When The Storms Are Raging…

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I grew up in the Northeast of the United States, so snowstorms and cold weather conditions were a part of our lives.
  • Living in the south, outside of extreme heat, severe storms here can include torrential rain, high winds, hail and even tornadoes.
  • In a recent “impromptu” storm, the Lord warned me, prompted me to pray, and then spoke to me about what would happen.
  • We can and should apply His Word to the “spiritual” storms we are facing.

KJV Scripture References

Mark 4:35-41

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

BCUFam, I have to admit, some of our life storms are SCARY, and sometimes the winds, waves, snow, hail and rain can produce a bit of anxiety! Now, if we feel anxious, we can take what is concerning us in to the Lord in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving, knowing that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). So, when Jesus gives you the “peace release”, all we need to do is rest in what He said, knowing that He is with us—even in the most tempestuous of storms! Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we want to thank You for the Word and the reminder that You are with us throughout every storm we encounter. We thank You Jesus that we have the privilege of coming to You in prayer with our situations, asking for You to be with us, as You remind us that You will never leave or forsake us! We thank You for speaking to our hearts, for giving us the release, and the assurance that You are with us during turbulent times, and You are taking us through to the other side. Lord, many of us are currently in a stormy season now, and we thank You for helping us to continue to be faithful to You throughout our situations, as we praise our way through! We thank You, Jesus for blessing us to be a good witness for You, as we tell of Your goodness, and the praise report during and after the storm! We thank You, Jesus, for continuing to strengthen and keep us, as we continue to give you all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus name, we pray and thank You, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––-we are LIVE on Facebook, at 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Social Media, Bias, Jesus & Us.

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • Investopedia.com defines social media as a computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, information and building community through virtual networks.
  • Some of the earlier social medial platforms include AOL chatrooms (powered by dial-up), MySpace and Pana.ma.
  • TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, What’s app and Instagram are just a few of the top social media sites.
  • While these communities are wonderful for connection and information for many, for others, it can cause or exacerbate “cognitive bias”.
  • Cognitive bias is a distortion in thinking that occurs when people process and interpret information in the world around them (in this case, social media) and, that processing without Christ’s involvement can negatively affects our thinking, decisions and actions.
  • Our task is to allow the Word of God to govern how we think.

https://www.dailyinfographic.com/8-ways-social-media-messes-with-our-brains

Scripture references:

Fear of missing out (FOMO) | If I am not always connected, I may miss something. | Fear is not of God.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Psalm 84:11

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Expectation of availability | I have to reply to every comment, post, email, message immediately. | Idolatry

Colossians 3:23-24.

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Catastrophizing |You send a message, the recipient is not responsive, so must be angry, stupid, etc.| Evil thinking

Matthew 15:18-20

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

I Corinthians 13:4-5

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Unfair Comparison | She posts such nice travel pictures all the time. It’s not fair I have to struggle.| Envy.

1 Timothy 6:6

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Philippians 4:11-12

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

BCU Fam, we do not have to live fear, worry, wrong thinking, or discontentment. God is able to deliver is from people-pleasing, renew our minds in Him, so we will have a thankful heart, knowing He will supply all of our needs. Let’s pray about it!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as we come before You, today, we thank You, SO much for who You are, and what You do for us! Thank You for bringing these areas to our attention. Please forgive us for the times we allowed fear/fear of people to govern our thoughts and actions. Bless us to remember that we serve You and we will do so with distinction. Thank You for delivering us from evil thoughts about the people made in your image. Bless us to walk in the patient and kind love outlined in I Corinthians 13.

Thank You for reminding us that You are a present Help, Jesus and a supplier of our needs. Please remember those who are struggling right now financially, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.In any area we need help, we can call on You, Jesus for that help, and rest in the assurance that You heard our cry and will answer. Thank you for sending jobs, reconciling relationships, healing, strengthening tired bodies, setting someone free, soothing anxious minds, and healing hearts in the name of Jesus! In the meantime, You will sustain and keep our minds in perfect peace as we keep our minds stayed on You and thinking on things that are pure, honest, just, full of virtue and praise. We thank you for the victory in Jesus name, we pray, Amen.

