Seduction of Hell©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was a queen named Jezebel.

Who worshipped the deities of Hell.

Seduction.

Deception.

Crafted into an evil cartel.

History is recorded for the benefit and survival of the human creation. God knew what He was doing when He created in humans the desire and need to document history for mankind.  One of the greatest history books we have is the Bible. It is an epic story of love and redemption.

The stories recorded of the Twelve Tribes of Judah are a worthy subject to research in understanding where we are today in the timeline of history. For now, let’s look at the fateful decision of the Israelite’s request for a King to rule over them.

For generations, the people of Israel were ruled by prophets and judges. All judges were prophets but not all prophets were judges.  And not all of them followed God’s ways.

The first prophet and last judge of Israel before the reign of kings was a man named Samuel.  His mother, Hannah, prayed many years that God would end her barrenness and if so she would dedicate the child to the service of God. God answered Hannah’s prayer and she bore Samuel. Once he was weaned from his mother he was sent to live and grow up in the sanctuary under the direction of Eli the high priest. Samuel was called at a very young age by God and he became a priest, a prophet, and a judge. He was highly respected by the people because he followed God’s laws.

But he was human too.

Samuel had two sons Joel and Abijah.  Like his father, Samuel, often failed to discipline his children correctly. The fruit of that failure resulted in his sons, who had also become judges, were not held accountable and became exceedingly corrupt. They were dishonest, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. 

Samuel was growing old. His time as  Israel’s Judge was ending.  The people saw the corruptness of his sons and wanted nothing to do with them. Instead, they cried to Samuel, “Give us a king like all the other nations.”  Samuel knew this was not a good idea.  He tried to warn them.  He went to God for counsel and God agreed.   In 1 Samuel 8  God said this to him:

⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ⁸ As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 

¹⁰ Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. ¹² Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.

”Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

The First King

God tells Samuel to find a young man named Saul and anoint him King. King Saul was the first King Of Israel. He started well but pride and insecurity caused him to disobey the things God told him to do. He is killed on the battlefield and David,  one of his chief warriors, is crowned king. King David is described as a man after God’s own heart.  He wasn’t perfect either because no human is but his heart was humble towards God so God promised there would always be a seed from his family that would rule over Jerusalem. King David  reigned thirty three years over all Israel and was loved by the people.  He kept Israel united. He passed his reign over to his son Solomon. King Solomon became known as the wisest King in the world. He was also the wealthiest.  But he did not fully walk in the ways of God like his father King David.  Remember Samuel’ s warning to the people about a king? King Solomon took wives from foreign kingdoms that became a downfall to his following God with his whole heart.  These wives caused him to worship other gods.  This displeased God and God told him He would tear the kingdom from him.    After his death revolts broke out over who should reign next. The Kingdom of Israel was split in two. The southern part was called the Kingdom of Judah. Two of the twelve tribes made up this kingdom, Judah and Benjamin.  The northern part was called the Kingdom of Israel.  It was comprised of the ten remaining tribes. They were Asher, Dan, Ephraim, Gad, Issachar, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, and Zebulun.

The Kingdom of Israel rebelled against God’s ways and was led astray by many wicked kings. They were filled with greed and lust for power.  One of these kings was King Ahab. He worshipped false gods. He married a Phonecian woman named Jezebel. The Phonecians worshipped false gods also. She introduced Ahab to Ba’al. Ba’al is a demonic spirit that is the primary enemy of YHWH, pronounced Yahweh which means “I Am” or “HE That Is.” YHWH is the One True God, the God of Israel and the world. Ba’al is an evil lying entity that is controlling, seductive, manipulative, and deceptive.  It could be likened to the definition of a cartel in our present world. A cartel is an entity that restricts competition and inflates prices using a combination of domestic, political, and/or international groups to gain control. I would add to that definition acts of coercion, violence, and murder. (Anything or anyone come to mind?) King Ahab built a temple dedicated to this evil god in the heart of Israel.

A Jezebel spirit, with Ba’al worship as its god, is still alive today. 

The story of Jezebel and King Ahab is found in I and II Kings. Ba’al is the demonic entity behind the evil cartels of ancient times and current times. This demonic spirit can change many forms controlling nations through evil leaders. God gave a prophecy of Ahab and Jezebel’s fate.  It wasn’t a good ending.  God gave them free will as He does for all humanity.  They continued to worship evil. What might have been their fate if they chose Yahweh instead?

How are we to be free of this demonic force which is all around us? God is patient with us, giving us much time to repent and turn from evil.  When we know the truth but choose otherwise we also  will have a bad ending.  God is merciful in His judgement against evil throughout history. But don’t mistake mercy as God winking His eye at evil. Judgement comes often at the price of your life. His mercy will include signs, wonders, prophecies, and second chances.  AND WARRIORS!  Jehu was one of God’s warriors.   

Jehu Warrior and King.       

Jehu was a great warrior who was anointed the tenth king over the southern Kingdom of Israel. He is sent to fulfil God’s Prophecy over Ahab and Jezebel. King Ahab is killed  in battle just as God said in 1 King 22. He was enticed by a lying spirit that said he would have the victory in the battle even though he heard the truth from a prophet of God named Micaiah.  After King Ahab dies his son Ahaziah rules.  He is wicked also and falls through a window of his home.  He never fully recovers but goes to Jezreel to rest. His brother Joram steps in as king. He also is wicked and God has had enough.  As these events are occurring Jehu has become a great warrior and God calls him to finally end Ba’al worship in  Jezreel where King Ahab had built the temple worship for Ba’al.  He ends the lives of these two wicked kings and then goes on to kill Queen Jezebel who has remained wicked still,  along with a great many other false prophets. Ahab’s family line continued with her in the evil worship of Ba’al. The Bible says Jezebel would be eaten by dogs and her body like dung.  She perished, (II Kings 9) along with the prophets who worshipped Ba’al and all of Ahab’s family, his chief men, his close friends, and his priests.  Jehu  called a ceremony for all the servants of Ba’al to come and worship at the place where King Ahab built the temple. The servants were unaware that Jehu was about to destroy them all.  Jehu also destroyed the temple of Ba’al and its sacred stone in Jezreel.

God was pleased with Jehu’s obedience to cut down Ba’al in Jezreel. God was almost completely reigning. Remember our free will?  God uses people for His glory even though He knows they may fail at times.  HE is always wanting us to be totally on His side but He will never force us to do so. Jehu still had idols in his heart. He continued the practice of worshipping golden calves. He did not cut down those places of worship.  His whole heart was not for the God of Israel. That little opening again led the people astray.  He reigned for 28 years over the Kingdom of Judah.

