Blessings come to us in many various ways. Each day we should be thankful for the many blessings that fill our lives. The homes we live in, the friends we have, the family we can share special moments with, the beauty we can take in just from the comfort of our own homes.

Years ago, many people may not have been thinking in this way. They may have taken their homes, friends, family, and blessings for granted, and not thought two shakes about how very blessed they were.

But then, a life-altering event happens, and suddenly there is a light-bulb that goes on in many a head and heart.

We must learn to treasure the people in our lives. They are God's blessings to us. The good and the bad; the annoying and the irritating; the screamers and the whisperers; the complainers and the whiners alike. Sometimes, if you just laugh at some of the things that you take way too seriously, you may find that your heart is a little lighter, and your eyes are a little brighter.

And, if you learn to laugh more, you may find that it becomes a nice habit that helps to welcome and bring friends and family closer into your life...and soon you'll be glad to say, with a smile to everyone you hold dear, “I live a life of comfort.” And when they ask you why is that? Tell them, because of all of the love, joy, peace, and many loving smiles, hugs, and laughs that friends and family like you bring into my life.

Have a blessed evening and a joyous day tomorrow ~

THIS EVENING'S BIBLE SCRIPTURES...

¹⁸  When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.

¹⁹  In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!

Your Friend,

Ordained

"A Life of Comfort”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

If you can envision it, chances are, you will no doubt SEE it in your reality as you step right into it...on the scene of it...in the thick of it...in the sheer midst of it.

Notice I said, “your reality”. I put it that way, because everybody's reality is not necessarily your reality, or vice~versa. Haven't you ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone about something quite meaningful to you, and they have the audacity to tell you to get back to reality? Well, many years ago, I was having one of these meaningful conversations with one of my “negative Nancy” friends, and I learned in a split second what the response to a statement like that is. No sooner than she got the word “reality” out of her mouth, these words were rolling out of my mouth...

"My reality is NOT your reality, and I praise God for that truth.”

I learned another important lesson from the Negative Nancy's of the world and the Callus Carl's – and that is this...

Do not share your reality with any of their kind.

They will take your reality and distort it like burnt toast. And, who needs burnt toast? Take my advice, and keep your visions of a pleasant paradise to yourself, until you get back with the actual pictures of you in your pleasant paradise – Then gladly show them your reality.

Psalm 16:5-6 ~ Amplified Bible (AMP)

5  The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot.

6  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.

Love,

Ordained

"A Pleasant Paradise”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

[MESSAGE TWO]

Now you know, you have to just love this kitchen and the lighting, and the furnishings, and the floor, and the appliances and all ~ But what I want you to do is just really take a LOOK at it ALL...

Whenever people come around that table, suddenly, the conversation turns to a down-low type discussion. By that I mean, people start talking about things that make you want to say...as the saying goes, “Too much information!”

I don't know if it is the height of the chairs or what – maybe it is the proportions of the body structure that tend to shrink the people when they sit in them. Or maybe the tall begin to feel small in them – not sure what it is, but I do know that design is KEY to comfort.

I think I'll light those candles now so that you can stay a while, because I want you to know that the way you are designed is KEY to WHO you are. You have been marvelously designed for a specific purpose. Just like this kitchen. Whether or not it makes people spill file cabinets of information about themselves or not, it has its own specific design for its own specific reasons.

Just like you, you have your own specific design for your own specific reasons. All of your “on the down low” stuff (or under the table stuff – or under the rug stuff (even when there is no rug there – smiles) is for a reason as well.

It doesn't matter what has happened to you in your life.  You have endured.  Remember, whatever has happened to you --  TRUST me, it is ALL for a specific purpose. And, if for some reason you come over and sit at this table, and spill your life out, it will be okay – I'll light the candles, and you can stay a while.

Because at this moment, life is STILL worth living. God is STILL GOOD, and friends are just a table away. So reach out and touch somebody's life today, even if it is just to listen quietly.

