“The RoseBouquet”

Again Jesus is disappointed in His disciples. He really wished for their prayer support, but they slept through His time of agony and need. They went into the garden where Jesus liked to pray, and He didn’t even count on the whole lot to pray with Him, but He did take Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him a little further.

Jesus confided that He felt overwhelmed with sorrow - to the point of death. He begged them to stay and keep watch with Him. He took a few more steps and fell down with His face to the ground to pray, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

He went back to look for that support from His closest disciples and they were sleeping! He asked them to watch and pray so they would not fall into temptation. He added that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

How true! I find that so nearly every day. I do intend to pray, but my body feels sluggish and dopey, and my spirit gives in, instead of rousing it with will-power, and insisting I WILL pray right now.

Jesus went aside to pray again, and again, when He returned He found them sleeping. It happened a third time. I feel sorry for Jesus that His friends were not faithful, but I see those poor disciples also missed out on a chance to really help their Lord. They would have been so blessed and strengthened for what was to come.

After the third time He said, “Let’s go. My hour has come.” He was ready for the mock trial, the beatings, and the crucifixion. They were not.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, I see here today that when we have a big crisis on our horizon we NEED that quality prayer time with our Heavenly Father far more than we need our sleep. You set a good example. Just like students sometimes stay up late and cram before an exam, we need to sacrifice sleep to pray through thoroughly before a big crisis. I’ve experienced it at times, but I want to be more consistent.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Wish you could have a heart-to-heart talk with God?

Ruthe does. All the time, where ever she goes, she’s having a running conversation with the one she calls Lord, or my Best Friend. You’ve got to meet Ruthe! AND her Secret Roses.

Whenever we hear or read this story of Peter vowing that he will never fall away from His Master, we find ourselves exasperated with this disciple. How dare he?

But this morning (and many others) I too find myself not so devoted to Christ as I thought. My mind drifts away, I hang my head and doze, and … and the minutes tick away.

Perhaps that is not on quite the same plane as Peter outrightly, vehemently denying that he even ever knew this Jesus from Nazareth. Still, this lethargy is also an affront to our dear Saviour, who suffered there on the cross for even these sins.

Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Him. He quoted Zechariah 13:7 to indicate that it was prophesied. “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” Peter denied he would disown his Master - even if all the rest did.

Jesus replied that it would happen that very night, before the morning cock would crow, and not just once, but three times.

Peter still insists, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.” All the other disciples said the same.

Later in this same chapter we will see that Jesus was right. They all fled, and Peter in particular, denied that he even knew Jesus. So the Lord knows our weaknesses and failures in advance too. Ah, but that doesn’t mean He rejects us!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I see that You do not reject Peter even though You know in advance that he will disown You. I’m sure that hurt You all the same when he did. My lethargy when I am intending to spend quality time with You also wounds and hurts You, doesn’t it? And You died for this! Oh, I repent! I’m sorry, Lord. Please do wash it away with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Spirit to be awake and alive unto You, and ready to have good quality fellowship with You - right now!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. You will love Ruthe’s Secret Roses if you like;
* walking and talking intimately with God
* stories of compassion and dramatic conversion
* have a bleeding, caring heart of your own
* are a caregiving older sister
* love designing clothes and make-overs
* love giving gifts and surprises
* are a mentor or counseling kind of friend.

The disciples knew the routine. On the first day of the Feast of Unleaven Bread, they must find a location for the Passover meal. They came to Jesus and asked where they should set up for this. He gave them instructions to go into the city to talk to a certain man, who had probably offered his home in advance, and say that the Teacher was ready to celebrate the Passover at his house.

(Personally, I suspect it may have been Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea’s home and the identity has been kept hidden all these years out of polite deference).

By supper time the rest had arrived, and they reclined around a table for the meaningful Passover, where every item was a symbol of the Israelites salvation from Egypt, and also of our salvation.

Jesus told them plainly that one of them was going to betray Him. In shock, they each asked, “Surely not me, Lord?”

He replied, “One who has dipped bread into the same bowl with Me, will betray Me. It will happen to the Son of Man just as it was written, but woe to the one who betrays the Son of Man. It would have been better for him if he’d never been born.”

To Judas, when he asked, “Surely not I?” Jesus said, “Yes, you.” That may have been so softly that not all the others even heard it.

Jesus also demonstrated that the bread, when broken, represented His body, and passed it around. He took the communal cup and said it represented His blood shed as a new covenant, poured out for all of us for the forgiveness of sins. He added that He wouldn’t be drinking it again until we are all in His Father’s kingdom.

