Medicinal Hot Toddy

I know that most people who read my blog probably do not intentionally drink alcohol, but I'm going to post this anyway, because it is a great and old, old, old-time home remedy. Toddies, in some form or another, have been used all through history and are the precursor to most of the cough syrups we have today; that's why most store-bought cough syrups contain alcohol. 

My sweet devotedly Christian Grandpa C ~ who NEVER otherwise touched alcohol ~ kept a little bottle high up in the cupboard for a rare hot toddy. If he had one, you knew he was SICK, and toddies are the medicine of mountain people and any European ancestors you may have in your family tree. If you have country relatives ~ kin ~ they know what I'm talking about.

You will need:

*per serving*

~1 egg
~1 c. +1 TB. whiskey
~2 TB. honey (local is preferred because it will build your immunities better; if that is not available, try to find some clover honey)
~1/2 ts. butter
~1/4 ts. nutmeg (optional)
~1/4 ts. cinnamon
~5-10 whole cloves
~wire whisk
~small cooking pot

Directions:

1) In your small pot, heat 1 c. of the whiskey through but DO NOT boil     
2) While the whiskey is heating, use your whisk to beat the egg and the remaining 1 TB of the whiskey until it's foamy/frothy
3) Once the whiskey is hot, and while you are still beating the egg/whiskey mix, SLOWLY pour the hot whiskey over this mix
4) Once blended, return the whole thing back to the cooking pot and add the honey, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves 
5) SLOWLY heat the mixture so that the butter is melted, the honey is blended BUT the egg is not scrambled (the egg add a little protein, like chicken soup, that you need for strength while your are sick) ;-)
6) Pour into a large mug and slowly sip to ease your sore throat, unplug your nose and then take a long nap underneath a cozy, warm quilt. 

Other variations of toddies are:

1) HOT: add 1 TB. of both whiskey and honey to a big, hot homemade mug of  Throat Coat Tea
2) COLD: take 1 TB elderberry syrup and then 1 ts of whiskey

**Use your own judgment with children.**

**Please see the obligatory disclaimer at bottom of blog**

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><   

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#128~ In Due Time

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trail you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." ~1 Peter 4:12-14

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know the your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will HIMSELF restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To HIM be the power for ever and ever. Amen." ~1 Peter 5:6-11

So often these days, my friends and I are asking each other, "WHAT is going on with this world? And especially, in our beloved founded-on-Christian-principles America?" 

But once we shake our heads in terrible wonder and try not to panic because of how far our country has fallen in the last 5 years . . . all we have to do is step back and realize, once again, that we shouldn't be surprised because we have been warned about it all (Matt. 24:4-14)

God also reminded us who is behind it ALL. Our old enemy. The one who "[w]hen he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44) ". . . that old serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the world astray . . . " (Rev. 12:9[b])

That deceiver knows that his time is SHORT and it's getting shorter by the day. Praise God! The devil and his minions are working over-time to take as many with himself into everlasting separation from God, into weeping and gnashing of teeth, as he possibly can. And from our mortal position, it seems like he's doing a very good job.

BUT . . . that ol' mangy lyin' lion LOSES in the end! 

I have read the end of The Book: The Bible, God's Holy Word ~ and I KNOW that GOD WINS! That ol' mangy lying lion gets beaten and cast away for eternity by the authority and majesty of The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. "Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed . . . '" (Rev. 5:5)

Hang on! Stand up! Because God Himself has PROMISED that HE will make us "strong, firm and steadfast"! And He DOES NOT LIE. 

"God is not a man, that He should lie;

nor a son of man, that He should

change His mind.

Does He speak and then not act?

Does He promise and not fulfill?"

~Numbers 23:19

". . . it is impossible for God to lie . . ."

~Hebrews 6:18(b)

God would not have landed you and I into this time slot of HIStory if He didn't think that we could impact it for His glory in some way. So remember that HE has given you His Word as the foundation of your life, so LIVE IT. 

Live it for Him and for His glory. Preach the Word by the life that you live. He will use you in ways you never imagined in these last days.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Cinnamon Basil Honey Syrup and Butter

Why do comfort foods taste so much better in the cool, crisp weather of fall and winter? Some of my favorites are ANYTHING with cinnamon, cloves and/or pumpkin. What about you? 

My Ezekiel Bread

This blend is so special ~ it can be used as a honey blend for your favorites breads and rolls . . . a syrup for pancakes, Johnny cakes, French toast, Amish French toast, waffles ~ you can even pour it over fruit plates, rich French vanilla ice cream or mixed into your favorite Greek yogurt . . . OR save a little to blend into your homemade butter for your Thanksgiving and Christmas breads, rolls or over your sweet potato casserole. 

