Tag: Christian

Catholic and Orthodox Conversations Online

On By Ashley GatewoodIn The Organic ChurchLeave a comment

Youtube Conversations

I’ve had some engaging online conversations recently concerning the Church. Some people were accommodating while others were highly offended, defensive and then robotic. By robotic I mean indoctrinated.

It really bothers me. On a fundamental level. I’ve prayed about it and asked God why I see these things when I don’t have the ability to fix them. It’s terribly frustrating. I’m fairly relaxed and easy-going, but not online and not concerning lies. I’m not a gentle, soft-spoken person online. Overall, I’m not afraid to say what I’m feeling and sometimes I can be too opinionated. I don’t mind a good tussle but at the same time, I’d rather not get involved at all – my carnal nature often interjects: ‘Who cares!?’ I wish I could believe it….so I could quit and feel justified.

Doctrines of Men

I get angry and disappointed when I see people who love Jesus and are so on fire for Him and they end up captured in these indoctrinated churches just spewing phrases they’ve been taught – as if they are scripture when they don’t remotely line up with scripture.

These doctrines box people in, “well, it’s not always about putting the word of God first,” and I say, there is no recourse with that kind of doctrine. It’s kingdom of God first and then all else. How can you win an argument with someone who isn’t even playing the same game?

God will have to show me how.

Why Do I Have To See It?

So I pray to God about this. Why do I have to see this when I can do nothing about it? But the Spirit won’t leave me alone. I think to myself that it must be for some future generation, once everything begins to fall apart they’ll be searching for answers.

But that’s silly, because surely I’m not the only one who sees this. People who know more than others tend to feel alone. I don’t just feel alone, I am alone in this. Somewhere there are the preverbal ‘7000’ that have not bent the knee and God has reserved for Himself. Maybe He will show me who they are because all my searches come up empty. No one seems to see it or think it matters.

So I think, then why should I?

Denominations, physical churches can be more easily captured than the ‘church which God writes His laws on their hearts.’ My heart is not easily captured, nor my thoughts. The Spirit is like the wind, He moves things around and you can see the affects of it, but you can’t see His Person. That’s the true Church.

No one understands this who also says that the denominated church is the one true church. This is a false narrative.

The Call Is Terrifying

So I have to move forward with this, and tell what I know about who the Church really is. How do you approach effectively discerning the church – counterfeit though it might be – that God has been using for millennia? With much reverence, trepidation, fear of the Lord and a boldness that only the Spirit of God could give me as I face this manmade construct. That’s how. God works all things together for good the scripture tells us, so He’s used this church overlay, the construct of mens’ imaginations, to further His purposes in the Earth. I think there are good reasons for that. One being that the fullness of the Gentiles had to come into the fold.

I suspect there’s no way this would have happened had the true Church, the Body of Christ been left unchecked in the earth. Satan is a balancing tool by the way. He buffered the Church, then captured it, once he figured everything out that had happened to him, ha, God is so brilliant. The Cross is the victory for us while making the devil a fool.

No One Has Brought A Legitimate Argument Against Me

One of the most interesting comments I received on my perspective was this:

I’d already been thinking about how the Body of Christ is comprised of multiple parts. It is one body with many elements and moving parts. We are all one in Him, but separate from each other. Yet, if we are moving and living and having our being within Him, then also we are one with each other. This is the spiritual mystery that Paul said marriage alludes to.

This commenter was arguing that by me calling the remaining church, (that would be either the Catholic or Orthodox Church since Protestant churches do not use the word ‘schism’), a denomination it wouldn’t be true because it is only the schismatic church that becomes the denomination.

But the Body of Christ cannot schism because all the elements are needed to make up the whole. This is where I can clearly see the ‘church’ which both these religions started are a construct of man.

Let’s Talk Elements

You cannot remove O from H2 and still have water. The Body of Christ has many elements which combine to show the ‘manifold wisdom of God’. So it is a combined element like water, it’s whole but made up of multiple parts. As soon as that first manmade church suffered schism, it became a part unto itself, it reverted to H2. And H2 alone isn’t water. So that argument also has been broken.

Creepy Indoctrination

The creepiest comments are the indoctrinated ones where a repeated phrase just keeps getting chanted in my comment section with little to know intellectual understanding:

“I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.”

and again by another commenter,

“There is only one holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.”

But the worst? Oh it’s far more sinister. It makes me cringe. It angers me and I find it deeply disturbing: “Outside of the Catholic Church there can be no salvation.”

As if Christ died on the Cross and it meant nothing because it’s a church that does the saving, not the Son of Man….

I have no love in my heart for these types of comments. I can see exactly how Christ did not restrain Himself from calling out with great passion,

“You vipers!”

I must weave my whip. There is no other way I can do this without sinning. And if Christ had to weave one whip, then I must weave ten thousand.

“Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!”

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

I don’t want to do this…..

Cities and Stuff

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter MorselsLeave a comment

Boston

I recently returned from a trip to Boston. I love big cities. They are always awake and always open for business. I also like the way of living far more than small town – each has its advantages I suppose – one offering a slower pace to life and one engaging and always beckoning attention and involvement.