“The little opening” is what so easily trips us up. Whenever we do not fully surrender our whole hearts to God we fall prey to the influences of Ba’al.  Remember I said Ba’al can take many forms. The spirit of Jezebel is one of those forms. By using deception, lying,  seduction, and manipulation. Jezebel stole a vineyard for her husband (1 Kings 21). This spirit is so deceptive we can be enticed by our modern-day leaders who talk a lie their of democracy, freedom to kill an innocent life under the guise of women’s healthcare, change your sex as though God made a mistake, let you identify as a cat if you choose, make it their right to steal your hard earned money by increasing taxes for their pockets and on and on stealing our vineyards, our sons , our money, and making us modern day slaves to a corrupt government.  They entice others to join their deceived thinking and before you know it you have empowered the cartel with Ba’al as its god. 

The leaders of nations have a great responsibility to lead their people in truth and morality. They will answer to God for their actions even if they don’t believe He exists. Without God they are easily manipulated by Ba’al, unaware how they become increasingly evil, perverting God’s ways in all things as they continue to lie.  They are under a strong delusion.  But… that doesn’t leave us free from the effects of God’s judgements. We have the responsibility like Jehu to destroy evil.  In ancient times God wiped whole nations out for their disobedience.  When a nation repents, God relents. Like Jehu, we must become Warriors and restore God’s justice and holiness. He used a sword as his weapon. Our weapon now is through Jesus and His Authority.  We are called to be WARRIORS who pray without ceasing. The Word of God is our sword.  Read the Bible. Pray the Word over all situations and circumstances. Stay alert.

This pattern repeats itself many times in the history of man. The people who wanted a king could never have envisioned the centuries that would go on filled with evil kings who did indeed take what they wanted from the people as God said. If we consider a modern King like  King George III it may be easier for us to relate to a king who was still living out God’s warning through Samuel that a king takes whatever he wants. What spirit may have been controlling King George III? What cartel was funding his reign?  

The Bible also records the sins of perversion, abortion through child sacrifice, slave trafficking, greed, violence, murder, usurping authority, lying, and deception. Demonic spirits are behind it all. They can only operate through humans who reject God’s truth and laws. Decide today to do whatever you can to have a heart after God. All He needs is your permission and He will begin to reveal His ways and truths to you.  Keep your heart open and honest before Him no matter what it looks like around you. With Him on the throne of your heart, He is the only King you will ever need. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who loves and judges perfectly.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear God,

Nothing surprises You. You have known the heart of man since the beginning. We humbly come before You giving You permission to search our hearts and see if there be any wicked way in us. Reveal so we may repent and have a perfect heart before You that You would hear us and answer our prayers.  We repent of our  own sin first. Then we bring before You our nation and its terrible sins. Forgive our Ba’al worship that has murdered innocent babies, and abused and trafficked children and adults. Forgive our greed and lust for power and control. In Your Name Jesus we bind the spirit of Jezebel in all governing authorities, educational places, businesses of every kind, arts, sports and entertainment, churches, and families. Make us warriors who are alert and ready to come against anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and all His ways.  In Jesus Name. Amen

---

Psalm 51:1-13 KJV

51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

² Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

⁵ Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

 

 Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

 

The Price of Freedom©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was a document written,

Against the tyrant king of Britain.

The price to be free,

Blood for liberty.

America, forever smitten.

 

Have you ever been smitten?

To be smitten is to be affected by something overwhelming. We usually equate it with the feeling one gets with love at first sight. The word smitten is mentioned 231 times in the Bible.  It is used in the context of injury or death. In the Bible story of Moses and the Ten Plagues, God smote the firstborn of the Egyptians because of Pharoah’s hardened heart. When God called on men to smite HIS enemies in the Old Testament it meant death. They were conquering evil doers who would not honor God and His Holy Laws.

Would you be shocked to know God would smite His own Son?

 It’s true. It’s found in Isaiah 53.  Verse 4 says this,  “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”   I know it seems unbelievable, cruel, and underserving. Why God? Why would you smite Your own Son?

Jesus became an enemy of God.

WHAT! Hersey. No, my friends.

Let’s look at what was going on. Verse 5 in Isaiah 53 goes on. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The inequity of all of humankind was laid upon Jesus like an overwhelming weight as He hung the Cross. We are the real enemies against a Holy God. He took all the blows and all the pain. Verse 7 continues, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”

The sin of the world being laid upon Jesus was so horrific God could not bear to look at Jesus until the finished work of the Cross brought him death. His soul was the offering for sin. The rest of Isaiah tells us this: 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus smitten so you and I could be free. He freely gave His life and blood so all men could live without fear of eternal damnation. We have it recorded in the documents of the Bible.  The Bible is the writings of how we are to live, no matter where we live.

This living document first traveled to America in 1607 by the Jamestown settlers. America has based its laws on the Bible. Our nation’s capital buildings and state houses have inscribed words taken directly from scripture. Our Declaration of Independence was formed with Biblical values of freedom and justice. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are founded on the principles of scripture as well.

America is called the Land of the Free.

This title that all the world knows came at a costly price of blood too. America had been ruled by Great Britain for 167 years.  The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) finally ended the control of Britain’s King George III. He was a tyrant and a globalist. The blood spilled for that freedom cannot be compared to the power of Jesus’ blood.  But it certainly was fueled by the teachings of the Bible that men ought to be free, everywhere. I dare to say that America was smitten with the overwhelming truth that God has called us all to live as free men and women. And we may be called on again to defend that truth with our blood.

Galatians 5:1 KJV

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear God,

Forgive us for so often forgetting the blood sacrifice of Your Son that has cleansed us from our sin. Forgive us for forgetting America has lived free because of the men and women who gave their blood sacrifice.  We are painfully aware of the evil and perversion in our present world. Please come and intervene in the battles that daily take place trying to ruin America and bring us back under rulers who are not tyrants and globalists.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

 

  

The Score of War©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was an evil angel of war.

Believing to one day even the score.

Reciprocity.

Numerosity.

His lies got him kicked out of heaven’s door.

Do you know who I am speaking about?