Here are the two recipes . . . 

Cinnamon Basil Honey

You will need:

~1 c. local honey (harvested within 30 miles of your home; rich in immunity-builders)
~1/2 ts. ground cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon is healthier for your sugar levels)
~1 TB brandy (this tiny bit of brandy will boost the antioxidant value of the honey)
~1 sprig of fresh basil (a natural mood-lifter, and source of Vitamin K and even more antioxidants)
~wooden spoon
~small sauce pan
~honey jar with lid

Directions:

1)  in the sauce pan, over low heat, blend together the honey, cinnamon and brandy
2) place the sprig of fresh basil in the honey jar and then pour the warmed honey mixture over it
3) cover the jar and let it steep for at least one week before your use it

Cinnamon Basil Honey Butter

You will need:

~soft homemade butter
~3-4 ts of the cinnamon basil honey, above

Directions:

1) blend or whip the two ingredients together, thoroughly
2) spread on any type of breads, pancakes, waffles, French toast, Amish French toast, toast, sweet potatoes, etc. 

Let me know how much you LOVE this honey and/or butter.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#127~ Praise Him!

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our

salvation.

Let us come before Him with

thanksgiving

and extol Him with music and song."

~Psalm 96:1-2

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,

burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the LORD with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of 

singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the

ram's horn -

shout for joy before the LORD, THE 

KING."

~Psalm 98:4-6

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is He Who made us, and we are His;

we are His people, the sheep of His 

pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His

Name.

For the LORD is good and His love 

endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through

all generations."

~Psalm 100

I LOVE to praise the Lord through music. It is an enormous part of my life. THE LORD used Contemporary Christian (rock) music to bring me to Himself when I accepted Him as my Savior and Lord on May 20th, 1982. 

NOW . . . I am NOT trying to stir debate about the type of music that the Lord "likes," so PLEASE DO NOT go there. What I am going to convey here in this post, is that ~ 

 My hammered dulcimer

1) I serve THE GOD of all. And He is THE HUGE-BEYOND-MEASURE GOD, which means that He CAN AND WILL use anything and everything He so desires to bring me and you to a saving knowledge of Himself. (Even a talking donkey ~Numbers 22:27-28)

2) In MY case, HE created me to have music in my heart, to respond to music and HE used the music that I enjoy and that speaks to me to woo me to Himself . . . it worked then and continues to do so to this day. 

3) Neither He nor I expect you to be drawn to the same music that I am, but hopefully, you are drawn to and blessed by the truth of the lyrics, if not the mode of instrumentation.

THE Man and I during a recording session

with Curtis Alley

4) God has blessed me with THE Man, a husband who sings like an angel (he even surprised me and sang to me as I walked down the isle to him at our wedding) and has blessed us by allowing us to have led worship on several praise teams, to be in Christian bands, we have been blessed to have sung at 100+ weddings, to be able to not only sing but to play instruments (I play flute, Irish penny whistle, hammered dulcimer and keyboards) and we have been blessed to have lent our voices and instruments to the backgrounds of several recordings. (I don't say that to boast, I just want you to get an inkling of the roots and scope of music in our lives.) 

Music is very important to our relationship with the Lord. Music to a gift that speaks deeply to our soul. Why is it that you can still remember singy-songy nursery rhymes from your childhood? Why is it you can remember (if you're my age) all those old Beatles songs? Why do songs bring us to tears of joy because they bring back memories of certain times of our lives, vacations, someone we loved? Why does the Star Spangled Banner, sung before sporting events bring a lump to your throat every time we sing the last line? 

Music MEANS something, that's why.

If music weren't to important, why would it be mentioned so many times ~ along with certain instruments ~ in God's Word, the Bible? 

~We can't even get past the 4th chapter of Genesis before we see that "Jubal, [was] the first of all who play the harp and flute." (Gen. 4:21)

~Joshua had the praise team of his day lead the army and all the people around the Wall of Jericho. Once those trumpets started to blast, on the 7th day, God used their obedience and the sound of their blasts to bring down the wall. (Joshua 6:20-21)

~King David rejoiced to such an extent at the homecoming of the Ark of the Covenant that he DANCED and celebrated in the streets with his people ~ do you really think music wasn't a part of that celebration, whether sung and/or played? And when rebuked by his wife, David said, "I WILL celebrate before the LORD." (see 2 Samuel 6:12-23) 

~King David also was such a renowned harpist that he played for King Saul. His worship music and skill on his instrument was often the only thing that could bring Saul out of his chronic depression. 

