IT'S BEEN A CRAZY ROLLER COASTER RIDE THIS PAST YEAR...

It’s good to be back on here… It’s been a while… lots of things in this world has changed….

The most important lessons in my life happened during the past 21 months….

From the book of Joel… a short book of only 3 chapters… summarizes what’s been going on..

As the vivid words of Pastor Dave and Pastor Darryl still lingers in my head from time to time…

1) The Locusts in our lives help us Focus…

⁴ What the locust swarm has left
the great locusts have eaten;
what the great locusts have left
the young locusts have eaten;
what the young locusts have left
other locusts have eaten.

⁵ Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!
Wail, all you drinkers of wine;
wail because of the new wine,
for it has been snatched from your lips.

Joel 1:4-5

2) Scarcity in life brings Clarity…

¹⁰ The fields are ruined,
the ground is dried up;
the grain is destroyed,
the new wine is dried up,
the oil fails.

¹¹ Despair, you farmers,
wail, you vine growers;
grieve for the wheat and the barley,
because the harvest of the field is destroyed.

¹² The vine is dried up
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—
all the trees of the field—are dried up.
Surely the joy of mankind
is withered away.

Joel 1:10-12

3) Repentance ==> Restoration…

¹³ Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.

¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and have pity
and leave behind a blessing—
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.

Joel 2:13-14

Restoration:

²⁵ "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm
my great army that I sent among you.

²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.

Joel 2:25-26

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Even though the times were tough, there’s one constant in my life that never changed…

The Love of God, His Grace & Mercy and daily supply of “manna”….

$ and possession can come and vanish in an instant… not much security to go on…

In the past 18 months, I’ve seen and heard of 401K turning into 101K… literally…

People’s entire life savings have gone up in smoke…. broken hearts and spirits were everywhere..

Jesus gave me such internal Peace that no $ can buy… although I don’t have much “worldly possessions” to

show for… I count my treasures in the relationships that I have…. NO amount of $ can buy real and genuine

care, love and compassion from people… that’s all from the Love of people and the Love of their hearts…

I’ve been truly blessed to know the importance of relationships vs the materialism of this world.

A very important bible verse that I’ve remembered in my heart…. That’s been keeping me going during

this tough time…

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18

Glad to be back….

More to come

God Bless =)