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Week’s recap, & Calming-Down Techniques

Posted on January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

This has been an interesting week, hasn’t it? I’ve watched political events unfold at lightning speed, my mouth metaphorically hanging open. In my 60 years I’ve been witness to some of the most amazing events in history, but this past week, rather since November 3, 2020, has left me speechless.

If the Big Tech Oligarchs have their way we conservatives & Christians will be left literally speechless soon, right? I’ve tried to write essays this week that encouraged, that referenced some events obliquely without delving. I read a tweet from a missionary friend who wrote, “Husbands, guard your wife against information overload. She may not want to hear you constantly talk about how the US is falling.” So true.

I have to guard myself against that, and I LOVE information. The relentlessly bad news, coupled with near-impossible ability to assess its credibility, means I have to push away and do some calming techniques. I’ll lay those out below, but first ICYMI, a recap of the week’s essays:

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theology

What’s that glow in the middle of the universe?

Posted on January 16, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In my earliest days of my walk with Jesus, I tried to witness to a close friend. She rejected Jesus as God, the notion of personal sin, and God’s creation work because, she said, Genesis shows that God made light before He made the sun, and that’s just illogical. You can’t have light without the sun, she asserted.

I didn’t have an answer to that, except that if God could make the sun He certainly could make light too, and in whatever sequence He wanted.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:1-5).

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theology

Who will it be…how will it be?

Posted on January 15, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

God used pagan leaders for His purposes. Some were good for God’s people and some were bad. Xerxes, Darius, Cyrus vs Antiochus, Herod, Pharaoh …

I don’t know what the next few days will bring. It might be that God uses the Presidential Administration in ways that seem good to us, or he might use evil rulers that seem bad to us. I say ‘seem’ because even in difficult times God ordains evil for His and our good. (Genesis 50:20). So, there’s earthly good and heavenly good and they are not the same, since God’s ways are infinite and above us incomprehensibly. (Isaiah 55:8).

So I do not know what my immediate future holds, but I know my future everlasting future: it is with Jesus in peace and holiness. Perfect justice reigns, perfect love, perfect relationships. There will be no swamp, no corruption, no evil. Satan and his demons will be writhing in the Lake of Fire under eternal punishment, never to harm or influence anyone anymore.

My friend Ekkie Tepsupornchai on social media said:

“Christians understand they live in a fallen world. Part of God’s judgment involves handing sinners over to greater sins (Rom 1:24-32). However, when we see instances of justice, we should give thanks to God as that demonstrates His common grace even over the same fallen society.”

There’s always something to be thankful for.

theology

Prata Potpourri: Resources for and about Children

Posted on January 14, 2021January 14, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Children are a heritage from the Lord. (Psalm 127:3).

I don’t have children myself but my primary employment in life has been as an elementary educator, working with kids. I love kids. They are genuine, hilarious, adorable, and challenging. They are also truthful, as anyone knows who has been on the receiving end of their blunt but innocent honesty.

I’m not married anymore, my marriage ended prior to salvation. I don’t have a lot to say about married life and kids and domestic life, unless it’s living on a fixed small income as a single older woman, lol. So I don’t really ever post a lot of “Christian Living” type posts. My writing is usually theological, which suits my autistic mind. But here are a few items I came across close together, so I collected them. They are resources about and for children.

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theology

Living in Limbo

Posted on January 13, 2021 by elizabethprata

Elizabeth Prata

Our school closed for the Christmas Break on December 18. We were supposed to return on January 5, but we are educating the children virtually through screens last week and this week. It’s been 4 weeks since I saw them in real life. We are required to come to the school building but not gather and to wear our masks. I labor in my classroom, alone, attending the many virtual classroom lessons during the day that my teacher leads. In between I clean, organize, and do my paperwork. It’s an in-between time, waiting for the go ahead to bring the children back, but making sure we are productive until then.

I look up from my papers and see empty desks, empty tables, empty hallways. It’s quiet. The day passes slowly. I mark the time, minute by minute. I’m waiting. It’s limbo. It doesn’t feel real.

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theology

On Free Speech

Posted on January 12, 2021January 12, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

On the topic of speaking, let’s go to God first-

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. (Proverbs 18:21).

Civic life second-

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. (Constitution of United States of America, First Amendment, 1789).

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theology

God’s Promises: He Answers Prayer

Posted on January 11, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

How many promises of God are in the Bible? Some say 7,487. Others say 8,000. Still others say there are too many to count. In any case, whenever God makes a promise, it is sure to be fulfilled.

“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel in accordance with everything that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.” (1 Kings 8:56).

You just need to trust this. Trust in God, who does not fail.

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encouragement, Uncategorized

Poetry by Kay Cude: Unity in Christ

Posted on January 10, 2021 by elizabethprata

Artist’s Statement:

I was compelled to do a piece about “unity in Christ” and what Christ means, not what “we” assume He means. [The picture] is Christ the Lamb of God who manifested all that “unity” of the redeemed in God the Father and God the Son!

For more information on the topic of unity, please see Mike Oppenheimer’s (Let Us Reason) pieces on “UNITY”, “The Gospel of UNITY,” and “Unity Without Truth or Christ,”

Photo and poetry below. Used with permission.
kay cude unity.jpg

theology

“They”

Posted on January 9, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Acts 6:10-14, the pivotal moment after Stephen delivered his sermon, says:

“they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.”

The bottom line was, they didn’t like the words he was speaking. The wisdom in Stephen’s words cut them to the core and they could not cope. Stephen challenged their stranglehold on the community, their status quo, their popularity, and their worldview. So they set about doing something about it. What did they do and how did they do it?

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theology

Counting My Blessings for God’s Providence

Posted on January 8, 2021January 8, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

So many conversations go like this:

Man 1: How are ya?
Man 2: I’m alive. Better’n the alternative!
Both: HAR HAR HAR

If you are a Christian, you know that is not true. The alternative which is, death to eternal life, is a wonderful alternative. As Paul said, “we prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:7-9). Paul also said,

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes.” (Philippians 1:21-23).

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