I'll be back to tell you more stories from my “on the down low” episodes. And, trust me when I tell you, you don't want to miss them!  Laughter is good for the soul.

This Evening's Bible Scripture:

Psalm 126:2 ~ AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)

Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

See you around the table tomorrow (on the down low)...

Love,

Ordained

"On the down low”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

Blessings come to us in many various ways. Each day we should be thankful for the many blessings that fill our lives. The homes we live in, the friends we have, the family we can share special moments with, the beauty we can take in just from the comfort of our own homes.

Years ago, many people may not have been thinking in this way. They may have taken their homes, friends, family, and blessings for granted, and not thought two shakes about how very blessed they were.

But then, a life-altering event happens, and suddenly there is a light-bulb that goes on in many a head and heart.

We must learn to treasure the people in our lives. They are God's blessings to us. The good and the bad; the annoying and the irritating; the screamers and the whisperers; the complainers and the whiners alike. Sometimes, if you just laugh at some of the things that you take way too seriously, you may find that your heart is a little lighter, and your eyes are a little brighter.

And, if you learn to laugh more, you may find that it becomes a nice habit that helps to welcome and bring friends and family closer into your life...and soon you'll be glad to say, with a smile to everyone you hold dear, “I live a life of comfort.” And when they ask you why is that? Tell them, because of all of the love, joy, peace, and many loving smiles, hugs, and laughs that friends and family like you bring into my life.

Have a blessed evening and a joyous day tomorrow ~

THIS EVENING'S BIBLE SCRIPTURES...

¹⁸  When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.

¹⁹  In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!

Your Friend,

Ordained

"A Life of Comfort”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

[Message 2]

People of God, cry tears when you do not know exactly how to express what you are feeling in your spirit.  Breathe, exhale, then let your spirit take over, and invite the Holy Spirit to step in to decifer exactly what it is that your spirit has to say to the Lord your God.  The tongue that the Holy Spirit enables you to speak in does not even have to be known by you, but trust that God knows whatever tongue you speak in.  Once you have allowed the Holy Spirit to take over your prayer, and your tongue, let go, and await God's response.

It is okay if your tears flow.  It is a healing wash that is needed to SEE clearly.  Flowing from the inside out, in words that can only be expressed in tears, the cleansing takes place.

Shine the spotlight of God's eye on whatever you have been SEEing in the spiritual realm, and go into your prayer closets (inside your spirit), and stir up the gifts within you that will invest an anointing upon you by the hand of God that will effectuate a Godly “change” in this world and in the earth.

As a vessel of God, ask God in prayer what it is that He has “called” you to do in this day and hour that we are living in on this earth, and in this world.

Believers are not left to their own resources to cope with problems. Even when you do not know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you to pray, you do not need to be afraid to come before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to plead for you “according to the Will of God.” Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that He will always do what is best.

God's Kingdom come...God's Will be done.

For Bible Study and Meditation:

Comparative Scriptures from the King James Version (KJV), and the AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)...

Romans 8:26-27 ~ King James Version (KJV)

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27 ~ AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)

26 So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

27 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will.

...to be continued...

Have a blessed afternoon & evening,

Ordained

"Cry tears...”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

Proverbs 3:5 ~ King James Version (KJV)

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

There are times...

When we must speak up. In this day and age when everyone seems (for the most part) to believe that they have a right to, and have no hesitation in exercising that right to free speech, there is another side of the coin that many do not stop to look at...and that is wrong moves and wrong speech.  Being out of alignment is not a pleasant experience.

Have you ever witnessed a person who makes an “out-of-line move”, or who entertains and spills out “wrong and unwelcomed speech” in public forums and domains?

Some things are very hard to reverse, and that is why it is so important to take up the old adage of “think before you speak.” And also, “pause before you take one step, and think over the wisdom of such a move – or lack thereof”.

