"Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?" Pr. 5:20

“When we are intoxicated by the powers of infatuation with some new love,

our thoughts take flight, our speech changes.

Ordinary talk will not do;

it must rhyme,

It must march,

It must glitter; it must be stuck full of gems;

Accomplishments must be paraded,

Powers must be hinted at.

Every sensitive emotion is awake;

And even the most serene and modest natures,

In the grip of passion,

Can become suspicious and self-absorbed,

Because the passion which consumes them is so fierce

That it shrivels all social restraints,

And leaves the soul naked,

And bent upon the most uncontrolled self-emphasis.

Yet it is as natural as the airs and graces of

the singing canary,

The unfurling of the peacock’s fan,

The held breath and hampered strut of the turkey –

And tendency to assume a greatness and a nobility

That one does not possess,

To seem impressive, tremendous, desirable.”

Arthur C. Benson.

 

This quote could be applicable to Mt. 7:24

"There is a stronghold we can win with our own hands, 

where we may dwell in deep contentment—

so long as we do not linger there in idleness and sloth, 

but remain ready to ride out at another’s call for help. 

This stronghold, which each of us may build, 

is the fortress of peace, beauty and joy. 

We cannot enter it by right; we must win it. 

In an anxious and troubled world, we should seek such a place for rest and renewal, 

yet never for idle or selfish pleasure.

It must be an interlude between toil and the painful deeds life demands, and we must be ready to charge forth the moment duty calls.

Though hard to win, such a fortress is dangerous once gained, 

for it tempts us to seal ourselves in peace and watch life only from a distance—

shutting out not just wind and rain, 

but the cries of the wounded and wronged. 

And if we do that, the day will come when our castle is besieged, and we will be forced to ride out defeated and ashamed to face the duties we neglected.

It is right, natural, and wise to have a stronghold in the mind— where we keep the company of those who have loved beauty wisely and purely.    

lest the world’s daily grind swallow us whole. 

We must not shrink from its work, 

yet remember it is only a mortal discipline, 

and our true life is elsewhere with God. 

If we treat life’s cares as all that matter, we lose its freshness; just as we lose its strength by shunning its toil." Arthur Benson. 

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

 

"I remember how when I had a long and dreary illness, with much mental depression, one of my greatest tortures was to be for ever seeing the beauty in things, but not to be able to enjoy it. That part of the brain that enjoyed was sick and uneasy; but I was never in any doubt that beauty was there, and had power to please the soul, if only the physical machinery were not out of gear, so that the pain of transmission overcame the sense of delight." Arthur Benson. 

 

"We judge Thomas for his doubts. 

Almost no one remembers he was the first one willing to die.

We’ve branded him with a nickname "Doubting Thomas", reducing his entire life to a single bad weekend. 

We treat him like the weak link in the chain, 

a skeptic who didn’t love Jesus enough to just believe.

You need to read John 11 again.

The context here is terrifying. Lazarus is dead, and Jesus announces He is heading back to Judea to wake him up. 

The disciples aren't just hesitant; 

they are shaking in their sandals. 

They remind Jesus that the religious leaders in Judea barely missed stoning Him to death a few days prior. 

Going back wasn't a mission trip. 

It was a suicide mission.

Naturally, the room hesitates. They value their lives. 

But while everyone else is looking for the exit, 

Thomas stands up. 

He looks around at his terrified friends and drops the bravest line in the Gospels:

"Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

That is not the voice of a coward. 

That is the only man in the room with the guts to walk into the fire because he couldn't bear the thought of Jesus walking into it alone. 

He was ready to take a rock to the skull just to stay close to his Rabbi.

So, when he struggled with the resurrection later? 

It wasn't because he didn't care. 

It was because he cared  "too much."

His heart wasn't just skeptical; it was crushed. 

He had resigned himself to die for Jesus, 

but instead, he had to watch Jesus die without him. 

His "doubt" was trauma, not intellectual pride. 

He was afraid to get his hopes up again.

Notice that Jesus didn’t scold him. He didn’t lecture him. 

He just showed him the scars. 

See Thomas holding those hands, shedding tears of love.

We are so quick to define people by their lowest moments. 

We judge an entire biography by one hard chapter. 

Thomas had a moment of doubt, sure, but he backed it up with a lifetime of loyalty. 

Tradition tells us he traveled further than any other apostle, taking the Gospel all the way to India, where he was eventually speared to death.

He died exactly the way he lived: Committed to the end.

Are you judging someone right now because their faith looks messy? Are you writing them off because they’re asking the angry, hard questions?

Be careful. They might not be enemies of the faith. 

They might just be heartbroken believers who need to see the scars before they can risk trusting again."

Ellis Enobun Ref: John 11:16 and John 20:24-31

 

Last night was ladies night at the jail; I was anticipating something special from the Lord because I've been reading the inspiring and stirring book called, "The Strip Club Chronicles" by Kelsey Decker. 