He was a guardian angel in heaven. (Ezekiel 28) Beautiful, reflecting God’s glory.  He had power and wealth but it wasn’t enough.  He wanted to be like God. You may have been told angels do not have free will, like men, but they do. He chose himself over his Creator. Pride convinced him he did not need to be subject to the government of God but could be his own god. This was a lie he told himself repeatedly until it became his truth. Then he spread that lie to as many other angels that would listen to him. A rebellion was brewing.

His name was Lucifer, which means “star of the morning.”  He was beautiful. Filled with wisdom.

Lucifer rebelled against the government of God. He had power as the guardian cherubim. He was blameless on the day he was created. Lucifer walked in the Garden of Eden. He was a witness to God’s plans.

What went wrong?

His beauty and wisdom went to his head. He began to have dreams of grandeur saying, “I want to be glorified. I want to be like God.” God was planning to create something else in His own image?  Jesus. Jesus would come in the form of a man. He would be another reflection of God’s glory.  But unlike Satan, Jesus would reveal God’s glory to mankind so only God would receive all  glory.  Lucifer’s pride turned to jealousy and wickedness until the splendor of his wisdom corrupted him.  He wanted glory for himself.  From then on his corruption spread to other angels that fell prey to his side of the story of God creating another being greater than him.  And knowing that Jesus was the One who would draw all men to God, Satan begins his war with humanity. The rebellion cost him and one-third of the angels their home in heaven. 

They were cast down to the earth.

Lucifer is now called Satan.

Satan was still free to roam in the Garden of Eden. He appears as a serpent, a crafty slithering talking snake. He uses the same lies of pride to entice Eve to rebel against God.  He gets her to believe God is holding out on all the wisdom and knowledge she could have to be just like God. Isn’t that what we often want too? To know everything.

God gave a clear mandate to Adam. He could freely eat of all the trees but The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. To eat from this tree meant death. We are not told how long it was before God made Eve from Adam’s rib, nor how long they took care of the garden in Eden before that fateful day.

Eve bites.

“Honey, c’mon, you gotta try this.” Adam loves his wife and willingly takes a bite as she gives him the forbidden fruit.  He forgot what God said about not eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It only takes a second to disobey God but the consequences are always more than we can fathom.  Thus Satan continued his lies of reciprocity.

The word reciprocity means the mutual exchange between two or more participants. One person gives something to one person and that person gives something back in return, either immediately or in the future. Satan is repeatedly deceiving people he will give them something if they align with him. His lies are crafty. They look good, really good like the fruit Eve ate and then Adam. He tries to convince you that you can have everything you want but he leaves out the punch line. Aligning with him brings you to his destiny…hell and the Lake of Fire. You may think you are wiser and know all things …

But in the end, he has taken your soul.  John 10:10a says…

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

It is a crushing blow when your eyes are open and you realize you were duped, and taken advantage of.  The reciprocity being offered became slavery. Adam and Eve found themselves naked and ashamed. Their once perfect unity with God who had created them was broken. Satan infiltrated their home. The moment Adam and Eve agreed with satan they gave him a legal right (remember God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom Government with order and laws) to begin to steal, kill, and destroy. Just as Lucifer was kicked out of heaven and now called Satan, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden.  Outside of the garden, they would now work by sweat and pain for the things God had freely given them.

Satan stole their intimacy with God and they lost the glory covering them resulting in the need to sew the fig leaves. Their firstborn son, Caine, killed his brother Able, because he felt God loved Abel more than himself. God required a first fruit offering and Caine gave Him his left overs. God loved Caine and Able equally. Jealousy destroyed the family unity.  It was the same thing that destroyed all the angels being unified. Now Caine was sent out from the Lord’s Presence.

Satan has not stopped his quest of trying to even the score by any means to number those in his rebellious army.  He is and always will be a liar. From  his fall out of heaven to the fall of Adam and Eve and  the appointed time of Jesus arriving on earth as  the Son of God, and up to today, Satan is trying to number as many souls as possible to his side. Satan tried to tempt Jesus with the same lies that he too could have everything if he would bow down and worship him.  Read it in Matthew 4:1-11.

How did Jesus silence satan’s lies?

Jesus studied and memorized the scriptures.  Each time Satan tempted Jesus with what he could give him Jesus quoted scripture. The Word of God shuts Satan’s lips and closes the door on his lies. Satan thinks his lies win his war and evens the score. He knows his destiny, The Lake of Fire, found in Revelation. That doesn’t stop him. He wants to number as many souls with him when he goes down. We must do our very best to know what the Word of God says. A great pastor once said we should read and eat the Word. That is what Jesus said too in Matthew 4:4 as he was shutting up the devil’s temptations. 4 But he answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”. Jesus would never be numbered with Satan. Overcoming Satan, HE could triumphantly say:

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

What about you and me?

There is coming a day when our number will be up.  HE will speak our name. Will you have chosen to be numbered on the side of God? Or the side of Satan?  I pray you chose to be numbered with God’s army. Pray this prayer now to be certain.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear God,

IF I have been deceived and unaware of Satan, the father of lies, forgive me.  If I have willing let myself be deceived and acted accordingly please forgive me of this also. Cleanse my heart by the blood of Jesus as I repent of all sin.  I confess Jesus died for my sins, crucified on the cross, and being resurrected three days later. Jesus be my Lord and Savior helping me through Holy Spirit to live for your Glory only. Loose my ears, eyes, and heart to all of Satan’s lies. Help me live now only in Your Truth. Thank You.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

 

The Rock©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was a Stone that made men stumble.

A Rock of offense that made them bumble.

Only One Stone

The Rock Alone

If trusted would have kept them all humble.

1 Peter 2:4-8 The Message Bible

The Stone

4-8 Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

 Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,

    a cornerstone in the place of honor.

Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation

    will never have cause to regret it.

 To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

 The stone the workmen threw out

    is now the chief foundation stone.

 For the untrusting it’s

 . . . a stone to trip over,

    a boulder blocking the way.

 They trip and fall because they refuse to obey, just as predicted.

 My yard is calling me. 

We don’t naturally pay attention to how rocks show up but my current home has an abundance. When I bought this house I needed to put a sewer line in. Thus began my stockpile of rocks. Small, medium, large, and very large. Along with the sewer line, put in by my brother-in-law, came a need to cut down two large pine trees. There were three of them all in a row. I was very happy because I disliked, no really hated how they blocked the sun.  I asked if he would be willing to cut the third one as well.  Yes.  Thank you a hundred times!  The ugly white picket fence had to go too. His son who often worked with him needed a project too. The son dug out all the bamboo covering approximately 1600 sq feet. It was a delight to see it go but now we needed dirt to fill in the empty spaces. My brother-in-law was able to bring a few loads of unscreened fill. Interesting things that come with that. I didn’t mind more rocks but glass, iron, and plastic not so much.  And definitely not the bicycle seat.

