Here is one of the wonderful people who was a wonderful influence in my life. God Bless you Blinky, and all the joy and laughter that you brought into my and many other people's lives:-)

Photos: Funeral for Russell Scott - Blinky the Clown

Mary Bashor's Fight

My family is going through a very rough time right now.  My Mom, Mary Bashor, has been diagnosed with Lung Cancer that has spread down to her liver, and is traveling throughout her body.  She, as well as our family need your prayers. 

On another note, she is a devout believer in Jesus.  At least she and we know where she is going when He calls her home.  Only God knows the answers, and all things turn out for good for those who love Him.  Please pray that God directs the Oncologist to performing His Most Perfect Plan for her life.  It says in His Word, "For by His Stripes we were healed."  In the Greek or Aramaic original text, it is talking in what is called "the perfect past tense."  The word "were" actually means "are" in this context.  I am praying for a Miracle, but am also preparing myself prayerfully in case God decides to take Mom home to be with Him.  Thank you my readers for your thoughts, well wishes and prayers in these difficult times in our lives.

For those of you who know my Mom, please send your memories to my email box at: jbashor65@gmail.com.  My family and I are starting to make a compilation of audio, video, and written memories from my Mom's life.

Petra - Rose-Colored Stained Glass Windows video

Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows

For those of us who attend church, what is our purpose for doing so?  Do we do it to "get out of the house", to make us feel good, so that we have a "social club", or do we do it out of our love for God, others, and then ourselves?  Are we there for a religious ceremony, or what is our purpose?

There is a song from the former Christian Rock band Petra that seems to fit this ideology.  It says, "Looking through Rose Colored stained glass windows, never allowing the world to come in, seeing no evil and feeling no pain, making the light as it comes from within, so dim, so dim."

In today's modern social networking, are we fans or followers of Jesus?  Do we go to church as spectators of a spiritual sporting exercise, or do we strive to live for Jesus each and every day of our lives?  Are we playing religious games with God, ourselves, and others while the world struggles to survive?  How can we say that we are FOLLOWERS of Jesus, unless we are truly FOLLOWERS of Jesus?  We can't live and truly be followers if we have one foot in the World, and one foot in the Gospel.  We can't be double-minded.  As Jesus said, "Either you are for me, or you are against me."  He also had said, "I would rather that you are either hot or cold.  If you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth."  The word "spew" in this context is another word for vomiting.  There is no room in God's eyes for "Closet Christians".  We need to show the World His love and life through our love and lives.  To the unbelievers, we may be the only Jesus that they'll ever see.  We may fool others, but God cannot be fooled nor mocked.  We need to take the messages that we all hear in church, apply the loving principles to our lives, then spread the Good News on to others.

Cancer

This is a very difficult t

Patience

Romans 5:4 NASB

4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;

Even though it is tough to be patient sometimes, this is one of the benefits.  We are taught patience (perseverance) through our trials.  I know, we all want to fix the problem quickly, but if we are patient, God will give us the answer in our time of need.  No, God will not do everything for us; that's why He gave us a brain!  However, we are to trust him FIRST.  The old saying, "God helps those who help themselves", is not in the Bible.  The often quoted phrase came from an episode of "Little House on the Prairie".  We are to trust in Him first, not ourselves, not other people, nor the situation.  "Seek Ye FIRST the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."  THATIS WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!  Does this mean that God will let us
have anything we want?  No, it means that He will provide for all our needs according to His perfect and Holy will for our lives. O:-)

Interpretation

 I know that it has been an awful long time since I have posted anything here on my blog.  I know that it is a lame excuse, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Today's blog topic is scriptural interpretation.. I am not the expert on the subject, as no one is except God.  There are many ministers, counselors, and physicians who deal in this areas of all of our lives.  My question is this:  How do we decide on where to go for the absolute truth in Biblical interpretation?  There have been many ministers who have been shunned by their congregations, as well as communities for misguiding others with misinterpreted messages that they have given their congregations.  The only solution that I can think of is to follow the Bible and strive to use it as a guideline for one's life.  In with that, we all need to ask for God's guidance through the Holy Spirit to help us understand His Word.  Yes, pastors, teachers and prophets have their own gifts as God enables them, but as the Bible says, we are to test the spirits to see if they are from God.  That being said, when we study the Scriptures, we need to earnestly ask God to open our spiritual eyes when reading them.  If we read them through just the natural senses, we can often get confused, and get some of our own human ideas in there that conflict with the Holy Spirit.  For the Bible says that we are to "trust in the Lord thy God with all thine Heart, and LEAN NOT on thine own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct thine paths".  O:-)  Scripture interpretation is a spiritual thing, not a mankind thing.