PRAYER: Oh Lord, it is so easy for anyone of us to betray You! Maybe not in as dramatic a way as Judas, but even I, fellowshipping with You here around Your Word - I could betray You in small, unthinking ways. Even by simply dozing during my prayer times, and not being fully present, I’m ashamed to say! And You shed Your blood for this? Oh Lord, I’m sorry! Forgive me!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. So you love clothes, eh? I bet you’ll love Darlin’ Bonne’s Shoppe in my book, Ruthe’s Secret Roses. Ruthe helps a friend in need by sharing her dream of a dress designing shop. Oh the fun and experiences they have there! You ought to order this novel! e-Book edition Softcover edition.

I’ve never experienced one of these before. I’m guessing you might not have either, so let me describe this one to you.

My sister Elsie had suggested a family auction before the household goods, and Dad’s tools, - all that smaller stuff, goes to auction. I wasn’t sure how the Executor of the will would feel, but they gave us a green light. Only, we must provide a list so they can deduct these purchases from our inheritance.

Elsie had also asked for an inventory of Dad’s stuff, so they could all see what there is here at his house. So, as I’ve been packing room by room, I’ve been numbering and itemizing the things, or if a box of smaller things, then as a unit. In some cases I’ve put a label on the box or container, so it can be tracked down easier when someone is looking for an item on the inventory list. This inventory isn’t’ complete by any means, and I’ve already divided it into two parts. The furniture and larger items inventory, and another one for the rest.

So this past week as I anticipated my brother Ernie coming from Winnipeg to sort through Dad’s tools and help me identify them, I worked extra hard to polish up this inventory and typed it into a spread-sheet so that later we can even re-arrange it with a few computer commands.

Late Friday afternoon I emailed these inventories to the siblings, and explained that we had permission to do this, so it was a chance to get stuff at a low price before the public gets their chance. They should look over the list and let me know which items they wanted, and how much they would bid. If there were any items with more than one bidder, I’d phone them on Sunday and we’d duke it out with a bidding war.

My sister Erma wrote back almost right away, pointing out that the mug tree and mugs was hers. She’d wondered where that got to. She also bid on four other items. I removed the mug tree and mugs from the inventory and recorded her bids.

Ernie arrived at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. I’d left the door unlocked for him, so he slipped in without waking me. By about 9 we’d had our breakfast and went down to start on Dad’s basement workshop. I did my best to keep up with Ernie, but he’s a strong, hard worker! Whew, his pace got me exhausted. But by about 5 p.m. we had taken everything down and out of the cabinets, and off the walls. I scrambled to find boxes or containers and to keep updating my inventory, while Ernie kept exclaiming, “Why would Dad need four of these!?” or something to that effect. He started pitching stuff he figured was scrap metal or scrap wood, and also things that were plain garbage.

At the end of the day I dragged up five bags of garbage to our bin - which is now full, and there are several more to go yet!

After supper I went to the computer, while Ernie went to start on the wood working shop attached behind the garage. My T6 vertebrae was japping like a puppy, reminding me that I had reached my limit of time on my feet. I updated the spread-sheets.

Sunday morning we went to church, and after an hour’s snooze time we went to the city to pick up Tom, so there would be at least three of us present for the family auction. We ended up working together at sorting stuff in the wood work shop, both before and after supper. Again, Ernie found oddities to exclaim at.

I feel way-way behind with my inventory! Finally I went in, updated as much as I could, and send Elsie and Erma the revised inventory and phoned Elsie. She had only one bid to place, and some questions. By that time it was too late to phone Erma in a time zone two hours ahead of us, but I emailed her that we had all bid on different things and so there was no competition.

Ernie had made up his mind that he had to keep the total of the estate down or there would be so many fees and percentages taken off that it would not help at all. So he bid only 50 cents on the items he wanted. He’s only out $4.00. Tom decided to follow suit and is out 2.50 for his items.

Being frugal, but wanting to be fair, I bid higher, but still very low and on a lot more items. I think I have now got all the dishes, furniture and tools I will have room for in my little house, and I got it all for about $100. Isn’t that marvelous?

Well, Ernie had come to sort through Dad’s stuff, so we had breakfast before 7 a.m. on Monday, and he and Tom went to work on the shed at the back of the garden, while I took care of some things inside. I joined them after 10, and what a mess! I should have taken a picture at that point, for Ernie had lined up stuff on either side of the brick path, and it looked hopeless. But by 11 or so, he had tidily put back into the swept shed the things that can be sold, and filled a row of garbage bags again! Plus some barrels of scrap metal and lumber.

