Love God TOO much? 2019-024

Posted in Religious by

                Love God too Much?     2019-25

Can we love God too much, and think of Him more than we should?

Does going to church all the time suffice to make Him satisfied with our efforts to show Him how much we like/love Him? What does it take to make Him realize we are sincere in our belief in Him? Are we content in our way of showing our love of Him and His son Jesus Christ?

Questions upon questions and most of us ARE satisfied with what and how we hold ourselves in thoughts about Him — NORMAL?!

With God as our Father and Jesus as our savior and teacher, what do THEY expect from us? Using the Scripture in the Bible as a reference or source, it is fairly clear, just what He expects, wants or desires from ALL of us.

It is somewhat easy to do for some of us and very hard for others, to appease God. Too many things we can use as excuses to do or not do, when it comes to NOT loving God in many ways. God has a simple wish that takes effort but is not a hard or difficult thing to do! What is that?

We are to seek and find God and his Kingdom FIRST, and put Him in our lives, above all else, as stated by His son Jesus. I would think that this means He wants us to follow Him and also become a disciple of His son Jesus Christ. We CAN say we do so now, and perhaps we believe this as a fact!

God is our heavenly Father, not our Uncle we see at reunions, or when we want to see Him. He wants us to put Him FIRST and more than just now and then—like on Sundays only.

We can still go to soccer practice, but maybe He wants us to think about Him when we are there. The football or baseball games can still be attended, but they should not be our prime enjoyment in life. We might think about submitting ourselves to God and to surrender ourselves to Jesus and this might be the things He and Jesus desire from us. This CAN be enjoyable if we allow it to be so.

Being a child of God and a disciple of Jesus, are FULL time endeavors and He expects and desires this commitment.  Neither of them wants us to be become 24/7 religious advocates in life, but He does want us to make or take a stand in our commitment in life to them.   

The responsibility of letting others around us know of the teachings of Jesus is ours too, where we tell others about his love for all mankind. This requirement also is there to make disciples of others that surround us, for that mimics what the Disciples of Jesus, did after His death on the cross.

No, I do NOT think we love God to much, just the opposite. I think He is not loved enough! Some of us have made their God a materialistic one and idolize things more than God Himself. This may be the “new norm” in today’s society and the Golden Calf’s like Ba’el, are the Gizmo’s that man has created, and now worship.

 We can believe in Him, we can love Him, we can submit ourselves to Him and surrender ourselves to our Savior, Jesus Christ. That is NOT asking too much of us from Him.

Peace,
Den Betts                            bettsden@gmail.com  Email  thebettsden.com  Blog sitegod, Jesus CHrist

Essence of Thought 2019-023

Posted in Contemplation by

Essence of Thought 2019-023

 

Begone, begone ye cursed thoughts,

Take off and flee to a different day.

Let my mind be at rest for a fleeting moment,

To regroup for a haggard stay.

Interest wanes for continued love,

In dismay, my mind wanders still.

 

Perish the Devil for allowing this,

A wicked way of fortunate bliss.

A rusty pinnacle of frozen tableau,

Given in time for decrepit spray.

Alas, the heart beat continues still,

Allowing a millennium of joy.

 

Where is the harbinger of celestial upheaval?

To judge those left behind.

Thoughts remain to drip to oblivion,

Finally peace reigns in my time.

 

 

Peace,

Den Betts        bettsden@gmail.com   Email

thebettsden.com          Blog

Journey’s, Then, Now and To Be 2019-022

Posted in Contemplation by

                                                Journey’s, Then, Now and To Be  2019-022

Our journey of life in the past is what it was, and will remain forever more, history. What we did, we did and nothing can change this fact. Our memories of then are what we keep, even if some of them we might want to forget.

We can cherish the good thoughts, the happy ones and relish in the rethinking of them now. The bad thoughts could be forgotten and allowed to dissolve if we allow them to do so; nothing wrong there!!!!

Then, can the “Now” journey be to our benefit? The” Then” episodes of our life can be a teaching tool to guide us on our “Now” journey.