~Do you think King David's music was something of minor importance to the Lord? Why, not at all! Almost the entire Book of Psalms are written by David. Psalms are SONGS ~ God considers worship music so important that a WHOLE BOOK of His Word consists of SONGS! 

~Before Jesus embarked upon His great sacrifice on the cross for our salvation, He and the disciples worshiped in song. "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Matthew 26:30)

~The dead will rise and Jesus will RETURN at the sound of a trumpet! (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thess. 4:16)

~Heaven will be FILLED with never-ending praise and worship ~MUSIC~ to God! "Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come.'" (Rev. 4:8) "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if It had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by four living creatures and the elders . . . Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new songs: 'You are worthy . . .' Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousands times ten thousands. They encircled the throne and living creatures and the elders. IN A LOUD VOICE THEY SANG: 'Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!' Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, all that is in them, SINGING: 'To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'" (Rev. 5:6, 8-13)

THERE WILL BE SINGING AND INSTRUMENTS PLAYING IN HEAVEN! Hallelujah! 

The Bible doesn't say what style of music will be played, but I'll bet it will be NOTHING like we know here. I knew a man who had died and come back (who has since gone back to the Lord) and of all the things he told us about the incredible-ness of Heaven, the one thing I remember is that he said the music there was more stunning, more unspeakably beautiful than anything he could humanly explain. It never ended and it was unlike what we have here because it was unbound by time. Amazing.

So, no matter what your conviction or taste of Christian music is, no matter how it has evolved over the years since creation, whether your church's music consists of an organ, a piano, a majestic choir, a humble guitarist or a full orchestra; whether you prefer your worship to be straight out of the hymnal or rockin' for the Lord ~ what we have now IS NOT what Jesus sang or how He worshiped and it IS NOT what will be on the hit parade in Heaven. BUT . . . we are BLESSED BY THE LORD to be able to praise Him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our mind, ALL of our soul and ALL of our strength in the way that HE has ordained for our time.

So, whether in your home, in your car or at your church . . . I hope you find the time to crank up your favorite Rich Mullins, David Crowder, Matt Maher, Casting Crowns, Third Day, Hillsong, Gaithers, Russ Taff, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir . . . whoever fits your taste of worship . . . and . . . 

WORSHIP your God and King!  

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Milk Thistle ~ Beautiful Bitter Herb

Go into any health food store, home remedy store or ask any herbalist what is good for your liver and I would be VERY surprised if MILK THISTLE was not the first thing that they recommended. 

Milk Thistle is a bitter herb (produces bile) that is world renowned for it's liver cleansing ability. Any liver cleanse, any liver tea, any liver supplement will have Milk Thistle in the ingredients OR you can just take all by itself. 

Not only does it cleanse the liver but it protects and strengthens it. A much ignored organ (like the adrenals), if your liver is working well, chances are the rest of your body is in reasonably good health. The liver takes A LOT of abuse ~ think about it ~ you cannot live without it. Nearly everything that goes into your body is processed through the liver. It processes blood sugars so that you have energy for your day, it cleanses and detoxifies your blood, it helps your blood to clot; if you are on pain killers it helps them to be processed into your system so that they may work correctly. A major function of the liver is that it breaks down fat. 

 In short, the liver is the body's detox center.

Milk Thistle also cleanses the liver of from infections such as hepatitis, helps protect the liver during chemotherapy and when someone over-does-it in the alcohol department.

Another wonderful benefit is that Milk Thistle helps with breast milk production. Any mother's milk tea or supplement will have Milk Thistle and/or Fennel. 

Benefit #3 ~ Milk Thistle, as a by-product of cleaning the liver, helps with lifting one out of depression and melancholy. 

Milk Thistle is available in capsules, tinctures or teas.

Once again, God stuffed all kinds of wonderful benefits into a lovely "weed."

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#126~ What Would YOU Say?

If you knew you only had days to live, what would be the THREE THINGS you would want everyone to know?

 
Mine are . . . 


1) "Jesus answered, 'I AM THE Way and THE Truth and THE Life. NO ONE comes to the FATHER except through ME.'" ~John 14:6 [emphasis, mine]

2) "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ~ of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. Now to THE KING eternal, immortal, invisible, THE ONLY GOD, be h onor and glory for ever and ever. AMEN." ~1 Tim. 1:15-17 [emphasis, mine]

3) I love you enough to tell you all of the above.

