The Lord works out everything for his own ends -
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 16:4-5 (NIV)
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Gypsy by Shelley M. Headley is a young horse-lover's dream of a story. And this once young horse-lover absolutely loved this book.
It's a rare time when I invest in a young people's novel, but interesting circumstances contributed to my receiving Gypsy as a gift, and it was my honor and pleasure to read it. I confess, sap that I am, there were a couple of places where I cried – sobbed actually. Touched me that deeply. This is a well-written story for the young horse-lovers in your life. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Gypsy arrives in Samantha's life at a neighbor's farm. She's a neglected Thoroughbred who's been abused and half-starved. The neighbor bought her for $200, and it doesn't look like he got a steal. When the neighbors propose a "deal" to "Sam" to care for the mare at their expense, she's thrilled at the opportunity. The neighbor's daughter Annie, a bit younger than Sam, is the typical spoiled girl who's been given it all and expects everything to go her way. So when someone else does well, she's angry. When someone else gets hurt, she laughs. Sam tolerates her, but it isn't easy because Sam loves and respects all of the animals, and Annie basically takes them all for granted and uses them to satisfy her momentary whims.
With great patience and true understanding, Sam and Gypsy develop an admirable combination based on Sam's love for the mare and the mare's acquisition of real trust in Sam. Time and effort produce a beautiful horse.
Of course the story isn't pure fluff and there are real heartbreaks, but this "horse story" is perfectly written and a wonderful addition to the repertoire of young people's fiction. For those kids and parents searching for a good, clean all-out horse story about the recovery of a mare because of the love and devotion of a young girl dedicated to making one horse's life better while fulfilling that horse-loving place in her own life, Gypsy is the book for you.
Father, I pray your multiple blessings over Shelley and ask that you continue to give her unique stories to write. Thank you for her tenderness toward animals – and maybe horses in particular. I ask that you would continue to provide all that she needs in every area of her life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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My beloved brother Richard James Petrino, aka "Dick", who now resides with my parents in heaven. Cute guy, best brother.
Graduation picture: 1955 from Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington.
Lord, I miss my brother. Please give him a hug from his little sister. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Time for something we used to do here. Pick a letter and write some words. Today's letter is "R". Here are some powerful "r" words.
Rage
Redemption
Rampant
Recovery
Roar
Ruminate
Rescue
Repercussion
Remember
Renounce
Just a few meaningful "r" words. Name some more.
Father, you're the author of life, languages, truth, and all good things. Thank you for the beauty you've left for us to enjoy. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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The theme song to begin 2021. A classic theme. A classic movie. It's what we'll need.
Father, you told us to fight the good fight. Help us to do just that. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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Fear Has A Name by Creston Mapes delivers a good suspense that ties several seemingly unrelated incidents together while exploring the horrific abuses of one character, the debilitating depression of another, the desire to forgive in yet another, and the demanding rage that erupts from another.
Jack Crittendon is a bona fide journalist who is keen to get the truth while investigating a missing pastor who is presumed to be headed to take his own life. Jack's wife Pam, mother to his two young daughters, experiences a home invasion and quickly gathers her girls and races over to their neighbor's house to call the police.
Granger Meade is a lost man who's spent his life as an outsider after enduring unbearable emotional abuse from his pseudo-Christian parents who never once allowed him to feel or be loved. He was a gross inconvenience, a disappointment, a tool of the devil to them, and they never failed to make it apparent to him. There had been only one person in his life who gave him any positive attention, and her name is now Pamela Crittendon.
The missing pastor is a husband and father of three boys. He's suffered with depression and been treated with different meds to determine which works best for him. His associate pastor criticizes his need for medication and questions how he could suffer from depression while being a Christian. When the pastor leaves the church one morning with all of his medication and pens a suicide note found on his desk, the assumption is he's gone somewhere to kill himself. Jack visits his distraught wife who insists he wouldn't commit suicide, interviews the church secretary who admits some interesting information, and speaks with the OCD associate pastor who he later discovers has way more wealth than the size and salary of that congregation could ever supply.
Jack has hidden and suppressed his temper for years knowing it can get ugly. With the discovery of who has broken into their lives, his rage is barely simmering beneath the surface. Pam is more sympathetic but she's experiencing the onslaught of fear for herself and their two girls.
