A stream in the Smokies, Picture Jerry Torres
Our Blog is Inspired by The Holy Spirit
Optional Memorial of Saint Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Brothers and sisters:
Through the law I died to the law,
that I might live for God.
I have been crucified with Christ;
yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;
insofar as I now live in the flesh,
I live by faith in the Son of God
who has loved me and given himself up for me.
Emphasis mine Galatians 2: 19-20
In our Blog we have spoken repeatedly about relationship. I, yes, I don’t believe we, that is all of us, have really spent enough time considering that God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit want a relationship.
God, the creator of the Universe, the creator of me wants a relationship with me. This just doesn’t make any sense, and it makes even less sense when you factor into the equation that I am a sinner, and by sinner, a person who has spurned God’s will to do mine.
When I read, who has loved me and given himself up for me, I had never thought in these terms before and these words blew me away.
Moses who we are reading about in the readings, I can understand, he was a true giant, who did the will of God.
But, TedFred, a nobody in comparison, but that’s not true is it? My Father, I love this term, knew me before the foundation of Creation, and has loved me, since I was known and next Jesus Created me. No I am not just a fast swimming sperm, meeting a lucky egg, as so many scientists have told people over my lifetime, if I were an accident, explain the Cross. Why would anyone, especially the Beloved Son of God The Father come down and climb up on a cross taking my sins with him and nailing my sins to that cross, so that I might be Justified.
That just doesn’t make any sense. It is hard enough for many people to believe that Jesus came down and took their sins and nailed them to His Cross, it would be even harder to believe God would send His Beloved Son to do this for an accident, or a lucky chance of a sperm meeting an egg.
I just thought, I have three brothers, all from the same parents. Jesus said For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”Matthew 12:50
My brothers were created physically.
Jesus said we will be called Brothers, sisters, and Mothers If we do the will of His, Jesus’, Father.
Soooooooooooooo
This means we don’t have to worry about the family we were born into, I was born into a loving family, but the fact is after I die, very few will ever know me,
BUT,
By trying to do the will of my Heavenly Father I am striving, by the Grace of God, to become a member of God’s Heavenly Family and that has eternal consequences, that being eternal Love, Joy and Peace starting NOW.
So when I read, who has loved me and given himself up for me, I knew instantly this was what we were going to write about.
Prayer:
If you want to grow in Love, Joy, and Peace this is a result of growth in Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Sidebar:
In the Cumberland County Jail last week, a man whom we talked about who has a learning disability, and told me he was an “Accident,” came in this week a little differently.
When I asked him to give me the “Nine,” he said,” Love, Joy, and Peace,” which we congratulated him on and challenged him to learn the next three for this week. He said he would try.
As I talked to him, he has a trough road to travel, which I believe and pray he will. That road, first believing that he wasn’t an accident, and secondly believing God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created him for a reason, just as you and I are here for a reason.
I read a book a year or two ago entitled UNSTOPPABLE by Nick Vujicic. Nick was born without any legs or arms, and the cover shows Nick surfing.
In the introduction Nick states, “Putting Faith in action is about believing and achieving. It’s about having Faith in yourself,your talents, your purpose,and most of all, in God’s love and His Divine plan for your life.
Nick is married and has three children.
We’re in a society that loves to complain, and complaining accomplishes NOTHING.
But,
When I agreed to do the will of my Father, my life changed, and I now get more pleasure in writing our blog and Books, because it is truly turned into a we project, and when we are finished writing I am filled with Joy.
At nine O’clock I, yes, I, sat down with a blank piece of paper (Computer screen) said a prayer, (“Your words not mine, for your Glory not mine”) read the readings and started typing. It’s now 10:30 and I believe the first draft is sadly (and I say sadly because I am always in awe at what we have written, and the rest of the week we edit which is fun but not as much fun as the first draft) completed.
I also fully know that without God the page would remain BLANK!
We pray that you will realize you’re special, we’ve all been created for a reason, and one of the Joys in life is discovering that reason, and it may be more than one reason, and how will you know what you are asked to do? From my experience, it will probably be something you DON’T want to do, because it will make you tear down boundaries that need to be torn down. And when you complete what is being asked you will feel Love, Joy, and Peace.
The prisoner is learning he is wanted, Nick is surfing, and TedFred is writing – go figure.
Picture:
One of the many streams you can find in the lower elevations of the Smokies.
“For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water.” Rev 7:17 Picture by Jerry Torres
Jerry I’m sorry I lost your email and couldn’t notify you ahead of time that your picture was running 7/15/25. Fred
Please keep Snapping!
And if you want the ten calling cards shown above, email me and I will send you my address, send me a STAMPED self-addressed envelope and I will send you ten cards.
Email me if you want a copy of the prayers we discussed.
fprince101@gmail.com
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, please do not include people. We have to get permission from that person to use their photograph.
