Bonnie Hacker

hillbilly@heart, autoimmune warrior, raising boys to be men, yard sales are sustainability key

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@Hypnomeezer On an inbound flight and they’ve slowed us way down. Taking an extra hour to get there.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@BoCamaro My favorite this year was “How can I pray for you?”. It was a stranger on a flight from Heathrow to Atlanta. I know he did because I saw what I needed to do. I’m in customer experience so How can I help? comes naturally ☺️

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@ryanhallyall I’m in Beachwood, OH for work (home is Lexington, KY). I’m so relieved this mess stayed to the south and west. We only have some clouds and a little wind.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

As part of guarding my heart, I’m going to delete the Kindle app. The books I read would not please God and the time I spend reading could be better used elsewhere. I’ll instead read the Bible, pray, journal, get outside with the kids and be more present. I look forward to your posts each morning. It’s time to recognize I need to grow my own garden and not just take your fruit. God Bless you!

[Mrs. Dr. Publius @MrsDrPublius]

Good Morning!

You are welcome to join me for a daily scripture break.  Please read this very slowly. It’s long, very long.  I divided the post into three sections so you can absorb the “meat” of the message and feel free to read the post over the next couple of days.

Proverbs 16:2:

“All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.”

Section 1.

A reliable ability to honestly assess ourselves eludes most of us.  Let’s take the time and seriously consider if we are actually capable of honestly assessing ourselves.  In this passage it accurately describes our tendency to be very compassionate towards ourselves - letting ourselves off the hook when we deserve judgment. However, here's the jaw dropping reality - in the end, we can almost convince ourselves of just about anything but the Lord will weigh (examine and judge) our motives.  Interestingly, this verse didn’t highlight our evil deeds, our vast knowledge of Him, how long we've practiced our faith, what a good person we are, etc.  No, it is the motive (whether good or evil) found in our hearts that the Lord that will assess to decide our fate - our consequences. Well that’s sobering.  Our secret motives (when we are jealous or envious of a brother or sister in Christ) are completely obscured from every other human being if we choose to hide them. No one can read your mind or heart and the false outward appearance we project to others often conceals the treachery in our hearts.   I know I have often quoted “...you will know them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:16-20) However, we are all capable of concealing our motives even if only but for a time.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines motive as “ something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.”  The Cambridge Dictionary defines motive as “a reason for doing something.”  I think if these definitions are combined then we can fully comprehend how motives function in our lives.  In Lamentations 3:40, it says,  “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” That’s great advice. Only God can help us render our heart with pure intentions.

In Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Fervently asking the Lord to examine us takes a great confidence and love for God - “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me….”  Wow!  Pause for a moment - are you really prepared at this very moment to ask God to answer this prayer?

Here are few scriptures that decipher for us the importance of pruning our hearts:

1.  I Chronicles 28:9, “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and thought.”

2.  Matthew 15:18-19, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."

Section 2.

Why does the Lord relegate the responsibility to judge our hearts only for Himself?

We find the answer in I Samuel 16:7, it says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." To give you some context - God has rejected Saul as the King of Israel. God wanted David anointed as King by Samuel. This verse also reveals a limitation of our legal system.  We can never ascertain a person’s true motives without their admission - we can infer from circumstances or physical actions but not with absolute certainty, and we can only judge with a reasonableness standard.  Some may disagree but only God is capable of discerning the true condition of our hearts.
Here are a few scriptures elucidating God’s right to judge our hearts:
1.  Isaiah 29:13, “The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.’”  I've periodically ask myself, am I practicing a form of religion?

2.  Luke 6:45 says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."

3.  Jeremiah 17:10, “I, the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” When the Lord performs His examination He rewards what He finds good or bad.

Section 3.

This is what is so important about keeping your heart pure before God.  In Proverbs 4:23, it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” THIS is the salient scripture with no ambiguity why a pure heart is so vital.  The phrase, “above all else” gives you a red flag to slow down and pay attention closely.

Psalms 24:4-5, “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god, they will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.”

This passage hints at the condition by which you will receive “blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior” and that is a believer must abandon any “idol” or “swear by a false god”.  What is an idol? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “idol” as “ an object of extreme devotion; a representation or symbol of an object of worship”.  In the biblical sense - an idol is anything or anyone that usurps God’s primacy in your life.  Remember the first three of the Ten Commandments?

