12.3 Soul - Have a cereal smoothie - Its on the house

Hi everybody! You might not know about this, but some people have a hard time eating unblended food. People like me, with various special needs, it’s a necessity.

Here’s a recipe I came up with, using a blender.

Okay, so you take 1 banana, 3 ounces of Kashi Warm Cinnamon Ohs, 2 ounces of Uncle Sam’s Wheat and Flaxseed Cereal, and 2 ounces of one more cereal, depending on what you’re in the mood for. You can add your choice of liquid, a little at a time, until you reach preferable consistency. Warning, though, it can be tricky finding optimal consistency so it might be a good idea to find your desired amount and write it down for future mixes. Oh, and sometimes I snap off 2 squares from a chocolate bar and add them into the mix. It usually makes enough to fill two cup containers ¾ of the way. I consider each of these cups to be one serving for me. It may be different for you.

Hopefully this can help somebody out there. Have a great day!

12.2 Mind - Proverbs 12

Proverbs 12

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.
2 Good people obtain favor from the LORD,
but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.
3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped mind is despised.

10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.

16 Fools show their annoyance at once,
but the prudent overlook an insult.

18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.
21 No harm overtakes the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
22 The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
23 The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,
but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.
26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

28 In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.

12.1 Heart - Love People People Love

Have you ever taken the time to think about what love really is? A lot of times, the media, TV and movies, paint the wrong picture about what true love is. Love should be about giving and not taking. And it's also about people. I've heard different times people say, "I'm sick of people. I'm not a people person." But we're surrounded by people every day! If we didn't have those other people, we wouldn't have people to build buildings, hospitals, provide transportation, etc. And teach us how to read and write and know right from wrong. It's God's love that creates such things. But I have to be honest I haven't done such a great job of loving people this week. It doesn't matter if it was early morning. I said some unnecessary words to my Dad. And it bothered me the whole day. It was such relief when he got home and I was able to ask for his forgiveness. I don't want to be that way, so don't follow my example. Don't take the people who love you for granted. Don't forget to take time out in your day to show them you love them. If you said something mean or harsh, take the time to apologize and ask for their forgiveness, if you mean it.

So let's take a look at this scripture. It's a great reference for showing us how to love genuinely. When Jesus spoke about his burden and yoke being light, I think he was talking about the burden of love, as it describes in the scripture as well.

1 Corinthians 13
Click here to read/Click here to listen

11.4 Earth - Renwable is doable

Have you ever heard of renewable resources? They are usually things that can be grown quickly without damaging the environment. For example wood for buildings and or flooring and things of such nature. Bamboo is one example of a renewable resource. To tell the truth I don’t know a whole lot about renewable resources so let’s see what You Tube has to say.

This video will remind you of school but I think it’s worth the watch.

11.3 Soul - Endangered Chocolates

Hey, are you a fan of chocolate? Yeah, me too! I just wanted to share with you this chocolate I found. It’s tasty. It’s called Endangered Species Chocolate. It’s all natural. And it doesn’t have junk in it like high fructose corn syrup. It’s got good stuff like Regular, some with Fruits or Nuts. Each one has a different animal on the wrapper because the proceeds go to God’s endangered species. If you would like to visit their site, follow this link.

Well, I hope you enjoy it someday. And I hope you come back again.

11.2 Mind - Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11

1 The LORD detests dishonest scales,
but accurate weights find favor with him.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.

7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.
13 A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
19 Truly the righteous attain life,
but whoever pursues evil finds death.
20 The LORD detests those whose hearts are perverse,
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

11.1 Heart - You can't stand on quicksand

Here’s one of Jesus’ most famous parables, followed by some of my personal comments and applications on the same subject and how it relates to today’s world.

Build Your House on the Rock

24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

This parable is applicable to our personal lives, but I think the Holy Spirit dropped into my heart that it can be applicable to countries and their leadership as well. Take the United States for instance. It was founded on the rock of Judeo-Christian values. That means prayer in schools, Bible reading, etc. But recently, for the last 50 years of our history, certain people want to do away with our heritage and build our country upon weak sand, by relying on such falsehoods as atheism, socialism, and evolution. And look at all the crazy stuff like school shootings. These are some of the consequences of having sand underneath our feet instead solid rock. We as citizens need to do our part before it's too late.

I'd like to share something someone said about the recent earthquake on the east coast. According to this person(s), after the earthquake, the Washington Monument had no foundational damage, but there were cracks on the top in three out of four spires. I would like to think this is a possible sign or sign of the times. Maybe we need to make some changes in leadership in this country before the Godless decisions cause the cracks to travel all the way down to the foundation. The only reliable rock is God, His word, and salvation through His one and only Son. It doesn't matter where you live or where you're from, that's the truth.

Proverbs 1:7

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

But even countries that serve God, bad things happen to them sometimes. Just like in our personals lives, God will get you through it and help us learn from our hard times. But if you don’t rely on the Lord, there’s a chance your country won’t recover from hard times. Why wouldn’t you want to bless your own people, by trusting the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

Proverbs 10:25

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.