things are not always as they seem...
Incline and Hearken. I read them in the Word lately & they have lingered with me.
I love the imagery it affords me to think of those two words. Incline reminds me of turning my attention toward something, leaning in, being intentional & purposeful to draw near. I don’t incline to annoying noise or yelling or loudness, do you? I incline to hear better, see better, smell something, to sense something, or to give undivided attention to another person. Intentional moving toward. Reminds me of God, how in my life He has inclined to me with His Love & Care & Protection.
And then there’s hearken which to me speaks of listening more acutely or paying attention to something so I don’t miss it. I don’t hearken to bad advice or hardcore rock & roll music because it disturbs my peace. In recent days, I’ve become more acutely aware of where my attention & focus goes, and a reminder that for my life to be optimal, fuller, simpler, less stressed, and less complicated, it’s vital for me to incline and to hearken unto the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. And since He is not a yeller & is described with a still, small voice, I have to hearken & lean in to hear Him in a world that is loud & distracting at times.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift.
So let’s live in the “present” and be grateful!
For anyone seeking the God of the Bible as I am, I offer some hopeful heresy to simply say we haven’t been given the complete scope of the Bible. There’s allegedly been some censorship & books withheld from us. There has been narrow, limited or seemingly incomplete things we’ve been taught over the years in my opinion. Seems that the Ethiopian Bible has survived for 16 centuries & has additional texts in it that add richness & understanding to the full story of God. And do we ever need it for such a time as this. Those books are on a roll out that I’m just now beginning to notice, and what a blessing to have them available online in audiobook form. As I listen, some dots are being connected, some timelines are becoming filled in, some concepts are being explained more fully, and some things that never made sense are becoming more clear. God bless the people in Ethiopia who preserved them & painstakingly hand wrote them so that they were not subject to further editing or exclusion or omissions. Some of those books are Jubilees, Ascension of Isaiah, Esdras, Enoch, Maccabees & Baruch. I’m diving in! Spring & Summer Reading List, here I come.
Where have courtesy & politeness gone? Manners, appreciation, some patience, some consideration of others. Simple kindnesses. Please and thank you. Excuse me. You’re welcome. A smile. Are you ok?, Pardon me, may I help you, what can I do for you? I’ll wait, you go ahead. Holding the door for others, speaking up to a server or other worker that is rocking it & doing such a great job; the grocery store clerk that actually comes up to you personally & says I’ll help you over here; people with you who are present with you & not responding to each & every beep, vibrate & ding; posting a google review mentioning people’s names if possible & complimenting the good, to name just a few! Has anybody else wondered that lately as I have?
Reader discretion advised, for I will be listing out some of my pet peeves about lost, common courtesies…going Negative Nancy on you for a few moments..Seems we are bombarded every day with rudeness that assaults our sensibilities……red light runners, tailgaters, honkers, ragers; people dropping trash & not caring; people in the gym or pacing around the airport with headphones plopped on their heads the size of lawnmower tires yelling their conversations that we do not want to hear, that can be heard in the next city; people in the grocery store check out line waiting behind us but bum rushing the clerk that has been summoned & has just opened their checkout line to be first in line while the rest of us are stunned at the rudeness; those folks who park their cart in the middle so that you cannot get past them & then if you try to move their basket they will give you the stink eye for touching their cart; the people in the back of the aircraft who bum rush the rest of us patiently waiting to get off (I clearly understand there are people late for a connection & that is acceptable, but…..); people in the gym who have germed up & sweated all over handles & weights & do not sanitize the equipment they have just used with a quick wipe down; now I haven’t been to an actual movie theater for years, but when people used to wait til the middle of the movie to open their noisy candy wrappers in the dark when they clearly arrived & sat down with their stash at least 15 minutes prior to the movie starting, oh my!! How about looking up from your phone only long enough to remember yes, I’m there and pretend you’re listening to me for a second, fully wishing you could answer that notification (I get emergencies, but how often is the next ring or vibrate an actual emergency?); people who are parked next to us in tight spaces & do not hang on to their door & smack your car & then see you sitting there & try to pretend they didn’t just see you & didn’t whack your car.
Perhaps I sound petty & way too detailed about some of the annoyances. But I believe we can be the light in the darkness; continue to show kindness & courtesy & let our own manners & considerations be contagious. Pay it forward. Bring back some good old fashioned values that seem to be fading away, but can be reborn through us. It brings such joy to my heart & a smile to my face to be treated considerably & respectfully so I know the one can become the many!!
