Tune in for the reading of Proverbs 2 and the Goodness of God. What does the goodness of God mean to you?
Timothy Schwartz
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Proverbs 1
Good news, if you don’t have the time to read but want to hear what Proverbs says you can listen to the whole chapter here and I will be recording all 31 Chapters.
Happy listening my friends. Much love.
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Three Minutes Early
As we drove back from Ballet Magnificat, the streetlights flickered past us, casting fleeting shadows across the car’s interior. My loving wife, nestled beside me, tapped on her phone, the soft glow illuminating her beautiful face as she played a YouTube video.
The speaker’s voice in the video filled the quiet cabin, speaking of the Holy Spirit stirring at 3 o’clock in the morning, a divine nudge to wakefulness. He spoke of messages whispered in the stillness of the night, urging one to reach for the Word and seek guidance when woken up at 3:00 AM.
Hours later, the darkness of the early morning enveloped our room as I stirred from sleep, the digits on the clock glowing 2:57. The speaker’s words echoed in my mind, and with a sense of purpose, I reached for the worn paperback version of my Bible resting on the nightstand. Its pages, weathered from countless readings, whispered promises of guidance and solace. Opening it, I turn to Psalm 17, anticipation mingling with the hush of the night as I sought the voice of the
Lord.
In this quiet moment, as the clock ticks closer to the appointed hour, I find solace in the notion that perhaps, in the realm of divine timing, being three minutes ahead is not a matter of lateness, but rather, a mark of punctuality.
With a quiet resolve, I acknowledge that indeed, I am on time. For in this world where every moment carries significance, being three minutes early is not merely a gesture of promptness, but a testament to the readiness of the soul to receive its message.
Years ago, I heard a Chairman of a NYC bank say if you are not three minutes early, you are late. So here is God delivering a message at 2:57 AM on time for He is three minutes early.
Psalm 17:1-8 goes on to say,
Hear a just cause oh Lord, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips. I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. I’ve called upon You for You will hear me, Oh God, incline your ear to me and hear my speech. Show your marvelous loving kindness by your right hand; You save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings.
My takeaway is the Lord will hear my prayer for my cause. (It evens says God visited in the night).
Being ambitious I have a few causes and one cause I have right now is to encourage people with depression and hope that they find Jesus and trust in Him and find abundant life. Thank you, Jesus.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit are always on time even in the middle of the night.
Give us “This Day”
“Our daily bread”of course, and most people know these words from what’s known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day, Our Daily Bread, forgive us our debts as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the power of the Kingdom and the Holy One. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Those words are a lesson in how to pray taught by Jesus himself.
Laying in bed as a little kid in the Heights of Jersey City within the shadow of the brightly lit Empire State Building standing pop-tall, bedtime was often a treat because one on one time with my Nana.
Nan would lay down with me and I would listen to her pray. She would say God bless and then go on and name all of our family members one at a time but not before she would teach me the “Our Father” prayer. I vividly remember repeating each line after her and today I write this story on what would have been her 97th birthday here on this giant blue rock filled with living waters. Thanks Nan and Happy Birthday.
What a beautiful memory I have of those moments and the lesson is give us “This day” not tomorrow and not yesterday. Give us THIS DAY…yes, “this” very day.
At a recent funeral the Pastor reminded us, our days are numbered and that number may only be one if we are to leave this earth today. My friends, there are no guarantees of how many days we receive so we need to look at “This day.”
Where do you stand on this day?
If we only have one day it is best to be happy in it, live today with joy and gladness. No one wants to be depressed on “this day” so I invite you to jump for joy today and more importantly make sure your relationship with God is right for that is forever.
This is the day that the Lord hath made so let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Thank you Lord for giving me “this day.” Thank you Lord for this day where I can exercise the gifts you have given me and thank you for the air that flows so effortlessly through my lungs. Thank you!
Lord help me make the most of this day, the day I have in front of me. Thank you for this very day, it help me accomplish my goals and live a continued life of love, peace, and joy. Thank you for giving me this day.
Thank you for “This Day.”
The Lift and the Ski Lift
Two weeks ago I wrote a story about a man named Rocky. Rocky was suffering from cancer and had to isolate for 90 days in recovery.
Videoing an eagle take flight I sent it to Rocky recently with the verse from Isaiah 40:31 “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”
Fifteen days ago I wrote how I feel it in my bones that my friend Rocky will be skiing soon for he also had just taken a picture of eagles and I knew the Isaiah 40:31 verse was for him.
Here it is 15 days later and I telephone him bringing him the verse, “He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be the shield and Buckler. Psalm 91:4”, and he reports to me he just got clearance from his doctor one hour ago to go skiing again for he is restored.
