Have you ever been camping?

Daily writing prompt
Have you ever been camping?

I still can remember the first time my mom had taken me and my brother camping. We went camping at Jackson lake in the Angeles Crest Forrest. It was actually more of a pond than a lake, but it was were I caught my first fish, using a homemade bamboo fishing pole. That was over 40 years ago. It gave me a love for nature, hiking and camping.

I Won’t Back Down

I just came across a new version of the Tom Petty song, ‘I won’t back down’. It was so beautifully sung, but it reminded me of the original song. Thankfully they did not change one word, but as they sang the song the lyrics reminded me of my relationship with Christ Jesus and our Heavenly Father. How no matter how difficult and even painful life in this world can be, I cannot back down. I must stand my ground, firmly planted on The Rock. It’s lyrics are straight to the point, and for me it means that no matter what this world may throw at you, don’t back down. Stay true to God and stand firm on HIS Word. He won’t let you down.


I Won’t Back Down Lyrics / Tom Petty 1989
[Verse 1]
Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down
No, I’ll stand my ground (Ephesians 6:12-14 New English Translation 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness,)

Won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down (HE won’t let this world drag us away, He holds us tight and won’t let go of us.)
Gonna stand my ground
And I won’t back down

[Chorus]
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out (It is not a path without trials, tribulations, and persecution when we follow Christ)
I won’t back down
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won’t back down

[Verse 2]
Well I know what’s right
I got just one life (With Jesus we have an eternal life if you choose to believe and follow HIM.)
In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around (the world persecutes us for our faith in Jesus)
But I’ll stand my ground
And I won’t back down

[Chorus]
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey, I will stand my ground
(I won’t back down)
And I won’t back down

[Instrumental Break]

[Chorus]
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey, I won’t back down
I won’t back down
Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out
I won’t back down
Hey, I will stand my ground
(I won’t back down)
And I won’t back down
(I won’t back down)
No, I won’t back down

Here are both versions, the original and the one I listened to today. I hope you enjoy listening.

It’s Time We Take Off Our Masks

I have loved masks since I was young. I remember a mask my mother had received a gift of a Japanese woman and I had always loved it. In movies where they held a masquerade ball I liked seeing all the various and beautifully decorated masks.

Here are a few of the masks from my collection. The first a mask my daughter made when she was in school.

With a mask you can pretend to be something you are not, or hide from others who you truly are. Either way, you are not being honest. I can pretend to be a Christian by wearing the mask and saying the lines from the script. On the outside I look and sound good, but on the inside I am an empty grave.

Now if I take off the mask and look to God and give myself completely to Him, I become a new creation. He takes my filthy rags, cleanse me up and dresses me in His robe of righteousness and crowns me with His glory. Now when I speak, I speak words of love, life and peace. His Word, scripture that is truth and not some script filled with deceit. His commands will be written on my heart. I won’t be an actor in some play, but I will be His child, adopted through the blood of Jesus. This is the person I am now because this is who He created me to be. No mask or costume, just as I am He loves me.

Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Isaiah 61:10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Hebrews 10:16-18 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is [a]remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not [a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Here is a link to Pure Glory’s post that I hope you will take a moment to read;

© Crown of Glory International Ministries. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission, from this blog’s author and/or owner, is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Crown of Glory International Ministries, http://pureglory.net

Thank God for the ones who give

Matthew 6:26-34 New King James Version
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

God is our provider and He provides for our needs through us.

Life is not easy for most of us. We all have things in life we struggle with, needs we don’t know how they will be met. We worry and stress not knowing how we will pay the bills and at the same time feeling bad when we do not have the means to help another. I have been discussing this topic with someone I know who cannot understand why people they go to church with know that there are people who are struggling to put a roof over their head, food on the table, etc… yet don’t offer any physical help, only empty words.

This is a very giving person who has taken in a single father, his two daughters and his disabled mother and has now taken in another person. She also gives help to others with what she can. She has been trying desperately to raise money to help get an RV she found to house the woman she brought into her home on using Facebook. Unfortunately she hasn’t gotten any help there. A few people she knows outside of church have given her a little money to help but she still needs a thousand to purchase the RV. She actually has a goal of buying land to put RV’s on to help people who have become homeless to give them a place to live.

I am thankful to call her both a friend and sister in Christ. She is one who even helps me when she can. Even though she lives paycheck to paycheck. There is another person here who has been sending me help even though we have not met. I want to thank them, and they know who they are. ‘Thank you!’

God provides for His children through His body, His children. These are the people that don’t just go to church but are the church. When they see a person in need they do not hesitate to give. It has been difficult few years for me and I am still waiting for a decision on my disability case, so I understand the importance of being the arms and hands of God. I think about the widow with two mites who gives that last of what she has, and how Jesus acknowledged her gift. The the widow who made Elijah food out of the last her her flour and oil, and how God made sure that her and son did not go hungry the rest of their lives.

So thank all of you who give and meet the needs of others. You are evidence of God’s love and provision. I thank God for you and all you do. May He bless and prosper you all the days of your lives.

James 2:12 KJV So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. 14What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Matthew 25:36-40 English Standard Version 36 I was naked and You clothed me, I was sick and You visited me, I was in prison and You came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.’

These scriptures describe you who love and give without concern for yourself.