Small investment, huge dividends! I learned of this about 6 months ago & have giggled with family members as I count as we hug. A 21-second hug promotes stress-reducing hormones, lowers cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, and boosts heart health & trust. I have personally experienced it to shift my entire being & shake off negative energy. If another human is missing, your arms wrap around your own self with the same benefits. As my dear friend, Lois says, “long hug, long hug,” and as another dear friend, Miranda says, “I won’t let go til you’re ready.” And cheers to my dear friend, Barb, who is known for her spunky hugs!
Let’s reclaim a solid, Biblical practice! And may it no longer be co-opted by the church & only marginalized & assigned to evil new age practices & warnings to “not go there.” We need to go there, we must go there. We are missing out on so much health, depth & strength by letting ourselves be shamed into avoiding meditation. Can be done anywhere, any time. Benefits are immediate, calming, re-focusing, mind transformative & what I have found to be so very connective with God. Both Old and New Testaments are deeply rooted in purposeful & thoughtful verses that encourage the habit of meditation. Combined with breathing techniques that promote wellness and reduce stress & anxiety, God’s Word has provided a framework for focus, increased quality of life & clarity, available to everyone. I have personally experienced it to shift my entire being & shake off negative energy.
Frequency, vibrations, hertz & musical pitch are parallel in importance with meditation. Our meditation moments & habits can be enhanced by implementing these additional considerations. These help alter brainwave patterns & reset our autonomic nervous system. It is a fruitful goal to increase our alpha & theta wave activity while lessening beta waves in our brains, which results in boosting our neuroplasticity, our awareness & peace of mind. Romans 12:2.
I’ve learned that years ago churches were centers of healing, in addition to being houses of worship. Giant church bells resonated with ultrasonic frequencies that had therapeutic effects. Some people report that 432 hertz meditation music promotes relaxation & healing energy. Research & try out some deep, healing music that best suits you; tons of options available online.
I’ve always loved the Hershey kisses bell commercial at Christmas time. Look up posts about bells, churches as healing centers & vibration, very cool info. Bring back the bells!!!
For a couple of years now, I have been reading the Book of Enoch. Fascinating to me. As part of the Ethiopian Bible, preserved in Aramaic among the Dead Sea Scrolls, it is full of extremely interesting passages, unique descriptions expanding on the Flood texts & giants, and explanations that have connected dots for me as I read my regular Bible and would scratch my head because things were not making sense. It has enriched my Bible knowledge, my wish to learn more, my faith & my limited understanding……it expounds about more of the heavenly realms, assignments of angels, other gods, council of Heaven, God’s Incredible Mercy & Love, and some of the mysteries that have had me question & yearn for more.
I highly recommend it. Portions of it have blown my mind & shown me how small some of my thinking has been. It is available online in an audio format narrated by a guy with an English accent that enhances it for me. I have always loved the English language and the beauty of words, but for me, this takes it to a whole new level with descriptive passages that easily enable me to envision them & use the wonderful imagination with which God created us. One of my favorite passages so far in that book reads like this:
1. And in those days I will open the store chambers of blessing which are in the heaven, so as to send them down ⌈upon the earth⌉ over the work and labour of the children of men. 2. And truth and peace shall be associated together throughout all the days of the world and throughout all the generations of men.’
Check it out! I hope it challenges & blesses you as it has me!
A very fun, new fabric for me. Bamboo clothing…all manner of it….. It’s cooling, moisture-wicking, so soft & easy to wear! A step above cotton and linen for me.
(Links shared at the suggestion of Amy Sever through Broadcast Elements)
Viewer Discretion: Some content may be graphic & disturbing. You will be shocked, you will be stunned, you will be disbelieving…..Don’t take my word for what you will see here. Investigate for yourself & see what you find.
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19241
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19224
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19266
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19192
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19243
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Enough is Enough!
Crimes against innocent, trusting children will unite humanity.
Tim Tebow has a foundation that is in the fight against human trafficking & dedicated to rescuing children.
Links shared for spreading joy, laughter, miracles, to lift up ourselves & others & provide hope. In a world where there is a lot of negativity, bad news & fear, it’s important to me to share positivity that brings a smile to someone else or provides food for thought that gives the soul joy & the reminder that Life is full of good people & good stuff. If you have some feel-good stories or videos, please share them with me.
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19485
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUeV2r3iKsg/?igsh=ZHJkcnZpcXR4Y2o%3D
https://t.me/BroadcastElements/19232
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