Like a young man my 72 old friend will have wings as he flies down the ski slopes tucked in the mountains of North Jersey as he will be skiing there in 2 days!
No 90 day incubation here. This man has been lifted up in prayer and now he is lifted out of the recovery bed as he gleefully walks past the place where he met his lovely bride 50 years ago in 1974 and they celebrate her birthday together.
Now my man will be celebrating on the ski slopes as winter winds down but the weather reports 32 degrees of crispy air to fill Rocky’s lungs as he fearlessly takes on a Double Black Diamond and with great optimism pays for next years ski pass in advance. You go Rocky!
I can picture the Rocky song playing loudly as he glides freely along the hilly terrain.
The lift is not only at the ski resort, the lift is upon his wings and he will be like the youth on the snowy Appalachian mountain.
And from the poem Late Lament, spoken at the end of Night’s In White Satin (sung by Rocky’s favorite band)…
“Breathe deep the gathering gloom, watch lights fade from every room. Bed sitter, people look back in lament, another days useless energy spent.”
These are words of the past. There is no more useless or lack of energy, no isolation regardless of how Splendid Isolation Warren Zevon said it is.
Rocky feels great and has energy with lift, just like an eagle. Majestic, jaw-dropping and miraculous lift.
To cite a few words that was played during the movie, “An Officer and a Gentleman “ Love lift us up where we belong where the eagles cry on a mountain high”
Thank you Jesus for healing my faithful friend. Thank you. There is healing in the name of Jesus!
Fly high my brother and enjoy the magic carpet ride.
Meet the Day! This is the day the Lord hath made.
Paul McCartney woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across his head. Well…at least I woke up. The best part of waking up is not only sipping caffeine extracted from coffee-beans in my cup and the delightful aroma it dispels, it is a start to a brand-new day. Praise God!
Did your week start off wrong on Monday? Did you screw up yesterday? I did. I always do but I am given a new day each day for an unknown amount of time so I am grabbing each day like a cowboy grabs a bull by the horns squeezing every ounce of strength from each day.
Who cares about yesterday? Yesterday is over. Today is a new slate, clean and ready for your fill. A fresh-beginning. The birds are chirping, the air is still and is freshly loaded with tasteful oxygen.
Enough oxygen to feed this beating heart that pumps constantly looking to grow each day in relationship with my loving Lord Jesus Christ and expel constant joy, love, and peace among my brothers and sisters of this breath-filled world.
I remember my Statistics teacher and often his quote comes to mind from twenty-five years ago, when he said, “Consistency is the mark of an interesting mind.” If Professor Dr.Loeb is correct, my mind is interesting because I consistently fail at getting the most out of each day but TODAY IS A NEW DAY!
Failure stimulates greatness. When you look at yesterday and say I am not going to do that again and you give your new day a fresh shot in the arm and spring out of bed, greatness abounds!
What’s on the other side of failure and bad habits? Of course the answer is success and good habits. Part of success is living each day to the fullest, meeting responsibilities , enjoying life, starting over, and spreading love and kindness.
Get up! Jump out of bed. Face the day with great optimism. It’s a new day! Start over. Even if the morning was bad, you can make the afternoon good and the evening shine with a glow of freshness on your face radiating an attitude of “I did it. I made it a great day.” I can do it and you can do it too.
Don’t let anything keep you down. Ask God for strength and courage and as the Company Commander screams in boot-camp long before the sun even comes up…”POP TALL!!!!”
Jump up on the line, stand proudly. Stand with your back straight up and erect. Stand tall in the walk of life.
Do what the “Man in Black” Johnny Cash did. Walk the line with great confidence, optimism and the knowledge you are a child of the “King of Kings” and that alone my love is a reason enough to meet the day joyously shouting, “Bring it on, I am ready!” It’s a new day. Meet the day, meet today. This guy on a journey is ready, are you?
P.S. This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
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Now on you tube https://youtu.be/1QxuCcDdjz0?feature=shared
I hope you subscribe to my channel on YouTube, where I’ll be discussing previously written stories of how God works in our lives and upcoming stories as the Lord works in my life. Thanks for reading and thanks for listening.
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Dear Prudence or Whomever
John Lennon
“The sun is up the sky is blue you’re beautiful and so are you. Dear prudence….” (Written by Lennon and McCartney).
Rising up on a weekday morning, the sun is up and doing its job on a cold winter day.
It’s a happy day because we are alive to see the yellow globe in the sky and feel the rays of light it bestows upon us.
It’s also Valentine’s Day, so if you have a “significant other” sing a few lines of this Beatles song to them. Remind them of their beauty. Insert their name where Prudence goes.
