Thoughts and Insights from LD

Well, it's been one month since I had a Facebook account, I factory reset my smartphone a couple weeks ago and I'm officially feeling the effects of it. No more picture taking. No more looking up lyrics to the many songs sung at the Lodge when I visit Gramma. No more instand calendar.I also no longer have maps when I'm driving. or the ability to listen to music or podcasts when I'm working in the kitchen or going for a walk. No more being available 24/7 which I'm actually really liking. So it means I have a small paper daytimer in my purse and I use it in tandem with my homeschool planner so I know what's going on when. I'm in the middle of making a songbook of the songs typically sung at the Lodge and then will have a paper copy to take with me. I ask others to take pictures and send them to me....not a lot though. I was never a major picture taker in the first place. The only time I'm online is when I'm in front of my laptop in the office. I...

New York now has a Muslim mayor. The ideologies of Islam do not fit in the Western world...I truly wonder what will happen, it definitely feels like this is going to turn quickly into widesptread freaky stuff. I wonder how many other Muslims are in control of cities, towns, states or provinces in North America. At the same time chaos seems to be increasing in the world, my personal world is getting more simple. I deleted my Facebook account at midnight last night and started setting up my dumbphone. I'm laughing today though because somehow while setting things up I locked my SIM card and now I have to wait until tomorrow to unlock it at the store. I have been feeling Abba calling me to unplug for a few years...okay, since 2020 and it's taken this long to get brave enough to do it. What changed? I had to make a choice. I had to get off the fence. Do I choose my own comforts and pleasures or do I choose to truly focus on Abba? I'm ready to lay it all down. I know HIS way ...

I've got to say, I really like new beginnings. It's the end of the 7th Biblical month and even though it's kind of the middle of the year, it's the beginning of the new Torah cycle all around the world. We have the opportunity to read it anew and learn more with each cycle, going a bit deeper each year we read through it. As a family, we've read through the Torah portion at least 10 times, but we haven't read through the entire Bible that many times. This year we are reading every night after supper and following the BYNA reading plan found HERE Also new to us (not brand new, but it's been a long time), is that we are hosting Shabbats in our home. I kept getting asked if there was a Shabbat group in town and I would always say, "no, we drive 1hr-2hrs away to join one." Well, that's just not realistic anymore. If there is a need in town for a Shabbat group, AWESOME!!! We'll open our home until we are too big and then we'll find a bi...

This can be a hot topic in some dogmatic groups. We're gonna take a look at a few of the ways we experience deliverance in our walk with Messiah. When looking online for the 3 deliverance strategies I'm aware of, I came across this, by Apostle Joshua Selman. There are Three (3) Levels of Complete Deliverance: 1). The first level of Deliverance is casting out the spirit influences in your life and behind your challenges. 2). Deliverance through transformation by the Word of God. (Mark 5:15) Transformation closes the door of ignorance and empowers the believer to rise above the influence of demons. Demons easily return to a believer that does not contend for transformation. Demons depend on the wrong mental construct of their victim to remain resident. 3). The third level is the discipline of comformity (Compliance with scriptural standards for victory). You must sustain the discipline to adhere and conform to the principles of scripture designed to keep you in victory. As Beli...

There is such a huge battle going on. While it is in fact invisible most of the time, there comes a time when it DOES become visible and that is often unsettling. I think that is why North America is the way it is. Set-Apart Believers from almost all denominations out there have turned their eye from anything unlovely and just discards it. I am guilty of this myself. I took Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things." to a legalistic level. I not only used it as my guideline for entertainment (which I think is the appropriate use for this verse) but I also used it as a way to set boundaries for myself. I rejected those people who were struggling in areas and were not seeking live to a holy lifestyle. I look back now, and Abba kn...

Tends to be full of ups and downs, twists and turns, taking a few steps back before going forward again. This is where I am at. Realizing that I've fallen into survival mode instead of thriving mode. It feels like it will take me a bit to get back on track. It's time to look at my Authentic Life Plan again and remember what my core priorities are. I'm so thankful that I have that printed out so I can refer to it when I get into the mindset of "who cares". So how did I find myself in survival mode? I think it started when I stopped doing my Scripture Writing while on my 25th anniversary getaway. I started doing things in my own strength. Was it pride? Did I momentarily think I "had it all together" somehow? That's kinda laughable, but maybe... Here's the thing though. I let my spiritual armour get rusty. Oh sure I still had discernment, but when it's not balanced with Abba's love, it turns into judgement. Instead of praying over people and...