My landscaper neighbor then blessed me with several loads of clean fill. Three years of no bamboo was great, except I missed the privacy it gave. Bamboo is very resilient, Within those three years the rocks that were living under the ground started to appear.  For the next four years, I would dig them up and place them in the rock pile.  Some were easy to lift, others not so much. I have a very old red wagon that I would place them in and bring them to the pile. Some were just plain boulders and needed assistance to move by rolling. I had plans for all these rocks.

The more rocks I piled up the more I began to realize how much I love rocks. They come in all different configurations, sizes, colors, and densities. Nature’s elements have made them into what they become. We have the pleasure of changing their shape and their uses. Twelve more years have gone by along with some small projects and one very large one, an inlaw addition, that yielded more than thirty boulders, fifty-plus large rocks, and over two hundred medium-sized ones. They have graced my yard as a boundary for cars not to pull onto my property. Another border that appears as a secret garden, and other areas for weed control. Some are for diverting excessive water from rain,  I also have a small pile of rocks that hasn’t quite found its eventual resting place but just continues to grow. 

Stones, rocks, and boulders all made me wonder about the way Jesus is referred to in 1 Peter 2:8 Living Bible

8 And the Scriptures also say, “He is the Stone that some will stumble over, and the Rock that will make them fall. They will stumble because they will not listen to God’s Word nor obey it, and so this punishment must follow—that they will fall.

The Jewish Rulers, Leaders, and Scribes were witnessing the Stone in their day.  They knew the scriptures. They stumbled over the truth as Jesus became an offense to their way of life. Had they forgotten what Moses said in Deuteronomy 18:15 KJV?

15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.

They refused to believe Him and trust who He said He was. HE became the boulder that blocked the way to them seeing and hearing the truth.  It was right in front of them. Have you ever stumbled over a rock that was right in front of you?  How could you not see it? You stumble and fall as predicted.

If Jesus had not fully trusted His Heavenly Father, he too would have stumbled. His heart would have become a boulder blocking the way to his heavenly destiny. This is what became of the Jewish leaders. They forfeited their heavenly destiny because the stumbling stone was trusting in the tradition of religion and not Jesus. Religion is the boulder blocking the way to salvation.  Believing in Jesus opens the way.

As I survey my yard with its stone piles and rock boundaries I often think of how I would bring all these lovely rocks with me should I move.  Do I really believe there are no other rocks than the ones I have?  Where is my trust that He supplies all my needs, and often my earthly desires like rocks? The Lord gently reminds me He is the Only Stone, The Rock Alone, that I need wherever I go.

 

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear God,

I pray my heart is not a stone, but one of flesh.  I pray my heart is always pliable, conformable, and placed in the position You desire.  It may be a boundary at times. It may need to be chiseled.  It may lead to a secret garden I didn’t know existed, a place to beckon others to visit You through me. But never let it become a boulder that blocks my way to You.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Justice Is A Joke©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was a prophet in despair.

Complaining to God, “You just don’t care.”

Justice is a joke,

Evil is awoke.

Til God spoke, “Oh,  I am quite aware.”

How long is God going to let evil reign?

The prophet Habakkuk lived in a time that sounds exactly like what we are living in now. He laments how violence, chaos, lawlessness, Godlessness, and evil is everywhere. Justice is a joke! How long before You do something God?

It feels just like that today. We ask the same question.  How long God?  How long before You rescue us from evil?

Habakkuk was desperate. Knowing he would be reproved for asking, he still needed an answer. So he waited and watched to see what God would say.

It was shocking. 

God said He was going to raise up the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans were dreaded and feared for they were unmerciful in their thirst for power and control. They made up their own rules as they conquered peoples and lands. Habakkuk wanted to know why God had made him look at the iniquity and injustice all around him. Wickedness surrounded the righteous and justice was perverted. He wants to know why would God use them for the work of HIS justice.

Do we have courage to ask that same question?

God Answers

God tells Habakkuk to write down the vision He shows him. It is for an appointed time.  He must write it in plain language so it can be understood easily. God makes it known the vision will tarry but it will certainly come. AND right on time. God laid out the evil deeds the unrighteous do, gaining wealth by bloodshed, usury, and deception. HE states they are full of pride and arrogance and destroy others for their own gain.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

Habakkuk is shown the destruction of his people. He is in disbelief at first that God lets evil people prosper.  His prayer is God will reveal himself again through the destruction because He knows God’s ultimate purpose is to destroy evil and those nations that have trusted in their own strength. He petitions God, as judgment must surely come, to remember mercy as well as He did for his ancestors.

As he prays he reminds himself of how God’s mercy is shown in His wrath against evil. God used pestilence, plague, earthquakes, floods, famine, drought, eclipses, and wars all to save His people. Habakkuk ends his cry to God for understanding. He knows he cannot stop what is about to come in the destruction because he sees the victory of God in it. God’s judgment brought mercy and victory overcoming Godless nations. HE will do it again. God’s rule will prevail!

Habakkuk’s despair has now become joy. Even if the cherry trees don’t blossom or the fields are stunted and the cattle barns are empty he says he will rejoice. He knows God wins.

Shout Praises!

Nothing goes unpunished whether we see it in our lifetime or not. Habakkuk realizing this broke out into song. He was up on his feet jumping and dancing with worship and joy.

I wrote a similar limerick in 2021.  Here we are three years later and should we be amazed that evil has become even more depraved? Chapter 2 of Habakkuk, God says the more evil tries, the more the earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the water covers the sea.  That is something to rejoice over.  We still must fight against evil. Worship and joy are powerful weapons to use in the fight. So get up on your feet and praise and let joy fill your spirit, soul and body.  God prevails!

 

Habakkuk 1:1-10 (The Message Bible)   

Justice Is a Joke

The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it:

God, how long do I have to cry out for help

    before you listen?

How many times do I have to yell, “Help! Murder! Police!”

    before you come to the rescue?

Why do you force me to look at evil,

    stare trouble in the face day after day?

Anarchy and violence break out,

    quarrels and fights all over the place.

Law and order fall to pieces.

    Justice is a joke.

