NOW is the Time

Hosea 10:12

"I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,

for now is the time to seek the LORD,

that he may come

and shower righteousness upon you.’"

I read this the other day and, ever since then, I've felt a constant pull to spend time praying or, moreso, to spend time LISTENING.

So I finally did.  Here is what I heard:

ARMS WIDE OPEN

Yes, it's an awesome Creed song... but it also describes God's constant, unchanging stance toward people.  ALL people. God loves us all so, so much. So here's my little story to go along with that.

Since I was in elementary school, I had a friend named Amber Pike.  I mean since I was really little. My mom and her mom were friends at church.  I remember us kids riding around in the backseat of her mom's car.  (that's what it looks like in my memory from that long ago... hehe... who knows...)

Her mom played music SO LOUD!! and I couldn't understand why.  I remember feeling the music thump through my back and through my whole, tiny body!  Looking back, it's probably because the lady was in her early 20's at the time and that's how people in their early 20's tend to listen to music in the car.  *grin* I also remember just staring at Amber's mom in the rearview mirror because I thought she was very, very pretty.  Well I mean... she was!  I was embarrassed when she'd look up and see me... but I did keep taking peeks every now and then.  Ahh, memories... LOL

Fast forward to 10th grade for me in high school.  My family had been out of church for a long time and my mom decided it was time for us to go back.  I hated it at first; I was very resistant and also scared down to my socks when I had to go to the church's very large youth group.   

But suddenly there was Amber!  It was like no time had passed between us.  Not that we had been CLOSE friends; but she was someone I knew; someone I remembered.  And she stuck right with me, helped me feel comfortable in this new setting, this new group of teenagers in whom I knew NO ONE but her.We weren't "best" friends, but we were GOOD friends.  We went to each other's houses, hung out, stuff like that. Those were good times in my life.

I don't remember every detail after my head-on collision, traumatic brain injury, coma, paralyzed on the right side of my body for a time, experience in October of my senior year of high school.  I know Amber was there; she's in pictures my mom took from when I was in the hospital and when I was recovering.

This is a real photo from that time in my life... my parents "borrowed" me out of the inpatient rehabilitation hospital so I could have a get-together with my friends at home... then I had to go back.  At least, I think that's when this was. L to R, that's me, JoAnna, Amber and Gabrielle. I miss my high school and youth group friends!

My memories after the accident are more of a slide show of still shots; not many movie scenes in motion.  So I don't remember much about the end of high school or how things changed between my friends and myself; you know, people finish high school and go their separate ways... I don't remember much about that.

I went to college at Southeastern where I faced my first "assault" (what my spiritual-vocabulary-laden self called it at the time) of strong attraction to a female... and my emotional life was that of a fish on the carpet, panting and wondering what it did wrong to have ended up out of the bowl... for the next, oh, 6 or 7 years.  

Fast forward more.  I was in my late 20's and had moved to Dallas, TX.  My mom called me.

Amber had been killed in a car accident with a drunk driver.  All the hopes and dreams, her writing talent, her forever crush on Steven Curtis Chapman... all the things that made her HER... gone.  In one moment.

I learned that Amber had a little boy from a relationship with some loser who left, and then had married a better man and had a second little boy.  

Her spirit lives on; I truly believe that- but she is physically gone.

My friend from childhood, who stood by me as I recovered from an automobile accident that had nearly taken my life, had now suffered her own and did not survive.  Her family was and, I'm certain, still is torn and bleeding from her loss. Two young guys, I think young teenagers by now, never got to know their mom.

So back to God's arms wide open.  I was thinking of Amber today and was struck with a strong sense of how delighted God must be to have her right there with Him.  He can hold her, hug her, smile into her eyes, and protect her from every bad thing that exists... because of this (keep reading)-

I saw, in my mind, God's wide-open arms, and from the center of those arms, from His heart, radiated a love so strong, so pure, so impenetrable... that it cannot be blocked or tainted.  Nothing can keep a person out of that love and nothing harmful can come inside it.

That is God's love for Amber.  

God's love is also the same for you, for me, for every soul God ever created.  Think on that for a moment.

Remember the verse from Hosea at the beginning of this blog entry.  Now is the time to seek the Lord. NOW... not later, not tomorrow, but right now.

I sought the Lord this morning, and look what I came away with!  I implore you to do the same. Nothing fancy is required; just be still for a moment and listen with your spiritual ears.

If listening for God's voice is not something you've done a lot of, I will tell you it takes practice.  Tell God you are there, listening. You will learn how to hear inside your spirit, become familiar with God's voice, and become familiar with the great feeling of peace that accompanies that voice.  

Seek the Lord now, because He has good things to give you!

Selah,

Nicole

I miss y'all!!

Hello hello... it's been awhile.  Lots of thoughts crashing through my head.

For one thing, I certainly did not intend to get up this early on a Saturday.  But Luna was whimpering by my side of the bed... which translates to, "Mommmm.... I gotta PEE!!"  So I got up and am still up.

