"Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in (Mark 6:51‭-‬52 NLT)."

"Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed (Mark 6:56 NLT)."

There are times that I struggle with my faith, and I wish that I was further along in my belief. I often desire to be more like the people in Mark 6:56 that believed that touching part of Jesus' robe would be enough to tap into His healing power. Then I read about the disciples that Jesus Himself chose, and I start to feel a bit better about not being a perfect believer. These men not only witnessed Jesus' miracles firsthand, but were also given the power to cast out demons and heal the sick (Mark 6:13). Even with their direct encounters with miracles like Jesus feeding 5,000 men and their families with five loaves of bread and two fish (Mark 6:44) and witnessing Jesus walking on water (Mark 6:49), they still struggled with their belief of the one they were following. Even so, the disciples (sans Judas) ultimately became full believers, and they continued Jesus' work once it was time for them to truly shine. If Jesus could use men like this that struggled with their belief, I have no doubt He will also have a place for me in His plans if I keep seeking Him and continue working on my own spiritual growth.

Lord, thank You for Your reminder in Scripture today that You are ready and willing to use imperfect believers like me. Thank You for continuing to make Yourself available while I work on growing my belief. Please help me to tap into the many resources You are providing me in order to help me evolve into a better follower and son of Yours. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

A Church I follow has an app (Crossroads Anywhere) where we journal together as a community, and one of the things we journal about are things we are thankful for. I wrote these for this week's prompts from the app....

1/23/2023

"What are you looking forward to this week?"

- Spending time with family and friends.

- Reading new books I got from a convention I attended yesterday, and revisiting a game that features one of the voice actors that I met at the convention.

- Working on making more time for God and spiritual growth.

1/24/2023

"What are you grateful for today?"

Making it through what was hopefully my hardest work day this week, getting some spiritual reading and writing in, enjoying some weird YouTube videos with my sons (including the return of the Puppy Monkey Baby), and the sleep I am about to enjoy.

1/26/2023

"How did someone help you this week?"

Thank You God for keeping me safe while driving in the not so great road conditions on Wednesday.

1/27/2023

Affirmation: "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-control."

"Is there anything you would like to thank God for this week?"

Thank You Lord for helping me through yet another work week, and for steps in the right direction at work. Thank You for some downtime this weekend, including hockey and football games to look forward to taking in. Thank You for my family and friends to enjoy this weekend with as well.

“Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine (Mark 4:21 NLT)."

God wants us to make the world better, and He put a light within each of us that we all shine uniquely. God didn’t empower us with gifts for us to just hide them, but He gave us our own personalized light (gifts/talents) to share for the purpose of glorifying Him, and for touching the lives of those whose darkness can only be illuminated by us.

Thank You Lord for the gifts/talents You have given me - I am grateful for the lamp within that You made just for me. Please help me to shine this light for all to see, please let this light point others to You, and please let it be beneficial for anyone that observes it. Thank You for all of the lights You have given others that have enriched my life as well. You are the greatest Lord, I praise You and I thank You, Amen.

“He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons (Mark 3:22 NLT)."

The teachers of religious law once again revealed their desperate attempt to hold onto their power and discredit Jesus with a nonsensical accusation. As Jesus Himself said, "And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive (Mark 3:26 NLT)." It should have been obvious to the elitists that Satan wouldn't use Jesus to attack his own forces, yet that is the lie they used. On the contrary, it would appear that the religious teachers were actually being used by Satan to act selfishly, and their fake spiritual practices served as their cover. I wonder if they even realized that they were the true pawns for evil, becoming tools that would ultimately fail in their master's plot.

Lord, thank You for saving me from my sins through Jesus' death at the hands of the true villains, and for His ultimate victory over the true culprits and our sins with his resurrection. The religious teachers that went after Jesus deserve the harsh judgment they are getting through their deeds being documented in Scripture, yet I know there are times when the evil one seeks to use me too. Please help me realize when this is happening, and please help me to get back to following You instead right away. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' Then he turned to his critics and asked, 'Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?' But they wouldn’t answer him (Mark 3:3‭-‬4 NLT)."

"At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus (Mark 3:6 NLT)."

It is pretty clear who the real baddies were from reading this story in today's Scripture. The Pharisees wanted to try and get Jesus in trouble for working on the Sabbath, while also having no qualms with utilizing the sin of murder for holding on to their status. I can't imagine God wanting us to follow the Sabbath so rigidly that we ignore someone in need, and I know God would definitely not want someone to plan a murder (especially for selfish reasons) on a day that was meant to be kept holy no less.

Thank You Lord for once again showing me how I should act thanks to Jesus' example, and how to not act thanks to the example of the Pharisees. Please help me to perform life giving activities, and please help me to continue to listen for more of Your lessons as I continue to walk with You and learn from You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27 NLT)."

"Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2 NLT)."