Let me know your THREE THINGS.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Celery ~ Have You Ever Seen a Rabbit with Gout?

In my research of home remedies, it never fails to amaze me that the simplest, most everyday things end up being far more valuable than most of us know. 

Like . . . 

~Chia seeds ~ WHO would have thought that we were using some of the most nutritious, God-given Omega 3-rich little seeds to grow funny hair on little terra-cotta figurines?! 

~Dandelion ~ most people consider them weeds that need to be exterminated from their yard. God made them a nice, light and very effective body cleanse and one of the best, richest, non-constipating forms iron you can find.

~Plantain ~ again, to most people it's a weed that is the bane of a pretty yard. God infused it with incredible skin-soothing, wound-healing abilities. (Hmmm . . . I need to write about that and share my ointment recipe)

Which brings me to yet another common plant that has far more benefit than many of us would have ever thought . . . 

CELERY

That yummy veggie platter staple is far better for you than just a mere implement used to bring dip from your plate to your lips. 

The STEMS, that which we usually eat or juice, are a great source of fiber and has a light diuretic/cleansing effect. Eating celery also helps with flatulence. [good to know O:-) ]

But the SEEDS are where the real power lies. Simply chewing a few seeds can help with bronchitis and asthma symptoms. An infusion ~ strong tea* ~ or tincture of celery seeds is a gentle but powerful healer. Not only does this help with bronchitis and asthma, but the tea or tincture can help with blood pressure, bladder infections ~ or other urinary tract infections, even kidney stones; it's mild diuretic benefits flush and cleanse the kidneys and reduces acidity. 

Because the seeds have the ability to "flush" your body, it detoxifies nearly the whole body which makes it incredibly helpful for circulation . . . which makes it beneficial for reducing inflammation in your joints and muscles . . . which makes it greatly beneficial in reducing the inflammation associated with arthritis and gout. 

Because of ALL of these benefits, many people drink a glass of celery juice, tea or tincture as a daily "tonic." 

Who'd-a thunk it? All that from such a common plant. Isn't God so very good to us?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

*For a strong tea/infusion, steep 1ts. of celery seeds in a fine mesh tea ball for 10-20 minutes. DO NOT sweeten. Depending upon your issues, drink up to 3 times per day.

**Any advice given on MARMEE'S PANTRY is NOT meant as Dr's advice, merely as what has or has not worked for our family. Use at your own risk & reward.**

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#124~ Creation with No Creator?

"God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." ~Gen. 1:31 [emphasis, mine]

"Praise the LORD.

 Praise the LORD from the heavens,

praise Him in the heights above.

Praise Him, all His angels,

praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.

Praise Him, sun and moon,

praise Him, all you shining stars.

Praise Him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the Name of the LORD,

for He commanded and they were 

created.

He set them in place for ever and ever;

He gave a decree that will never 

pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all 

ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

stormy winds that do His bidding,

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle,

small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations,

you princes and all rulers on earth,

young mean and maidens,

old men and children.

Let them praise the Name of the LORD,

for His Name ALONE is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and

the heavens.

He has raised up for His people a horn,

the praise of all His saints,

of Israel, the people close to His

heart.

Praise the LORD."

~Psalm 148

[emphasis, mine] 

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse . . . They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than THE CREATOR - Who is forever praised. Amen." ~Romans 1:20, 25 [emphasis, mine]

 Our back yard in the fall.

We live in an old (c. pre-civil war era) home. Part of the "charm" of an old home is that you never know what will happen next. 

Today, DD#2 and I had a rather eventful afternoon in our old home. Shortly after noon, we heard fluttering in the floor vent in the kitchen. THAT was a little starling. We could tell it was probably a bird that SOMEHOW gotten into the cellar and then somehow got into a vent. That couldn't have been easy! It fluttered a little while and then stopped. Well, we prayed that it would find it's way out before it died because we had NO idea how we were going to get it out of there.

A few minutes later, Maggie was whining in the downstairs bathroom, about 15 feet from the kitchen register we had first heard the fluttering in. I went in to see what what wrong and out of the corner of my eye saw something moving on the floor just below a wall vent with a reproduction antique grate. Well . . . in all honesty . . . I screamed! Yes . . . I admit it . . . I thought it was a bat because it's wings were spread out in front of Maggie! lol 

 

So, when Maggie didn't follow me out, I went back in and saw that it was actually a poor little sparrow who, from fluttering around and then squeezing through the vent, had broken it's leg and possibly it's wing. Poor little thing! I quickly put on a pair of gardening gloves and picked up the little dear. DD#2 and I put it in an open shoe box with a little bit of water, but she was so hurt, panicked and exhausted that I didn't think it was going to make it to the nearby nature center. Poor little sparrow was barely hanging on by the time we got there and all they could do was keep it warm until it's little body would give out. But we were satisfied that we did all we could.

