Modern Lutheranism

I post the occasional bible verse and my thoughts on it, and my ask is always open for those who need it.

I am by no means perfect, but this is my little corner of the internet where I can reflect.

This is also where I journeled about my first lenten journey, outlined below.

I haven't had near enough time to prepare this year and have some new restrictions (because there Always is in Life) so my usual sunup sundown meatless fast is... out of the picture. Which means I'm sorta... stuck with what I dislike about Lent which is the idea of giving up something like Chocolate or Coke.

Any devotion to faith in good faith is valid but seeing a 400lb pastor who eats every meal for free and begs for money for the church so his is prettier give up Coke every Lent sorta.... soured my opinion on it.

So I'll have to make this up as I go the best I can. Bear with me but heres my devotional for Day One at least

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

—Romans 8:35-37

I think there will be people using this message the wrong way, so I want to keep this reflection simple.

Maltreatment doesn't equal Persecution of the Faith

The Conquering happens in the next life, not this one.

Hardship, nakedness, and famine should not be Praised.

If someone is countering and angry at you and your opinions and your life, don't harden your heart. It is not weak-faithed to reflect Each Time you're questioned. In fact it should make you better, in some way or another. Next time you aren't invited to Thanksgiving, don't jump straight to Persecution. Maybe just. Think about what you've done, especially by bringing in new voices.

There is not going to be some big final holy war where Christians Win. We are not meant to creatr heaven on earth. That is Gods Job. And its not how you think. Yes You.

If someone is suffering?? And you aren't helping? Or heaven forbid saying they Deserve It? That is what 'heaven on earth' should mean to you. Making sure no neighbor suffers from famine or abduction or anything else Happening Right Now.

Watching abortion and birth control getting banned

Watching vaccines being put on a witchhunt

Watching the government lie, outright admit they are lying, in an excuse to put military occupations on cities who dont agree

Watching the life I thought I'd have slowly start to disappear as I wonder if I'm even going to make it to my own wedding in two years.

I open my verse of the day and-

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

—Psalm 23:4

Fuck

We really are in the valley huh

At least His Word is being honest about that

I am of weak faith

I fear evil

But I pray today that I find comfort

Someday

Eventually

Disclaimer: At this point in my life of consuming all sorts of media, and being a bit rusty on my Bible, I don't even know if the '7 deadly sins' is Christian or not, but I digress.

I used to associate myself with the sin of Pride for more than a few reasons, I think everyone has those moments of "if only *I* was in charge" thinking they can fix everything. But on a walk the other day, I found myself staring at two more:

Sloth and Envy

It came to me while I was looking at someone's backyard as I walked by, a thought that, if *I* had a backyard that was laid out like That it would be Gorgeous and make me happy.

Now, it was really a 'grass is greener on the other side' moment. I wasn't Envious of the layout, but of the way they decorated it with string lights and a seating area and fire pit and plants. But the problem is, the reason I don't have that in my life is because I don't want to put fhe Effort in for it.

I can't take responsibility for my Sloth entirely. I do have mental health issues that stop me from participating like others do! (Boy I wish I could afford my medication)

But, perhaps if I did the work to try and find ways to Do the work, getting around my sloth so I can create something I love, that could tane my envy? Id hardly call my failings 'deadly', but maybe its worth looking into even after Lent ends.

The thought to put this into writing came from todays Devotional, which talks about God planting his Peace in the garden of our hearts, which is full of weeds such as pride, worry, and selfishness. I like metaphors. I'm sure if I was back in the Bible days I would not have understood Christ's parables any better than anyone else at the time, but I would love to hear his stories.

I do My greatest works through people with grateful, trusting hearts. Rather than planning and evaluating, practice trusting and thanking Me continually. This is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize your life.

I haven't taken the time to break down a devotion here lately, but there have definitely been a few I've liked. Today's is simple, which is good I think. It's good not to have the heavy, hard-hitting and thought provoking ones every day. Sometimes its good to just be tokd to rejoice, trust, and be thankful.

