Wow! This is the first day in months I actually have a day to myself at home! John and son Chris are out hunting deer and I’m just working to accomplish some taskers and listen to YouTube, which I haven’t done for almost a week. Oh, my book, Musings Along Life’s Journey, is still on track to publish mid-December, so here I share my Introduction as a teaser.
INTRODUCTION
When I was born, fourth child and second daughter to my parents Harry & Ellen Stahl, the nurse said, “That’s such a beautiful baby, she needs a name,” a couple days after my birth. Thus, my given name, Heidi Ellen Stahl, came to be. Two meanings of Heidi are: battle maiden and princess. Ellen, which means shining light, was my mother’s name, and Stahl in German means steel. When I was eighteen, my husband John added Honey to my name. I don’t think my parents realized the portent in the names I received, but I love to find name meanings. So here goes: I am a battle maiden princess, shining light, hard as steel and sweet as honey.
As of this printing, I have been married to John for forty-one years, blessed with four children and their spouses, and nine grandchildren. John and I have “retired” to Henderson, New York. I put retired in quotes because I have never stopped working odd jobs and my husband always has a project -or six- in the works. I am an editor, blogger, caregiver, an ordinary woman made extraordinary by the power that resides within me since I accepted Jesus as my savior and became a Christian.
This is my first book, based on my blog that can be found at: www.musingsalonglifesjourney.blog Join me as I share my musings and adventures, vignettes of my journey over nearly six decades of life on this earth. I pray that my testimonies encourage you and stimulate your desire to taste and see that the Lord is good, giving thanks to the Father and glory to the Son.
Our Pastor had to fill in on short notice for this weekend’s services. He said he has a three-part message ready to go on short notice but asked the Lord what He had for the church. The upshot: Holy Spirit connected that today is the 8th day of Tishri. Also, that it was the 8th day of Tishri, the feast of Booths, which was re-instituted by Nehimiah as the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon:
Nehimiah 8:17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
The Holy Spirit connected this Scripture in John was also the 8th day of the Feast of Booths:
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
We are entering into the new era the Prophets have been talking about. Pastor asked if we have living water pouring out, or deathly water. What is coming out of us? The Spirit of God, or fleshly works, words, actions/reactions? Our church is being led to repent of the former things and renewing and refreshing for what is upon us.
God is on the move, waking up the sleeping church. Tim Sheets is seeing the Church stepping up into what God has for us, coming together, building on all the great revivals before us. God has not stopped/cut off the things He did in previous generations, but is building on the previous revelations and urging us forward. Are you joining the movement of Heaven merging with earth and stepping out as manifest children of God for this kingdom age? It’s time we had a new dousing in Living Water of the Spirit and rising up in the power and authority we have in Jesus Christ! Join me as I step out in faith, trusting that all the promises in the Bible are true and active. May you experience true Shalom in the days to come and become the “Shining Ones” as Moses was!
Here’s a Gray Jay my husband found in Saskatchewan, Canada
Welcome to another random musing post, my friends! My son Chris, who lives about six hours away, came late last Friday to turkey hunt with his dad. They enjoyed spending time with each other and catching up on their lives since the last time they were together; which was last fall’s deer hunting. He went home a day early due to all the rain we are having and his daughters and puppies missing him (as well as his wife!). 
As I was praying for our nation during my watch on the Fire Wall USA, at about 6:30 a.m. September 9th, Holy Spirit began bringing thoughts to repent for. Forgive us Lord, for working so hard to make our lives easy and to make ourselves comfortable. We have looked toward the world and not You for these things. We have chosen the wide, easy path and not the narrow, rocky one and we are sorry. We want to walk the path of life with You, Jesus, led by Holy Spirit guidance. Lead us into all truth and the path to ever-lasting light. Amen.
Let’s think about this in everyday terms. I’m lying on ‘My Pillow’ on a ‘Perfect Sleeper’ mattress encased in a good mattress cover purchased on Amazon, with microfiber sheets purchased at Ollie’s and ‘just the right’ woven cotton blanket (which was a cast-off from our kids who bought other blankets) perfect for the temperature inside as the evenings get cooler. I’m comforted more by the ‘Hunter’ fan light on our ceiling, which John put up a few months ago during our first days of sequestering, along with a wider, nicer wood door on the bedroom which came from our other home’s remodel. Can you believe we still don’t always sleep well???