Speak up for what is right, true, and of honest report. But lean not to your own understanding; seek God in all things; and pray earnestly for the Spirit of Truth to enlighten you.

BIBLE SCRIPTURE for MEDITATION:

Proverbs 3:5 ~ Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.”

God bless you!

~ Ordained

Sometimes you need to just close your eyes and dream a dream. Pull out a youthful dream from your thinking cap and transform it into adult results.

Or you may just have a DREAM that popped up in your mind, and you've just started working it on paper and expanding upon it.  God delivers great ideas every minute of every day, and we just have to be ready and willing to receive those great ideas.

Oh yes ~ dreams do come true ~ and it doesn't matter how long you've been hanging on to them either. 40 year old dreams have a way of springing forth when the sunlight hits them.

So go right ahead this week and let the sunlight shine on your dream bonnet, and DREAM a DREAM!

Blessings & Bountiful Dreams to you!

Your Friend,

Ordained

"Dream a Dream”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

For some reason, everyone I speak with is “tired”. So tired of this, so tired of that, so “tired”. And they LOOK “tired” too!

Well...I guess it is a time for REST then. If you can't beat em, then rest yourself a while – that's what I say.

If you are “tired”, you can't continue to run yourself into the ground. You won't like what you see when you look in the mirror if you do. And, as quiet as its kept, no one else will like what they SEE when they look at you either.

So shut the phone off, cut the tv off, stop talking so much, quit fussing about this and that, stop frowning, don't chop everybody's head off about every little thing because you aren't getting enough rest, quit complaining, quit groveling, and for goodness sake stop whining – and get a hold of yourself. Take yourself by the arms and sit yourself down on the sofa in quiet. And, if the doorbell rings, don't answer it!

Take a REST and RELAXATION day just for you.

Matthew 11:28 ~ AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]”

Be ye restored in your souls ~

Love,

Ordained

"A Time for REST”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

Now you know, I love this kitchen and the lighting, and the furnishings, and the floor, and the appliances and all ~ Lots of LOVE! But what I want you to do is just really take a LOOK at it ALL...

Whenever people come around that table, suddenly, the conversation turns to a down-low type discussion. By that I mean, people start talking about things that make you want to say...as the saying goes, “Too much information!”

I don't know if it is the height of the chairs or what – maybe it is the proportions of the body structure that tend to shrink the people when they sit in them. Or maybe the tall begin to feel small in them – not sure what it is, but I do know that design is KEY to comfort.

I think I'll light those candles now so that you can stay a while, because I want you to know that the way you are designed is KEY to WHO you are. You have been marvelously designed for a specific purpose. Just like this kitchen. Whether or not it makes people spill file cabinets of information about themselves or not, it has its own specific design for its own specific reasons.

Just like you, you have your own specific design for your own specific reasons. All of your “on the down low” stuff (or under the table stuff – or under the rug stuff (even when there is no rug there – smiles) is for a reason as well.

It doesn't matter if your husband had an affair with a man, your neighbor stole your cat thinking it was his dog, the boss at work bullied you and fired you and then an earthquake destroyed the building, you lost your home and then the floodwaters washed it away, you can't figure out if you want to be a woman or a man and the woman or man in you can't either, your wig blew off in the middle of the street as you were crossing and a truck ran over it on your way to an interview, you can't figure out what is wrong in your life and noone else can either, or whatever has happened to you...

TRUST me, it is ALL for a specific purpose. And, if for some reason you come over and sit at this table, and spill your life out, it will be okay – I'll light the candles, and you can stay a while.

Because at this moment, life is STILL worth living. God is STILL GOOD, and friends are just a table away. So reach out and touch somebody's life today, even if it is just to listen quietly.

I'll be back to tell you more stories from my “on the down low” episodes. And, trust me when I tell you, you don't want to miss them!  Laughter is good for the soul.

Here is an on the down low Scripture reading for you this early morning...

[Picture a 99 year old man around the table telling this story about what God told him]...

