Spring
is here, and there is so much to do. I look
out my window and think, look at all the work I have to do!
In the
Spring a lot of things that look like they are dead and gone, start
growing. We see the fruit from seeds
that grow from last year. We are not talking about oranges and grapes but about tulips, peonies, and multiple other perennials. This is
something that happens normally in the spring. As we see the garden grow, we
are seeing more and more of what it’s producing.
Everything we do or don’t do in life is like planting seeds. When we are dead and gone the seeds planted by
our lives will continue to grow.
My dad died when my youngest child was a baby. My dad was a dedicated provider for his family. He worked three jobs to provide for our family when I was a toddler. He liked to rebuild engines and he had a lot of friends. My dad liked to listen to me sing. I loved both my mom and my dad. My dad died suddenly from a massive heart attack. He died at 57 yrs old while chopping wood. He was always working up to the day he died.
My mother and my stepfather died about a year ago. I miss them both and think about them every day,
My
mother was an excellent cook and consistently had meals on the table. She was a good housekeeper and could do any
craft. She was a very gifted manager and
a hard worker. I looked up to her for
all her good qualities. My mother always
used endearing words, like, Sweetheart, Honey, and Baby.
My stepfather was a very hard worker and consistently took care of their property. He took his mother with him to his work and she ran her little crafting/ flee market business up until she was in her 90s. They died at the same time. Their funerals were at the same time. They both worked up until the day they died.
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Just recently, three people died that impacted my life. My Son In-laws mother died. She was only 9 years older than me. She was the other grandmother to my grandchildren. She was a sweet Christian, a beautiful person. She has been an influence on my grandchildren and my daughter. She has planted some good seeds and those seeds will continue to grow in our hearts and the hearts of so many.
This past week two other great people died, Patch the Pirate and also Charles Stanley, both these men, through their ministries, impacted my life and also my family’s life. As a young mother, I started listening to Charles Stanley and also Patch the Pirate. I often sang Patch the Pirate songs as I reminded my children to be good and to have a better attitude. I didn’t really have a stable home life in my youth, my mother left us. My dad had his own life. I quit school after my mother left and no one was there to encourage me otherwise. Eventually, I did take the GED test. When I was a teenager, I sought God even though I didn’t always make good decisions. I attended church and Sunday School consistently. The people of my church picked me up every Wednesday and Sunday for all services.
I made a profession of faith at seven years old and was baptized
with my mother. I made sure of my salvation and I was re-baptized just after turning 15 years old. I was saved in an Independent F Baptist Church. I met my husband and married at 23 years old. We've been married for 36 years.
I did not know how to raise children and looked for that counsel through Charles Stanley’s Radio Ministry. Patch the Pirate and also Focus on The Family’s Odyssey Audio Ministry was the biggest influence in raising our children in a way that would please God. I asked God to help me each day and I still ask God to help me each day. He helped me through good people and their influence.
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You will always be an influence in our lives. We miss you more each day and appreciate you more and more. Your influence will be the flowers that grow in our hearts and lives and the strength that helps us to stand. Love you Forever.
God uses our influence when we think our influence is
done.
Susan Y
Nikitenko
April
24, 2023 ©
Today we are going to talk about these stories from the Bible Stories of Moses.
Moses at the burning bush,
Moses and the plagues, blood on the doorposts and being delivered from
death, The crossing of the Red Sea, the death of
Pharoah and his army and God supplies
water from the rock once again saving the lives of the Jews. The plagues God sent upon Egypt. A reminder of the stubbornness of Pharoah
and that God is much bigger than us or our enemies.
While we talk about these things remember to express
yourself in an acting role. Act things
out while you teach, as though it is happening.
Refer to your picture as you review
Moses has found a burning bush. Shockingly God talks to Moses through the burning bush. God told him to take off his shoes because He was standing on holy ground. God told Moses to go back to Egypt and tell Pharoah to let his people go. God's people were in slavery and were treated very poorly. They were hit, killed, hurt, on a daily basis. Some worked so hard in the hot sun that they died while being hit with a whip. Their cries rose up to heaven and God heard them and knew all about the harshness they had to endure or they would die.