I never clocked less than 10K steps a day while in Boston, and that’s without any extra dedicated time. In small towns, there’s no great possibility of walking or biking. Stores and destinations are just too far apart. In many instances, biking and driving took the same amount of time in Boston. Even in small ‘cities’ like Lexington, there is no decent public transportation that runs frequently enough without wasting an hour and a half waiting at bus terminals. A fifteen minute car drive is the only alternative.

We’re walking through the MIT tunnels to catch the rail to a 5K, not mine, just to be clear.

I was talking with a friend up there who stated it quite perfectly. He said that there’s an energy you can feel when walking the city. You always have other people bustling about, things are happening like deliveries, events, shows, students, other runners or cyclists on the city streets with you no matter the time of day. But to walk to a friends house in a suburb of a small town, all the houses shut up, curtains drawn, lawns are the same, row after row – it’s just an excruciatingly boring walk.

It’s true!

I do my best to walk daily – which I have to make time and drive to the park. But I have to work much harder to get 10K steps whereas the city seems to provide ample opportunity for healthy living without even trying.

Anyway, I guess I want too much just in general. Maybe we all do. We want everything that is good about all we’ve experienced combined for a perfect life. It’s just not going to happen.

I daydream about living in a big city. Who daydreams about something so mundane? Maybe I’m seeing a vision, this happens to me sometimes. Will have to pay more attention to these daydreams.

Motivators

I have to consider why something is being done, why I’m taking a particular action. Shouldn’t we all consider why we are doing certain things in our life? Jesus said to lay up treasures for ourselves in Heaven because the treasures of this world rot and disintegrate and pass away. Entropy. Even ideas that seem to propagate suffer deterioration if they aren’t of any eternal value.

I’ve noticed how much the wrong ideas about God propagate on social media. People who are Christians saying that what makes a shepherd inadequate is not preaching the goodness of a particular political party to their congregations. In other words, not using a position given by God to push your own political agenda is unacceptable as a Christian Pastor. Like, what kind of Hell-talk is this? Who is embodying the essence of the great Accuser of the Brethren here?

How is it that Christian influencers are falling into this treacherous language against Christ?

And then, as if just speaking it isn’t treacherous enough, we have loads of ‘avatars’ liking the post, not because they are Christians necessarily, but because their agenda lines up with the poster’s comment.

These Christians influencers will be held accountable.

Anything we say – especially if we have followers on a massive level – will be solely our responsibility come the Judgement. ‘But someone else taught me that!’ This argument, my friend, will hold no water with God almighty. He has already warned us, ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge.’ This is why I am so adamant, esp with those God has laid on my heart, in correcting when someone is going down the wrong path. I care for them AND I care for all those children of God they are leading astray. I say children because they may be the few who are exempt, though still they will perish at the hands of ill-informed leaders, if they are never correct and taught proper biblical truth.

This is why leaders will be judged with far more weight than the children they are leading and influencing.

Hence this warning given: ‘Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.’

Now we just as easily can put ‘influencers’ in place of teachers. Same thing, same process of passing along the wrong information about God in this example. Do I know everything? Of course not! Which is why I’m grateful (though maybe at first quite irritated) when I get corrected. Correction, admonishment, saves our lives!

Now that alone keeps me from stepping out as much as I might be, it’s a grave thing to have great influence and be dead wrong about something so grave as life and death of a person’s soul and body. That’s my issue I must overcome.

The Wicked Won’t Win, Even Though Now They Appear To Prosper

The wicked shall not prosper. There’s a verse that admonishes, ‘do not envy the prosperity of the wicked.’ And it’s easy to do that. This life on earth has many interesting and pleasurable things we could use our vessels to indulge in, yet this assuredly brings death. God knows the human’s psychological makeup better than anyone or anything. Even Satan understands human psychology better than humans do, duh..

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37.1-3

Everywhere I look anti-Christ organizations, corpse-porations and blasphemous God-haters seem to garner praise, financial gain and worldly clout. But like, who wants that kind of ROI?

Death of self would be our aim today, in this world of indulgent pleasures, including dopamine kicks-and-giggles that social media tends to deliver to our starving central nervous receptors. Sometimes I wonder if Christians aren’t saying these ridiculous things because they believe the more social media likes and praise they garner means somehow they are doing the right thing and are approved of God.

My God, people! This is such a trap. All of this misdirection must burn away. Self-centered ambitions must burn away. I know, far easier said than done – and I don’t have thousands of followers…God help me if I ever do. I might run away, which would result in zero benefit to anyone.

And there are always whales at-the-ready for servants of God who run….fantastic…

It’s a problem of space and time for me, I think. It’s a problem of losing. Losing things. And I hate losing things. I hate losing time and options. I need an eternal view, not a here-and-now view. Many who are smarter than I, keep correcting my thought on this: I must narrow my path which sacrifices all other paths I could walk and proceed with all focus in one direction. This is excruciating for me even though I know that to do otherwise just keeps the wheels spinning unproductively.

