Musings and Nuggets

  " SHADOW OF DEATH" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You  are  with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.       Psalm 23:4 (NKJV).  (Emphasis is mine.) What is a shadow?  The Oxford Dictionary, defines a shadow as "a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface."  To a scary movie aficionado, shadows or things that might be lurking in the shadows (especially when they are accompanied by dramatic music) are a sure signal that a character is about to have a really bad day.  I recall a FaceBook video of a toddler who was trying to outrun her shadow because she was petrified that this "thing" chasing her wanted to  harm her.  Of course, she was not able to outrun it.  Her fear and panic were real, but the threat to her safety was not.  Dad to the rescue!  W hen her father came to her "rescue"and picked her up, all her fears (though unfounded) were

  But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart.  He will do everything I want him to do.    Acts 13:22 NLT King Saul was both egotistical and insecure.    He was jealous of and felt threatened by David, and He made many unwise decisions as King.  To say that Saul "messed up" is an understatement.  The conseqence was that he lost his throne. The first time David was called "a man after God's own heart" is found in I Samuel 13:14  when Samuel anointed David as successor to King Saul. For years, I struggled to understand why David was called "a man after God's own heart".  David also "messed up" by doing some things that were definitely poor decisions.  My mind would always go back  Bathsheba, what David did to/with her, and his unsuccessful attempts to cover up his indiscretions ( 2 Samuel 12-13 ) .  Finally, someone explained to me  that whenev

* For as the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19 (ESV) Of course, that one man was Jesus!  As we observe the time between His resurrection and His ascension to the Father (Acts 1:3), the following reading called One Solitary Life seemed appropriate.   In the span of 3 years, there isn't anyone who had a greater impact on the Kingdom.   * One Solitary Life He was born in an obscure village.  He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty.  He never had a family or owned a house.  He didn't go to college.  He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the public turned against Him. His friends ran away.  He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.  He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.  While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth.  He was laid in a borrowed grave. Ninete

                                                                             NIGHT OWL It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.       Psalm 127:2  NKJV                                                                                                                                                          For most of my life, I considered myself  a "night owl" because late at night and the wee hours of the morning that followed were the times when I was the most alert, focused, and productive.  As I have matured,  I have come to realize the importance of self-care and having balance in my life.  Balance always seemed illusive to me.  I have learned that not getting enough sleep eventually begins to affect longevity or length of days.  It's like lighting a candle on both ends causing it to burn (up) twice as fast.  The flames meet in the middle, and the candle is completely used up.  One infalable