Really, I tell you all of that to get to this ~ 

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I drove past a nature center employee's car. It had almost obligatory "Coexist" bumper sticker and equally silly Darwinian mock "ichthus" with legs, on the back fender. It ALWAYS makes me ask myself ~ WHY do those to want to believe that they care so much for creation NOT believe in THE CREATOR? 

How can they believe that they can even begin to understand the creation without a relationship with THE Creator? You CANNOT enjoy the creation to the fullest without a relationship with THE Creator. Without some understanding of the scope and love involved in God's beautiful creation (limited though our mortal understanding is), you only barely touch, you only barely glimpse, you only barely begin to enjoy whatever it is you get from being out in His nature, His creation. 

There is no PURPOSE to your pleasure . . . 

There is no One to be thankful to, to give praise and glory and honor to for allowing us the pleasure to be able to hear the divine melodies of the songbirds, to hear the eerily harmonious howls of coyotes in the woods, to feel the cool breezes that gently sweep across our faces, for the smells of falling leaves, to see the glorious colors of the autumn landscape . . . for the privilege of showing compassion to a helpless little sparrow so that it might pass in some semblance of comfort.  

If you do not believe that all of this was created by a magnificent Creator Who loves you and made a way for you to spend eternity with Him (ONE way, His Son, Jesus), then you have only begun to scratch the surface in your enjoyment of God's creation. His creative skills are evidenced all around you and Scripture says that you are without excuse. And deep inside, you know it's true.

Enjoy creation to the fullest ~ meet THE Creator. You will never be the same.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><   

30 Years ~ Tempus Fugit

Can it be possible that THE Man and I have been married 30 years?! 

My, how time flies.

 At the Golden Lamb ~ 

Ohio's Oldest Inn/Restaurant

still in use

I would do it all over again.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#123~ Are You Calling God a Liar?

"Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." ~1 John 5:10(b)-12 [emphasis, mine]

"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and then not fulfill?" ~Numbers 23:19

"I'm trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must NOT say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would NOT be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic ~ on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg ~ or else He would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this Man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit on Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us NOT come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has NOT left that open to us. He did NOT intend to." ~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity [emphasis, mine]

I happen to believe that we are living in the last days before Christ comes back for His church . . . that is, Bible-believing Christians and completed Jews. If you read your Bible regularly ~ and BELIEVE what it says ~ you would swear you are reading today's headlines: armies lining up against His people, Israel, and threatening them as never before, our own government abandoning Israel (Dear Lord, PLEASE, help us!); crime, sexual sin, threats to the stability of traditional marriage and families, disrespect for life ~ from conception to old age. And maybe worse of all, the PC culture is infiltrating and corrupting many churches. We are losing our salt. (Matt. 5:13)

I don't know about you, but I hope to take as many people to heaven with me as possible ~ STARTING with my own family. 

When people try to talk Jesus down to the level of "a way" to heaven or "just a good man" or "maybe that works for YOU  . . . ," don't let that slide by. By doing so, YOU are running the risk of making a liar out of God ~ this is a form of denial. Many of us don't think about it that way, we just want to be polite and not make waves.

But you can be polite AND frank at the same time ~ lovingly confront them with the truth of the Scripture, of documented history . . . of your own testimony! (Rev. 12:11) Scripture ~ God's Word ~ NEVER (never, ever, EVER) "returns void" (Is. 55:11), which means it WILL accomplish what it was intended to do/prove; and YOUR testimony is a powerful tool in the hands of THE Holy God. 

Now, the mixed blessing of God is that He gave us the gift of free will ~ we are free to choose to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and spend eternity with Him in heaven OR we are free to choose to deny Him as God's One and Only Son and, at our last breath, spend never-ending eternity separated from Him in unbelievable torment in hell.

Times are getting more and more desperate, as the devil knows his time is growing short. Don't be someone who denies the saving grace of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection to someone who needs to know. Even if they poo-poo you, even if they get mad, even if they walk away . . . YOU need to be faithful . . . YOUR job is the tell them, you are not responsible with what they do with the information.

"Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious" . . . "But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." ~Ezekiel 2:6(b)-7; 3:19 [emphasis, mine]

God does not lie. Tell them.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><