Everyday Witnesses Through Their Gifts

The Lord has been bringing unique individuals to my attention. People I would never find in the circle of interests I have, and these people are full-on dedicated to the work of God’s kingdom here on the earth. They aren’t formally in the ministry at all, they are chefs, or skateboarders, or comedians – all manner of professions but they never miss a beat to talk about God during an interview about their chosen profession or craft. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

And quite frankly, they speak with much more profound depth and authority about God than those who are in positions of prestige or power within the church (noun, place) today. I became disillusioned about the structure of church organizations and institutions since the mid-2000s.

Indeed, we all wrestle with God at some point.

God always calls the Gideon, or the David, or the Esther when they are known by few and obscure. I think this is amazing and I love to watch it unfold in a life; how the seemingly smallest is made the greatest among us, not by their own hand of power, but by offering all their strengths to God to use for His glory.

This kind of wrestling is among the most difficult because it is our weaknesses, the self, the ego, the intellect like Leviathans pushing forward within us for control when, perhaps one might say, the hero overcomes them to submit his or her vessel with all its inadequacies to the will of God, as Jesus did. It’s nothing short of miraculous. Indeed, without the Spirit of God, we could not possibly do it. Faith is a powerful thing when it’s witnessed working through an individuals life.

I’m seeing this more and more, in the most far away corners of the world; God’s people lighting up and flashing a signal, as it were, that God is ever present and available to save and guide into a more abundant and rewarding life. That is, if we can pay the price. There’s always a sacrifice.

God’s Refinery

God’s fire is all consuming. And whatever is not of Him burns off of our lives. God help those of us who have built much in this world but little in the kingdom of God. It’s no fun to walk through the fire, but in the end we are certainly better for it. The continual regeneration of life is an unmistakeable attribute of God. Without Him, there is no life-force. I can’t take this train of thought too far here, it’s one blog post, but it ties in with so many other aspects of the human-Christ-eternal dynamic.

MIT tunnel graffiti, hallway art.

If anyone abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15.6

The above scripture is exactly how it is. But there are other scriptures which indicate that what isn’t burned up, remains.

Paul says that if our work is burned up, we will suffer loss – there’s my loss hang-up – though we will be saved, but only as through fire. So I would even go as far as saying if anyone doesn’t subject themselves to the fire to burn away what should not be there, then they themselves cannot be saved. Either we chose it voluntarily and in doing so we pass through it, or we succumb to it involuntarily and lose our lives as well.

Peter tells us that everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed and that heaven will pass away. This informs the reader that everyone will pass through that fire; but some things aren’t burned up but remain, continue, live on. And in the case of Christ, that living is eternal.

And again, Paul states that there is coming a great shaking and everything that can be shaken will be. But what is of God and eternal will remain. So this ‘passing through’ is a phenomenon we all must subject ourselves to, I think it’s voluntary, first. But if we don’t do this, run from it or deny God, the fire still must be passed through and we will also lose ourselves, our inhabited vessels even to the flames.

Now let’s think about our lives and how much will be consumed by the fire, how much we’ve done for our own self-centered ambitions and striving to impress other humans in this world. That’s a difficult thought experiment. But let us importantly remind ourselves of this, we are saved not by our own hand but by Christ.

This is so because we are in Him, we abide in Him and guess what? He had no evil in Him so that when He passed through the flames of Hell taking the keys of death Hell and the grave from that pesky Cherub, everything who was Christ rose again. In other words, His body also, being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing could hold Him, not even the death which was appointed to all of us to suffer, once. So indeed God’s words were true, Jesus suffered death, once as appointed to every man. But again,

 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Acts 2.24

And again, this is one portion of our promise, having been adopted by Him as His own children, a prophecy that is the Spirit of Christ, we shall inherit life eternal:

…because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

Psalm 16.10

The grave couldn’t hold Him, nor will it hold us, dear brothers and sisters.

Okay, I can’t help but think how long it took me to write this one post. How does one measure time wasted or time spent productively?

Have a beautiful week, all you curious people. Or if you’re feeling adventurous; have a curious week, all you beautiful people~

Featured Image: Snapshot of more MIT graffiti, taken by yours truly~

Don’t Hold Back What God Has Asked For: Release God’s People When He Calls for Them

On By Ashley GatewoodIn The Organic ChurchLeave a comment

The Privilege of Learning Under Great Ministers

There are certain ministers that in years past have imparted great things to me concerning God and His word. I’ve learned much from them. But there are those with whom God has called us to partner with indefinitely, and those for only a short while.

God, the skillful tapestry Weaver, threads people in and out of our lives at just the right times and seasons. We may have garnered much from those whose thread only remained for a short while, but unless we move where the Spirit moves us, we’ll never grow into the fulness of Christ. 

This is why it’s important that ministers not get offended when people leave and move on with other congregations or ministries. God’s people have grown up under your care and watchful attention. Don’t take it out on His sheep because He is calling them to another field to graze.

And refrain from making excuses like it’s the sheep’s faulty hearing; that God couldn’t possibly call them away from one church and lead them to another. Different church ministries offer varying levels of bread as spiritual sustenance. Don’t be offended that someone has outgrown your level. You’ve done what has been required of you in God’s service. This is a beautiful thing; don’t get greedy or covetous.