Our shelves are stocked with food I’ve canned and staples, the fridge filled with healthy salad makings and all the fixings as well as almond milk, chia seeds, assorted healthy nuts, farm fresh eggs we get from a neighbor, the remnants of last weekend’s rotisserie chicken purchased during our Sams’ Club shopping run, as well as condiments. Don’t forget the ‘pantry drawer’ in the freezer-on-the bottom refrigerator which is filled with a pepperoni stick and shredded whole-milk, part skim mozzarella for our weekly gluten-free pizza as well as pre-cooked bacon and a Mexican cheese blend for John’s fluffy scrambled eggs for breakfast. Most of the food is planned to help with my anti-inflammatory, reduced allergy symptom eating satisfaction. Our freezers are full of assorted venison, lean pork loin chops bought in bulk from Sam’s Club, strawberries and blueberries we picked, green beans, peas, squash, rhubarb from our garden…the list goes on and on. All this food and creature comforts for our ease and for efficient meals.
It is a good thing we love to share our bounty with others, including our family and friends. It’s also fun to have people over to eat with us, but we spend a lot of time deciding what to eat throughout the day and then preparing the food and cleaning up after. I know some people have food delivery services, as the ad says, “We don’t have to cook anymore!” and some eat out a lot. Most of our country runs on our belly’s desires or eating plans developed by many ‘experts’ who all know the ‘best way’ to feed our bodies. What does the Bible say about the way we live? Let’s look at Apostle Paul’s warnings to the Philippian church.
How should we be living? This being September 11th, we remember the day they awoke us to the realization that our nation is not any safer than the rest of the world. It shook most of us to the core and left us wondering where our faith was at. The Apostle Paul explained how we should be living.
Paul is encouraging us to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, choosing life over death. Let’s look at what our goal in this life should be to give us hope for our expected end. 
It is not wrong to have creature comforts, but wrong to make them our pursuit and all-consuming focus. Remember, seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things we ‘need’ and want will be added to us. So, let us get back to Heavenly basics. The disciplines of fasting, prayer and meditating on the Word need to come back into style for those of us who claim to be Christ-followers. The early church practiced all these and God provided for all their needs as they turned the world upside down after the Holy Spirit descended on them with fire and power. When this occurred on the first Pentecost, 3,000 souls were saved. We have that same Holy Spirit available and the same power and authority from Jesus Christ, the baptism in holy fire, to do great exploits of miracles, signs, wonders and healings. Let us drop what hinders us and press on toward the goal; the upward call in Christ! That is where our victory lies. It’s where we find the Shalom completeness of God. Fellow followers, join me in this victorious walk on the narrow path that leads to life everlasting! 
Peter was not writing just to these pilgrims, but also to those of us who have come after. All of us who are Believers are part of the elect according to God’s foreknowledge of us. The Spirit sanctifies us, accomplished in us by obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. As we walk in obedience and sanctification, grace and peace multiply in our lives. Do you believe He sanctifies you; not by works of righteousness you have done, but according to Father God’s mercy? Let’s dig into the Heavenly inheritance we have.
Our Father God has blessed us with abundant mercy in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have a living hope that will never end; it’s living and growing in us daily. Halleluiah, the power of God shall keep us through faith; which comes from God and grows in us. Therefore, we have hope. Why do we rejoice?
We rejoice in this salvation even as we find grief in these trials all around us. These trials come to test our faith, its goal found in Jesus Christ. Blessed is he that has not seen Christ, but loves Him anyway. What inexpressible joy comes as we trust Jesus! The prophets and angels wonder.
Our hope rests in the grace brought to us with the revelation of Jesus Christ in us. This grace increases as we obey and turn away from fleshly lusts and ignorance. We all wonder how to become holy as He is; it comes from communion with the Lord and walking daily in His presence.
This paragraph explains the worth of our lives in view of Christ’s sacrifice. God’s work which gave our Messiah glory empowers us to put faith and hope in God. The last section of this chapter explains the endurance of God’s Word and what glory there is in the Gospel and reason for spreading it far and wide!
Musings along life's journey 