A Monday Hodgepodge

Pearls Before Swine

It just dawned on me, that it has been days since I visited blogs or posted here. Y'all must have thought I fell off the face of the earth.

The cartoon above reminds me of our family. It will just be the two of us this year (their choice, not ours). What are your plans?

First some news, I think we have finally found a church in which to feel comfortable in. Sundays usually find us in the First Baptist Church. Being a "grace believer" I will not be "joining" (i.e. submitting to water baptism) but it's a pleasant diversion every Sunday morning. I spoke to the Pastor briefly about it, and he said it's not a problem. Without "joining" one just can not hold office or vote in the business part of their church. Thankfully, I'm not interested in any of that anyway. But the natives are friendly and there is a motorcycle club called F.A.I.T.H. Riders in which we are members. That should pacify even my persnickety side.

We have started on, hopefully, the final remodeling project in our 23+ year old stick built home. It's taken over a year to accomplish all the necessary interior projects but it's been well worth the financial and physical pain. The current project is the guest bedroom. It still has 23+ year old carpeting. First Hubby removed the smelly carpeting in the closet and placed nice easy to clean floor tiles. Today, we've removed everything from the bedroom except the ceiling tall bookcase out into the hallway. The bookcase needs another coat of white paint before moving on. Then we'll started pulling up carpeting and replacing it with the floating Pergo flooring.

And something else good came from all this work.

Experience is a wonderful teacher. For most who know me they know that one of my absolute favorite hobbies is genealogy / family research. I've been following people's migrations and habits for years. It's become second nature to figure out why an ancestor moved or did whatever they did during their lives. I also study a lot of old photos. This leads me to I keep all our photo albums in this closet that's being renovated. This week, whilst everything was in a disarray, I began thumbing through an old homemade photo album that belonged to my adopted mother, Helen, who had died in 1966 when I was 10 years old.  I have few memories of my mother. The reason being that like a monkey in a cage, my father was good at flinging obscenities or threats in my direction whenever I even so much as spoke to him, so, I quit asking him anything at a young age. Anyway, I happened on a couple of old Polaroid photos in the album that I'm sure I must have looked at a million times two and wondered "Who are these people?" since there was no writing on the photos. Well, I was sitting on the bed casually looking through the album and I had one photo of Mom in one hand, and this one below in the other, and I finally realized, this is my Mom at a very early age! She always had that serious look on her face. My Mom and her brother, Richard, where the only children of Richard Darrell Koethe, I, and Edna Margaretta Strain. This has to be her in that very treasured photo album. That was such a very joyful moment to discover a photo of my Mom for the 'first' time. It's a nice Christmas gift.

And I'm still enjoying, and learning about, my new Smartphone. I feel so modern. *lol*

If I don't get to post again before the Holiday, I hope everyone has a very happy, prosperous and safe CHRISTmas season.

Smartphone

Guess who finally joined the 21st Century? And this was after I swore up and down that I would never, not ever, no way, cross my heart and hope to die, nuh uh, ever have a Smartphone and be able to text! So much for swearing.

Crow sure is tasty. *lol*

My husband has one too. So this afternoon we camped out on the couch (as if we have nothing else to do ... NOT!), he in his corner and me in mine, and we proceeded to learn how to use the newly purchased toys. Even though Technically Challenged, I still managed to download two very cool ring tones: Stairway To Heaven and Santa Baby.

Anyone in the market for two well used flip phones? *grin*

And, happy news, it's raining! Finally. Thank you LORD for your mercy. It has been dangerously dry in SE Georgia. Now that our one mile of shifting sand road will be ride able again, I picture a ride in our very near future, with the new smartphone to show us the route.

Now, how cool is that.

Got Questions: Did Jesus Go To Hell?

www.GotQuestions.org

Question: "Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?"

Answer: There is a great deal of confusion in regards to this question. The concept that Jesus went to hell after His death on the cross comes primarily from the Apostles’ Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scriptures which, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to “hell.” In studying this issue, it is important to first understand what the Bible teaches about the realm of the dead.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent of sheol is hades, which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other Scriptures in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11–15 gives a clear distinction between hades and the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades, then, is a temporary place. Many people refer to both hades and the lake of fire as “hell,” and this causes confusion. Jesus did not go to a place of torment after His death, but He did go to hades.

