Pray for Those Who Persecute You

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. — Matthew 5:42-45 

God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good.

He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

And He commands us to love our enemies.

And to pray fort those who persecute us.

So that we may be children of our Father in heaven.

He causes the sun to rise on us all.

Here we are with some friends, enjoying a time of fellowship.

A Prophet of the Most High

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven. — Luke 1:26-28

John the Baptist went ahead of Jesus to prepare the way for Him to come.

He was a prophet of the Most High.

He came baptizing people, calling on them to repent of their sins.

Sharing with them the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

Thanks to God's tender mercy and grace.

 

Love Your Neighbor

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. — Matthew 5:43-45 

Today we heard from our niece Victoria who's been vacationing in the Maldives.

She and Max are now engaged!

And they're planning a wedding for next year in Vienna.

We are thrilled for them.

And we're looking forward to seeing my sister and her family.

It's been 11 years since we've seen them all.

We can hardly wait.

Such exciting news.

The Lamb Will Be Their Shepherd

‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. — Revelation 7:16-17

In heaven there will be no hunger or thirst.

The sun will not beat down.

There will be no scorching heat.

Jesus, our Lamb will reign.

He reigns now and forever.

He will be our shepherd.

Praise God!

Yesterday Abby and I went over to Coronado and had a fun day at the beach, 

Wandering through the shops, seeing all the Christmas trees still up, 

Having lunch, and enjoying our day off.

Pray for Those Who Persecute You

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. — Matthew 5:44-45

Pray for those who persecute me?

Are you kidding?

But that's what God requires for us to be children of God in heaven.

He causes the sun to rise on evil and good.

God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

He is worthy of my praise.

Today is Ernie's birthday.

His first one in Ohio.

We miss him, but he's enjoying riding his trainer even in the cold winter.

Salvation Through Forgiveness

To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven. — Luke 1:77-78

Jesus gives us forgiveness of our sins.

It happens through God's tender mercy toward us.

He also gives us the knowledge of salvation

Through His death and resurrection.

Knowing that He is alive again means we, too, can have eternal life.

And some day we will live in heaven with our Lord God.

Amazing. 

I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. — Isaiah 45:5-6

Palm Desert Sunset

God is Lord, and there is no other.

Apart from Him there is no God.

He gives me strength to get through any trials that come my way.

My Bible study group is reading Pilgrim's Progress right now.

Reading about the Hill of Difficulty that Christian climbs and the people he meets who try to take the easy path of Destruction or avoid the narrow way is very humbling.

I often act that way, too.

Even so, God gives me strength, forgiving me when I don't acknowledge Him.

From the rising of sun to its setting, people may know there is none besides Him.

No One LIke Our God

Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. — Jeremiah 10:6

Today we are hitting the beach, visiting a new church, and hanging out together.

The sun is shining and the water is glistening.

God has given us another beautiful day to worship him and enjoy his creation.

Lord, there is no one like you.

We praise your name!

Glorious Things

Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. — Isaiah 12:6

Today the sun is shining, the flowers are poking their necks up to reach the sun, the sky is blue without a cloud to be seen.

And we are excited to have our niece Victoria come into San Diego for a visit.

Our niece is from Vienna, Austria, and we will get to meet her boyfriend Max, too. 

Kirk always flies the Austrian flag from our flag pole anytime any Kunz is visiting the USA. 

Kirk will be barbecuing steaks for dinner. Yum.

Sing to the Lord.

He has done glorious things!

Easter Celebration

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. — Psalm 30:5

Sunday the weather cooled a bit at our house. Steve and Miki made it to church, which was a huge blessing.

I went for a walk around our neighborhood after church. The birds are singing and the sun is shining. The flowers are blooming in honor of Easter.

Our friend Rudy stopped by in the early evening to say hello and catch up.

Ernie was planning to come too, but his car was sideswiped so he ended up  having to file a police report instead. What a bummer.

We are blessed with wonderful friends who surround us with their love.

Rejoicing comes in the morning!

He Is Risen!

Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” — Matthew 28:7

Today we will celebrate Easter with our family and friends. On Saturday this year, so everyone can get to church services and musicals on Sunday.

There will be 21 of us from the Rogers, Johnson, Turner, Stalder, Baker, Ameng, and Nichols families plus a few extras will come together for ham, cracker corn, party potatoes, deluxe salad, veggies, appetizers and desserts.