The wicked have the righteous hamstrung

    and stand justice on its head. “Look around at the godless nations.

                    (God answers)   Look long and hard. 

           Brace yourself for a shock.

                   Something’s about to take place

                             and you’re going to find it hard to believe.

 

 Pray this prayer with me.

Dear God,

You are the Highest Judge.  Justice is not a joke in Your Kingdom.  Your ruling will stand forever.  Evil will have its end. Jesus overcame evil by His death on the cross.  Forgive us for our part in letting it become our ruler and not ruling over it.  Help us push back the enemy at every opportunity.  We put on our full armor from Ephesians 6.  The Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Sword of the Spirit, and the Word of God. We sing and shout praises to our Righteous Judge. Bring Your Justice back to the world. Let our mouths be filled with worship through song and word. Let our spirits be clothed in heavenly joy. Get us on our feet jumping with endless joy.  In Jesus Name we ask.  Amen.

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

The Busy Bee Waggle©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was a busy buzzing bee

Waggling a dance for others to see

Busy bee

Be busy

Waggling all day, a busy buzzing bee.

Now that was a bit of tongue-waggling!

There is a dance called the waggling dance. It is the dance of the bee. The waggle dance is the way a bee tells other bees where and how far a food source is, all relative to the position of the sun.  Science helps us understand how and why bees do this dance in the natural ways of the ecosystem.  But what about the Creator of bee? Why would the Creator program a bee to gravitate toward the sun by what we call the waggle dance? Why is this waggle dance detailed in its direction, length, and speed? Why is it performed day after day? And the question buzzing in my ear: Why is it so critical the younger bees imitate the older bees’ waggle dance?

As we imagine a honey hive where female larvae are given a special food called royal jelly, which is specifically secreted by the nursing bees, only one female larva will become the queen bee. The sole purpose of the queen bee is to produce more eggs.  The worker bees continue to fly out of the hive to find pollen and nectar. The pollen (fine powder on plants) is fed to the larvae as well as used to pollinate flowers, fruits, and vegetables.  The nectar (a sweet substance found on some plants) is the source of energy for the bees. The bees in the hive that are twenty or more days old will fly out of the hive daily looking for food sources. They will be the ones responsible for pollinating the flowers, fruits, and vegetables. When they return, if they have found a good source of food they can’t wait to share it with their hive mates.  They do this by the waggle dance. It is a repetitive sequence that resembles a figure eight. This sequence reveals how far, which direction is the sun, and how much time it will take for other worker bees to get there and bring back the food. The sun and its ultraviolet rays are the major factors. The younger bees will observe the waggle in preparation when they become mature enough to leave the hive. It will now be their turn to sustain the hive.

The life of a bee is about thirty days.  Bees generally sleep at night, like us. The bees that travel out for food are called forager bees. If temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit they will return to the hive and rest. Forager bees use large amounts of energy for their job. Can you begin to see the pattern of this bee and the pattern of our lives? How much work would we be busy with if we knew we only had thirty days to perform it? And would we double our efforts if there were some days when the temperature dropped and we could not work?  Or take a needed rest so we could work more energized the next day?  What if our continued existence as a species was the constant feeding of larvae to ensure we always had a queen bee? Would we learn the waggle dance to perfection? And pass it on?

The depth of these questions is quite profound to our human existence. What appears as a simple life of a bee has great similarities to our own. Right down to the life-giving waggle dance. What dance do we do to benefit the lives of others?  Does it always tell the truth? Bees can’t lie, but they do sting: yet only when agitated or in protection mode. Does our dance have a purpose? Does it follow the sun? Or more importantly the Creator of the sun, God. Does our dance help feed the next generation? The questions could be endless. God loves deep questions but He loves simple truths. HE will answer you if you seek Him with a pure heart.

My last question is this: Are we busy for our gain?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33(KJV), “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The bees in their hive live with the sole focus of sustaining the needs of each other. They still take care of their own need for food, shelter, and rest. Both these things happen as they seek the sun. I believe they know who the Creator of the sun is.

Let’s be like busy bees and waggle, waggle, waggle.

Philippians 2:3-4 KJV  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. ⁴ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Colossians 3:23-24 KJV  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; ²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Psalm 133:1 KJV Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

A Little Science Explanation

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear Jesus,

We can be so busy with things that are not life-giving. Forgive us. Teach us to seek the Kingdom, especially with the ones you have placed us with, like the bees in the hive.  Help us care and feed each other knowing You will take care of our own needs.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted.© 

 

The Knowledge of Much©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There was a gal who knew a bit more much

Of knowledge acquired, but inasmuch,

Had not dared to share

For the fear of care

Would sound as if she didn’t know that much.

 

The Knowledge of Much©

I am attempting again to read the Bible in a year.  On track as of this February blog.  Believing I can do it! God is faithful.  I am enlisting His help to be faithful too. I love when He opens up new revelations in His word from passages we have read many times. It also helps to read different translations of the same passages. I have always been a die-hard King James fan but my daughter gave me an NASB, the New American Standard Bible as a Christmas gift in 2022.  It is a red-letter bible with super large print. Two of my favorite things even though I still need reading glasses to see the words.  It took me a while to appreciate this translation and decided to use it to read through the Bible this year.  I still refer to other translations for comparison and other perspectives on the same passages.

The reading for February 2^nd was Matthew 25, titled THE JUDGEMENT.  The latter part of the chapter is the judgment on nations.  Jesus is sitting on His Glorious Throne and is called King. HE separates the sheep and the goats.  The sheep to the right and the goats to the left.  Sheep nations have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, given drink to the thirsty, and visited those in prison. Goat nations have not done so.  Early on in my Christian walk these passages were always referred to on a personal level as the word nations was overlooked. But the scripture is clear it is nations that are separated. This is one of the reasons the leader of a nation can bring cursing or blessing upon his or her people as a whole. Now when I read this chapter I can see it from the perspective of the heart of a nation and the heart of a person living in the nation,  God is merciful. He sees our hearts. The King makes this statement, “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat: I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” (Matthew 25:31-36)

Something caught my eye, literally it was the word something, I could not recall reading it in the KJV. I immediately had to look it up in the KJV.   It wasn’t there.  This simple word had just taken on a whole new meaning. I struggled to write all the monthly journals I intended to have done by 2022. This project began in 2020. Truth be told I am only in April and due to some restructuring Jan-March will need editing. I also planned to do short podcasts for each journal.  I would begin and then this nagging thought would arise. I don’t know enough to be qualified to speak on this subject. Within minutes of being self-conscious my mind and focus would shut down. They need something, something more than what I can give.  Oh, the devil is a liar and a loser.  A forever loser as Pastor Tim Sheets says.