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––-we are LIVE on Facebook, at 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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The Widow’s Mite

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • A sweet friend of mine gave me a gift, and asked me how I liked it.
  • After telling the person how wonderful it was, friend remarked, “well, it wasn’t much”.
  • I gently scolded friend—–and let the individual know any gift given from the heart was much.
  • The Lord led me to talk about the “Widow’s Mite” and how Jesus sees our giving.

Scripture references(KJV):

Mark 12:41-44

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Colossians 3:23-24

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

BCU Fam, this short passage of Scripture is a POWERFUL aide memoire that really has me rethinking giving and heart motives. Jesus sees everything, so we want to ensure that EVERYTHING we give and really all we do is in the right Spirit. In the final analysis, Jesus will reward us for all we do, and we want to make sure our reward is where we will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven versus told to depart. Since the Lord is reminding us now, let’s all be sure to repent for any “mis-giving” and be more intentional going forward. Amen? Amen!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for Your Word today and the reminder about the heart behind our giving. Help us not to be concerned about what others are giving, or to be guilted or shamed into giving anything other than how you have led us.

Please bless us to remember that whatever we give—whether time, love, or money, talents, gifts–that we are stewards over what You have entrusted us with, and we always want to give out of a pure and cheerful heart, so you will be glorified, honored and praised. In Jesus Name, we thank You, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––-we are LIVE on Facebook, at 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Abigail: A Great Woman of God

Here there BCU Family!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I had the honor of giving a short word of encouragement relating to any great woman of God from the Bible.
  • There are many to choose from—–but one, Abigail, is one of my favorite virtuous women!
  • Thanks to my sister, Jackie Williams, in this recording, I’ll highlight a few of Abigail’s most wonderful qualities.

KJV Scripture References:

I Samuel 25:2-39

2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.

5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.

9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

10 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?

12 So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.

13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:

16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.

21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.

22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,

24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

30 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

34 For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

In summation, BCUFam, a great woman of God:

Presently, the world would have us to believe that in order to get anywhere, women have to be loud, clamorous, rude and snarky. And believe me, it’s tempting that go in that direction!

When these situation arise, with the help of the Lord, let’s pause for prayer and think of Abigail as a good example. Then ask the Lord for wisdom on how to follow HIS instructions on how to handle tough situations so that He is glorified and you will be recognized as the virtuous women God has called you to be. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You so much for Your Holy Word, and the reminder of how we should conduct ourselves as women of God, so that You are glorified, honored and praised in our lives. Bless us to be the women that people can come to in a time of need. Please help us to pause, pray and speak the law of kindness as we interact with others——especially in hard circumstances. Thank You, Jesus for letting us know that on every assignment you give us, that a meek and quiet spirit is of great price to You. We thank and praise You for us hearing Your voice and following Your Word. In Jesus Name, we pray Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights–––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Pandora, Spotify and many other podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Accepting Disciplinary Action

Here there BCU Family!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • As of this recording, we have three kiddos in our lives—–two teens and an almost two-year old.
  • The youngest little is learning how to navigate this new world as the trusted adults do the teaching.
  • One area that is a challenge—-accepting correction without “retaliation”.
  • Listen in to what happened, and what the Lord reminded me about chastening.

KJV Scripture References:

Hebrews 12:6-11

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

BCU Fam, I cannot describe the warmth love I felt when the little hugged my neck after our conversation! And after that, we had no further issues or incidents when the answer was “no”. That was an example of the peaceable fruit of righteousness, meaning, although the baby did not enjoy the correction, once it was received, the right behavior came about. Similarity, we do not enjoy God chastening us either, but God does so that we can be more like Him, represent Him properly in all our interactions, AND so that we will not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). So with the Lord’s help, let’s receive and apply the perfect correction He prescribes for us. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as we come before You, we thank You so much for the reminder around chastening. We admit that while correction does not feel good in the present, it is needed for our present and future, as we endeavor to be more like You, Jesus. We thank You for the peaceable fruit of righteousness and its continued growth in our lives. In Jesus Name, we pray Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X,and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Pandora, Spotify and many other podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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