The Pharisees misrepresented the purpose of the Sabbath by trying to get Jesus in trouble when He "worked" on the Sabbath, including healing work he performed on Sabbath days. I believe the purpose of the Sabbath is God calling for us to rest by replenishing our souls, ultimately looking to Him for the credit of refreshing us. Doing things that benefit others that could qualify as work shouldn't be looked at as breaking from that rest, but should be seen for what they are: taking action in ways that replenishes and refreshes our fellow brothers and sisters, which ultimately benefits us too, since God wires us to get refreshed and restored when we help someone. On a humorous side note, the example in Chapter 2 has the Pharisees criticizing Jesus' disciples for breaking off the heads of grain to eat, claiming that they are going against the Sabbath by harvesting grain (Mark 2:23‭-‬24). Yet the Pharisees are also working by being out and about flexing their power by judging, instead of not working like they claim people should be doing on the Sabbath. How about that irony?

Lord, thank You for the gift of the Sabbath, and for continuing to teach me the proper way to perceive and celebrate it. Please help me to honor You not only on my own Sabbath days, but on every day in my walk with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

A Church I follow has an app (Crossroads Anywhere) where we journal together as a community, and one of the things we journal about are things we are thankful for. I wrote these for this week's prompts from the app....

1/16/2023

"What are you looking forward to this week?"

- This week is going to be hard, but I am looking forward to personal growth opportunities from it.

- Enjoying some anime and fellowship tonight.

- Hockey and football games to follow.

- Working on my relationship with God.

- Time with my family.

1/17/2023

"What are you grateful for today?"

- A productive in-service day at work yesterday.

- Great meals yesterday.

- A little more rest I am going to grab before a busy workday.

1/18/2023

"What made you smile or laugh this week?"

- Making onigiri at my friend's house for the first time.

- Reading Elmo/Grover books to my students in character.

- Humor from the "Additional Time" segments from the show Blue Lock.

1/19/2023

"How did someone help you this week?"

- Support from another teacher in getting my classroom cleaned up during our in service day, and support from leadership with new challenges.

- My wife for holding down the fort and making everything possible as always.

- God reminding me of Brian Tome's message of optimism, where you can be optimistic even during hard times with faith that you'll get through it with God's help.

1/20/2023

Affirmation: "God has great plans for my life."

"Is there anything you would like to thank God for this week?"

Thank You God for the support You offered through Your works and those You work through during this challenging work week. Thank You for great fellowship time with my family and friends. Thank You for the coffee that is brewing, some down time today after the errands I have ahead, and the fun to be had this weekend.

"This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven (Mark 1:4 NLT)."

I was baptized as a baby in a Catholic church, then once again by choice as a grown up in a Baptist church. I am grateful for both experiences, and I enjoy reflecting on both. I may not personally remember my infant baptism, but I can look at pictures and think about what the priest said about me based on what I heard at other infant baptisms I attended when I was old enough to remember. For my grown up baptism, I remember committing my life to Jesus before the unforgettable sensation of being fullly dunked in water by my pastor while still wearing a muscle shirt and shorts. The biggest thing I realize now, is while these public declarations of the commitment to be raised as a Christian and the grown up commitment to continue that life by choice are great, the relationship I grow with God and the work I do with and for Him post baptism is even greater. I think this is one of the things Isaiah meant when he said “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way (Mark 1:2)."

Thank You Lord for not only my baptisms, but for the perspectives and connections to Scripture You are giving me from them. Please help me to continue to grow in my walk and commitment with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

20. hard truths in the Ponderosa.

Mick left the buffet line with a big smile on his face, and a plate full of yummy food. His mouth watered over the fried chicken, tacos, spaghetti, and a yeast roll with the perfect shine. He also thought about the sundae bar awaiting him soon. As he returned to his booth, he noticed a ghostly version of himself sitting there.

"Ummmm.... who are you, and what are you doing at my table? I came here alone!"

"It's alright Mick.... I am you anyway, so I think I can sit here at this table set up for you."

"You're me? How?"

"I am a ghost version of you. You are alive of course, just dreaming. Things that make no sense can happen in dreams, after all."

"This is a dream? So I'm not actually at Ponderosa Steakhouse?"

"You sure aren't my friend. You live in Upstate NY, and Ponderosa is no longer open there. You must be dreaming about the last time you were here in the 90s."

"So basically, with the exception of this dream, I can't eat at Ponderosa in NY anymore?"

"No sir. You would have to go to Scottsburg in Indiana, or Hillsboro in Ohio to get some tasty food like this."

"Damn. Well, I know I'm in a dream, and I haven't woken up yet, so I can at least enjoy my meal in this realm. And the best part is I won't have a stomachache, since I'm dreaming anyway!"

"True. But now that you know you're dreaming, it is going to be harder to stay in this world. Will you even be able to enjoy your food knowing the dream could end at any moment? And will you even stay asleep long enough to get to the sundae bar?"

"Damn it!"

Mick then decided that despite the peril of waking up and no longer being in his favorite restaurant from his past, he would still enjoy it as much as he could. And if it came down to it, he could always take a road trip to Scottsburg or Hillsboro (maybe even both if he was hungry enough) upon waking up from his delicious slumber....

Retro Ponderosa commercial: https://youtu.be/NCDonl-sRNQ