God’s People Belong to Him

God’s people don’t belong to any one human being, minister or otherwise. His people belong to Him and He will chose who He wants to partner them with. Ministers need not be possessive over individuals in the Body of Christ. We are all one in Christ, not owned, not collected.

John the Baptist understood this and flourished. Until the day he stumbled and was offended. He ended up bound and cutoff. Is your ministry stagnant? Has it lost the life giving waters of the Holy Spirit? Think about this then and ask yourself seriously if you are not offended by those who have left. Then ask yourself why you feel the way you do and what God is saying to you about it. This is important to your growth and the growth of those presently in your care. 

Grow up the people God has given into your care. Teach and nurture them in the capacity God has graced you with, then let them go if God calls them. Don’t be caught holding on to what God has asked for. Joshua chapter 7 is a warning for those who, out of ill-gotten intentions, try to hold on to something that God has asked for. Don’t be that minister.

God’s People are the Focus, Not the Size of a Congregation or its Shepherd

I look back on all I’ve learned, such a rich dining table of God’s best teachers in my opinion, some of the greatest I had seen at that time. But after many years the chair doesn’t fit anymore, the cup’s too small and the yard isn’t long enough to stretch my legs

If only ministers would treat their congregations like growing up any child into a functioning adult, I think the Body of Christ would be far more developed, well-rounded and capable of stepping out in the fulness of Christ.

This is only one way that denominations have hurt the Body, it promotes exclusion and possession or collection of God’s people.

God’s people belong to no one but Him. The shepherds are caretakers, not gods to pledge allegiance to. This is how Lucifer fell from heaven, having taken the praise and glory unto himself and corrupting his merchandise.

Be gracious to God’s people, He does not without blessings from those who put Him first in the kingdom. All other things will be added to you, fear not. He is faithful.

Unraveling the Future

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Futurism, Speculation, OpinionLeave a comment

Let me concede this: two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul said the end was near. So when I feel in my spirit that we are approaching the end of this dispensation, I check myself thinking perhaps it’s trivial, this uptick in urgency to make some plan for unraveling the future.

I think I’m still half in shock from the nervous (breakdown?) tension instilled all throughout 2020-22 until just recently when all voices are being heard instead of only the propaganda channels the government was allowing.

Listening to the Spirit of God

That being said, we must do as the Lord leads because only He knows for sure when and how the future will unfold for us and the generations to follow. Revelation warns us it won’t be pleasant once the Tribulation starts.

The warning signs that the Tribulation is drawing near can be found in the Trumpets in the preceding chapters of Revelation. And the descriptions of each Trumpet’s events are clearly what is happening in the earth now.

The Four Hosrseman were released centuries ago.

The Urgency in My Spirit

I have two urgent thoughts and feelings that I feel called to do. Share as much as I can about the word of God, scattering those teachings on platforms known and unknown, and prepare, as best as I know how, for my own livelihood. Now this is probably the more trivial part, leftover anxiousness from the plandemic, but I think I shall pay attention at least in part.

Take a listen and I’ll share my thoughts below.

We all have heard the sentiment given by the elites, Klaus Schwab to be specific: “You will own nothing and be happy.”

The video states that one way they will take our homes is by requiring upgrades to be made to bring homes into ‘net zero’ compliance forcing homeowners to shoulder the financial responsibility.

What’s worse, people who own a home, mortgaged or fully paid, will likely have to borrow from the equity in their home to make the upgrades, going further into debt. The minute they default the banks will swoop in and voila, you own nothing at all. Except a big pile of debt.

If you cannot manage to live in a house like the one below, then dying would be preferable according to the elite like Kamala Harris crying ‘there are too many people on the earth’.

This will take wisdom to sort out even for those who can afford the upgrades or who also own investment property. If the current tenants can’t afford the cost of increased rent after upgrades are made and they are evicted, who’s left to afford the rent? Then owners of property are left with empty houses. Not good.

How Much Dependence Will Lead to Abuse of Rights?

It got me thinking about my house. This and the fact we’ve had several storms which knocked out our electric three times this year for longer than two days. I had zero ways to cook, keep warm or keep cool.

All the electric runs above ground in my neighborhood. I don’t have a fireplace in my house. I do have a decent sized yard to plant a garden. But I’ve decided it might be best to move into a house that better suits my needs. Especially since the Invisible Tyrannical Hand keeps messing its fingers about in our personal pies.

This is the same hand, by the way, that will have free reign once the Tribulation starts. Thank God we will not be here for that fellow brothers and sisters. Though I do have some empathy for unbelievers, I have zero empathy for the culprits and leaders who will join up with the antichrist when he manifests in true form.

God help the people of the earth.

What Type of Property to Buy

So, back from Revelation and to my house in 2023…

You would need a water source and filters (good luck with that), a fireplace (or fire pit but it will get cold outside), and land to plant a garden. A pool would be convenient to stay cool if everything is shut off in the heat of Summer. I’ve seen property like this for sale that isn’t outrageously priced. For me, the fireplace is the only non-negotiable at this point. I’d need semi-country. I don’t think I could handle fighting off Sasquatch in the deep woods of Appalachia…

How Much Should It Matter?

