we have every reason to be frustrated. But our circumstances may explain why we're hurting without giving us permission to hurt someone else. The garden could cool Jill's skin. But only she could choose to cool the anger in her heart. And that choice was worth far more than a cool breeze. Seed from the Garden “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 You may not be able to control the heat, the noise, the traffic, the broken air conditioner, or the things other people do. But you can choose what you do with the frustration those things create inside you. Before you hand your bad day to someone else, stop. Breathe. Cool down. And remember: They may not be the reason you're hurting. Don't make them pay for it. #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz #MysticalGardens

Today's #photo: a wonderous #summer morning under the clouds: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-39l #NotAI #canada #photography (Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire scene.)

Today's #photo: deep in the beautiful #summer ravine: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-2VQ #NotAI #photography #nature #canada (Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire scene.)

Today's #photo: fascinating summer life in the wetlands: https://wp.me/p2ccTX-2VG #nature #NotAI #wildlife #photography #canada (Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire scene.)

PROVERB OF THE DAY (Proverbs 10) 1. The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death. 3. The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. 4. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. 6. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 7. The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. 8. The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. 9. He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. 10. He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. 11. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12. Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. 13. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14. Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. 15. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16. The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. 17. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. 18. Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19. In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. 20. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. 22. The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. 23. To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. 24. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 26. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him. 27. The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28. The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29. The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30. The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. 31. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out. 32. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

The boardwalk is my place. My girls love it. I take them every summer. this last trip I explained to them why I go there so often and most times alone. its my silent time with God. No music in my ear. Just His creation. Time with him in this place saved me in my darkest moments.

PROVERB OF THE DAY (Proverbs 10) 1. The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. 2. Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death. 3. The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. 4. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. 6. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 7. The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. 8. The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. 9. He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. 10. He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. 11. The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12. Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. 13. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14. Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. 15. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16. The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. 17. He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. 18. Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19. In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. 20. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. 22. The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. 23. To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. 24. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 26. As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him. 27. The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28. The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29. The way of the LORD is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30. The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. 31. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out. 32. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

Today's #photo: peaceful #summer morning at the mountain pond. https://wp.me/p2ccTX-393 #NotAI #canada #nature #photography (Click/tap the link or picture to see the entire scene.)