Although our ministries are in different locations, hers in the strip clubs, red light districts and wherever women are exploited, it is much the same; so I was inspired and hoped something deeply spiritual would happen. We meet in a small room on the main floor,  tucked away in a corner, it's my inner sanctum, that special place where Jesus sheds His love lavishly on the souls of the women I meet there, as well as my own. 

Five women came and I've met four of them before. The new person was a late teen girl wearing a hooded puffer jacket, zipped up to her chin revealing only her round little ebony face. She's the youngest girl in this part of the jail, so I expected her to be shy and withdrawn, but to my surprise she lit the room with her broad sun-bright smile.   Let's call her Tia. She wasn't a Christian, but was in love with a boy  whose father was a Pastor and was exposed to some Biblical themes there. 

She was eager to hear and, eager to talk. She began telling her story when we were interrupted by a guard who called her away: I know not why. I was a little disappointed but continued on with the other four women. About 15 minutes later she returned and was eager to tell her story, but we were right in the middle of a study so I asked if she could share it at the end? She happily agreed and said she could stay late, so we finished up and the other four ladies left us alone. Of course in the jail you are never alone, you're always under camera view. 

The Lord's presence envelops the room with feelings of safety, trust and acceptance; so she soon revealed that she was pregnant by her lover, but, in her despair, confusion, fear and poverty, decided to abort the child, and did so without the father's knowledge. This led to a break-up and now she sat weeping for the loss of her child and her lover. 

So here I sat, in front of this broken young girl fighting tears of deep grief: surely Christ's words encapsulated this moment -- 

"The Spirit of the Lord, the Eternal, is on me.

    The Lord has appointed me for a special purpose.

He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to repair broken hearts,

And to declare to those who are held captive and bound in prison..."

We spent the next hour together, wrapt in the Lord's embrace, as I reached for every heavenly word I could find, shared every verse and gave her all the resource material I had. 

She was my daughter that night, truly, these are the riches in Christ. 

 "When I turned 65 a few years back, I sat in my favorite chair, looked back over my life, and thought to myself,

“So… this is the beginning of the final stretch.”

And slowly, the truths I had ignored for years began to rise to the surface—quiet, firm, impossible to dismiss.

Children?

They’re busy writing their own stories.

Health?

It slips away faster than sand through open fingers.

The world and its systems?

Headlines, promises, and numbers that rarely change real life.

Aging doesn’t wound the body first.

It strips away illusions.

So I sat with myself—and with the Lord—and carved out a handful of honest, necessary truths about how to live the rest of my days with purpose, dignity, and peace.

⸻

Children don’t save you from loneliness

Children are a blessing—but they are not meant to be your identity or your safety net.

They grow. Life pulls them in every direction. One day you realize you’re a cherished chapter in their story, not the center of it.

You love them deeply…

and yet something inside still feels quiet and hollow.

Only God was ever meant to fill that space.

⸻

Health is not guaranteed

One day, the activities you once jumped into with enthusiasm feel heavy.

You realize health was never a background character—

it was the pillar holding everything else upright.

Your body is not just something you live in.

It is something you steward.

And stewardship matters to the Lord.

⸻

Retirement is not a reward—it’s a reality check

Depending on systems alone is like standing on thin ice.

Bills grow.

Needs grow.

Prices grow.

Faith does not mean irresponsibility.

Wisdom means preparing while you can.

Provision is part of stewardship.

⸻

So I rebuilt my life around new rules—

honest, practical rules for finishing well.

⸻

Rule 1: Be wise with money, but trust the Lord—not wealth

Love your children.

Bless them.

Pray for them.

But don’t make them your retirement plan.

Save what you can.

Plan wisely.

Give generously.

Financial independence preserves dignity—but faith reminds us where true security comes from.

⸻

Rule 2: Your health is part of your calling. Work to strengthen yourself to remain independent as long as possible

If your body refuses to cooperate, everything else becomes harder.

Move.

Walk.

Stretch.

Sleep.

Eat cleaner.

Reduce what slowly poisons the body.

You don’t do this out of vanity—

you do it so you can keep serving, loving, and showing up.

Your body is a vessel.

Honor it.

⸻

Rule 3: Create joy—and root it in gratitude

Waiting for others to make you happy leads to disappointment.

So you learn to notice the gifts:

A quiet morning.

A warm cup of coffee.

Scripture that settles the soul.

Music that lifts the spirit.

When your joy comes from the Lord, loneliness loses its grip.

⸻

Rule 4: Aging is not permission to give up

Some people turn aging into a habit of complaints.

Over time, even those who love them drift away.

Strength is attractive.

Resilience is inspiring.

Capability honors God.

Exercise. Stay engaged. Stay useful.

⸻

Rule 5: Release the past

The good old days were beautiful—but they are gone.

Clinging to them steals today.

