Crafting Again...YAY!

Everything's a big mess in my new craft room. I clean up and then mess it up! an ongoing cycle and I absolutely love crafting in my craft room. There's going to be a craft fair at my new apartment complex in October. I understand they do so every year. Apparently I get 2 6' long tables at no charge and I can sell my crafts and keep all the proceeds. So I have begun my planning as well as crafting. My list of crafts to be ready to sell includes, hand crafted jewelry by me, refreshed old jewelry collected, origami folded paper shirts that hold money or a gift Card, junk journals and small paper books for notes titled "something to write on" designed for purse or wallet, jewelry crafts like wall hangings and yard sale items renewed that haven't sold in the past like ceramic containers with floral arrangement included and various other renewed or newly adapted for new uses items. 

 Have already started making, selecting things, cleaning things, refreshing things and making display containers and adding to them. Don't know how much I will come up with from now until mid October but I'm gonna give it my best shot. Not interested in making Christmas decor mostly thinking about gifts and gift tags and cards with Christmas in mind the rest will be for gifting. I learned so much while I was into jewelry making about display and making my own display holders that while making the items I'm also making things to display the crafts I make on. All very creative. I don't really have any pictures to add here. 

Well, I think I'll postpone posting this until tomorrow when I can take some pictures of what I'm making for show and tell....yup, think I'll do that. Right now it's 3:40am so I need to turn out the light and go to sleep instead of keep writing. SO...nite nite and I take this up tomorrow and get it posted then.... Still didn't take any pics but before I say goodnight this Sat. night I want to mention what I'm amazed about and that is those of you who read my posts are from all over the World.

I mentioned Hong Kong where there are the most readers then there's Singapore, France and so many more. I just want to say thank you all for popping in and reading what I write. I'd love to hear from you individually and I can if you will leave a comment or you can just say Hi. Maybe I'll remember about the pics tomorrow...Goodnight all....

having trouble arranging the pictures but these are just a couple of crafts in the making. The reindeer are made of salt dough and they are bow ornaments to put on a Christmas gift.

Something Happened and I must tell...

 Over the past few months I've been leading a Bible Study group of generally 4 ladies, 5 including myself. I say leading rather than teaching because that's what happens. We are using a book written by Dr. Jeremiah "The God You May Not Know". Our group meets every week at the home of one of the ladies and is always relaxed and always a cold canned Pepsi is offered. We are all Seniors and range from the 60's to the 80's.

My groups are usually talkers because I encourage questions and comments even small debates at times. The point is to learn from the material and each other. I truly believe Holy Spirit resides within each believer and He is our ultimate teacher and I like to hear what he has to say through each of the participants. Of course there must be constraints of sorts but that's to fit within our time limit and to stay on task. The Bible is on hand of course.

This study has changed me and I am surprised and totally in! I've been a Christian, born again, since 1975. Been in lay leadership in the church, home group leadership with my late husband, Officially a leader in the church as Co-Pastor after graduating from CFNI, Dallas, Tx in 1987. Official ministry ended in 2001. That means I was no longer officially licensed within the denomination that Licensed me. This happens when a licensed minister no longer holds a paying position in a church. Because God's calling is without repentance, I continue on without a church covering, in ministry. 

I do not consider myself to know the answers to life, about God, the church, or any asked of me. I do follow the lead of my God in daily life as much as I know how. I love my Creator more and more everyday and spend time with Him daily. And yet, I'm blown away at how much the study that is finishing up this next week about the Creator of all that is created and all that is, is created by the Creator, make no mistake about that. It is fact and has nothing to do with whether or not mankind believes He Is.

Certainly I cannot rewrite the book I'm finishing up, in the telling here. What I do want to say is I am thoroughly amazed by the explanation of who God is. I still don't know it all and no one can because we are limited. He is not. Only by His own Holiness and it's His choice.  There are certain words that I have decided are never ending. They are as follows:

Eternity, Omniscience, Love, Heaven, Hell, God's Creation...the universe, galaxies, space, never, always, more. 

To actually realize that all of God is everywhere all at the same time and involved in every human life in such detail that he even knows how many hairs on every head at every moment while knowing what we are all thinking, doing, saying, living and dying all at the same time world wide! And this is hour after hour after hour, day after day, and so on. He never sleeps or turns away from anyone...never. NEVER! He has no limitations, none, zip! He doesn't have a big toe! He isn't human! and yet he's emanuel, God with us.

We have limitations and we die! God does not! We cannot, don't have the ability to limit Him. He is and will always be who he says he is and mankind cannot change him in anyway. Lack of belief in Him does not make him small or powerless or disappear in anyway. He is and was and will always be. The theories about how the world began without God Himself are nothing, mean nothing and accomplish nothing except rob mankind of the truth. And, further more like it or not, God is in control, in charge and man cannot change that. God is! Above it all! Is Power! and there is no other. He is the only one. Satan lied to Adam and Eve in the Garden and he is still lying.

I have known that God is bigger than I can even think and this study enlarged that I know that today without doubt but more, I know how more about the how much more which tells me there's so much more that I don't know. He's amazingly more.

