Written on10/4/21
Already, I feel a little thrill coming on having put two words together that you don’t normally associate with one another. Yet, yesterday I noticed something about a parable that I’ve come to love and has become my signal for Hope. It’s address is also my birthday. So I thought I would risk a little enlightenment game of pulling the verses that highlight my day of birth since after all, the Lord planned my birth. For the books left out just meant that it didn’t contain the address. Below the verse is a sentence of thought associated. So here we go!
Genesis: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”
Awe, this is so perfect already considering all the Armageddon nightmares I had as a child thanks to movie trailer promos during the commercial breaks. Finally, some reprieve.
Exodus: “But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where my people are living; no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, the Lord, am in the land.”
I always wondered if at the time of plagues if his people had special treatment. Goshen means ‘approaching, drawing near’. How wonderful!
Leviticus: “Next he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.”
Being ordained would be something special, but I dare not let pride or boast come into play here. I am but a humble servant. Thank you YHWH! (I hadn't read much of the NT at this point and didn't know we are already priests! 3/23/23)
Numbers: “After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.”
See, obedience. Not everyone is meant to be kings, most are meant to be humble servants. Few will be Chosen. The Levites were the only tribe assigned to the tabernacle instead of the military.
Joshua: “Then men in ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces, some on one side and some on the other. They struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained,”
How many have read the Nombres Saga yet? Ai here is a place, but the word eternal, no? I feel I already conquered my 'AI' by removing my technology from my bedroom, overcame a porn addiction, cancelled my subscriptions, and let go of my Apple fear. So far, this is spot on.
Judges: Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you as well as your sons and your grandsons, for you delivered us from the power of Midian.”
I have to be honest, I haven’t read this book yet. I’ve always wanted sons though and have this premonition that I’m going to have triplets! Carrot, baby carrots, meet the Queen Carrot of our farm! I’m totally giggling…
1 Samuel: “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”
I knew this was going to be a test. I’m not one for politics so I hope we get better candidates in the future. I pray for the ones we currently have cause I'm aware it’s not an easy task to take.
1 Kings: “Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.”
Yes! Solomon means Peace and I love Peace. “I’m loving this journey for me.” #alittlebitalexis
2 Kings: “So Edom is still in rebellion against Judah’s control today. Libnah also rebelled at that time.”
Stop it! Edom means ‘red; red all over’ when describing Esau, Jacob’s (Israel's) brother. The fear Rebekah had for Jacob was False Evidence Appearing Real!
Judah means ‘from praise’ and Libnah means ‘white; whiteness’. So... 'red all over is still in rebellion against praise control today? Whiteness also rebelled at that time'...
Oh Snap!
I Chronicles: “Ishpan, Eber, Eliel”
Lord knows I love me some name translations!
Ishpan means ‘he hides’ and has a number 4 associated with it. My eyes are bulging because I've been telling my family all month that I think I’m going to have 4 boys and 2 girls, two being adopted. My 4th son is hidden. I'll know him because the Lord showed me his name. I’m freaking out right now! I love God! Eber means ‘one that passes anger’. I imagine he will have anger since who knows where he’s coming from to three triplet brothers. Eliel means ‘my God is God’ and an Amen to that!
Let’s keep going! This may be my longest blog yet and I don’t care! This is so amazing!
Ezra: I did this because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, “The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek him, but his fierce anger is against all who abandon him.”
Again, this is as it pertains to me readers. This is how I read the Bible with my relationship with the Lord. You read it however you’re told, who am I to tell you how to read. I was a sheep astray. I abandoned the Lord and my Messy Message post shows how quick, or long, that fall can be. How much suffering one can endure out of rebellion? I was ashamed, I felt silly asking for things in prayer. I still prayed, but selfishly.
Now, I pray for others, I pray for our community, our world, I pray for our future. I knew he was angry with me and maybe that’s why my 'carrots' are still far away. I wasn’t ready to give up the partying, the status, the freedom of singleness, I was Amy Shumer’s Trainwreck, but with less trains if you know what I mean. A modest train wreck, but all the same, wrecked. I remember seeing that movie with my cousin and thinking ‘Wow, this hits home’ as we laughed and she slapped my arm at every similarity. I left the theater bruised.
Hey, here’s the hope…. I HAVE RETURNED TO THE RIGHTFUL KING, THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF LORDS, THE MOST HIGH, OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, HALLELUJAH!
I also love the all the caps button.
Job: “Your enemies will be clothed with shame; the tent of the wicked will no longer exist.”
I haven’t read Job yet because most fear his story. How beautiful that this is my verse after sharing the one about Ezra. The books in between didn’t have my date in them so it jumps to this one? Coincidence? This is just the most awesome-ness of days!
Proverbs: “The Lord acquired me at the beginning of his creation, before his works of long ago.”
So this verse and one in the New Testament are the reasons I thought to look up all my date verses. I’ve been telling friends that I’m on a honeymoon of sorts with Yeshua and want to dedicate my time to this walk, his Word, sharing our intimacy so others will see how wonderful he is to us. He loves you just as much as he loves me. We are all equal in his eyes, hence the sheep parable of 1 astray. He will leave 99 obedient sheep just for you to come home. What?! Yes.
Here come the caps, YOU ARE ON PURPOSE. YOU WERE MADE FOR HIS PLEASURE, HIS DELIGHT. That’s what Eden from Garden of Eden means, to delight in his pleasure. The only way to know for sure is if you pick up the book for yourself and give it an honest try. I am cheering you on every step of the way my love!
Isaiah: “They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.”
It’s a good thing I like roller coasters, but let me elaborate on this one, again, as I see it. I went down every conspiracy rabbit hole through the app that consumes time, pretty self explanatory. Friends, look at Isaiah 8:12 that I highlighted on 9/15/21. Yep, my date verse is now pretty self explanatory. Be careful to not get caught in the wrong funnel - choose the rabbit hole well LIT!
Jeremiah: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?”
Anyone locally attend Mount Gilead? I loved going there! My neighbor’s daughter just went there this summer and she loved it, loved it! But seriously, why has the healing of his people not come about yet through this pandemic? Could there be an alternate vaccine? Psalms 91 has been working for me and my family just fine - give it a try! Hand over your heart and recite out loud everyday until you trust it! I’m rooting for you!!
Daniel: “The four horns that took the place of the broken horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.”
This book has a special place for me since it was the first book I ever read all the way through and studied in October of 2020. I see hope in this verse focusing on “but without its power”.
Zachariah: “Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of Armies in Jerusalem and to plead for the Lord’s favor.”
Okay , thought process: I was kind of glad that my date wasn’t in the doom and gloom books towards the back of the Old Testament just because, well, I choose joy. But this name has significance to me so I’m totally swooning to see that I have a verse in this book. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading this book yet, but I’m excited to get to it now.
I also can’t think of a better ending to my Old Testament Horoscope than to leave it on some major hope, some love, and confirmation for a better future. I love our God with all my body, mind, and soul. Praise be to you YHWH!
<< This photo is from August 1993 with Les Koonce. We had the same birthday. I remember his gentle heart and my parents taking us to Colorado to visit them one year. I loved his wife Elizabeth and the way she laughed.
>> This photo is from 1990, my 4th birthday with the Koonces present too just not shown in photograph. My mother, Barton grandparents, and my brothers arm made the shot.