Anyway, just some thoughts I’ve been having for the past couple of YEARS. God, perhaps I can shed this entire train of thought and just roll with the punches. Aren’t there better things to be doing for other people? Jesus didn’t have a home. Won’t they just fine me for using my fireplace anyway?

No more burning wood! The planet is dying and it’s your fault for breathing!

**billionaire Invisible Hand flies off to another continent to play environmental disaster Evangelist, bicycle in-tow**

Do we have to be prepared for everything? Pluses and minuses on either side I suppose.

Having some manner of eco friendly energy might be a good idea. The less reliance on Big Brother the better.

Or I could resign myself to whatever comes next and buy a condo in the city….with a bike…

Or become a nomad…with a horse…

Or buy a boat and live on the sea, they’d perhaps never find a spec in the Pacific Ocean.

Then I’d probably never find myself out there either. That would be a terrible death just floating at sea. I mean, if Robert Redford can’t do it, I sure as hell won’t try.

Hope everyone is enjoying their life and not having all these strange thoughts of a crazy future, haha.

No wonder King Solomon said that ‘in much wisdom is much grief’. Maybe I should strive to know a bit less. Though I sure don’t feel smart enough as is.

I know, I owe you a post about atheists…I’ll get to it eventually.

Featured Image by Cindy Tang.

Unplugged: A Week without the Internet

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter Morsels5 Comments

From noon last Wednesday until noon this Wednesday I spent an entire week not utilizing the internet. It was an eye-opening foray into the dark murky waters of-

>Eminent boredom and time stretching into an infinite blackhole<

My trepidation was a bit melodramatic but the anxiety was real.

In the wee hours of the first morning I sat down with my coffee on the couch and instead of reaching for my laptop I just sat there staring at the table. I had put my laptop in a drawer out of sight. I opened my notebook/scheduler and my bible and started reading, praying and meditating on a few verses God had impressed on my heart for this year.

I seriously had an anxious outlook on this whole unplugged thing. It’s hard to express it in words – perhaps you should try it yourself to see what I mean – it’s a habit or addiction almost. Something about the internet and the year 2020 has ingrained in us this idea of being cutoff with only social media to keep everyone together. Quarantine and lockdowns exacerbated this feeling.

Whatever it was, I knew I had to break that habit if for no other reason than because it is a false belief.

I went about my day as usual; workout, walking, swimming, cleaning and working: just a normal day. But every time I’d sit down or relax I’d catch myself wanting my laptop. Pretty sure it was the feeling of withdrawal I was experiencing, haha!

So, I got into a huge book. None other than Moby Dick. I mean, seriously. Of all things that could curb my internet withdrawals. But sure enough, it was the perfect book. Off on a great seafaring journey I went. Read the whole thing. (No, no, that’s a lie. I skipped the pretentious, ever-rambling expositions). And I now know more about the insides of a whale and the whaling industry of the 1850’s than I ever wanted to know.

I might write a blog post of what I think about this book in the future.

Anyway, on the third day something interesting started happening. The desire to get on the internet faded into the background and I settled into my immediate surroundings. I started going through some boxes in the closets and realized I had two aquariums purchased back in 2018 that I had yet to setup. A small 5 gallon and a larger 40 gallon.

All the equipment and most of the accessories were there. It was a treat really. Since I’ve been working from home and endeavoring to change my career, I haven’t had the luxury of shopping. I enjoy shopping. But I’m on a mission this year, so thrifty is the name of the game at present. Opening up everything which I had put away almost 3 years ago was fun and therapeutic in a way.

Not to mention I now had another project to add to my unplugged week: what type of aquariums do I want to setup! I love planted aquariums, biotopes, little interesting and extraordinary fishes 🙂 Fish-keeping isn’t guppies and mollies and goldfish. That’s kid’s play. Fish-keeping is dwarf pea puffers and shell dwellers and honey gourami. Fish with personalities and adorable quirks. It’s cichlid tanks, blackwater biotopes and lush jungle tanks.

#GOALS…

So now all things were good! I had projects – I always need projects. Something to think about and challenge myself with. The internet was floating somewhere under the dark waters Captain Ahab was sailing through, keeping company with the Great White Whale lost in the darkness.

I can read and study forever. And the internet is full of any and everything a curious mind could get into. It’s the easy fix. And I’ve found it can be a big distraction from other interesting projects.

Let me not make light of my time in the word of God and the peace I experienced giving Him more of my time, at the very beginning of the day as opposed to just sinking into the billion dots on the screen.

I’ve decided on some rearranging in the house that I’ve been mulling over for months. A little unplugged clarity and I arrived at the solution – where to house the aquariums, what furniture needed to be moved, moved out or donated – and after my week unplugged I feel I’ve been through a cleansing and refreshing. The internet has been an excuse to delay things.

I highly recommend going unplugged for a week. I kept email going of course; I have to work and get back with people. I don’t want to miss opportunities but I think anyone can do without all the social media sites for a week.

I’m thinking of going unplugged for a week every month. Maybe not the entire internet – I will need it for my work. But Twitter, FB, etc can take a backburner far more often. Think about how many times we check our phones….