We all know that saying, something is better than nothing. That is what I sensed The King was speaking to me.  Something.  Some thing. The King didn’t say, “You prepared a 12-course meal for me. You gave me wine, water, juice, coffee, tea, and milk all at once.”  No, you gave me something. Some thing.  And it hit me.  Every time I share a blog or write another page for the journal I am giving something, some thing.  Some word of truth, knowledge of HIM, His mercy, His grace, His love, His daring to care for us without fear.  Oh, He has given me “much  somethings.”  All He is asking me is to do is share something, some thing.  A huge weight lifted off my shoulders.  I was bent over by the weight of perfectionism.  It is a standard I put on myself out of the fear that cares what others will think what I share.  The King sees every time we give the something as though we give it to Him.  If it pleases Him what does it matter what another may think?

If I dare to share out of fear I may indeed hold back all the King has dared to share with me. When I let go of fear, which can be pride, that my sharing with writing has to be perfect in my sight, not His, then I can trust whatever words He gives me is the something, some thing, someone needs. Thank You, King Jesus.

The Judgment

Matthew 25:31-46 NASB1995

³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³ and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶ naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not ^[e]take care of You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you to the extent (inasmuch KJV) that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear King Jesus,

We are Your sheep. Release us from fear to care to dare to care.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

 Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

A Perfect Mystery©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was created a perfect mystery.

Only the Divine could know its full history.

Beginning to end,

Life never does end.

The mystery of life is contradictory.

 A Perfect Mystery

The mystery of life.  Sooner or later we all ask the questions, “Why am I?, What is my purpose? Many people do not bother to search for the answer. They just let life happen to them instead of life happening for them. I have fallen into this trap on many occasions only to snap out of it at the realization God is not against me. He is for me.  He wants me to succeed more than I do. In 2023. I signed up for webinars, coaching, and challenges. I listened to YouTube books while I slept. I bought cd’s on self-help. AND surely I thought by the end of the year I would be done with my books, run a challenge, and have a podcast. What happened to the whole year!? 

It’s interesting how we measure time by a year, 12 months.  If we seem to fail at what we thought would happen it can easily cause us to want to give up.  I know, I have felt that way.  I look back at 2020 and see how passionate I was with my plan to write 12 journals that would become my retirement income.  You learn much about yourself while you write. You are your own mystery. Search out your heart. I learned I needed constant prodding to keep moving forward and not condemn myself for days of not writing. I realized my day job became busier than it had been in ten years. My energy levels were depleted by the end of the week. God revealed it was a blessing from heaven that only looked contradictory. My books appeared halted as He provided many more patients making provision for a better retirement check. I am trusting in the mystery of His timing as I rest in His peace believing my books will be right on time.

To say this is 2024 seems even more futuristic than the time we were waiting for 1984 to happen. Time can appear motionless. Then SUDDENLY, like a flash years have traveled by. Our finite minds can not fully understand a God who has no beginning and no end. We live by time, not eternity.  We are told to redeem the time, the days are short, and work while it is day because night is coming when no man can work. James 4:14(KJV) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

What happens to your life after it vanishes away? Do you just die and are no more? Does your life matter?  Does your death matter?

God is eternal.  So are we.  God is the creator of life. By His Spirit Breath, He makes us alive. God can not kill his Spirit.  Death as we know it only takes on a different form.  Your spirit will live forever once it leaves this earthbound body.  What you do now as you live out your time on earth is of great importance. The question will come, “Did I do what He asked me to do? 

These are mysteries of the Divine Word. How do we understand them? We must search the scriptures. God loves to reveal His mysteries.

The year 2024 is the prophetic sign of the open door. The new year begins in September for the Jewish calendar. It is the year with the number 4 for open doors. I wish the world had just one calendar.  Mysteries of time would not be so complicated. The debate about Jesus’ true birth circulates every year.  Why is that so important to us?  It does not change anything about His purpose.  He came to do what God asked of Him.  HIS DEATH RELEASED POWER TO UNDERSTAND MYSTERIES. His death tore the veil that kept us from entering the Holy of Holies. Heaven and Earth were united that day.  We were granted the revealing of the mysteries of heaven.

But hold up…..

It isn’t like all the mysteries of heaven suddenly come flowing into our life. We must still search them out. The bible’s definition of mystery can only be understood by divine revelation. The honor is in the discovery. Proverbs 25:2(KJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.  To be a king is no light thing. It comes with trials, tests, and humility. You must honor and bow down to the King of Kings through it all.  Who is this King of Kings?

JESUS.

Is Jesus your King? If not make it so this day.  He is calling you to repent of your sins.  Do so quickly.  Ask His forgiveness. HE freely gives it.  Ask Him to come live in your heart and help you obey His Word all the rest of the days of your life.  Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

Let’s begin 2024 by releasing all sin, pain, and disappointments of 2023.  Shut that door. The new door of 2024 is open.  We are walking through it into a new vision of more and more. Many things will seem contradictory in this new year. A mystery for sure. Search it out.  We will see mysteries unfold. It is the year of the open door and more.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear Jesus,

You opened the door to heaven’s mysteries through Your sacrifice on the Cross.  We release the past of 2023.  A new door is open now. The door of more. (This is your time to be sure Jesus lives in your heart, you cannot enter without Him.) We freely walk through it, knowing You are with us as we search out greater mysteries that only You can reveal.  Ready our hearts so we may truly live in the more of 2024. Send us more of Holy Spirit for divine revelation and understanding.   In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

 

Holiday Hearts©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was the perfect holiday season.

Everyone appeared happy and pleasin’.

Faces with smiles.

Hiding the trials,

Of fragile hearts broken without reason.

 

The Perfect Holiday Heart Season

Memories of childhood celebrations shape how we enjoy them as adults, passing down traditions to our children and grandchildren. I don’t believe any family does not go through some trial or pain during these times. May I share with you two significant holidays that shaped my heart thinking for a long time.

