life

A “Better”

by ladypbwiggins

I will be so glad when 2020 is over. I am so done with 2020. I can’t wait until 2021 gets here. To some these are cries of despair but I hear cries of hope, cries of possibilities. Hope that a “better” is coming. This has been a hard year in so many ways. I believe we all want a “better.”

But what will make January 1, 2021 different from December 31, 2020? What will make it “better”? We hold the answer. What do we, you, me need to do to get our “better” in our individual and collective lives? If we don’t analyze our situations and develop a plan, 2021 will look just like 2020. Now I hear you saying I can’t do anything about Covid and Congress. I believe we can. Congress is easier. Vote and for those who win hold them to their promises, hold them accountable. Demand that they work for us, all of us and not just those with money. We hold the power. I think we forgot that. As for Covid, we may not have the vaccine but we can make wise common sense decisions to reduce the spread and take care of ourselves and each other. Let’s stop thinking only about ourselves. Let’s let go of the venomous anger; the consuming hatred motivated by fear, feelings of inferiority and disrespect. Let’s treat people the way we want to be treated. I heard a country singer today express what many have discovered. The America he thought he lived in is a myth. His sentiments that followed said he realized he had to change his thinking and do something to help make the myth a reality for everyone. Hope, his hope for better.

We all have dreams, hopes for our lives. We can make actionable plans for those. Focus on that for a portion of your better.

I hope for a “better” 2021 also but I am beginning my 2021 now. This is my new revelation. My hope for my “better” begins today.

Limited Vision

by ladypbwiggins


The valley view from the mountaintop is far different from the view while you’re still in the valley. From the mountaintop, you can see the forest and streams, birds, green valleys, deserts, all in a sweeping survey of the land. You see all the possibilities that the valley offers. From the valley you only see what is before you. From the valley you also see the height of the mountains and the freedom it seems to offer from the problems of the valley.  How you long for the mountaintop. Is that assumption real?

What is God’s view of the valley from His position? He is surely on the mountaintop. I believe He sees possibilities not problems. I believe He sees the fertility provided by the waters and springs that run down from the mountain; These streams gathering minerals, and being cleaned of impurities as they rush across the rocks.  When the waters finally reach the valley, they are fresh and pure for the use of the valley inhabitants. The nutrients brought from the mountain fertilize every parcel of land it flows through that is below it and comes to rest in the ponds, rivers, lakes and streams and rivers on the the valley floor. Is the valley a place of restoration and healing or a place of pain and destruction?

While in the valley, I have access to fertile, productive possibilities as well as the problems of the desert. When I say desert I mean dry, unfertile places. While suffering the pain, I have access to healing and restoration. The One that sits on high sends down everything that I need to lead a peaceful, enriched, safe life in His living waters. If only I could keep His view of the valley and not mine. In His Natural all things are supplied for me. I just can’t see them. My view is limited. I only see what is before me and what my limited experience dictates. I can’t see all the possibilities that He sees. 

How then do I see as He sees? I let Him see and then tell me.  That requires a keener ear and unlimited, unbounded trust in Him, i.e. A much tighter relationship than I have now.  If I am able to move me out of the way then I can see with mountaintop vision while standing in the valley.  I can know the paths that lead to green pastures and calm, restoring waters as I walk through the deserts.

Excerpt from my book that’s in progress.

I’m What?

by ladypbwiggins

I have been called many things in my life and told who and what I was suppose to be but these last few months have been quite interesting. I was told I wasn’t a Christian. I was told I was a communist liberal. I was a fraud. All of this because I didn’t agree with some things some other Christians believed or said. So you know I couldn’t just let that sit there. What exactly did these words mean? I know how they are portrayed but what do they mean?

Liberal – 1.open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

2. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.(often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.

Conservative – disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

Progressive – favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters:

Communism – a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

So from the Merriam Webster Dictionary and Dictionary.com,

I am open to new behavior or opinions and willing to get rid of traditional values to reform or progress society rather than leaving conditions and limiting change as they traditionally are and I want to hold all property in common for the community.