Fortunately we have some great cooks coming and bringing their favorite dishes — and ours!

A great time to laugh and catch up with wonderful people in our back yard and front courtyard.

The roses are budding and the sun will be shining through the clouds. A perfect day to eat outside and gather with family and friends who are just like family.

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

Trust in God

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
 — Psalm 62:8
 
Yesterday I had my second chemo treatment. It went well. No nausea, and we finished in 5 hours. Two treatments down! Four left to go.

Of course, Kirk was with me and we stopped for lunch afterward.

My hair is now coming out more frequently, but I still have quite a bit left. My hairdresser Vito will give me a buzz cut on Saturday so I can start wearing my hats and wig.

I did an online makeup session in the afternoon to help me "Look good, feel better" as I start losing my hair and eyebrows.

Today I'm back at work, and tomorrow we will celebrate Easter a day early.

God is our refuge. We pour out our hearts to him.

My Hope Comes from God

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. — Psalm 62:5

Sunday we went for a walk by Lake Murray and saw lots of blooming cactus and wildflowers. What a beautiful day.

The sun was glistening off the lake, the ducks and geese were enjoying the water, and lots of people had the same idea we did.

Such a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

My soul finds rest in God. My hope comes from him.

God Has Given Me a Heritage

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. — Psalm 61:4-5

Sunday I had the privilege of working in our church preschool during the early service. What a blessing to share God's Word with children from under 2 to almost 5. 

They loved looking in my hand mirror as we sang, "God cares about [Josh]" to each child. And when we talked about Jesus dying for us, one of them said, "That makes me sad," and I had to agree, it makes me sad, too. 

But that's not the end of the story. And their faces brightened up as we talked about how Jesus came alive again and now lives in heaven. We practiced telling our friends, "Jesus loves you."

And we finished with blowing and catching bubbles and dancing with joy.

The sun is shining and the birds are singing. What a beautiful Palm Sunday day.

You, God, have heard my prayer. You have given me the heritage of these who fear your name.

At the Beach

Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. — Psalm 124:1

Del Mar beach

On Saturday, my daughter came home from college for spring break! It's great to have her home.

We went to the beach for lunch after church on Sunday and enjoyed watching the sun, the sand and the sparkling water.

The hostess even found us a table near the beach. We especially relished the chance to catch up and talk as we enjoyed some delicious food.

Perfect timing to be together as a family just before I begin chemo.

Our help is in the name of the Lord.

Let Your Light Shine

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:16

Our friend Ernie took this photo of the poppy fields in Walker Canyon on Saturday. Gorgeous!

We were sorry to miss it, but the pictures are amazing.

While driving home yesterday, Kirk noticed that the entire landscape of Mission Trails is now covered with poppies. 

We weren't sure how we missed that earlier, except that they wait to open until the sun comes out.

All of the rain we've had has encouraged the flowers to fill the mountainsides, and the color is dazzling when they open in the sunlight.

Just as the poppies create a shimmering effect on the mountains and canyons, God uses my life to reflect himself. 

I usually don't do a very good job at that. Even so, God helps me shine for him in my actions and words toward others.

Lord, today use me to glorify you so that those I meet today will see your love shine and so you will be glorified. Amen.

God Reigns

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” — Isaiah 52:7

Today as I walked around our neighborhood, I was joy-filled to see the birds flying by, the roses and daffodils and Birds of Paradise blooming, and the sun peeking through the snow-white clouds above me.

This Bird of Paradise plant at the foot of our driveway hasn’t bloomed in years. But after all of the rain we’ve been having, it finally blossomed. 

Now its brilliant colors are finally shining through.

Sometimes the rain in my life helps me to be able to bloom as well. I become dull and move away from God until pain and problems come my way. Then I start to turn to God and He in turn helps me shine the light of Jesus in my actions and words.

Thank you, Lord, for your omnipotence. You reign in power and glory.

Our God reigns!

A New Day

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.  
— Psalm 34:4

The sun is shining again. Still. And it's a new day ahead.

Still no pain, and most movement is back in my arm. I'm amazed.

This beautiful orchid is a reminder of the thoughtful friends and neighbors who have surrounded our family during this time. 

Our neighbors brought it over before the surgery to brighten my spirits, and it did!

I opened my door yesterday to a beautiful floral arrangement from my Bible study friends and another arrangement — a combination of plants and flowers from our next-door neighbors. What a surprise!

We have been showered with blessing upon blessing. We are grateful.