God gave Moses someone to speak for him. Aaron was Moses' helper. He did the majority of the speaking for Moses. Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord. they went before Pharoah several times.
Each time stubborn Pharoah said no. God responded to his rebellion and through Moses did many wondrous things. We can quickly read through this chart. (The Ten Plagues) Each time Moses went to Pharoah, Phoaah said no, to letting, God's people go. Pharaoh said no and God sent a plague, Pharaoh said no and God sent a plague, and on and on.
(Refer to the pictures)
The last time Pharoah said, no God sent a final plague. God would send a death angel, for the firstborn from each household would die.
God gave his people special instructions. If they followed the instruction as God commanded, no one would die from their family.
They were to kill a male lamb that was in perfect condition. God told them to put the blood onto the doorposts. They were protected by the blood on the doorposts.
Death was everywhere in Egypt, but God's people were saved because of the blood.
Pharoah gave in after the last plague and he finally let God's people go. Once Pharaoh realized what Egypt would be without slaves. He called all his army together and He and his army went after them to bring them back. Once again God held back the army of Egypt, with a pillar of fire.
God brought them to the edge of the Red Sea. Moses held up his rod and then they saw the mighty works of God. With joy, they moved forward upon the dry ground. Soon Eygpt and Pharoah too followed when the Jews were more than halfway through. God let go of the waters on Egypt's side of things and Pharoah and all his army drown'd.
All of God's people sang and gave praises to God. They were saved from the terrors of slavery.
Now, they are in the wilderness. The wilderness is not what we think of as a wilderness. We think a wilderness is full of beautiful trees of every kind., with deer and a stream running through. Deer and bears, squirrels and coons but in the bible, it is a dry thirsty land.
Now there are numerous bible stories about the Jews in the wilderness. (Refer to the pictures)
We are going to talk about Moses striking the rock. God's people were very thirsty, there was not any water anywhere. The people became angry and some wanted to go back to Egypt. They put a lot of pressure on Moses and they grievously complained. Moses went to pray and talked to God. God told him to strike the rock. Moses had a temper, he was angry at God's people. They were being faithless and mean. You would think after everything God had done for them they wouldn't have doubted what God can do. Moses struck the rock as God told him to, but He struck it twice. Water started gushing from the rock. It was a wondrous miracle, it was like a flowing river. Without water, they would have died. God saved them from thirsting to death.
Nothing is too big for God to handle. He can put down the greatest king.
He has power over life and death over land and sea.
He can make water flow from the depth of the earth.
Because God loves his people more than anything.
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He made a way for them to be saved and he made a way for us to be saved.
When Moses struck the rock he struck it twice. God later told Moses he would not enter the promised land because He smote the rock a second time. He didn't follow exactly what God wanted him to do.
David writes in the Psalms that "God is the Rock" of my strength. This symbolizes Jesus Christ.
Jesus was struck in his side by the Centurian spear. Water and blood gushed from his side. Just as a river of life flowed from the rock.
Jesus was smitten once for our sins and that's all it took boys and girls. Jesus died once for all.
Just as the blood on the doorpost saved the lives of the firstborn. Jesus' blood was shed for you. If he had not died we would not live we would die in our sins.
God's love is rock solid because he did everything to free His people just as he gave himself for us.
There is nothing too big for God when it comes to his children.
He loves You and that is absolutely true.
Will You Love Him?
https://starpoempickjuly.blogspot.com/2022/02/will-you-love-him.html
Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock,
Psalms 62:7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
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Lesson: Susan Y Nikitenko
February 27th, 2022 ©
Dear Father in Heaven, be with each person here today. Open their ears and their hearts to your truth. Father invite them to yourself this morning. Help them understand how much you love them.
Just as your love shows for your children over and over in the old testament. You parted the Red Sea for them, You made things happen, great things, mighty things because you loved them.
You gave your Son Jesus to pay our sin debt. You made a Way. It's up to us to believe and obey.
I ask that those listening, today, will humble themselves and pray.
and also believe upon your Son Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for our sin. In Christ's Name,
I pray this. Amen