Liberal, Progressive, Communist. Based on the definition that sounds like a description of Yeshua aka Jesus and the Apostles. Yeshua shook up the Pharisees (Conservatives) world. They taught the Mosaic law but did not live the spirit of the law. They even created new law restrictions that they say were extensions of the original. These were very pious men who exacted judgement on the people with little to no compassion or intent to help them change. They were more concerned with appearances than the truly living the Law. They would swallow a camel and strain at a gnat. Check out Matthew 23 to see just what Yeshua said about their hypocrisy. Yeshua even told his followers not to pray like them. There were so many things they did that violated the very law they sought to preserve. Here’s an example. Just one example. The woman caught in adultery. The Law said both the woman and the man were to be stoned but they only brought the woman. They asked Yeshua what to do. He said very matter-of-fact, let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Now if they had done nothing else they had sinned by not bringing the man. He did not violate or change the law but he did open up some new behavior pathways. Stone her but be sure you are guiltless. You want another one. Okay. All that dining with the sinners like Matthew and Zaccheaus. How about hanging out with the prostitute Mary Magdeline. And that unclean woman that touched him, how dare he let her do that and not stone her? Oh and how about turning over the money changers tables in the temple? Now that was a non–conservative act if every they saw one. You don’t mess with temple, church, money.

His 3 year minitry was one of reform and making progress toward that reform. He gave us instructions that were all based on Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor. That LOVE would reform and change the traditional behavior. If the Pharisees had taught that then Love would have been the traditional behavior. What we have now is “if your like me love”. If you meet my criteria love. If you are gay, I can’t show you love. If you are black, brown, white, immigrant, poor, rich, skinny, fat, whatever the reason not like me, I can’t show you love. Yeshua sought reformation on that thinking then and we need to reform our thinking now. Loving does not mean I agree with the person. Loving means I will care for you, I will share the Biblical truth with you and accept your decision. I will respect you and seek understanding of your perspective. I will offer you a safe space free from judgement. In that space I will show you His love; I will live my Biblical truth toward you. I will leave the judgement or condemnation to God. After all, according to Paul’s letter to the Corithians, that’s God’s job not mine. According to Yeshua’s commands we must love. Genuinely love. In fact the sum of His command was Go, teach and love. Oh, but first you had to live it. This was His progressive, liberal stance.

Now to that communism part. Yeshua took a little boy’s lunch and fed 5000 men. That count did not include the women and children that were fed. All things common so know one lacked anything. When the first century church sold all their possessions and brought them to the Apostles so that everyone’s needs were met, wasn’t that communism according to the definition? Hmm.

Now I know the purest form of these definitions have been perverted, but what if they weren’t? What if we were liberal enough to be open to progressive acts that would change our behavior to be more aligned with the Word of God. He said Love. Love would change this country. These religious mandates and judgments have only resulted in fear, anger and hatred. Yeshua showed Mary Magdaline love and forgiveness and she changed. He sat down in Matthew’s home and spoke truth with respect and love, and he changed. The same with Zacchaeus. He did not offer this selectively. Your sin is greater so I won’t deal with you. That’s not God’s love. The Law stayed unchanged but the improvement and reformation of peoples lives were changed forever. If we who say we follow Yeshua would be that kind of liberal, what we see being played out would not be necessary. So you conservatives who want everything to stay the same, your tradition stay that way if you like but I invite you to the freedom in being the kind of liberal Yeshua was. It is life reforming.

Yeshua was the most famous liberal, progressive, communist that ever walked this earth. So to you who thought you were insulting me, it was really the best compliment you could give me. Thank you. This is company I like being in.

My Vote Doesn’t Matter

by ladypbwiggins

How much effort do you put into stopping something that doesn’t matter? I suspect very little to none. If your vote doesn’t matter why are people working so hard to make it difficult for you to cast it? Why are they closing polling places near you? Why are they trying to institute disguised poll tax on you before you can vote? Why is mail-in being questioned during this pandemic. It’s been working in several states with no problem? Could it be that once that ballot is placed in the mailbox it is a federal offense to tamper with it? Seems like a lot of effort if it doesn’t matter.

There are very real reasons you should vote. I’m speaking to my Black family now. Many have bled and died so you could. It was a birthright that we were denied. Did they, your grandparents, great-parents go through that because it really didn’t matter. They recognized that it gave them a powerful voice that they had been denied.

Additionally, if you don’t vote you prove Massa was right. You aren’t capable of making such weighty decisions. You are triflin’ and lazy. You need the safety and protection of Massa on his plantation. You will get scraps to eat, a few rags to wear and a shack to live in and it’s not free. You will have to accept working hard for no wages, rape when he feels like it, beatings because you forgot and tried to express independent thought. This is what giving up your powerful voice will look like once again.