So our job is to roll up our sleeves and shine a bright spotlight on our hearts. Our goal is to cleanse our hearts of any evil; thus aligning our hearts with God’s Word.

1.  In Matthew 5:8, it says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

2.  James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

3.  I John 3:3, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

Do you ever wonder why people can be so utterly distasteful.  Well, these passages above explain it.  Sometimes, I’m truly bewildered by the abhorrent uncivil behavior of people - vehemently demeaning people they are engaging without remorse or pause on social media. It's fine to disagree - just be aware.

Recall Matthew 12:34, it says, “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good?  For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”    To remind you of the context, in this chapter of Matthew, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees regarding the demon-possessed man.  They were testing Jesus and Jesus was extremely angry at the evil embedded in their hearts.  In verse 34, Jesus reveals a priceless nugget of wisdom - “out of the mouth the heart speaks.”  When someone berates your character and competence mercilessly on social media because you have challenged their narrative remember this passage.  It isn’t just true for Pharisees.

Alas, this is a sobering message. Do you trust yourself to be completely honest with yourself? Don’t give Satan a foothold.  Cultivating a pure heart takes honesty, determination, consistency, and commitment to the Lord. We can’t honestly to do this without the assistance of the Holy Spirit.  Many Christians gloss over this one and give themselves a break.  Don’t take the easy road.  This is one of the reasons the path to heaven is through a narrow gate. I pray God helps all of us to be teachable, humble, and grateful.

Peace and be prepared.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@BoCamaro @ChristianHeiens Amen. Your teeth will rot and you’ll lose power for days. There’s venomous snakes, packs of coyotes and don’t get me started on the cicadas screeching in the trees. We don’t have city culture, professional sports teams or private schools. You’re better off to stay put!

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@lexwrecks massive police and fire presence near LCA. Keithshire blocked.

[CooperBaggs 💰🍞 @edgaralandough]

I keep a "never again" list. Every time I waste time on something preventable, I write a one-line rule. "Never schedule a meeting without an agenda." "Never reply to a vague email without asking one question first." "Never start a task without knowing what done looks like." The list has 30 rules.

It’s totally changed my life.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@LibertyJen McDonald’s? Ha, no I got Druther’s only when I had the certificate from school for all A’s and Pizza Hut a couple of times per year with the free pizza for reading - was it called Book It?

[CooperBaggs 💰🍞 @edgaralandough]

WHAT YOU SPEAK OVER YOUR LIFE MATTERS… If you constantly say “I’m broke, I’m stressed, I’m miserable, I’m anxious, I’m lonely, I’m tired of life”… eventually your mind, body, and spirit start agreeing with those words. Some people are unknowingly cursing their own lives with the things they repeatedly speak out loud. Start speaking differently over yourself. “I am at peace. I am loved. I am healthy. I am protected. I am blessed. I have everything I need.” Your words carry power.

[CooperBaggs 💰🍞 @edgaralandough]

My newest prayer is simple: "Lord, settle it." Settle my mind. Settle my heart. Settle my spirit.
Teach me to walk in peace instead of anxiety, and faith instead of fear.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@AndyBeshearKY Nope, just tired of hearing you. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

[CooperBaggs 💰🍞 @edgaralandough]

IF THIS APPEARED FOR YOU, IT IS MEANT FOR YOU!!...

Proverbs 16:9
What is meant for you will never have to be forced. God's plans do not require pressure; they require trust. He is not asking you to strive; He is asking you to rest. Be still. God knows exactly what you are going through right now—every struggle, every tear, every moment of doubt. He sees it all. You do not have to explain anything to Him, for He understands better than anyone else.

And even when you feel that no one else does, He is there, ready to uphold and carry you. He is not asking you to have all the answers; He is asking you to trust in Him. Trust that He is at work in the midst of your pain, that His plan for you is good, and that He is with you every step of the way. When you have no answers, He is the One who holds them all.
Keep trusting. He sustains you. Very soon, you will look back and say: "God, this is more than I ever prayed for."😊


[Living Christian @livechristian1]

Satan got Adam and Eve to focus on one fruit when God had given them a whole garden. That's how he works. He gets you to focus on that one thing you don't have, instead of all the blessings you do have.

Trust that God knows what you need, and will supply it when you truly need it.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@RCattarello @bekahj Came out late 2023. My pastor mentioned it during a sermon a couple of months ago and the worship team performed it for the service. I downloaded it that afternoon to my Jesus playlist.