God is known by many names and each one describes a part of his character. If you don't have the faintest Idea what I'm talking about, One of His names is Jehovah, and Yahweh, or Abba. Pick up a Bible...a New King James or a Living Bible and start with the Book of John in the New Testament. Let the author of that book in the Bible introduce you.

It's Friday evening before Memorial Day. Have a great weekend. Milo is somewhere asleep. I think I'll wake him and we will go sit on the back porch and enjoy the late afternoon. Blessings, I'm Judy and I'm glad.

Are you forsaking the fellowship of the saints?

 

The Challenge: is it fellowship or is it church?

Just this past week as the teacher/leader of a Bible Study of about 6 Senior women, I made a comment.  During a rather long comment I said "I haven't been a member of a church for a long time". What I meant was, I had not officially joined a church. There are several reasons for that beginning with having been a Pastor in a denominational church of course I was a member officially.

After resigning from the official position I attended another church. I changed churches several times over 17+ years being faithful and very active in each church I attended. Recently I've been attending a small denominational church and the comment I made at first was I'm thinking I may actually join the church I've been attending." Then followed the above statement about not having been a member...!

A few moments later one of the group asked me how did I reconcile the scripture about not forsaking the fellow shipping of the saints. Hebrews 10:25   My comment was "I don't have a problem with it". I didn't really understand what she was asking. A short back and forth followed while I was trying to figure out exactly what she was asking me. I'm still not completely sure if she misunderstood my statement and was thinking I wasn't going to church or if adding a signature to a membership card or list meant not forsaking the fellow shipping of the saints.

Why talk about this? Because I think it brings up an important subject for understanding of exactly why we Christians go to church. What's the purpose of it? And what's fellow shipping and what's church attendance? Are they the same? Does it matter? I think it does.

So, here's my two cents.

Church is not a building! Church are the people who occupy the building. Do the people have to meet together in a building? No, we can meet anywhere and any day at any time. What is the definition of a church meeting or maybe what is the purpose of a church gathering as we currant day Christians understand?

Church: Generally an organized, planned meeting of believers with a well studied God, prayed up, called Pastor who will bring the Word of God to those in attendance. That being said, the particular Pastor may do so in a 3 point outline, with stories and examples to make the point. Other's may bring the Word of God as a lecture of sorts. There will also be as scheduled, the serving of communion to celebrate the Last Supper as Jesus directed the disciples. And Praise and Worship in song whether hymnals are used or choruses. In some churches, dance and flag waving all to offer praise and worship to our God. Prayer is offered by the Pastor as well as altar workers who pray for individual needs. The gifts of Holy Spirit participate in the gathering as in the New Testament, for healing, counsel, deliverance, encouragement of the believers, plus water baptisms, and testimonies, a call for salvation to those who are unsaved.

Depending on the denomination there may be other elements like announcements, baby dedications, Words of Prophecy in Tongues and interpretation, songs and spiritual songs.

Fellowship: Generally, Christians gather together to spend time in getting to know each other and to speak of things of faith, hope, love. Praying together for the concerns of those present, sharing of scriptures and allowing Holy Spirit to take part through His gifts in the people for one another. Depending on the host/hostess there may be a shared meal. May or may not be children present.  May be held in informal surroundings in home, park, fellowship hall, etc. Sometimes there is a short teaching with participation from the group. More of a family atmosphere is present.

My thought is this: the forsaking of the fellow shipping of the saints means not spending time with the brethren of the faith whether it be 2 or more. Not assembling or gathering together with others of the faith.

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forsake somebody/something (for somebody/something) to leave someone or something, especially when you have a responsibility to stay:  to renounce or entirely turn away from.  Forsake means to renounce or entirely turn away from something. Oxford Dictionary

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“Do Not Forsake Assembling” Meaning

In this passage, the Greek word used for assembling is “episynagoge,” which suggests an official meeting. This could include worship, praying, reading, teaching, hearing, and studying the Word. 

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The spiritual reality and need of “do not forsake assembling” is more than an official meeting. It’s a call to be empowered by God and do life together. As the Body of Christ, we are to be living proof of a loving God to those around us. Hebrews 10:24 says, “… consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” and verse 25 mentions “exhorting one another” (emphasis added)

Abundant Life Church

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In Summary. Hebrews 10:25, “do not forsake assembling,” which means we are to assemble, but furthermore, it is a wise word written to protect us from the wiles of our enemy. When we assemble as the Body of Christ, we are to stir each other up in love and encourage one other in our faith. Bible.org (Baptist organization)

 

What I believe:  Fellowship is relationships between people and in the Church it is between fellow Christians. The elements involved are variable and in the Love of Christ as exhibited among the saints attending. Where 2 or more are gathered in the name of Jesus Christ there is fellowship. If one names himself a Christian and does not fellowship that Christian is forsaking the fellow shipping of the saints. 

I'm Judy and happy to be writing this post this Saturday morning the day before Resurrection Sunday. Go celebrate and fellowship life forever more because of an empty tomb for He is risen. Amen