Fish for Breakfast?

Have you ever eaten fish for breakfast? I have been teased for some of the things I’ve eaten for breakfast, usually something left over from a previous meal. My husband used to think me crazy for some of the things I would eat in the morning for breakfast, and when I read this scripture where Jesus had fish cooking on the fire and told the disciples to bring some of the fish they caught and have breakfast, I felt justified. LOL

Here is what the scripture says in John 21: “Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.” NIV ~ Scripture accessed through BibleGateway.com

At that moment they knew for sure it was Jesus because of the miracle of so many fish, just like the last time he had performed this miracle for them, recorded in Luke 5: “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.”NIV ~ Scripture accessed through BibleGateway.com

More than pointing out my feeling justified for sometimes eating leftover fish for breakfast, I want to remember the miracles Jesus performed for the disciples and how much they mean to us today. Jesus is still a miracle worker.

Do you need a miracle in your life, in your body, in your mind, in your finances? Seek Him!! Jesus is still a miracle worker today!

And by the way, have you ever eaten fish for breakfast?

New day, new year…almost here…I am thankful!

So it’s been “a minute” as some people say since I’ve written here on my blog. So much has happened, so much of God’s hand in my life, and I am so very thankful.

Currently living in the Adirondacks in upstate New York with my youngest daughter and three of my wonderful grandchildren, studying to take the New York real estate exam to add a New York license to my Delaware license, I am thankful. (Not really planning to ever add Maryland or New Jersey licenses again but you never know…)

Attending Adirondack Bible Chapel with my daughter each Sunday has been a blessing, but I still look forward to attending Word of Life Christian Center whenever I’m back in Delaware. I’m making new friends at ABC but also miss my friends at WOLCC. Again, I am thankful.

You know, it’s an exciting adventure living in a new state and still keeping my connections to the other three states I’ve lived in. Family, clients and friends in Delaware, Maryland & New Jersey, for all of whom I am so very thankful. My other two children and the remainder of my 12 grandchildren (one whom just got married this year!) are all still in New Jersey and are such blessings from God! I am so very thankful!

While my Toyota RAV-4 has been a fantastic traveling vehicle, and my little dog Maddy is such a great traveling companion, my goal is to purchase a small RV motorhome or conversion van so I can have my home on wheels while I travel back and forth. This will make doing business in multiple states much easier. As I research and study all the options, I get more and more excited to know it will soon be a reality. Again, I am thankful.

So as I look forward to the start of a new year, I know God has great things in store for me, and I choose to continue to serve Him wherever He wants to use me. He has never let me down, and He has brought me through so many difficult things throughout my life. How can I not trust Him with my future? I am so very thankful!

Taking Things Out of God’s Hands and Into Our Own…

In reading Bill Winston’s book titled The Kingdom of God in You, I felt prompting from the Lord to share my personal testimony based on chapter 8’s discussion of God’s promise to Abram and Sarai that “your very own son shall be your heir,” Genesis 15:4. God promised Abram that his offspring would come from his own seed and be born of Sarai, both in their old age, well past childbearing years. He promised Abram that his offspring would outnumber the stars in the heavens!

After years had passed, however, Sarai decided to take things in her own hands because God still had not provided this son He had promised. So she instructed Abram to go into her servant Hagar and have a son through her instead.

This is where my personal testimony comes in. Those who know me well and have walked through the last 35+ years of life with me know this testimony, but I believe God wants me to also share it with you, whomever you are that is reading this blog post.

You see, my first husband went home to Jesus in 1989 after a short battle with cancer, and I became a single mom of 3 children, ages 8, 6, and 5. I always believed God had another husband for me and waited for Him to bring that husband into my life, but after waiting 15 years I grew very weary of the wait. I imagine this is how Sarai might have felt (especially considering she was well past the childbearing age) and she most likely wondered if God’s promise was actually going to happen for her. Sadly, I can relate!

So just like Sarai, I decided to take matters into my own hands and seek out a husband for myself. Without making this post too long with the many details, suffice it to say that I searched on some of the Internet dating sites for a single Christian man to meet and marry, and that is exactly what I did!

I met my second husband but only knew him for six weeks before we married in 2004. Since we didn’t take time to really seek God’s direction or get to know each other well to be sure we were compatible, and most importantly that we were the one God had for each of us to marry, we began a roller coaster of a marriage that lasted for 19 years until that husband also went home to Jesus in June 2023.

Red flags? Yes! There were quite a few. Did I heed them? Absolutely not! Did I regret jumping into a marriage not arranged and directed by God? Oftentimes, yes!

BUT GOD!!

On the first occasion that I was going to leave my new husband, as I was praying for God’s direction (something I had stopped doing when I married my husband) God told me to stay and gave me a promise that He was going to make something of this marriage.

There were many other times when I wanted to leave and sometimes when we were separated, but I kept hearing God’s promise of “making something of this marriage” and telling me to stay, so I did. Was it easy? Not at all!! Oh, don’t get me wrong; we had many good times too, but the marriage was often fraught with difficulties, sadness, anger, and disappointments too, and I think that was mutual for him as well as for me.

At one point I heard a message from my pastor on Hebrews 11:1, which reads: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” My pastor had instructed us to personalize this verse and for many years I claimed it for myself, confessing “Now faith is the substance of the marriage I hoped for, the evidence of the marriage not seen.”

So as the years continued on, we had many ups and downs, but God continued to be faithful to His promise to “make something of our marriage.” I can attest to an amazing work He did in me throughout the process, years of pain and heartache, but also times of joy. My husband helped me develop a love for boating and I have many beautiful memories of those times together on several boats we owned together.