God is not finished creating moments worth living.

There is still purpose here.

⸻

Rule 6: Guard your peace fiercely

Not every argument needs your voice.

Not every opinion needs your energy.

Not every relationship deserves access to your heart.

Peace is precious.

Protect it—from drama, bitterness, and emotional chaos.

Peace makes room for the Lord’s presence.

⸻

Rule 7: Keep learning, growing, and serving

The day you stop learning is the day you start shrinking.

Learn something new.

Try something different.

Move your mind and body.

Growth honors God.

Stagnation dulls the spirit.

⸻

You are still here for a reason

Aging is an exam no one can take for you.

You can adapt.

You can rebuild.

You can rise—with faith, wisdom, and strength.

And if no one comes to rescue you…

Stand up anyway.

Lean on the Lord.

Steward what you’ve been given.

Serve with what you still have.

Because you still can.

And that truth—anchored in faith—is enough to transform the rest of your life." ❤️

Kathy Goff.

 My experiences ministering at the jail are so vast, so strange at times, as well as sorrowful, I doubt I can put words to my thoughts today. 

A young woman, 20? Has attended my Bible study, and it's the first Bible study she's ever been too. What a privilege for me!!! She is thin, petite, timid on the outside, always walks with her head down, her conversations are fragmented, she speaks with little more than a whisper, but when she does talk, she has no filter and just spills her thoughts out with no restraint. But surprisingly, she is very bright and her thoughts and questions always amaze me. 

She is cute, but seems to go to great links to hide it. She's shaved her head and her eyebrows, why, I have no idea? I've yet to learn her story, but in the years I've spent with men and women in jail, I know her past is harsh, dark, and whelming.

But this little person has captured this near eighty year old heart. And it appears there's something the Lord has done to give her a fondness for me. What a joy, how gratifying! 

I saw her last night and she said she had a note for me. Huh? That's interesting, I couldn't wait to read it. As I began trying to decipher it, I had to smile because I don't think I've ever read a note that so clearly illustrated the author! I wish she wrote it in darker letters, but, like I said, she speaks in a whisper. 

But within that whisper are these sweeping, bold and artistic letters, along with almost illegible thoughts and curious ramblings, again, illustrating her personality to a T! I had to read it over and over to come to the conclusion she was saying she enjoys the meetings, and when she is released she would like to hear me again and she wondered if I spoke at the women's shelter I recommended for her. I don't, but I think I'll ask her to friend me on FaceBook so we can continue to chat. 99% of the time, inmates never follow through, but I hope she does......

Here's her letter -- 

 

 

Okay, I need your theological minds, here is a passage on “True faith.”  

Is it? 

“True religion is NOT something we accept merely because an authority tells us to. 

It must be something we personally see as true and good through our own awakened conscience and moral insight. Otherwise, our obedience is empty imitation, not genuine faith. 

Jesus appeals to the “pure heart” and the awakened conscience in each person. 

If we follow religious rules only because they are imposed, certified, or stamped with authority, then our obedience is not truly moral or spiritual.

A rule that does not prove itself inwardly as holy, good, and binding on the conscience cannot really command the soul. If a rule is accepted only because:

• “God said so,”

• “The Church says so,”

• “This book says so,”

…but we do not inwardly see it as right, holy, and binding, then:

• it is not truly a moral rule,

• it becomes only a policy, a strategy, or a self-interested calculation,

• and our obedience is only mimetic (imitative), not ethical.

We are copying behavior, not responding from conscience.

If Christ alone could truly see moral and spiritual truth, and everyone else was blind, then Christianity would become absurd — like teaching blind people to imitate the movements of someone who can see. 

That would turn religion into:

• external mimicry,

• empty performance,

• “posture-making of the soul,”

not genuine spiritual life.

Every person must have some direct capacity to recognize truth and goodness — otherwise religion collapses into hypocrisy and meaningless ritual.

Jesus did not come to replace human conscience, but to awaken and guide it.

Religious truth must be inwardly recognizable as good, holy, and binding — or it is not truly religious.

Obedience without inward moral vision is not virtue, but imitation.

A faith that only one person can truly “see” is no faith at all — it reduces everyone else to puppets.

Therefore, Christianity appeals to what is deepest and clearest in the human soul — conscience, moral insight, and the love of goodness itself.

True Christianity must be personally seen and recognized as good and authoritative by the conscience of each believer; otherwise, it becomes 

empty imitation, 

blind obedience, 

and spiritual hypocrisy 

rather than living faith.

Obedience that is not grounded in inner conviction is not moral obedience at all — it’s imitation.

So if someone follows a religious rule 

only because it’s said to be authoritative, 

without ever grasping its moral worth, 

that person is spiritually impoverished — even if their behavior looks pious. 

Genuine religious faith must be personally recognized by conscience and moral insight, rather than accepted purely on the basis of authority or tradition.”

What do you think?