Unsearchable?

I am grateful for the inch of rain overnight!

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Romans 11:33

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I am amazed at the prevalence of judgments that, “I know best. You, therefore, are wrong. No, not just wrong, but evil.”, that is directed against those who look to You for direction. And yet, You allow these accusations to be made. Your ways really are past finding out.

Abba: Those judgments mostly come from those who deny My existence in spite of evidence (2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 2:11). My ways are past finding out by the natural mind. But they are not past being revealed by My Holy Spirit.

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of

Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Now, this is the reason you are called to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:4) such that the things which Jesus knows, and are resident in your born-again spirit, might begin to work in your physical brain.

This is a process of alignment. An attitude adjustment accompanied by learning and cemented by consistent practice. Do not miss the fact, therefore, that disobedience (sin) carries a message that is counter to the mind of Christ. The progress you make is dependent upon what you reinforce daily. In this, you now have a choice, for Jesus came to break the power of sin. [1 John 3:8, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 2:14, John 8:36]

Me: Thank You, Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Photo by Daniel Reche on Pexels.com

Persuasion by Fear

I am grateful for Holy-Spirit guidance as well as the written word!

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good [clear, healthy], your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad [evil, unhealthy], your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [Aramaic, riches].

Matthew 6:22-24


Me: Good morning, Father!

ABBA: Good morning, Jon!

Me: You know the situation that brought this passage in Matthew 6 forward this week: the assertion from [a pastor] that, “If you think you are being fed light from another, and if it is really darkness, then it is impossible to come back from that deception.” And that following being subjected to an impassioned candidate speech that had discernment alarms going off. (Thank You for that!)

Abba: Here is a related principle:

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
And prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 5:20-21

For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel,
Palm branch and bulrush in one day.
The elder and honorable, he is the head;
The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
And those who are led by them are destroyed.

Isaiah 9:16


Me: Those are strong words!

Abba: As they should be! You have noted the speeches of those seeking to persuade are full of enumerations of things to fear; “if you don’t drop your loyalty to the candidate (and friend) you are supporting and throw in with us, then this whole fearful sequence of events will certainly occur and then you’ll be sorry!” [Quick summary paraphrase of the speech content in honor of your valuable time, dear reader.]

Me: Yes, I am certain you revealed that to me by your spirit!

Abba: “Fear not” is the most repeated command in the Scriptures. Jesus often said it. He saw it in the Scriptures He had:

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10 [see also verses 11 – 20]

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

So, when one tries to persuade you to abandon the course you were walking with Me by citing things to fear, you can be certain they are not speaking for Me. I am not calling you to weak knees or fearful glances to the left and right. I’m calling you to be of good courage. Lean on me. Look to My way. I will never leave you nor forsake you!

Me: Thank you Father! I love you!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

One Heart at a Time

Sunday, April 12, 2026

I am grateful for answers from You!

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Luke 9:24f

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I was fretting of the “Why?” of the evil decline in our society. Especially the willing assent and even violent participation of so many wanting to tear it all down so they can remake the country according to their own personal vision of Eutopia (Greek, happy place 😏). I am sure I have been asking You about it. I am grateful to have seen Dr. David Jeremiah’s message this morning, because it focused my attention on the fact that You had already given me the answer, over a long period. I don’t know why it wasn’t ready in my mind. I probably need to repent of not being more focused and meditative!

Abba: Yes, you needed a reminder that darkness is widespread because it is systemic or congenital in everyone since the beginning of the trouble in the Garden of Eden. The contagion spreads one infected heart at a time and deepens one unholy decision at a time. It accelerates by false teaching. Remember, there is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). When the blind lead the blind, will not both fall into a ditch (Matthew 15:14, Luke 6:39)?

Satan’s schemes always have the same aim: kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10). His primary weapon is deception. He has marshalled many deceived ones, including some who have amassed fortunes to fund those who have the same agenda. There are even foreign governments involved. They craftily utilize every channel of propaganda to enlist those who are merely taken in. They mistakenly think that after they burn society down, their vision will arise from ashes like some mythical phoenix. They are wholly unaware that this is a counterfeit resurrection. Many of the deceived will argue they are upholding “Christian” ideals. Yet in My name they hate one to prefer another whom they adjudge as more oppressed. You have seen it, and have been troubled by it.