Thanksgiving.  As far back as I can recall Thanksgiving was always at my parent’s house. The earliest memory I have is about the year I was ten.  My mother was a fabulous cook.  For sure it was from being Italian. My dad was Polish and rarely ate anything remotely spicy, salted, and never anything with onions. My mother would make two different kinds of turkey stuffing, one with onions and one without. I never thought much about that at ten.  At ten I was trying to learn how to roll pie crust.  My mother was very skilled at this.  There were no frozen pie crusts back then, it was truly homemade.

That year when I was ten, my three older sisters (13, 14, and 16) were also helping out with all the Thanksgiving food preparations. We would be hosting at least twenty people. My mother was rolling out the pie crust for an apple pie. With the small pieces left over, she had shown my sisters how to make cinnamon crust rolls.  Now it was my time to learn. Watching the “expertise” of their creativity was no match for mine.  After several attempts to create a matching masterpiece like my siblings, my mother “complimented” my hard work.  Looking over my creation she laughingly said, “You will never be a good cook.”   My ten-year-old mind and heart received those words like the crushing pounding of the rolling pin upon the crust. I felt no humor, just heartbroken by being not able to please my mother.  I never have become or desired to be a good cook. 

Many Thanksgivings have passed since that fateful one.  As a young mother myself I can recall making desserts to bring to my parent’s home. Not one of them included a homemade pie crust. Even though I do believe I forgave my mom a long time ago I would still hear those words echo in my head. “You will never be a good cook.” I got good at ignoring them but just like the little broken pieces of pie crust my mother did not want to waste, Holy Spirit, in His precious patience kept those broken pieces until I let him help me see how creative God had made me.

Fifty-five years have passed since my heart was broken,  Five is the number of grace and I sense God has gifted me double grace. This year I felt it was time to work deeper on my writing skills. God prospered me so I could hire a Cognitive Release Coach specifically for breaking off strongholds and blockages for writing. Like a perfectly timed pie crust, my second to last session with Dr. Amanda Helman formulated around this memory.  I had already formed the limerick for this month and began writing about the pie crust memory. With her help, I went back to that original breaking of my creative heart to see more clearly the deeper pain I felt with my mother ‘s words.  Our hearts truly are fragile and at that moment in time, my heart had already been broken by other trauma.  This incident, though seemingly nothing to my siblings or mother, intensified the feeling of already being the outsider, adding to my belief I could never please my mother.  With no defense from my sisters as well, it deepened the feeling of disconnect from my own family.  It’s true said my heart: I will never be a good cook. If I can’t be creative I will always be an outsider. With each passing Thanksgiving, I just went through the motions believing I had to be part of this baking ritual. And every year I felt more distant. After I was married I didn’t go at all.  Even though I wasn’t married long it wasn’t until my daughters were teenagers that I came back to the ritual.  By then I was much closer to God and He had been healing me of many hurts. But the wound had festered so long it unconsciously oozed out poison every Thanksgiving.  By the time my children were also wanting to help with the desserts I had become critical of their creativity. It took me a long time to understand the roots of those feelings and forgive my mother. But not before I wounded my own children’s fragile hearts setting up years of not feeling connected as a family and living out ways that made that lie look like truth.

My session with Dr. Helman was to go back and relive that scene in my mind but this time with Holy Spirit.  Helping me see through His eyes and heart released the lie that I am not creative.   I am not discounted from family unity. 

As we have come to understand all hearts are fragile and easily wounded.  I do not know what my mother may have been feeling that particular Thanksgiving and perhaps how fragile her heart might have been. Was she enjoying Thanksgiving preparations?  I will never know this side of heaven…but how I miss her cooking!

I pray my children are set free from any pain I caused them to not have the perfect holiday season.

Christmas. I have bits and pieces of different Christmas years but two life-changing memories are the years I was twelve and the year I was sixteen. At twelve I absolutely did not want a doll.  No, I wanted a red fire truck.   If you ask someone what they want and they tell you,  why do you need to convince them they want something else? Or more precisely,  the thing you want to give them.  I just knew at twelve years old I was done with dolls.

The feeling crept in again of not pleasing my mother.  Being older I was more aware of my feelings as well as my mother’s. She was genuinely hurt that I did not want a doll. Our subconscious minds are programmed by the feelings of experiences, not just the experiences. This experience of my mother’s displeasure is magnified by the feeling I had when I believed I failed her baking lesson. She pressed me several times. “No, I do not want a doll. I want a red fire truck.”  As much as my mother could not understand I did not want to be treated as a little girl anymore, she nor I could understand the need for the red fire truck.  Only later in life did I realize it was my mother’s pain of knowing her last daughter was growing up and childhood innocence was done.  As for me, I realized the red fire truck would make me more like my three younger brothers who appeared to be more validated and loved by my father because they were boys. A traditional boy present might make me feel more accepted, right?  If I can’t please my mother, can I please my father?  A fragile heart can appear to speak without reason.

My mother was a very generous person.  Our Christmas trees were abundantly overflowing with presents under them.  Of course, there were seven children to buy for. By the time I was sixteen my older sisters were no longer living at home but with their spouses. This only increased the amount of gift-giving for my mother. Her tradition had been to wait until Christmas Eve to do all the wrapping. Not Christmas Eve day, but night, late night.  She would hide all the gifts in different places in our house.  There were still three younger brothers at home who by now were not sleeping until at least midnight.  The collection of gifts would be gathered on our dining room table once they were asleep. This year my mom asked if I wanted to help her wrap.  It was overwhelming!  How did she ever do this by herself for so many years?

My mother was tired. She had been working outside the home for ten years now.  I was the last daughter at home.  We stopped going to relatives on Christmas day because our family day was big enough and long enough. This would of course again mean food preparation.  My sisters would bring food but my mother still had the main dishes to prepare.  Yes…I helped cook nothing!  I baked nothing!  BUT…I did say yes to helping her wrap gifts.

Our time together felt awkwardly uncomfortable to me.  There were so few times it was just my mother and me.  There were always my sisters and brothers to fill the space.  I could almost ignore that nagging feeling I was not part of this family. My father did not help but he was quite methodical in understanding the process of wrapping gifts with the least amount of wrapping paper. There I sat with my mother, past midnight, wrapping what felt like a never-ending pile of gifts.  I couldn’t tell you much of our conversation but I  remember the feeling.  Yes, you may be catching on by now.  The heart feels so many things.