[🍊🍊Capt'n Cornjuice🥃🥃 @BoCamaro]

My message if the day before I get on the plane to come home....

You think you backslid a little and are away from God? You think you relapsed and are away from God? Think you need to hide like Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned?

Let me tell you a story.

Jesus Found Simon (later renamed him Peter and called him his rock) as a fisherman. Simon had fished and caught nothing and Jesus showed him a miracle. Told him to cast one more time..... and the net nearly tipped his boat over with fish.

Simon hit his knees and told Christ to turn away from him for he was a sinful man. Christ instead said, "Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men", the first of Christ's deciples.

Now....

Fact forward to Christ on the Cross. Peter (Simon) has rejected him 3 times as Christ said he would, and Peter flees.... Christ dies.

Peter is beside himself with grief even after the resurrection.

Then Christ meets him at the Sea of Galilee... Peter is again fishing.... thinking he has failed and now must fish to survive...

And what happens?

Jesus says to him, "Cast that net just ONE MORE TIME..." and fills his boat again...

Christ knew he would be weak. Christ knew HIS ROCK would crumble.

Christ didn't turn from him. He filled his boat a second time and then asked him three times, "Do you love me"... and when Peter responded yes, he told him to "Go feed my sheep". (Three times, because three times did Peter reject him, so three times he must accept him)

This man denied knowing Christ in his weakest moment. Left Christ to DIE on the cross.... and Christ didn't turn from him!!!!

And you think just because you had a moment of human weakness that you cannot come back? You think Christ doesn't know you are suffering and doing your best? You think he doesn't see????

"DO YOU LOVE ME" Is all he is going to ask. That's it. That's all you will hear....

He's not asking for perfection. He is asking for your best. He is asking for your obedience. He is asking you to love him with all you have DESPITE the demons on your shoulder.

You are not lost. You are just a little misdirected by your sin. He's got you. Just approach him. He will tell you to cast your net just ONE MORE TIME... and we both know the results will be a full catch.

Have a great day! See you back in Knoxville.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@BoCamaro I can’t wait to tell my friends that my favorite biblical post for today was posted by Capt’N Cornjuice.

[Mrs. Dr. Publius @MrsDrPublius]

Good Morning,

Let’s take a daily scripture break together.

II Cor 10: 3-5,

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

I thought it would be interesting to approach our scripture break in a different format today. If there are any new believers out there, I thought this post may help you craft a comfortable rhythm to your daily devotionals. When I'm studying a passage of scripture I’ll follow these steps to try and gain a clearer understanding of the author’s intention under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Step 1. Read the passage three times slowly.

Step 2. Dissect each sentence and formulate a question that will help clarify its meaning. Then search the scriptures for the answers to these questions.

Step 3. Identify the items we as believers are tasked to do.

Step 4. Identify the blessings God promises if we are obedient.

Step 5. Identify how these passages strengthen my Christian worldview.

Step 6. Assess what you learned.

Let’s examine each step with regard to II Cor 10:3-5.

1. Step 1 - read the scripture three times.
2. Step 2 - Sentence #1 - How does the world wage war? Sentence #2 - What are the weapons we as Christians are to use?  Sentence #3 - What is a stronghold? Sentence #4 - What are examples of arguments and pretensions that oppose the knowledge of God? Sentence #5 - What does it mean to take a thought captive?
3. Step 3 - a. We live in the world, b. We wage war with divine weapons, c. We demolish arguments and EVERY pretension that opposes the knowledge of God, d. We take every thought captive.
4. Step 4 - If we are obedient to these instructions - we will not waste our time falling prey to the deceptions of the world with their failed strategies but live in the light of God’s Word.
5. Step 5 - When we complete Steps 1-4, then we’re positioned to establish and propagate a rightly discerned Christian worldview.
6. Step 6 - Re-read the passage again. Do you have a deeper understanding of the verses?

This is one of several techniques I use to study the Word of God. I hope it's helpful for some of you. This isn’t the only way to study the Bible but I find it particularly useful with passages packed with godly wisdom and knowledge.

In a few days, I'll share my what I discovered using the technique regarding this passage. Everyone is welcomed to share "their study techniques".

Peace and be prepared.

[Bonnie Hacker @gumptionbabe]

@MrsDrPublius I read your post & all the comments then did a deeper dive with Grok to understand more about his schemes. I’ve recently started to study scripture more so I know he’s going to come for me - but, I will be prepared. Thank you 🙏🏻