Very quiet here in the park - I believe all of the Winter Texans are gone and the permanent residents are just relaxing and enjoying the quietness. It is quiet warm out (actually hot) so there is no one moving around, except those who walk their pets occasionally. We know the season is really over when the gates are locked and only opened to residents or visitors who are allowed in. It is a bit of a secure feeling, but hard to believe that it is going to be summer soon. Lots of the trees that were damaged in the freeze are being removed all over the cities, and green prevails everywhere. We took a few hours to regroup yesterday and went to IHOP for an early evening meal (I had a gift certificate). Not a lot of folks there (the Hispanic people eat later) and the food was wonderful. I had a spinach/mushroom omelet with Hollandaise sauce . We enjoyed the quiet time and planned for the up coming week. We had loaded about 500# beans which will be bagged this week. We are going to deliver to Iglesia Bautista Manuel on Tuesday - a church where we previously delivered. Hopefully, we will again be able to reach more needy people.
We have our place here for sale in anticipation of returning to Arkansas and other ministries there, and am really disappointed in the rudeness of people. we have it listed on Facebook Marketplace and have had many inquiries - even appointments made, and only one of the appointments have been kept. Otherwise no apologies, no phone calls to cancel, etc. We understand that they may have have changed their mind, but we waste time sitting at home waiting for them to show up. No concept of common courtesy. As I was volunteering at the thrift store this week, a lady asked to use the restroom. Because of Covid, we keep it locked ( we do not even have a key). I explained it to her and she huffed and puffed and said she was going to spend $20 there that day but decided spend nothing and left. I hope she heard in her heart my prayer for her! Sorry for the rant - but there are times I am disappointed by the human race (just imagine what Jesus thinks of us).
Bithiah, who is referred to in I Chronicles 4:18, and whose name means "a daughter of Jehovah". She was a woman of position, spoken of as the daughter of Pharaoh. this Pharaoh may have been an Isreaelite (Pharaoh in this case meaning a king rather than being used as a name). Like Ruth, she denounced her country and took an Israelite husband and to have Israel's God as her God. She married Mered, a descendant of the tribe of Judah.
The sermon this morning was not actually a sermon, but answers to questions form the congregation, sent in inline as a continuation to the series on marriage. Youth minister, Matt Tibbet, read the questions right from the computer, not preparing beforehand, but answering those which he felt were important at this time. The first question was is it ok to withhold dark details of your past from your spouse, even though that spouse knows there is a past? If you are follower of Jesus, you are forgiven. But have you forgave yourself? When a person sins, there are two relationships that become a struggle - a struggle with God and a struggle with your spouse. If you are asking this question, you are answering it yourself. This information is creating a distance from your spouse. Are you struggling with the issue - perhaps you should discuss it with your spouse. Allow your spouse set the level of transparency to proceed. Sometimes this spouse need time to process the information - space to understand it all.
The second question has to do with the throwaway society of today? How can a spouse defeat the easy divorce society of today? what control do we have over that society. Years ago people would not divorce because the church was the home team. It was less common than it is now. As a church it is time to stop expecting the world to be like the world! Why are we not surprised that the world is not surrendering to the Lord? who let it get this way? We did - it happened on our watch. We have to show the world how a marriage works - and it does take work. We can control it by looking in the mirror. Is a marriage ever past the point of reconciliation? Theoretically, no. Marriages are struggling now - if both spouses would humble themselves and do whatever ir it takes to make the marriage work, it will survive. The problem is, both individuals have to be broken and humble. Humility is the beginning of Jesus' love for us - it began when He humbled Himself at birth. If you want your marriage to work, focus on humility. There were other questions, but those need to be viewed at the website - go to prairie grove christian church and click on online church and watch both services - different questions at each service.
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