Lent has been going well for me overall I think. I'm losing some weight, while not the goal and not unexpected, it's a little scary, and I'm going to try and be more careful about my health. Praying and being in the Lord daily has been a nice start to the day, surprisingly. I've maybe had one or two times I've missed / dragged my feet about it. Being able to keep loved ones in my prayers is nice.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

As you take steps of faith, depending on Me, I will show you how much I can do for you. If you live your life too safely, you will never know the thrill of seeing Me work through you. When I gave you My Spirit, I empowered you to live beyond your natural ability and strength. That's why it is so wrong to measure your energy level against the challenges ahead of you. The issue is not your strength but Mine, which is limitless. By walking close to Me, you can accomplish My purposes in My strength.

- and beyond time, into eternity. No power can deny you your inheritance in heaven. I want you to realize how utterly secure you are! Even if you falter as you journey through life, I will never let go of your hand.

Knowing that your future is absolutely assured can free you to live abundantly today. I have prepared this day for you with the most tender concern and attention to detail. Instead of approaching the day as a blank page that you need to fill up, try living it in a responsive mode: being on the lookout for all that I am doing. This sounds easy, but it requires a deep level of trust, based on the knowledge that My way is perfect.

RELATED SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)

23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.

He delights in every detail of their lives.

24 Though they stumble, they will never fall,

for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalm 18:30 (NLT)

30 God’s way is perfect.

All the Lord’s promises prove true.

Jesus Calling: March 8

Save your best striving for seeking My Face.

I am constantly communicating with you. To find Me and hear My voice, you must seek Me above all else. Anything that you desire more than Me becomes an idol. When you are determined to get your own way, you blot Me out of your consciousness. Instead of single-mindedly pursuing some goal, talk with Me about it.

Let the Light of My Presence shine on this pursuit, so that you can see it from My perspective. If the goal fits into My plans for you, I will help you reach it. |>If it is contrary to My will for you, I will gradually change the desire of your heart.<| Seek Me first and foremost; then the rest of your life will fall into place, piece by piece.

I love the highlighted section in this. For so long I've heard this phrased that if you wanted something that didn't fit into God's plan, that he would say "wait" or "I have better things planned for you". But when you're in a very Human one-track mind about something, getting the bandwith to "Seek Him first" is a lot. Then to be told something else is ""better""??? Yeah right!

So I like the idea that he will change our hearts, knowing we'll never truly understand His Plan

Mathew 6 is a good Chapter as well, containing relevant verses such as 16-18 about Fasting and 30-32 about how God clothes the grassy field just for it to be cut down, so why should we doubt he'd take care of us as well?

Comparing us to grass in a way here is comforting. To Him, we have as short a lifespan and a small an impact as a yard of grass, destined to be mowed and cut down thousands and thousands of times in Our lifetime, so does a Humans life must seem so short to Him. Yet he cares for us in each and every moment until the day we are cut down. Can you even imagine caring so much for a blade of grass?

Blessed be then who are like reeds of grass, dressed and cared for by God himself.

Related Scripture Below Cut:

Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything.

I can fit everything into a pattern for good,

but only to the extent that you trust Me. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very same problem can become stumbling block over which you fall if you react with distrust and defiance. The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times each day whether to trust Me or defy Me.

The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them, This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties.

You can even give persistent problems nicknames, helping you to approach them with familiarity rather than with dread. The next step is to introduce them to Me, enabling Me to embrace them in My loving Presence. I will not necessarily remove your problems, but My wisdom is sufficient to bring good out of every one of them

ROMANS 8:28 AMP; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:23-24

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

;

This year I've decided (very late) to participate in Lent again. This will be the first Lent I've taken since 2022, and I'm determined to do my best!

My rules will be about the same as last time; Fasting during daylight hours, No meat Fridays, No make-up days for breaking Fast, and making sure I have Daily Devotions (which will include trying to post here 1x a day!)

However, I've got some health issues going on where I don't feel comfortable completely giving up meat. I'm going to Try and stick to Fish, Eggs, and Chicken/Turkey, though. So I suppose that means I'm giving up Red Meat for Lent?

I mean, it starred Elsa and Anna, it was a Dream after all, but for some reason they were debating the Holy Spirit.

What I remember, the jist of it was Did the Holy Spirit exist before the New Testament. Because its always hard for humans to understand the Trinity to start, but in the dream, the going theory was that the Holy Spirit didn't exist until he was sent to the Disciples, when they started speaking in tongues, because thats when he, it, was named. And that referring to something happening via the Holy Spirit before then would be rude because it didn't Identify as that before then.

—Luke 9:26

Ah.