I, for one, will not return to this. I lived through the 60’s struggle. I lived in the Jim Crow south. While I was never beaten, I had friends who were. I lived under the daily threat. I went to the meetings and participated in local marches that could have resulted in that kind of brutality. I saw the look on my grandparents faces when they had to swallow their pride and go to the back door to get food at roadside restaurants. I had to watch my strong, proud great-grandmother say yes m’am to a white girl younger than me because it meant survival. I had to live with the colored/white only signs. The accommodations were separate but not equal. I lived the “back of the bus” experience. I also participated in the boycott. That was economic power in action. If am going to live and work on this plantation called the United States of America, I am going to have a say on how it’s run. I am going to have a say in the laws, privileges, benefits, punishments and my relative safety.

Your vote matters. Don’t give up your power. Don’t become a slave because of cynicism, past disappointments, a feeling of powerlessness. These are the tools Massa is happy to use to get you to give up your power. If nothing else vote to make him a lie.

VOTE! It’s your voice. It’s your power. It matters!

Too, Too Much!

by ladypbwiggins

It’s just too, too much. Everyday we are bombarded with stressful information. Information I want to turn from but it is important to my life to know. Covid 19 cases increase, voting the primary run-off, to mask or not to mask, more police brutality, White House, the global news, . The list could go on but as you can see it’s too much for one brain to handle on a daily basis. All of that and family needs have not been addressed.

Being overwhelmed in this confined space on the daily can lead to depression. Don’t let it get to you. Take care of your mental health. Find a way to make the data flow less or slower. Unfortunately it is going to remain too, too much!

Thank Henrietta Lacks You’re Alive.

by ladypbwiggins

Just watched “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” an HBO presentation on Hulu. I knew the story of her life from the medical perspective but I didn’t know the story from her family’s perspective. Her contributions to life is of global proportions. It is worth watching and not just for black people. I wondered while watching how many people who hate us have received life saving treatments made possible by the cells of Henrietta Lacks. I know there are more details not given in the movie. There always are.

Garden Goodness!

by ladypbwiggins

This year my daughter and I resumed our gardening efforts. The shelter-in-place gave her and her husband time to plant their garden and it is flourishing. Mom and Dad are reaping the benefits too. I planted peppers and basil in pots.

Sriracha and Time Bomb
Pickling cucumbers

I must admit that I cheated a little. I added the cucumbers and peppers to some existing pickle juice. But I expect to have good, zesty pickles never the less.

God’s Response To King Solomon’s Prayer

by ladypbwiggins

2 Chronicles 7:12 (NKJV)
12  Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

After all the people had gone home, Jehovah appeared to Solomon in the night to speak to him one on one. The very first thing Jehovah said to Solomon was I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place. Basically, He said, Son you have done well and everything including your worship I have found pleasing. If that wasn’t enough he was about to find out what Jehovah’s decision was for each request.

Just as Solomon presented his request with “if-then” clauses, Jehovah responded. However, when I checked the Hebrew for “if” I discovered the word could also be translated “when.” Some Bible translations have that. This made an impact on me because in my world, “if” is a maybe and “when” is a certainty. For all of you who have been taught that Jehovah does not cause bad things to happen, read this section of scripture. This will clear up any confusion you might have.

2 Chronicles 7:13 (NKJV)
13  When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

Notice Jehovah is saying when these things happen, He causes or commands it. He continues the statement with the scripture of my focus

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
14  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I will try to quickly go through the chosen key words to explain why I think there is so much more than I usually think about. The study aids I used were Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, The Complete Word Study Old Testament-Zodhiates, and New Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies

Called – to be called by the name of a person denotes the standing in a peculiar relation to him or being his property, his people, city etc.

Name- 1. The name is supposed to correspond to the nature of a person or thing; or express some qualities or circumstances relating to them 2. to act in a person’s name is to act by his commission or authority; 3. to call by name is to single our and appoint a person for any work, is eminently qualified for it, or as the object of special favor.

Humble – to bend the knee; hence to humiliate oneself

Seek – to search out that which is uncertain and doubtful, with the desire of obtaining, and with care and attention

Face – the part that turns; a face or surface. This Hebrew word is also translated Presence, or Present

I substituted these definitions and the scripture reads

If My people, who cry out and express my nature, qualities and authority in their behavior would bow down to humiliate themselves before me, to search out the uncertain with a careful attentive desire to obtain my Presence, and pray, turn away from their evil ways, then from heaven I will hear them, I will forgive them and heal their land.