After lunch, he started to load his truck box and the 4×8 trailer he’d brought along. It was quite something to behold.

He nearly forgot the shoe repair sewing machine he was taking back, and the other treadle machine to make a table for his daughter, so he had to unpack to make room for them. About 1:45 he got away.

So then I loaded some of Tom’s stuff in my car, and took him back to the city. I was really craving time to sit quietly at my computer again, and I knew I had to get a desktop publishing job done by midnight.

This was an intensively busy weekend, and I’m glad for all we got done, but oh, for my dull, routine life again.

Anyway, I am having some quieter days now. Tonight I have an appointment to discuss designing a website for a genealogy group, and I believe I’m able to name my price.

Then there is still a lot of sorting and lining up stuff to do. I’m trying to get my stuff on one side of the room, and the sale stuff on the other, or in separate rooms. Some of the things Ernie threw into big boxes, will need to go into smaller ones for the sale too.

And of course, I’m waiting for the three auctioneers I’ve called, to come and estimate the size and value of Dad’s stuff. So much hinges on that information right now. They are winding down their busiest season this week, and then they’ll hold off scheduled sales until the farmers have finished seeding their fields.

(Sigh) Won’t it be nice when I’m all settled down and can just focus on my business?

What I don’t learn when I’m checking out links from an ezine, and from a forum. I’ve just discovered something off topic here, but quite fascinating. (I must let my niece know, who has studied sign language). http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/infant-signing-videos.html

That site has videos where a Mom shows how she teaches her 13 month old to sign and indicate her wishes before she can speak more than a handful of words. If you have babies or small children, you will find this a great solution. It might even avoid a lot of tears and tantrums with a two year old who has intense feelings but doesn’t know the words to tell you.

A tip, just in case you need it. Or pass it on to someone who does.

Most of us don’t presume to speak for God, but it wouldn’t hurt to consider His viewpoints. Keeping in mind what He has said about His own thoughts and attitudes will go a long way into discerning what He thinks about us and our actions.

Money is like gravel to God. It’s common material stuff, but humans have assigned value for trade. What God really cares about is people!

In my pondering and reading on this matter I’ve made a short list of five priorities God has for us. He will see to them before He makes us rich. Or, God will use any riches we have already to accomplish His goals.

1. God hates pride and self-conceit. He allows us to come to an end of ourselves and become yes - even financially helpless, so that we will repent and turn to Him to humbly ask for His help. Then we must learn to trust and obey His words. It is with the gentle, gracious and self-giving people God really accomplishes great deeds.

2. Character-building means a lot to God. A lot of traits can only be learned in hard times. Do you want to be patient, grateful, forgiving, and spiritually enduring, alert and discerning or wise? Guess what - they’re learned from opposite experiences! Like not having the money you need to carry out dreams right away.

3. On the other hand, we may be off on a wrong track, and God MAY be deliberately blocking all our efforts until we come to our senses and turn around. (I can vouch for this one too!)

4. From Bible stories, like Joseph, the 11th son of Jacob, we learn that God allows us to go down in hard times to train us for future leadership positions.

5. Lastly, it COULD be the fault of someone else, practically and spiritually-speaking that you are poor. Oh-oh, this might be a can of worms!

But think carefully about it. What people have had power and influence over you? Might it be someone you haven’t even noticed or thought about? (Let’s not get angry and vengeful). Could it be you (or your parents or grandparents) offended someone years ago, and that one person is still influencing others against you?-

How would God want you to clear THAT mess up?

What if we became cooperative with God on all five points? If we, like King Solomon, asked for wisdom to do our duties well in our area of influence, I believe God would bless us with riches and honors just as Solomon experienced.

How Solomon changed after he became rich is another study altogether!

[Note: this is the first article I wrote for my very first ezine, JournalDigest, back in April 2000. Goodness! This is my 8th anniversary as an ezine editor and publisher!]

On the other hand, opposite Mary’s devotion, we have Judas’ betrayal of his Master.

He went by the name, Judas Iscariot, and is always mentioned last with the disciples. He may have joined them out of pure motives, but somewhere along the line he was convinced that Jesus would deliver Israel politically from the Romans. When he became disillusioned with that dream, he was willing to sell Jesus out to His enemies. He went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I hand Him over to you?”

Immediately they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. That was the price of a slave. After that, Judas watched for opportunity to hand Jesus over securely.

It’s no wonder that through the centuries, people have hated this man, Judas Iscariot. But what can we learn from him to keep us from slipping down that path too? We are just as human as he was. Do we have certain expectations of Jesus and of God that are unrealistic? When we become disillusioned on that point, we are likely to turn on Jesus too. Countless numbers of people have.