Genesis 17:19 ~ AMPLIFIED BIBLE (AMP)

15   And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but Sarah [Princess] her name shall be.

16  And I will bless her and give you a son also by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.

17  Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?

18  And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!

19  But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac [laughter]; and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant and with his posterity after him.

Just for the record, Sarah's husband Abram was 99 years old, and Sarah was no spring chicken herself, she was 90 years old. So now just imagine this story being told around this table you see. Can you just imagine what everyone around the table (today) would do after hearing that tale?

By the way, God fulfilled His promise. So that should tell you a little something about life and all of its strange little twists and turns – just think about it...

See you around the table tomorrow (on the down low)...

Love,

Ordained

"On the down low”

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved

[Message Two]

Today's Bible Study is on the word, “countenance”.

For those of you who are joining in on this Bible Study, if you have spiritual discernment, you should be able to discern changes in a person's countenance. If you have not spent time focusing on the countenance of those people you come in contact with, this may be a good time for you to start practicing the art of the spiritual discernment of a person's countenance.

Why should you do this?

1. Because it enables you to discern the spiritual disposition of a person;

2. Because it enables you to discern prayer needs for a person;

3. Because It enables you to counsel a person in need of spiritual advice; and

4. Because it sharpens your awareness of the needs and concerns of those you come in contact with.

Today, we will take a look at what the word “countenance” means...

If you have a Bible Dictionary, now would be a good time to pull it out. According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “countenance” means, “One's face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character”. [Bible References: Genesis 4:5-6; Proverbs 15:13; Ecclesiastes 7:3; Mark 10:22]

To speak of God lifting up His countenance upon one is a way of speaking about being in God's Presence (Psalm 21:6). Being in God's Presence – having God's countenance lifted toward one – may bring peace (Numbers 6:25-26), blessing (Psalms 4:6; 89:15), or victory (Psalm 44:3). It may also bring destruction (Psalm 80:16) or judgment for sin (Psalm 90:8).

Now let us go further and take a look at the definition of “countenance” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary...

Bearing, demeanor, calm expression, mental composure, look, expression, aspect, semblance, pretense, face, visage (especially the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character), bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction: moral support.

EXAMPLES of “countenance":

• The photograph showed his somber countenance.

• A pleasant countenance that puts visitors at ease.

• His white countenance was rendered eerie by the redness of the sagging lids below his eyes – John Updike, The Afterlift, 1994.

Related to “countenance”:

 Synonyms: cast, look, expression, face, visage

 Antonyms: agitation, discomposure, perturbation

Tonight, take a few minutes to read this Word Bible Study over, and examine the Bible Scriptures provided. Take a closer look at those closest to you, and notice their countenance. Then notice if you have been able to identify changes in their countenance. For example, can you SEE a change in the hue of their complexion? Have you ever found that they do not look like themselves? Have they ever had a ghastly looking countenance (as in sickness or death)? Can you discern “anger” or “rage” in a person's countenance? Can you identify “depression” in a person's countenance? Are you able to discern various “sickness” in a person's countenance? Can you dedect emotional instability in a person's countenance? Can you dedect mental instability in a person's countenance? Are you aware of JOY or HAPPINESS in a person's countenance? Are you able to dedect “deceit” in a person's countenance? Have you ever come in contact with a “lustful spirit” in a person's countenance? Can you easily discern drug addictions in a person's countenance?

You may want to print this Word Bible Study out, because we will be coming back to this with additional content. This is the 1^st Word Bible Study. Our word – “countenance”.

See you in the next Word Bible Study session!

Thank you for your participation. All comments, questions, input, insight, and information in relation to this study is welcomed. If you have any personal stories to share in relation to this study, please feel free to share them.

Blessings to you ~

Ordained

WORD BIBLE STUDY

[countenance]

by Ordained

© 2011 ~ Ordained ~ All Rights Reserved