A hint of a headache,
Congestion galore;
Just a sinus infection…
Or could it be more?
Just four short days later
Lost taste and lost smell.
Could it be nasty COVID?
I needed to tell.
Results came out clearly:
A positive test!
Not one fever occurring,
But tightness in chest.
A doctor’s e-visit,
Some new meds to take,
And an order to go on
A two-week-long break.
And now that is over,
So I’m back on task,
Thanking God for His mercy.
What more could I ask?
Today I discovered again that a theme originating in our nation’s history can resonate deeply in me and move me to tears. My pastor, Craig Hurley, preached a great Independence Day message, reminding us that our Founding Fathers recognized not only the importance of prayer but also the source of our “unalienable rights”: our Creator. In addition, Pastor noted that the Founders read specific Bible passages and offered heartfelt prayers in the Continental Congresses. On the other hand, he warned us that nothing will stop the downward trajectory of the United States and its people without true revival.
Scripture–specifically 2 Chronicles 7:14–provides the formula for revival. There God responded to one of Solomon’s prayers by giving three conditional promises to Israel. If Israel met four requirements, God would fulfill the promises. Although God intended them for Solomon and Israel, there is application for us as Christians today. For example, we can learn about what God expects from His people. Further, striving to meet those expectations can give us assurance that He will answer our prayers.
There are four steps:
If we do these things, God does not have to provide revival. He does, however, promise that He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin. Moreover, we can pray that He will work to heal our land spiritually.
Pastor Hurley concludes his Independence Day message with these thoughts:
The answer to America’s problem…is found in the forgiveness and the work of Jesus Christ in each individual heart. You can’t change the heart of man by changing his environment. Man’s heart has to be changed from the inside, and it begins with God’s forgiveness of sin.
God doesn’t revive lost people; He regenerates them. God revives His own. Do you want to see God rescue America? I do! That will only come when there is a revival among God’s people.
Last night I tried something new with cousin MJ and sister Melissa: a class at The Community House in Birmingham entitled “Paint Your Pet.” After arriving we each got a canvas with a light pencil sketch of our chosen pet (based on photos we had sent in ahead of time). Our teacher gave us instructions for painting, first the background and then the details. She went from person to person to suggest appropriate techniques for the animal each was attempting to capture on canvas. We really enjoyed ourselves, even though we were not 100% satisfied with the quality of our labors.
At the end of last week, I began to get a large number of emails from WordPress. Apparently my website login was under attack. I could not believe how many attempts were being made to sneak into my website! I need some bug repellent.
I am not sure why anyone would care much about this site. I do not sell anything, nor do I collect confidential information of any kind.
I started looking for a WordPress plugin that would make my site harder to hack. One promising candidate is apparently no longer being updated and may not be compatible with my (up-to-date) version of WordPress. That was disappointing.
Two things I did end up doing may help. First, I made the settings on my “Limit Login Attempts” plugin much more stringent. Second, I strengthened my administrator login password. I certainly hope that the brute force attacks will be reduced.