I just reserved a place at Red Stick CrossFit's 8 a.m. Saturday rowing class.  Since I'm up... and since I do so love to burn calories.  It's pretty easy; you just... row.  Like, last time I did it, it was 7 minutes steady, 1 min rest, rinse and repeat, pretty much.  Except last time I didn't get a rower; I got a stationery bike.  Which was fine.... but today I've signed up in time to get a REAL ROWER, woo hoo!!

And, after that, Stevie Nicks needs her oil changed and her tires rotated so I will be headed that way... then maybe to sit and absorb life in a coffee shop of some sort.  Or maybe to crochet.  That's my "thing" these days.  I am fascinated with scarves and shawls, ever since my Stevie Nicks tour of NOLA hahaha.... you can see pics of that on Instagram; I am myblueart75.

OK, gotta get dressed and get some food in me.  I need to blog more.  I enjoy blogging.  I will have to put more effort into that.

I love my friends and my family, and especially God, who is my STRENGTH no matter what!

Perhaps I shall write more later.  Have great Saturdays, everybody!!

xo
Nicole

Simply Encouragement

When I read this short chapter in Jeremiah just now, I felt a surge of hope, encouragement, and an anticipation of good things to come!  So I wanted to share it with you guys.  No commentary and, beyond this paragraph, none of my own words.  I just want to show you the framework of these words and let you fill in whatever you get out of it, yourself!  Love to you all - here goes:

Jeremiah 45:1-5 NLT - 

"1 The prophet Jeremiah gave a message to Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, after Baruch had written down everything Jeremiah had dictated to him. He said, 

2 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: 

3 You have said, 'I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven't I had enough pain already? And now the LORD has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.' 

4 "Baruch, this is what the LORD says: 'I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. 

5 Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don't do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the LORD, have spoken!'""

Saturday Saturday SATURDAY!! and about my new job :)

I woke up this morning with a dim light pressing through the bedroom curtains and lay completely still while I tried to ascertain whether or not I needed to hustle out of bed and get ready for work.  I heard Lena rustling beside me, so I said, "Is it Saturday?"

"What?" she asked.

"It it Saturday?"

"Yes, it's Saturday."

Such a relief.  I love not having to get up and go to work.

That being said, I do LOVE my new job!  I mean I really like it there.  It even SOUNDS like an important job, haha, and I'm genuinely doing important stuff to help actual, real people as I put in my 8 hours a day.

I work at the Attorney General's office...

In the Louisiana Department of Justice...

On the 4th floor of a very beautiful downtown building...

From which I can look across a big lake and see the State Capitol building, tall and proud.

#NICE!!!

The section in which I work is called Public Protection.  I wear a cape and knee boots to work every day.

Okay, not really; I dress like an ordinary, business casual American.  But it's still a cool place to work.

And my boss is one of THE coolest people I have ever worked for.  And THAT is true.  :)

I work as an Intake Specialist or "Equal Opportunity Specialist" in Fair Housing.  We enforce the Fair Housing Act that was first passed in 1968 and has been amended and improved several times since then.

Basically, if someone believes they are being discriminated against, we look into it and get things right, even if that means ending up in court.

There are seven protected classes under the Fair Housing Act.  To make a claim under this act, a person must have experienced discrimination because they are a part of one or more of these seven protected classes:

Race

Color

Religion

National Origin

Sex

Disability

Familial Status

And THAT's what's up.

But, today is Saturday so I have a day off from protecting the world, um, from protecting citizens of the great state of Louisiana.

Life is good and God has blessed me.

I plan to enjoy the hell out of today.  Getting a lot of rest and maybe getting a little shopping done.

You folks all have a great weekend, too!

Glad My Name Isn't Nebuchadnezzar

I haven't written or posted anything for a long time.  I feel like I want to write but my thoughts are spinning in so many directions, I don't even know where to begin.  About my life, that is.

So here I am about to create a sort of commentary on where I am in the Bible right now.  That's safe, it's always good in a multitude of ways and, in writing about the Bible, I don't have to worry that I will later regret something personal I may have shared.  Or the attitude in which I may have expressed it.

So, be it chicken or be it wise of me, here we go.

Maybe 2 New Years resolutions ago, I purposed to read the Bible "more."  When I was out of work for a few months around April, 2017, I had time to make it into an ingrained, daily habit.  Currently, I am at the beginning of Jeremiah chapter 34.

Jeremiah has been prophesying and prophesying to God's people that they most certainly WILL be overtaken by Babylon and that they most certainly WILL lose ev...ery...thing... they have.  Because they have turned a cold shoulder to God who loves them on a level of love no human could begin to really understand.

Leading up to this part of Jeremiah, the prophecies have begun to center around God's promising that, after an unspecified time has passed (I guess maybe after they have realized their wrongs and gotten back on the right path), God's people will regain their land and once again be so very happy... children playing in the streets, people falling in love, great harvests of fruits and vegetables, all that.