By allowing ourselves to learn from the “Past”, maybe we can cope with today’s trials and tribulations better.  “Then” comes the “To Be” part of our lives an what we do “Now” might just dictate what will the “To Be” part of our lives — Good or Bad!!!!

We had choices before and acted on them and today we continue to live with our decisions then. The same goes for what we do now that will determine on what it will be in the future— our choice again!!!!

Yesterday is over, so get over it!!!!  Today we are in the process of life now, so do something about it!!!!  Make tomorrow succeed in our goals we make today and improve on it!!!!

It is sometimes hard to forget the past and make a change for today.  Acting now on doing things to make the next day better is within our power hopefully.

It is too EASY to make excuses of “why” because of the past and sometimes harder to make today different, but it is within our scope to have tomorrow more tolerable than what we did then and what we do now!!!

I am going to try and encourage you to give it a go, and I also, find things are sometimes difficult to follow through, but that is life..  So be it…

 

Peace,
Den Betts    bettsden@gmail.com    Email

thebettsden.com            blog site

Life’s Inspirations 2019-21

Posted in Contemplation by

To be inspired in any way, by something, is a great thing to happen and hopefully to be taken advantage of,  in the scope of life.

 

Life’s Inspirations   2019-21

To be Inspired

And do nothing

Is not to be inspired

At all.

 

Wishing, deep desires,

Boldly stated,

Yet not done, are

Forgotten in life

And left behind.

 

Each moment – a gamble

Of living; chances taken

Life’s reward an

Inner feeling

Not shared with others.

 

 

Den Betts    bettsden@gmail.com  Email

thebettsden.com          Blog

 

State of Mind 2019-020

Posted in Contemplation by

What is the state of our minds? It, our mind, is what it is, that is for sure. But, in reality, where does it leave us on a daily basis, to experience life in another way, unknown to us now? I ask, with the authority of knowing somewhat, how our minds are subject to forces of nature that enable us to do, think, and experience life in a unique way of existence.

State of Mind 2019-020

I jumped through the window in my mind,

Into the void of darkness beyond.

Pinpoints of starry far off lights,

Surrounded me on all sides.

I was through, I was there,

Scared, but not turning back.

My body and mind floating in free space,

No veil, no hindrance of feelings

A phenomenon as before, visited once again,

A difference, of total absolute awareness.

An intensity born from desire to know,

Culminating in final release and reality.

Not looking back, not knowing for sure,

The reasons of this wonderful sight.

Knowing that again, I will revisit

To feel the power of the feeling.

Peace,
Den Betts         bettsden@gmail.com Email
thebettsden.com Blog Site

Winter Trek 2019-019

Posted in Contemplation, Nature by

Frigid air, coupled with blowing cold snow, brings to mind how winter weather has a way to challenge us in everyday life. It is SO, SO easy to contemplate staying at home on days or evenings like described below.  At one time I did NOT have a choice, but braved the inclement weather, but now have the luxury to decide to go or stay in my warm nest of a home and look outside and appreciate that fact.   Winter on my mind this Feb 2019

Winter Trek  2019-019

Windswept snow

forming sporadic whiteouts;

challenging dim headlights

stabbing through hazy swirls

 

Compressing, confining,

twin valleys of miniature mountains

piled high by metal monsters –stand high

 

Inside the capsule, white knuckles

furrowed brow and squinting eyes

peer at ghosts of whiteness ahead

 

Tenseness filling the air

with quickened breath;

Ice islands, snow covered,

near skids, heartbeats missed

 

Exhalation with thought;

reward of hot chocolate

blankets and a crackling fireplace

waiting beyond the chill

 

Faint light filtering ahead,

a final turn

familiar beacon shining

home again, home again

journey done;

reward to be taken.

 

Relief

 

Peace,

Den Betts   bettsden@gmail.com  Email

thebettsden.com           Blog

Imperfections in Life 2019-018

Posted in Contemplation by

We get stuck in a mindset of beliefs at times and it is difficult to change our thinking, but we SHOULD do so, just to prove it is possible.  We think we are correct and without imperfections, but in reality, we are not; just think so.

