He Set His Seal of Ownership On Us

He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. — 1 Corinthians 1:22

God anointed us.

He anointed me as His daughter.

He set his seal of ownership on me.

The Lord put His Spirit in my heart.

He gave me His Spirit as a deposit —

Just a hint of what's to come.

Guaranteeing my place in His kingdom.

Through the sacrifice of His Son.

Yesterday Kirk went to the Padres game with his friends, and they won!

Abby got the shirt at the Padres game she went to last week.

Lookin' good!

God Comforts Us

God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  — 2 Corinthians 1:4

Today we heard that our former neighbor passed away last week.

He and his wife had celebrated 67 years of marriage.

And Ralph had just turned 90.

We were blessed to know him and to have him and Wanda as our neighbors. 

We miss them.

God comforts us in all our troubles.

He does that so that we in turn can comfort others.

He gives us His strength so that we can pass it on to others.

God Has Anointed Us

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts, — 1 Corinthians 1:21-22

God anointed us.

He set his seal of ownership on us.

He put his Spirit in our hearts.

God makes us stand firm in Christ.

And we are blessed that he has given us each other to be a family.

Fourth of July

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. — Matthew 24:25 

For the celebration of our country's birthday, Abby made this delicious vanilla cake.

Kirk smoked pork tenderloin — it was delicious and juicy.

Later at night we walked down to the harbor for fireworks. 

The fireworks were beautiful.

On our walk back, we ran into Rebecca and her son Jeremiah.

A wonderful day and a reminder of God's care for us.

Heaven and earth will pass away one day.

God's Words will never pass away.

God the Father of Compassion

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to God.

He is our Father and Lord.

The Father of compassion — He has compassion on me.

And He comforts me when I get discouraged.

In all my troubles He is right here beside me, lifting me up with His strong right arm.

As we move into July, He has guided us through the first half of this year 2021.

And He will continue to guide us  for the months and years to come.

Let My Conversation Be Full of Grace

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:6

Yesterday marked the first day of July.

Today Kirk and I met for lunch — a welcome break from my usual work day.

Tonight we are looking at possible restaurants at Caesars Palace to see where we might want to eat when we travel with our 14 friends.

Monday we'll call to see if they recommend making reservations for 16 people or for two tables of 8.

In the meantime, we'll enjoy the weekend and perhaps Abby and I will go for a swim tomorrow.

Lord, help us season our words with salt. 

Let my conversations be full of grace.

Give me the wisdom to answer everyone who asks about You.

We've been enjoying the great weather! 

Thank You, Lord.

 

Be Wise in the Way You Act

 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. — Colossians 4:5

It's easy to slip into grumbling and complaining.

Especially when those around me are doing the same.

But God call us to be wise.

Even in the way we act and speak.

Especially when we are with outsiders.

God commands us to make the most of every opportunity.

He asks us to let Him guide our ways.