So that's where I ended this morning.  Now I am starting chapter 34.

Okay so in verse 1, Nebuchadnezzar is coming with massive forces and fighting Jerusalem and Judah.  And God gives Jeremiah a message for King Zedekiah of Judah, saying God is going to give their city to Nebby "and he will burn it down."  God says there is no way they can escape; they will be captured and taken off to Babylon.

(I sometimes get curious about something as I'm reading, and end up taking a little side-route/detour to investigate a detail.  Right now I'm curious about what Babylon was actually like; what it looked like, what it was like to BE there.  Check this out:)

The website <https://biblestudytools.com/dictionary/babylon/> says Babylon actually started out as Babel, where they built the Tower of Babel.  Did not know that!  See, there's interesting stuff all over the place; just have to look for it.  :)

The website <https://ancient.eu/babylon/> says the ruins of Babylon are in what is now Iraq, almost 60 miles SW of Baghdad.  Apparently, a German archaeologist named Robert Koldewey excavated these remains in 1899.  That is something I really would have loved to see!  Let me quote a little tidbit for you:

"...the city is known for its impressive walls and buildings, its reputation as a great seat of  learning and culture, the formation of a code of law which pre-dates the Mosaic Law, and for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which were man-made terraces of flora and fauna, watered by machinery, which were cited by Herodotus as one of the Seven Wonders of the World."

That site also says Babylon was founded over 2,000-some years BEFORE CHRIST!  That is some OLD stuff!!  Too bad there are no photos or at least paintings.  There probably are paintings, come to thing of it.  Hang on, let me look a little more.

Okay, check this out (from the same site:)

"Whatever early role the city played in the ancient world is lost to modern-day scholars because the water level in the region has risen steadily over the centuries and the ruins of Old Babylon have become inaccessible. The ruins which were excavated by Koldewey, and are visible today date only to well over one thousand years after the city was founded."

Sounds like you can see a version of parts of Babylon after it had been around for 1,000 years, but not as it was, originally.  My mental image is of a city with high, thick walls... terraces of lush, hanging gardens, terraces with riches' worth of plants of animals and lots of flowing water.

I bet it was beautiful.

Here is more information I find extremely interesting:

"The Hanging gardens are most explicitly described in a passage from Diodorus Siculus (90-30 BCE) in his work Bibliotheca Historica Book II.10:"

"There was also, because the acropolis, the Hanging Garden ...was built ...by a later Syrian king to please one of his concubines; for she, they say, being a Persian by race and longing for the meadows of her mountains, asked the king to imitate, through the artifice of a planted garden, the distinctive landscape of Persia. The park extended four plethra...

{<https://britannica.com/science/mathematics/Mathematics-in-ancient-Egypt#ref536066> "in the Greek colonies of the 6th and 5th centuries, there was regular use of a standard length of 70 plethra (one plethron equals 100 feet)}

(Okay, math... so 70 plethra would be 7000 feet, right?  And one plethra would be... 700 feet?  Which would translate to...  233 yards??  So the park was as long as about 2 1/3 football fields on each side)

"on each side, and since the approach to the garden sloped like a hillside and the several parts of the structure rose from one another tier on tier, the appearance of the whole resembled that of a theatre."

Interesting also:  

"When the ascending terraces had been built, there had been constructed beneath them galleries which carried the entire weight of the planted garden and rose little by little one above the other along the approach; and the uppermost gallery, which was fifty cubits high (cubit=1.5 ft=22.5 feet), bore the highest surface of the park....  Furthermore, the walls,,, were twenty-two feet thick, while the passage-way between each two walls was ten feet wide. The roofs of the galleries were covered over with beams of stone sixteen feet long, inclusive of the overlap, and four feet wide."

(Wow!)

"...The roof above these beams had first a layer of reeds... over this two courses of baked brick bonded by cement, and as a third layer a covering of lead, to the end that the moisture from the soil might not penetrate beneath."

(Smart!)

"On all this... earth had been piled to a depth sufficient for the roots of the largest trees; and the ground, which was levelled off, was thickly planted with trees of every kind that, by their great size... could give pleasure to beholder.  And since the galleries, each projecting beyond another, all received the light, they contained many royal lodgings of every description; and there was one gallery which contained openings leading from the topmost surface and machines for supplying the garden with water, the machines raising the water in great abundance from the river, although no one outside could see it being done."

Wow, I thing I would have loved it there!  Minus the, um, idol worship and what not....

What I mean to say is, a place TODAY that looked like ancient Babylon would definitely be a place on my vacation destination list!

But, back in the years when this part of the Bible was written, it was a place God's people were being captured and taken to as prisoners and slaves.

Okay.  We have gotten 2 verses into Jeremiah 34 but we have also had a very interestimg lesson in history and archaeology, to some extent!

Now my allergy meds are hitting me and I'm fading fast, so we'll stop here.  Feel free to keep reading and studying, and share with me what you find!

Nicole  :)