It goes like this, Raquel Walsh’s husband may have sung Dear Raquel, won’t you come out to play?
Dear Raquel, greet the brand new day…
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful and so are you…
Dear Raquel, won’t you come out to play?
You get the idea, simply insert your loved one’s name.
If you are enjoying singlehood either by choice or circumstance and are without a hubby or wife, simply insert your own name.
I would have sang Dear Timothy greet the brand new day. It’s a form of self love and encouragement.
Or if your name is Joe, sing Dear Joe…etc, etc.
Thankful for my gift that I received from the Lord, I shall sing Dear Raquel the same way Mrs. Welsch’s husband would have sang it, for my bride and her share a name.
In fact as I write this, I am inspired to learn this song on the guitar and serenade this lovely woman.
Hats off to John Lennon for writing such an inspirational and beautiful song.
Dear Raquel, meet the brand new day…
The sun is up the sky is blue it’s beautiful and so are you…
Sing it guys.
Feel free to put in the comments who you sang it to or will sing it to tomorrow morning.
I’d love to hear from you.
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Does God give us a Word?
Does God give us a Word to share with others? Many Christians believe so. I think it is called prophecy.
Flying majestically in the cold air a bald eagle glides gently after a few wing pumps leaving me in awe as I video such splendor with my phone.
I send the video to three of my friends that I think will find encouragement if I tag the shot along with my favorite Bible verse Isaiah 40:31. “For those that wait upon the Lord will rise up like wings on eagles they will run and not faint, they will run and not grow weary.”
My three close friends receive the Word graciously and one friend instantly responds with his own picture he took the day before I shot my video and his photo is of 3 bald eagles having a feast on an icy lake.
While all three men appreciated the video I text them, I do believe the eagle message is for my friend I will call Rocky to protect his privacy.
Rocky is not a young man by our worldly standards and he is suffering from cancer in his bones. Rocky is physically depleted and worn out from a recent transplant.
Tired and living in partial isolation for 90 days, weakness creeped into his body.
But Rocky saw 3 grounded eagles feasting on a deer that got trapped in the ice. The next day Rocky receives a video of an eagle on the ground and soon rising up into the cold January air.
So yes I believe I was meant to send Isaiah 40:31 to Rocky and his picture of the eagles confirms to me I am doing the right thing by sending him the eagle video.
Three eagles. It reminds me of the three different people I cover in prayer each week of whomever God puts on my heart.
As I renamed my friend Rocky to protect his innocence, my story today concludes with a John Denver lyric, for it is no coincidence that I called him Rocky “ Though I’d be a poor man if I never saw an eagle fly…Rocky Mountain High.”
Here I randomly call my dear friend Rocky (again, no coincidence) and Rocky Mountain High is what I posted on posted on Facebook recently when I saw another bald eagle flapping his wings over the farmlands of South Jersey.
I actually pulled over and waited for him to take flight. “For those that wait paitiently upon the Lord will rise up and mount like wings on eagles. They will run like young men and not grow weary.
Yes my dear friend Rocky will fly high, for he patiently waits upon the Lord. He will fly Rocky Mountain High and be skiing again soon. I feel it in my bones.
I ask that you pray for Rocky (the Lord knows who he is.) Pray for a speedy recovery for there is healing in His Word.
And my friend is a rich man for he saw not only one eagle but three and he will soon jump out of that recovery bed, click his heels and jump up and sing praises for the strength he receives from the Lord. Amen!
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Worthy Compost
Rotting in my backyard compost pile a cardboard egg carton carries a message.
Imprinted in scripted blue ink a Bible verse clings to the inside of the biodegradable carton reminding me, “This is the day that the Lord hath made let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24.
Containing carbon, cardboard is good organic matter for a compost pile for gardening purposes so I toss in an egg carton containing God’s Word knowing it will enrich my soil.
Beside the nutrients it provides for my plants and trees, laying on the top of the heap it serves as a reminder to rejoice and it makes for a simple prayer to start my day.
Coffee and a mushroom omelet grace my morning table. My wife and I pray before each meal in my household and this morning’s prayer was simply “ This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it and thank you for our blessings and thank you for this day.”
Short and sweet and a great way to start the day.
Whether it’s cold and rainy, or warm and sunny, remember, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let’s be glad in it. Let’s rejoice.
If you are having a great day…great! If you are having an off day, that’s ok too. The day was created for you, let’s rejoice in it.
Paul writes in the book of Phillipians to be content in all situations.
As to my garden, I believe my plants will be well rooted this year in Good soil.
Just a guy on a Journey! 