The pastor is determined to end his worthless existence, listening to the enemy of his soul berate him. Guilt, sorrow, and emptiness plague him. Convincing himself that his wife and boys will be better off without him, his mission is to travel to a special place and get it over with. He's impeded by a persistent bag lady who tells him there's more for him to do.
How these different lives intersect, the emotions ping ponging around in each of the individuals facing their own extreme trials, all the personal revelations regarding their faith, and the resulting conclusions to each circumstance produce a satisfying end to the unique fears each of the characters face as they learn fear definitely has a name.
(One small irrelevant problem for me is the cover. I love it, but I failed to tie it into the story. It appears to portray winter/snow, but the story is in the heat and storms of summer. If you've read this novel, perhaps you can enlighten me.)
Father, please continue to bless Creston as he writes those stories you have just for him to tell. Please accommodate his needs and inspire him when he needs it most. Bless and encourage him and keep him safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."
The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Luke 2:21-35 (NIV)
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New Year. New Cheer. New Fear? Steer clear. Don't sneer.
Persevere.
Psalm 64:10 (NIV)
Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in Him;
let all the upright in heart praise him!
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Many people look forward to 2021 as the end game to their fears and tribulations. But those same people also look forward to 2021 with trepidation because there is still a "scary" virus, there is still unrest, there is still uncertainty, there are numerous and somewhat never ending fearful circumstances awaiting the mere change of a day.
There will be celebrations in some places but not as plentiful or as noteworthy as in the past. Why? FEAR. Instead of challenging the claims which have waffled like a broken-down mattress, most people have complied with some governor-issued demands that keep perpetuating fearfulness with compromised statistics, outright lies, and actual threats to those trying to save their businesses, families' well-being, and the state of the Union.
Without the defeat of the spirits of fear, deception, and lying spirits, 2021 has little to offer in the way of differences from the majority of 2020. That's a fact.
So as the hours, minutes, and seconds are counted down to the erasure of 2020, what will people do? What will they decide? Will they embrace bravery and boldness? Will they cower mostly in their homes and/or continue to comply with unrealistic and ineffective mandates by some who wish to wield power and demand obedience to their mandates? Strange questions to be asked and answered approaching a new year.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (English Standard Version)
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (Berean Study Bible)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. (Berean Literal Bible)
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-control. (NIV)
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (KJV)
2 Timothy 1:7
Thank you, God Almighty, for ushering in a new year. We honor you, we long to trust you more, we're desperate for you, and we always want to have your Spirit guiding us, reassuring us, and providing the hope and courage we're determined to own and demonstrate as your people. We ask that you destroy the efforts of the spirits of deception, continue to expose the evil in our midst, and bring more of the lost to reach out to Jesus for their salvation and redemption. We ask it all in the power of the Name of Jesus, Amen.
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The learning . . .
It was far easier than could ever be imagined for some to lie to, to horrify, and then to control the masses of the greatest nation in the world.
It was far easier to destroy a robust economy than could ever be imagined by some denying people and businesses the right to make decisions about the risks of maintaining their businesses during a potentially dangerous-to-some engineered and imported flu.
It was far easier than could ever be imagined for some to bring hatred, envy, racism, name-calling, insults, lying, deception, and all the other tools of the enemy of our souls to the highest levels ever experienced in the greatest nation in the world.
It was far easier than could ever be imagined for some people of faith to willingly accept the deceptions broadcast by a rogue media bent on perpetuating outright lies about everything good and decent in the greatest nation in the world.
It was far easier than could ever be imagined for certain governors aided by a media gone mad to engineer and continue to stir up rabid fear in order to control those who would believe them in their fantastic proposals for liquor stores and pot shops and abortion clinics to remain open as "essential" businesses while closing churches and small businesses.
It was far easier than could ever be imagined that after research was published and verified which explained why masks were ineffective and potentially harmful to those who were forced to wear them for extended lengths of time that this well-documented research was censored and scorned even when those states which have complied religiously to the "masking up" dogma have noted or professed increases in a virus with inflated statistics for positive cases and unreliable deaths from, while ignoring the 99.8% recovery rates for all ages by those without comorbid health issues.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 (NIV)
Lord God, we praise you for your power and glory, provision and prophecy, protection and peace beyond our understanding. You know. Nothing is hidden from you. Keep exposing the evil, Lord. We're desperate for you: the Way, the Truth, the Life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