I’m not sure exactly when my husband developed Progressive Supranuclear Palsy because he was not diagnosed with it until December 2022, but he had many symptoms for quite a few years prior; we just didn’t know they were symptoms of that neurological disorder until he was diagnosed. This was a very horrible neurological disorder to watch him suffer from and I definitely promised God I would never leave him as I knew he would have been lost without me.

I thank God for the years I had with both my husbands, but most especially for all the ways God worked in me through each marriage, good, bad and indifferent. No marriage is perfect, for sure, but I definitely recommend seeking God for direction so as to enjoy the BEST marriage He has for you. But if you find yourself in a marriage you feel is wrong for you, trust God to direct you. Certainly if you are in an abusive marriage, there are outlets you can seek out for help, and God would never have you stay in an abusive situation. But if you just feel you made a mistake, as I felt that I did, trust God to lead you whether or not you should stay and allow Him to “make something of the marriage.” He did it for me, and He can do it for you!!

Whatever you do…do all to the glory of God!

When running a business, or even working as an employee of someone else’s business, it is important to remember God’s word in 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

The other morning in the YouVersion Bible app that I use each day for my morning devotion time in the Word and in Prayer, the gal who was expounding on this passage was also pointing out how it applies to what we eat and drink. I had always thought about how this applies to work-what we “do” for a living, but I hadn’t really thought about how it relates to what I eat and drink, thus meaning how I care for my body and my health. As a Christian, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the trinity, our triune God of all creation.

Thinking about this verse in every way we should apply it to our lives, it truly does apply to “whatever we do.” In order to live for Jesus, we must commit everything in our lives, everything we do and say, to Him, and strive for honoring Him and aiding in the work of His Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.

Isolation, Separation and Hope

Isolation – “various measures taken to prevent contagious diseases from being spread”~Wikipedia

Separation – “The act of disuniting two or more things, or the condition of being separated.”~Wikipedia

Hope – “The feeling of trustconfidencebelief or expectation that something wished for can or will happen.” “A person or thing that is a source of hope.“~Wikipedia

Are you tired of all this isolation during the COVID-19 quarantine? Feeling separated from those you love, those you want to see and spend time with again? Feeling cooped up, wanting to just get out and GO somewhere?

Have you been unable to work? Struggling to pay bills? Wondering when this all will end? Wondering if we’ll ever return to “normal”? Or wondering what this “new normal” will look like going forward?

I understand…and I want to encourage you today with the Hope we all have even in the midst of Isolation and Separation.

“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?”~Job 6:11

“You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.”~Job 11:18

“But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.”~Psalm 9:18

“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”~Psalm 31:24

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”~Psalm 33:20

“In his name the nations will put their hope.”~Matthew 12:21

I want to encourage you today to hang on to Hope as you hang on to Jesus!!

Do you know The Lord Jesus Christ? Is He your Savior and Lord? If so, you will know that there is always HOPE.

Don’t understand this hope? Don’t know Jesus in this way? TODAY can be your best day ever as you learn how Jesus can give YOU hope too! Click here to learn more. You won’t regret it!!

Led by the Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-3 “The Lord is MY Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me].  I shall not lack.  He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him-not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.” AMP

Revelation 7:17 “For the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” AMP

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Jesus Saves Leftovers

Jesus Saves LeftoversWhen they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over.  Let nothing be wasted.”  So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” ~ John 6:12-13

Do you eat leftovers?  Leftovers are some of my favorite things to eat for breakfast or lunch.  I don’t like to waste food, and I usually don’t throw much away unless it goes bad.

Jesus was not wasteful.  Even while He did things in abundance, He was specific in this passage to instruct His disciples to “Let nothing be wasted.”

I love this!

Not only did Jesus feed over 5000 people with a boy’s 5 barley loaves and 2 fish (in abundance), He wanted to make sure they saved any leftovers so they were not wasted!

Do you ever feel like a leftover?  Have you gotten discouraged over something in life that left you feeling inferior, unloved, left out, or leftover?

Jesus loves people.  He wants everyone to come to him and be saved…have eternal life in Heaven with the Father.  No one is a leftover to Him.  Everyone is welcome.  Everyone is valued.  Everyone is loved.

When I think about the story of the woman caught in adultery and how the people of the town wanted to stone her for it, Jesus simply wrote in the sand and told the one who was without sin to cast the first stone.  This woman was a valuable leftover to Jesus, and He made sure she was not wasted.  He did not condemn her but instead instructed her to go and sin no more.

2 Peter 3:9 tells us that “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly.  That includes the leftovers!  We only have leftovers when there has been abundance.  Have you given your life to Jesus?  Are you living in the abundance He alone can provide?

And while we’re talking about leftovers from the 5 loaves and 2 fish, I think it is interesting to note that there were only leftovers from the loaves.  I guess the people ate all the fish…just sayin’!!

Here are some of my favorite verses from the Bible

Some Favorites from God’s Word

Hebrews 2:1 KJV  “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

Zephaniah 3:17 NLT  “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Matthew 6:34:  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” 

Colossians 3:12  “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

James 4:17 NASB  “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Isaiah 58:10-11  “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring”

Psalm 125:1 NIV  “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever”

Colossians 3:23  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Psalm 40:8  “I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”

Ephesians 6:10-13  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

John 15:5  “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

Psalm 127:1a “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”

1 Corinthians 3:12-13  “If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.”