I have a ton of blog post ideas too – so much to talk about – diets, swimming, health, food….

Several of which will have to be about aquariums 🙂

Be free, be well friends~

Complaining Moves the Hand of God – But You’ll Regret It.

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Bread & Butter Morsels, How to Follow Your DreamLeave a comment

Don’t wander in the Desert, move through it to get to your Promise Land.

Want to wander around out there and die of exhaustion? Of course you don’t. The key to not fainting in the desert is to remain faithful to God in seasons of discomfort.

Sometimes life just isn’t fair. I mean, don’t we all think that sometimes? And isn’t ‘fair’ relative? Right, well before getting too upset that you could be doing so much more if only, I’d advise anyone feeling the pressures of life to not complain to God about it.

Israel did that and lived to regret it. After being delivered out of the hands of their Egyptian oppressors, they grew tired of following God in the desert and started complaining. They wanted meat to eat, not the same old manna day after day – you know, that got boring!

I can relate partially. It’s hard when you have to walk through the desert or wilderness in order to make it to your Promised Land. Whatever your goals or dreams may be, you’re going to hit rough patches, character building seasons (that go on and on forever!!) and believe me, I understand.

It’s like ‘let me shed another tear to put in the bottle He keeps with my name on it’ (you do know scripture tells us He collects all our tears in a bottle…I’ll write about that sometime). Be encouraged, this season in the wilderness won’t last forever. And it will make you stronger and build more character than one could imagine.

Another awesome truth to know is this:

The quicker you submit to God’s will and be faithful in the season He’s taking you through, the more expedient your journey will be to your Promised Land.

I can complain, not going to lie. But refocusing that energy into something more positive gets me moving forward and keeps me from reaping the consequences of whatever I’m tempted to complain about. It makes me stronger and builds my endurance in difficult times. Let me get back to the illustration..

So God was feeding Israel with manna from heaven which was sort of like bread they would pound into cakes and boil or cook over a fire and eat. Day after day after day, the same stuff – it’s just like life sometimes, whatever it is we’re doing that makes us weary — diaper after diaper, dirty socks-wash-pickup from floor-fold-wash again, baby puke, (lol, the struggle is real though I wouldn’t personally know. I deal in feline coughed-up fur balls which are pretty gross) pushing papers, fixing computers, answering phones day after day after…

Ooo, don’t complain. Because sure enough, God will hear it. And He heard Israel and called Moses into a meeting. He told Moses, I’ve heard the complaining of the people that they want meat, so they will get it. They will eat meat until it’s coming out of their eyes, ears noses…. (whew, don’t make God angry). So God brought the people quail, and they journeyed out and caught it, loads of it! But there was also another consequence…

Numbers 11, specifically 31-35 but the chapter gives you a good idea of the problem at hand.

But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague.

While the meat was still between their teeth…for sure, if we skirt the edge of God’s plan for our lives, when we get what we think we want , then even before we can satiate our appetite with it, there will be consequences to bear. If we shortcut the path God has laid before us, we will not be ready for what we want. We won’t be ready for our dreams and our visions.

Let’s understand a couple of things here:

  1. God still feels the same way about sin, He just deals with us differently now than in the Old Testament due to the work of our Savior Jesus Christ. His mercies endure forever~
  2. God will always give us reprieve in the desert that does not bring sorrow with it.

The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

And here’s is how you get the blessings of God – remain faithful through the difficult times, knowing with surety that God will deliver you from distress.

One of the most powerful verses in scripture on deliverance is also one of my favorites and one that I have used to build my faith and receive the promises of God for my life. So I’m here to tell you, this works and is powerful if you only believe!

“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

So beautiful, so lovely and filled with power to deliver. God’s word never returns to Him void. Because it’s truth. But we must remain faithful. No shortcuts — or what was supposed to be our victory will end up a pile of ashes and we might even find we get burned in the process.

Stay true and fixed on God’s word. You’ll get there, one faithful decision at a time~ Until God delivers us and sets us free from our distress~

Featured Photo by Yeo Khee 

How Positive Words Improve Your Health

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Healthy Living, Love:: Lifestyle:: HealthLeave a comment

The direction of your life will follow the words you choose to speak. It’s like when you’re driving, you follow the direction your eyes are focused on. Ever looked intently at that huge pothole saying ‘going to miss that one’ and instead you hit it dead-center? Same principle applies.

“A sound heart is life to the body, but bitterness is rottenness to the bones.” Proverbs 14:30

Be thoughtful of what you think of others in your heart. Sometimes we can hold unforgiveness which turns into bitterness after enough time has past without dealing with the feelings. Forgive so that you can be free. Unforgiveness is like a cage and can affect your own wellbeing while the person you are holding in unforgiveness is free and not bound by you at all. You in essence have bound yourself. Be good to you and forgive. It doesn’t mean what they did was okay, forgiving others doesn’t mean they didn’t do you wrong. It means you are saying ‘I release you into the hands of God so that I can be free of the thoughts and free of the bitterness and I’m going to move on with my life without this weight. I’m giving it all over to God’. Release the negative feelings and it will make room to begin again.

Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Provers 16:24

This sums it up. Be kind. It is one of the foundational expressions of love. Kindness is light, free and positive. Being mean comes from a very heavy place in our souls and leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth that sees us being cruel to others. If someone has done you wrong, turn them over to God’s justice. He works in mercy (which you probably don’t want to hear) but think of how many times you deserved worse, and God showed mercy to you. Be merciful to those who do you wrong. Speak kind words and let God deal with people in your life who are less than positive. Don’t fight fire with fire. Take the higher, healthier road.

 

My son my daughter, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh. Proverbs 4: 20-22

What this verse is referring to are the words of wisdom – that is – the words of God. Read his word. That is life to your soul and your body. God’s word is alive, not dead. It is active, not dormant. It’s living. So if you want active medicine for you soul and your body, devour his word daily!

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

Thinking ill will towards others can be detrimental to oneself. How to exact revenge for someone who has hurt you or paying back evil for evil will only get you in trouble. Release them over to God. They will reap what they sow – just as you will. Sow mercy, reap mercy. Show kindness, reap kindness. Use your words to bless others not tear them down and you’ll feel better overall that you have control over the negative things that happen to you.

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Be joyful! Don’t refrain but let your happy out for everyone to notice! Don’t be shocked when some people don’t like it – some people are just grumps that would rather stay stuck in their negativity. Don’t let them control you. Remember there are seasons for everything – but don’t ever lose the joy in your heart even through the bad times. Happiness, peace and joy are found in the Holy Spirit. Learn about God and relating to him and he will be your strength and joy through the good times and the bad times.

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

Get Busy While You’re Waiting on God

On By Ashley GatewoodIn How to Follow Your Dream, Love:: Lifestyle:: Health2 Comments

Be ready when God starts moving.

When God moves, things begin to happen fast; in the meantime, take advantage of the ‘wait’ and learn more about him, about yourself, gain knowledge and strength because once things start moving you will not have time at that point to figure out what to do. Either you’re ready or you will be dragging behind – and that’s no place to be!

“For the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly” (Rom. 9:28).

I love it when God moves. It’s precise and accurate and wow does it ever make an impact! God is not messing around, playing games and doing things just for the heck of it. He is deliberate. I love that about him.

There are seasons for everything.

Solomon tells us this. Two seasons I’m very familiar with: sowing and reaping. Or, to put it another way working-waiting-working.

You have to sow a seed, an idea, a dream before you can reap the benefits of it. You have to place it in the ground and let it die – isn’t that what Jesus said?

“I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24 CEB

That takes work. Sowing isn’t easy. You have to let some things go, make changes, work on yourself and be diligent in your pursuit even when you can’t see one scrap of evidence that God is doing anything in your life or that anything is going to change. You have to, in essence, start living the change before it occurs. People can think you’re crazy, but remember, with God, all things are possible.

Being productive during the waiting season.

Then comes the waiting season. When the seed is growing, pushing out from the dirt (oh God, is it ever going to happen!?) This can be a very frustrating season. But sitting idle while you’re waiting is not the thing to do! Never wait without also filling your time with productive work.

Waiting on God is a two-part process. You are indeed waiting on him for direction or an answer or a way forward so that you don’t hastily make the wrong decision. This is a good thing. However, you should definitely be learning and growing in all aspects of your life during the waiting season. Never just sit and grow lazy during these times. I know, because I’ve done that – and it is absolutely no fun once God starts to move and I’m totally unprepared! That’s when I encounter disappointment and heartache.

Be learning; about him about you about the aspects of your dream or vision.

Gain knowledge and be ravenous when it comes to learning about his ways and about the people out there who are living in their dream. Learn from them, study missionaries and martyrs and business men and women – anyone who is living for God – and keep growing and stretching while you are waiting for your own harvest to come. By learning, you are in essence watering your seeds that you’ve sown. Your fertilizing and tending what you sowed. This is how to do it!

Then, one day when God says the time has come, your harvest will come in and it will be time to move. And guess what? After all the hard work you put in during the ‘waiting’ season, you’ll be ready to move with him!

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

For more on the power of a seed and how faith works like one, click here.

Doing Things God’s Way

On By Ashley GatewoodIn How to Follow Your DreamLeave a comment

I’m not trying to get my way in the world’s way. I’m trying to get your way your Word’s way. I’m staying on your trail; I’m putting one foot in front of the other. I’m not giving up. -Psalm 17:4-5 The Message

Aligning your way with God’s way doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams and aspirations. Many of us work because it’s necessary, not because we find it deeply fulfilling. Do you ever find yourself pausing at your desk or while you’re waiting at the dock for a shipment to be loaded on your truck and think surly there is something else I could be doing with my time that is more productive and gives me greater satisfaction than this. We’ve all been there. You may find yourself there right now.

But have you ever thought how you might take a step away from your current life and towards the one you always hoped for?  At this point is where we let our current reality dissuade us from making that first step. We get overwhelmed with questions of how and what to do about it. You may have family or financial strain that pops your dream like a frail soap bubble. One moment here, the next moment non-existent.

So we tend to start looking for the quickest way out because frankly, it just seems easier. And sometimes that’s addiction, sometimes it’s going numb and just doing the daily routine without thinking.