So the questions I had to answer for myself were

1. Do I reflect His nature, qualities, and authority in my behavior? I call myself by His Name.

2. Do I bow down truly with an attitude of humiliation or entitlement because I am His?

3. Do I truly search out His Presence, His Presence when I pray? Do I give that careful attention?

4. Have I turned from my evil ways or am I holding on to a few favorites just in case I need to handle someone?

He heard Solomon’s prayer because he did all these things. He then told him that if the people did this He would hear them. Can I then conclude that He will do the same for me?

Jehovah concludes His response with the statement that His eyes were open and ears attentive to the prayers made in that place. I know He was referring to the Temple but the principle and promises do not change. I believe just as He wrote the law on our hearts(minds), I believe the Temple refers to us in that the Holy Spirit resides in those who are called by His Name.

Vashti, Wrong and Wronged!

by ladypbwiggins

Vashti, I found nothing in my research to explain or support your behavior. You may have had a legitimate reason for rejecting King Ahasuerus’ request. I may never know. I can only guess based on what the scriptures tell us.
1. You both were probably drunk and feeling quite emboldened. We know he was.
2. You may have decided to become a feminist at that moment. Were you tired of parading around in front of a bunch of drunken men so the king could puff out his chest?

3. Were you just tired? You had been partying for seven days also.

Whatever your reason, it wasn’t a wise move. Girl, you knew your man. You knew he was a proud man who would be drunk and showing off. You also knew those princes. After all, the wives were at your banquet. I’m sure they had some input. Did they put you up to it? 🤔

That said, I did see how you were WRONGED!

I don’t believe you thought or knew you were in danger and here is why. When you denied  the King’s request, he asked his advisors what did the law say regarding your behavior.  They never answered that question and the King was too drunk and angry to notice. Instead, for their own fearful and selfish reasons, they convinced the King to be harsh in punishing you. Why? So their wives would not oppose them. Got to keep them in their place.
King Ahasuerus did not respond to you according to the law. He created a new one that he later regretted.

Vashti, you were Wrong and you were Wronged!

Faith or Sight? Choose! Revisited

by ladypbwiggins

Several years ago I posted this during a personal medical crisis. I felt led to repost as a reminder to me and other believers as we walk through this most recent national health crisis.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

I have heard that scripture cited so very much over my life. I even thought I knew what it meant. I thought….

On Friday, April 10, 2015 I realized I didn’t get it before. God said to me “Your behavior does not match your words. Are you really walking by faith or are you really walking by sight wrapped in limited faith.”

Let me give you some context.

At Eagles Wings Christian Church, we have been focusing a lot lately on “Walking by Faith, Not by Sight.” There are new activities that we want to accomplish and it will require faith to do it.

On Sunday, March 1, 2015, God spoke through our praise leader that everything would be alright. She uncontrollably kept repeating “everything will be alright.” We said Amen. What we didn’t understand that a few short minutes later, the pastor, my husband, would pass out just before taking the pulpit. Apparently, his blood pressure dropped and so did he. The emergency response team was called and he was revived and taken to the hospital. That morning the believers swarmed him with prayer. I felt no fear just prayerful power. After all we had been told “everything would be alright.”

The teachings continued and we as a church expected every week for a miracle. Little did we know God had an object lesson planned. On March 26th, God’s lesson began. “In That Moment” and “After the First Moment” tell the story so I invite you to read those posts.

This is where the Friday conversation becomes relevant. We talked about walking by faith and not by sight at church and among believers. That basically means we live, make decisions based on the faith that we have in some thing or someone not by what we observe in the circumstance. The scripture that was laid on my mind when my husband had his heart attack was Psalm 91 especially verses 14-16. I told everyone that I was standing in faith on this scripture for my husband’s recovery.

Here was my contradiction.

Sight said

He had a loss of oxygen. Brain damage

His heart has a 10-20% refraction – doesn’t pump blood strongly enough

Needs a defibrillator or other surgery

Prognosis is not so good.

The practical and realistic thinking person says let’s do what is medically necessary to save and improve his life. I mean it is reasonable right?

Faith says Psalm 91

Psalm 91:14-16 (NKJV)
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me,

therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him

and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

God said “You said Psalm 91 was your faith anchor while you make preparations to satisfy sight.” His question was clear. “Will you totally and completely trust me and my word? Choose.”

Do I listen to faith or sight? I chose faith. In that choice, I signed up to behave or live according to faith not what I see. Yes, I gather all the information from the doctors. I ask questions to understand what the doctors are doing. I then turn all that over to God and remind Him what He said.Until God says something different, I am expecting everything that He said in Psalm 91. My husband fulfills the conditions and I choose to trust God’s Word. It is my choice to live, walk, behave according to faith not just mentally believe.