Some believe that if a certain powerful healer touches them or prays over them, they will be wonderfully well. When that doesn’t happen, they may sulk a while and then - lo, we hear they aren’t going to church, they are studying other religions, or they begin to run down the Christians they know, and after a while they are vicious enemies of Christ.

Even mature Christians can recall times when they were tempted to doubt that Christ was enough to solve their problems. Judas is not so rare among us as we might think!

PRAYER: Oh Lord, we’ve pounced on Judas and renounced him as such a wicked betrayer, - when we stop to think it over, we’re in danger of being just as bad. Help me to have a clear grasp of who You are, and what You promise. Keep me humble and devoted to You - like Mary just before these verses. Amen.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Ruthe is afraid to tell her family back home for reasons of her own, and this leads her to live a double life. The pressures build. Sooner or later she has to take some of the advice she gives others, for she’s getting into serious trouble! Ruthe’s Secret Roses.

The New Testament talks of more than one Mary, and it takes an advanced scholar to keep track of which one appears where.

I’m not sure just which one it is that slipped into this dinner for Jesus at Simon’s house, but my best guess is that is is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. She had a reputation for being devote, and with the resurrection of her brother, she had a lot for which to worship and praise Jesus.

She brought the best ointment she had. Maybe she had saved it a long time, or perhaps she had just gone out and spent all the wealth she had on this one bottle, but the men gathered around that dining table could tell it was expensive.

Mary broke it and poured it all on Jesus’ head. All of it.

Jesus could hear the men muttering to themselves and to each other across the room, about the wasteful expense of this action. He addressed them directly, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial….”

Huh? How did she know He was to die and be buried soon? She might have overheard Jesus tell His disciples that, and although they had not understood the meaning, Mary did. She was already mourning His death. She missed Jesus before He was gone.

Jesus added, that in the future, whenever the good news of His life was told, people would add this part of what she had done for Him here in anointing Him - her expression of extreme devotion and love. Truly, Mary has been famous for this for over 2000 years.

PRAYER: Oh, Lord, is that the secret to fame? To be utterly and completely in love with You, and to go to the nth degree in showing it? I haven’t thought of it this way before, but - yes, I’d like to be known as a woman sold out completely to You in devoted service.

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. If you have difficulty building new friendships it might help to watch someone who makes friends easily and study her. Ruthe, the heroine in my novel would make a great subject for this! The whole book is from her viewpoint and shares her thoughts. You get to “feel” what it is like to start a new friendship, and then work at keeping it alive..Get “Ruthe’s Secret Roses,” the softcover at Booklocker.com

Jesus said so plainly to His disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of man will be handed over to be crucified.” He knew exactly what was going to happen. Nor did Jesus keep it from His disciples. So why did it catch them off guard when it did happen?

While Jesus was saying this, the chief priests and elders were meeting in the high priest’s palace, where they were plotting to arrest and kill Jesus. But they were still afraid of a riot against themselves, so they agreed that it would not be during the Feast of Passover.

Doesn’t it strike you that Jesus knew what would happen better than these instigators did themselves?

Because we can read ahead we know that these very plotters of Jesus’ death instigated a riot in which the people joined them in calling for Jesus to be crucified. It all happened at the Passover.

If we take time to study the meaning in all of the Passover symbolism, we learn that it was all a vivid picture of Jesus dying as the sacrificial Lamb of God, whose blood would take away the sins of the people, not just for one more year, but forever. All the elements of the Passover supper, after the slaying of the lamb for each household, and offering it to God, are little parables for Jesus and what He would do, and now HAS done for the Jews and for everyone else who believes.

The Passover Feast was exactly the right time to kill Jesus, the one sinless One, who had to die for all the sinners in the world.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You knew. But You did not run away. You knew God’s plan in all of this, and You were determined to cooperate and carry out God’s plan. In another place we read that Your face was set like flint to go to Jerusalem and to allow Yourself to be slain for the sins of the world. Wow! This was not just done to You, Lord Jesus, but You submitted to it willingly, because You knew it would provide salvation for me! Thank You!

+++++Jesus is my King+++++Jesus is my King+++++

Blessings on you Today!
Ruth Marlene Friesen

P.S. Just graduating from high school in a small town in Saskatchewan, Canada, Ruthe commutes to the city of Saskatoon as a telephone operator. BUT in her off hours, she gets involved in the lives of the abused, bereaved, dying and spiritually hungry. Read Ruthe’s Story