That night I felt an invisible chasm between us. I wanted to feel deeply connected but how does a teenager do that?  Especially in a family that does not verbally say, “I love you”, nor express physical affection. So, there we sat, perhaps three feet from each other, sharing scissors, scotch tape, and wrapping paper. Some of these gifts were going to need creative wrapping skills. The snow was falling outside, making a beautiful Christmas scene of peace and stillness.  It was the kind of snow that glistened when the air was several degrees below freezing. The snow reminded me of Christmas movies where families are warm in their houses with blazing fireplaces and everyone looks so happy, loved, and connected.  Hugs and kisses and intimate conversations are happening. 

BUT….there you are…sitting at the dining room table hearing, “That’s too much paper.  You don’t need that much scotch tape.”  And the look that says who taught you how to wrap? Jolted out my perfect Christmas movie feeling widening the chasm. The night ends with the gifts all wrapped. My heart is wrapped as well.  There is no connection of mother/daughter closeness.  At sixteen the best I could do was wrap another fragile place in my heart with enough scotch tape so the pain of disappointment is concealed. Like the criticism of Thanksgiving preparations, the criticism of Christmas wrapping fell on my children as well. Fortunately, I believe they overcame their mother’s neurotic need to save the wrapping paper at all costs.  They show it by making sure the trash bag is ready for the wrapping paper to be tossed out within seconds of it being torn off the gift.

How long can you keep a gift wrapped?

As my adult years out of the home came with the same tradition of waiting until Christmas Eve to wrap I could now feel my mother’s fatigue. I sat alone wrapping gifts as a single mother.  I think my mother, though not single, sat alone often too. Fragile hearts in need of love.

I never mastered gift wrapping either. I don’t care now. I  did receive a gift that Christmas Eve that required no gift wrapping. It was my mother’s unique gift of writing little rhymes on some of the gifts.  They would give clues as to what the gift was. I am sure this helped my mind and heart forget for a while how much I wanted to be affectionately hugged by her. I wish I could recall the rhymes we made up.  Yet, I know they don’t really matter because this is where I finally found some level of actual acceptance and connection, however brief it may have been. Christmas Day the little rhymes were read and no one understood this was my mother’s way of connection to show love.  It had become mine too.  I didn’t realize that until the writing of this blog. 

What can I offer as Perfect Gifts during the Holidays?

My need to be loved and validated has cost me some very painful holidays.  When my children were young it was simple to please them.  They weren’t trying to figure out their mother’s fragile broken heart.  I wasn’t either.  It was easy then to have your children’s affection.  But the fragility of humanity is the things we pass down to them when we are blind to our brokenness.  It often feels too late to reverse our responses to our children that were not always kind, fueled by our own painful childhood experiences.  Years can pass unaware of heart issues that surface during holiday seasons.  It is so much easier to shut down and wait for the days to finally be done hoping next year will be better. No amount of perfectly created desserts or wrapped gifts can compare to the heart whose sole desire is love and acceptance. The only heart I know who is perfect is Jesus.  Why else do we (or hopefully do) include Him in what we call the Holiday Season? We thank Him for abundant provision on Thanksgiving.  We sing songs of Glory to the One we call Savior at Christmas. He gave His heart to be broken for the sins of the world so we could be healed of our broken hearts.

This Holiday Season let Jesus heal the fragile places of your heart.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear Jesus,

You have seen every day of our lives.  You know how much pain and heartache we experience and often pass on to our children and loved ones when we are unaware or unwilling to let You heal us.  Forgive us. Give us the courage to look deep into every fragile place in our hearts.  We give You permission to enter those places. Heal. Restore. Unify. Bring Peace and Good Will to all Men.  Glory to God!  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Luke 2:10-14  King James Version

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 

Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. © 

 

Shield The Field©

A Limerick A Day to Keep You On Your Way©

There once was made a specialized shielding.

To cover man from the world’s fielding.

Epidermis, dermis,

and the hypodermis.

The skin of a man can be unyielding.

The word fielding can be used to describe a battlefield. Our current world is a battlefield. Someone or something always warring for your mind, your heart, and your soul.  But it isn’t new. It has been that way since the day Lucifer was thrown out of heaven and began his war against humanity.  He started with deception.  And he still uses that same tactic.  Like the skin of the apple as he tempted Eve, making it look so desirable, holding all the ways she could be like God. The deception of its beauty as gazed at it.  Then reaching out to take it into her own hand.  Did she pause or immediately bite in? It wasn’t until Adam willingly followed his wife’s disobedience. The result was disastrous and the glory covering God had made for Adam and Eve left them with only their human skin.

Our human skin is an amazing covering.  It lets us know the slightest touch.  It tells us if we are hot or cold.  The skin stores water and fat. It prevents bacteria from getting into the body.  It uses the sun to make the body’s need for vitamin D.  AND the skin acts as a barrier between us and the environment.  The skin is truly an amazing shield! Perhaps that is why we have a myriad of sayings involving the skin.  Let’s look at two well-known sayings:  thin-skinned people and thick-skinned people.

Do you know anyone thin-skinned?

Do you know anyone thick-skinned?

Can both these types of people be unyielding?

Let’s take thin-skinned people. These are the people who are easily insulted.  They cannot take any type of criticism.  They are easily hurt, vulnerable, insecure, and touchy.  They take offense often. The root of this is pride. Proverbs 18:19 KJV A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Now let’s take thick-skinned people. These are people not easily offended. They can take an insult and shrug it off.  But most likely they had to go through some painful experiences to get that way.  It takes humility to stay unoffended. Proverbs 19:11 NASB A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook an offense.

So can both these types of people be unyielding? YES!

A thin-skinned person may never yield over their hurt and pride. This is to their detriment and will eventually cause deeper pain. A thick-skinned person may never yield over their pride as well.  That pride will eventually cause him or her to be humbled.

Can you be thin one day and thick another?  YES!!!

How can we stay yielded to humility and unyielded to pride?  We must constantly remain close to our true covering which is Jesus.  HE is clothed in the Glory of God.  You will have to battle for this closeness but the fight will be worth it. The Lord gives you every weapon needed for the battlefield in His WORD. It’s up to you to search the scriptures.   Psalm 28:7 KJV The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Pray this prayer with me.

Dear Jesus,

We know nothing is hidden from You. You see past our skin and into our heart. Reveal the pride that needs healing. Let us confess our sin knowing You forgive. We yield to Your truth and Your loving ways. You are our shield from the enemy seeking only to destroy.  We ask to be covered by Your blood for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our minds and bodies.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Psalm 85:2 KJV  Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

 Written by Paula Ann Kochanek

All rights copyrighted. ©