Sheol/hades was a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of judgment (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The abodes of the saved and the lost are both generally called “hades” in the Bible. The abode of the saved is also called “Abraham’s bosom” (KJV) or “Abraham’s side” (NIV) in Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The abode of the unsaved is called “hell” (KJV) or “Hades” (NIV) in Luke 16:23. The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus died, He went to the blessed side of sheol and, from there, took the believers with Him to heaven (Ephesians 4:8–10). The judgment side of sheol/hades has remained unchanged. All unbelieving dead go there awaiting their final judgment in the future. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Ephesians 4:8–10 and 1 Peter 3:18–20.

Some of the confusion has arisen from such passages as Psalm 16:10–11 as translated in the King James Version: “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption . . . . Thou wilt show me the path of life.” “Hell” is not a correct translation in this verse. A correct reading would be “the grave” or “sheol.” Jesus said to the thief beside Him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); He did not say, “I will see you in hell.” Jesus’ body was in the tomb; His soul/spirit went to be with the blessed in sheol/hades. Unfortunately, in many versions of the Bible, translators are not consistent, or correct, in how they translate the Hebrew and Greek words for “sheol,” “hades,” and “hell.”

Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin which would be poured out upon Him on the cross.

As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead). Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s side” or the blessed side of hades. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.

© Copyright 2002-2015 Got Questions Ministries

A Day In A Country Life

There hasn't been much going on in our neck of the woods worthy of note. However, today we had a friend drop by and help remove a 30 foot Red Cedar that was too close to the carport.

Notching the tree in preparation of a fall.

Thar she blows!

Now the fun begins ... disposing of all the limbs and debris.

And a pleasant surprise. An early Christmas gift from Santa.

I know, OMGoodness! It's a 'bling'! The necklace is made from Sterling Silver. The stones blue Tiger Eye. I nearly suffered whiplash during the last visit to the Tractor Supply Store and my husband noticed. He's such a sweetie. Now if I can just find a way the earrings wear it under my helmet ... (ouch) *lol*

Funny Friday

Now, that's something to beleaf in.

And now ... for something completely different ... >>

Two Irish nuns were sitting at a traffic light in their car when a bunch of rowdy drunks pull up alongside of them.

"Hey, show us your boobs, ye bloody penguins!" shouts one of the drunks.

The Mother Superior turns to novice Sister Margaret and says, "I don't think they know who we are. Show them your cross."

Sister Margaret rolls down her window and shouts, "Screw off ye little freakin' wankers, before I come over there and rip yer nuts off!"

Sister Margaret looks back very sweetly at the Mother Superior and asks, "Was that cross enough?!"

I'm afraid that the dog will just have to Let It Be.

Thankful Thursday

It's the day after the San Bernardino, California, massacre by more mentally ill Mohammedans (i.e. satan worshipers). So, it seems that World War III has begun in earnest and our country is officially in the thick of it. My thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families this morning. Will Americans continue to look the other way? Or will my fellow citizens say "Enough!" and demand that all those involved in this evil political system be deported or jailed immediately? Do they love their children or grandchildren or their own lives enough to care? Or will they just buy another electronic device and tune out hoping it will all go away? Time will tell.

There is a lot to be thankful for this morning. One is I still live in a part of the country where we are armed and can defend ourselves when there are wolves everywhere that want to kill unarmed citizens.

I am thankful for the food in our larder, the fuel in our vehicles in which to express my freedom of movement, our income -albeit meager- which still keeps the hungry wolves from our door, and a loving LORD who will watch over all of us who believe.

By the way, I'm having trouble with Blogger. I'll send a post 'out there' and it takes literally hours for it to appear on-line. Anyone else having this issue also? I don't know who to contact to correct this error, so, guess I'll just have to live with it for now.

Ride safe out there.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24New International Version (NIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Setting The Cruise Control

Ok, things have suddenly gotten crazy hectic around here. With my husband pre-cooking many items that need to be chilled, me washing up, cleaning the house, running errands and now I've injured my right hip again! Bummer. Anyway, I'm going to put the blog on cruise and concentrate on the Holiday.

Here's wishing everyone in my bloggy world a very Happy Thanksgiving, even the dear ones across the pond. Wish you could join us here in the States. You'd be more than welcome at our table.

From my house to yours, stay safe and have a lovely rest of the week. Be chatting with you all soon!

A Card For You