 

Imperfections of Life    2019-018

At times, I feel like an imperfect man

in an imperfect world,

Striving for, but failing in a quest

of perfection in life itself.

 

Old bias and prejudices get in the way

of changing opinions once formed,

so hard to release, to forget.

 

Tapes of yesterday, stored in the mind

Rewind and play back

to remind of once was and is now.

 

How to erase, to eradicate feelings

that should not be there, but are;

yet still remember the WHY,

of the original thoughts.

 

Perhaps tis wiser to remember and grow,

in another direction, away from

the imperfections in life.

Peace

Den Betts       bettsden@gmail.com     email

thebettsden.com            blog site

Travelers Wish 2019-017

Posted in Contemplation by

To many of us have prejudices that we repress to a degree, and we go through life with thoughts of others in a negative way.  If not us, then others have these ways, which are encapsulating minds and not leaving any chance of expressing love instead of hate. Too bad, so sad, but a way of life for many.  I still remember the man, Rodney King in 1991,  who was abused by the police in Los Angeles saying “Why can’t we all just get along.?

”Travelers Wish  2019-017

 

If, per chance, our paths may cross,

Our shadows inner mingle, on a summer day

May we both prosper, benefit,

And be truly enlightened by the experience.

And, may we both realize,

That regardless of the hue of external cover,

Spiritual convictions, tribal clan origins,

When we part, may we do so as friends,

Traveling onward, but also leaving in our wake

A part of ourselves behind,

In a kind remembrance to each other.

 

Peace,

Den Betts     bettsden@gmail.com   Email

thebettsden.com            Blog Site

Winter Weather 2019-16

Posted in Nature by

As I sat inside my house, on a VERY COLD day on Jan  31,2019, I looked out my window, and even though it is -5 degrees, the sun is shining. I still remember just yesterday or so, how it was dreary, and cloudy and cold still, and wished for Spring to arrive and take me away from this winter weather……………

 

Grey Winter Skies  2019-16

Above, reflections of my mind

at times of sadness

Clouds boiling in turmoil

creating images in my mind

Dreary grayness, copying

the feelings I have at times

Dampness hanging over all,

my heart pumping in rhythm

Silhouettes of trees in relief

blackness as the thoughts inside

Ahh, for the freshness of spring

of rebirth, of hopes eternal light

Gray be gone, fly away, return some

other day, respite from despair.

Peace,

Den Betts      bettsden@gmail.com   email

thebettsden.com          Blog site

National Debt 2019-015

Posted in Contemplation, Current Events by

The national debt clock (at usdebtclock.org) shows an updated figure and is continual, based on spending and also includes revenue and other neat facts to know. I encourage anyone to go there and see for yourself, what our leaders have done, good or bad, for our grandchildren to try and pay for and is theirs to ponder in the future.

 

National Debt  2019-015

 

An obscene figure

I can tell you for sure,

One that will stay

with us, forever more.

Our lawmakers have taught us

spending’s not hard.

We even do it now

with our own credit cards.

It is a law, I’m told

that it must be paid back

But, by whom though, and

in what year, in fact?

 

They, in Congress, deserve the barbs,

the cruel cartoons, and other such.

For being so very irresponsible

and careless, so much.

The money we earn

and send to Uncle Sam

Is spent so very fast

With a “I don’t give a damn”

The National Debt is

a disgrace and a shame,

But, look in the mirror

and take part of the blame.

 

You keep re-electing the

same people – over and over

Isn’t it about time to

send some –out to the clover.

It is time for a change

and to get some new blood

Before the monster debt

buts us in a quagmire of mud

Do something about it

and take some credit

For being a person

who hates the national dept.

 

In January 2019 it stood at $21,966,016,300,

an obscene number, that keeps growing daily.

 

 

Den Betts     bettsden@gmail.com   Email

thebettsden.com         Blog Site