Get rich quick schemes that sound so legit, gambling and maybe even opting for crime. The world’s way is always going to seem easier and let’s face it, somebody has to win the lottery, right? But going the world’s way is never successful or fulfilling – especially when we are serving God. God’s ways are legit and so much more rewarding. Are they harder? You bet.

You have to dig down into yourself and pull up answers that you don’t want to wrestle with – the whys and hows of your current situation. It’s hard to look at our mistakes and own them. But sometimes that’s where we have to start – humbling ourselves before God and saying ‘I thought I knew the way, but I was wrong’.

God is always listening and ready to help. He never rubs mistakes in our face or makes us pay. Sin has consequences but God has answers! He will move on your behalf, he even states

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. – Isaiah 43:4 NIV

This is how much He values you! It is nearly unfathomable for us to understand his love. Not even the Apostle Paul could do it:

…that you may be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. -Ephesians 3:17-19 NKJV

If you are ready to begin stepping out of a life that is unfulfilling and into God’s life that is waiting for you, then He is ready to meet you at the crossroads. Pray diligently for direction, for knowledge and for the courage to begin the journey. Remember, small steps are all you need to start out.  Prayer is God’s way of moving on this earth. Don’t neglect this powerful intimate time with God to exact change in your life.

 

If you have questions or need direction on how to begin to make a change, don’t hesitate to contact me. Leave a comment or email me – you can also reach out on social media like Linked In or Google+. 

Love will get you to where you need to be~

 

The Power of Your Words

On By Ashley GatewoodIn Healthy LivingLeave a comment

One of the most powerful tools you have is your word.

The Bible describes the tongue as one of the smallest, yet most powerful parts of the body. Like a bit over the tongue of a horse moves its entire body in the direction you want it to go, so the tongue moves our entire lives and wellbeing in the direction of our words. Think that seems impossible? That your life is a result of your words? I’m going to show you how it is possible.

The tongue – your words – house incredible power within them. Why do you think God exalts his word over his name?  Have you ever had to have faith in yourself that you could get something done? Well so does God! It’s just that he has full authority and knowledge of himself and so the word he speaks goes forth without doubt or error to accomplish exactly what He sent it to accomplish. Have you ever caught yourself talking to yourself saying things like ‘you got this’, ‘you can do this’, ‘be strong’? God doesn’t have to do this; instead, he spoke it once and it is truth:

“so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

Done. He doesn’t have to build himself up like we do because he knows his word is good. Paul said we should build ourselves up on our holy faith. Which means we’ve got work to d0. God does not mince words and He takes them very seriously. What He speaks happens. If He were to say “Man this is a terrible day” then you can believe, it’s going to be one terrible day! But He understands himself and his power and the power of his words. And he tells us clearly that the power of the tongue holds death and life in it. He’s not joking. Let’s look at a few things we can do to start steering our lives in a more positive direction with good results.

Take a day and be cognizant of what you say.

Are your words overall positive, helpful and hopeful? Or are they negative, sarcastic and tainted with a hopeless outlook? Are the words you’re using building people (including yourself) up and encouraging? Or are they critical, dismissive and hurtful? The power of life and death are in the tongue. Proverbs 18:20

Is there a difficult situation you’re going through concerning another person? What you can start doing today is speaking positive and good words over them and the situation. Words are powerful and God hears them. Think about it; do you respond favorably to praise and encouragment? Then other people do as well. If we are biting and cutting others down then their demeanor will be overall downcast, angry and negative around us. Even if only as a self defense measure. It’s a reaction, like the instinct to stay alive, we close off to criticism. That should tell us that words are more powerful -affecting even the human body- than we perhaps thought. This goes for you as well, self talk is extremely important. Don’t put yourself down and be critical or negative of yourself. Learn how to be patient with yourself and forgive yourself. We are all growing and learning – God loves you and knows that we struggle. The Bible says his mercy endures forever. Know that.

Try to speak positive words over difficult situations.

I try to be aware of what I am saying as much as possible. We all can fall into a rut without realizing it – there’s something satisfying about speaking to someone about our trials and tribulations. There is nothing wrong in telling your story and seeking comfort from a trusted family member or friend. We have to be able to work through issues and someone else’s advice can be helpful. But just know that when you’re able to keep things positive you lead a healthier life. Talk through your problems and seek advice, but don’t degrade others or gossip about people. If you can limit this, you will feel much better, it’s a proven fact.

Stay positive – it releases positive energy.

I would also urge you not to get bogged down by this either. Saying you have a stomach ache is a whole lot different than saying I always get stomach aches. Stating what the current situation is, is not a problem. You have to communicate after all. But you can always speak peace over any situation – there is nothing false about speaking peace over your mind, your heart, your physical body or anything else. Stay positive – it releases positive energy (God knows this!) into everything around you. We are living breathing organisms and if God says you can speak life or death into something, you better believe you can. Let’s not kill the tender shoots of new beginnings or venturing into new projects you’ve never tried before. Practice patience and keep your outlook and words positive. I promise this will give you a much better, longer take-off area for changing your life.

Despise not small beginnings…