heartstrings

Haven't smoked in over 40 years. Funny you should ask. My DIL asked me that very question last night, right after asking what I thought about drinking wine. From the tone of the conversation, I suspected she wanted something to pounce on  So, I told Her I WOULD Not answer the question. She tried to tempt me to answer like 2 or 3 more times but I still refused  So she came from another angle and asked had I ever smoked or drank beer. To that I answered "yes". I then turned to my son and asked, have you ever seen your daddy drink or smoke? He answered, "no". Over 40 years on drinking too. I wasn't going to lie about my past, but both she and my son know where I stand on drinking. She only wanted something to argue about. But she said no more about it. Let me say, in conclusion: neither smoking, nor drinking is going to send a Christian to Hell *if he's already truly saved*. But they'll damage your testimony, invoke the chastening from the Lord, and likely send you to Heaven early.

Mine, too! 

Proverbs says: " It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter."        Even after 6000 years     I don't believe mankind has discovered all of God's "concealed things" nor nailed down every truth, else all true Christians could agree on on everything. For instance, experience tells me that you will likely disagree with me on the meaning of the following verse......     "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son?" .....because the way it reads to me is, that no angel has ever been a "son of God.

Unfortunately, that doesn't surprise me at all. An old preacher used to say something like "rat poison is mostly good wholesome corn"; it's that tiny percentage of poison that kills the rat.

Much of what Steven Furtick preaches is problematic. I had several friends ask me to listen to a cluster of sermons they sent me to, and I listened. On the surface, much of what he says SOUNDS plausible and Scriptural, but when you listen more closely and compare scripture with scripture, it's not at all doctrinally sound. His rock and roll lifestyle and promotion of his sons lifestyle of the same is problematic. He seems to want to be as close to the world as he can be but still look "Christian." 

It's been years since I've heard this song! I love it! ?
That is it, PastorMatt! We used to have an evangelist that would sing this, as well as a professor at Fellowship Baptist College! ) 

Seems like a good song, I enjoyed listening to it. 

that's it
 
Mighty fine picking too... ?
 

?

So one day we were in Goodwill just looking around. Because of some news we had gotten just a couple days previously, when I found this book I had to get it for my hubs. 
Yes, yes...eta for our first grandchild is April 28,2023. ??  Our daughter-in-law was having a pretty easy go of it until this past week. She's had some issues with blood pressure and blood sugar...and even fainted once. She is doing better if she eats often and takes things easy. Would appreciate prayer that God will protect her and Baby DePriest...either Asher or Hannah, depending on boy or girl...or maybe both? ?

"Faith is a gift" is a common theme amongst Calvinist/Reformed in theology. My argument with the Calvinists is the "For by grace are you saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." EPH 2:8 Grace would seem to be the gift, which we accept through faith. Faith isn't a work as the Calvinist would have us believe. It's a reaction to the grace of God presented to us, an acceptance of the Lords ability and willingness to save any individual who will accept that gift of grace.

open your lips wide, grab it with your teeth....it'll be alright. 

Anything with Coconut will never touch these lips!  YUK!

That would be my second choice. ?
 

I'd have to say that Snickers is the best! I'm not fond of Almond Joy, nor Oh Henry's! 
 

No.....Oh Henry's are better.  ???

No.....Oh Henry's are better.  ???

But I love me some Almond Joy! ??  

Somebody's been watching/listening to too many commercials. ?

Somebody's been watching/listening to too many commercials. ?

There is nothing, nothing at all, that justifies Russia's invasion of Ukraine...not even if the media supports Ukraine. Putin is a demagogue dictator that wants to re-create the former USSR. He's in league with China and North Korea, all 3 countries manned by megalomaniacs, with North Korea planning to subjugate S Korea and China to subjugate Taiwan...showing the world that they are a new triumvirate to be feared.
I don't care what the UN or NATO think about this invasion, nor what the media says. I believe we need to pray for the protection of the Ukrainian people, who don't deserve this, and especially for the Ukrainian Christians and missionaries over there. 
I read an email from Lviv...they believe God is answering prayer because rockets that are being shot at cities are disappearing...literally nobody knows where they are going. Russians are running out of fuel and getting lost. Many missionaries have made it to Romania safely. I say let's keep praying. 

Putin doesn't really seek people's attention. He's already had it for a long time being that he used to be the head of the KGB. He's moving to make himself back into a powerful world leader and wants to restore the "glory" of the former Soviet Union. 

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy's got nuts. Mounds don't.
Almond Joy's got rich milk chocolate, coconut and honey nuts too. Mounds got deep dark chocolate, chewy coconut, ooh.
Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy's got nuts. Mounds don't.
Peter Paul Almond Joy's got nuts. Peter Paul Mounds don't.
Because...
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT. SOMETIMES YOU  DON'T.
? ? ?  I just had to. Sorry not sorry. ?

The Bible teaches that true repentance and faith come at the same time. When someone hears and understands the Gospel, they turn FROM their sin TO the Saviour. Someone has described it like this: Repentance is the hand (of faith) letting go of the sin as it is reaching for the Saviour.

Sorry, you must have missed this passage:
Judges 15:20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.
Verse 16 indicates it was Samson that was in view here.