You remember, the disciples and many others expected Jesus to lead them to forcefully overpower the Roman oppressors who had conquered Israel. When He went to the cross under that same controlling system, their hopes were dashed.

But I intended His sacrifice. There is no other cure for a heart in bondage. A heart I set free cannot be bound by any oppressive system (except the freed one willingly cooperate with the captor).

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Look deeply at things Paul said to the Thessalonians:
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5

Why? Because the [unredeemed] heart is deceitful above all things[!] and desperately wicked.  But I the Lord search the heart, I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Neither forget that I have told you in the last days, the darkness will increase and the love of many will grow cold.

You do what is says in My word. Put on the full armor of God. Pray without ceasing. Be ready with the Gospel. Be a light, for light overcomes darkness without fail.

Me: Thank You Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Tradeoffs

I created this cart this weekend to provide a home for my new 92-pound not-exactly-qualified-as-portable DeWalt 13″ planer. I wanted to use 6″ casters and also allow it to stand in the same floor space used by some storage totes when not being used. All these constraints caused it to be a little higher than ideal, but it should be serviceable.

I had this 3/4″ particle board laying around. All the corner connections are screwed and glued. The casters have 3/8″ by 2″ lag screws into the bottom connectors that were ripped out of 2×6 material ( even split). There are 3/8″x1.5″ carriage bolts holding the inside edge of the casters. I had to saw off 1/4″ on the four carriage bolts on the swivel casters (on the opposite end to the perspective of the photo) to clear the swivel mechanism.

The top corner connectors have some of their width removed to allow the top of the tubs to pass, since the top one has to be raised above the bottom one to be extracted by itself. Incidentally, the back corner connectors are not continuous. This gives room for the top of the tubs to go all the way to the back without being limited by the bracing.

I have been without a planer since the belt broke on my Delta 13″ portable planer. It gave me 25 years of good service, but I could no longer buy parts. The weight was much less and I usually just set it up on the table saw when I wanted to use it. I didn’t think I wanted to hoist this 92 pound beast around on a regular basis, hence the roll-around cabinet.

Have it Your Way?

I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end.
I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law.
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.

Psalm 119:112-114

I am grateful that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth!

For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:7-8

I haven’t heard the Burger King® jingle “Have it Your Way”, of late – probably because I avoid the conduits of communication where I might be thus accosted – but I believe it was registered as a trademark in the 1970s, during the decade of my graduation from high school and military service. Nonetheless, it seems to have stuck in my brain… scary as that is.

It came to mind when I was considering the lament of God to Isaiah about the people’s hardness of heart. God told Isaiah to address their attitude, lest it go unchallenged. Jesus quoted from that very passage in Mathew when the disciples asked Him about His teaching style.

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah [6:9–10] is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Matthew 13:10-17 (NKJV)

Did you see what attentive hearing with hearts of understanding would bring? Repentance and resultant healing! The “turning” that Isaiah and Jesus spoke of is under our control. Having once granted us autonomy over our own decisions, God does not violate them while we still breathe the air of earth. There are often negative consequences, to be sure. I have endured many of these myself. But such repercussions are really signposts of mercy; glaring evidence we are on a degenerating path, descending to a dreadful terminus. Turn around!

The Apostle Paul had some heartfelt things to say on this subject as well:

1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Colossians 2:1-10 (NKJV)

God is the source of “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. What is left if one rejects the source of wisdom and knowledge?

What is left is human “philosophy and empty deceit”. Often what is left is delivered passionately with words that can persuade those who are not intimate with God and His word. But look where that is going:

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (NKJV)

Because God really does allow you to “have it your way” and as the rulers of this age, not even realizing it, are “coming to nothing”. Do not go with them. Neither lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Set your heart on Him. Let Him direct your paths!

Bee More

Hive Box Build Progress

Above: Handhold jig with insert to adjust for sides and ends (all get a handhold).

Above: 1/2″ deep handhold in a side.

Above: Dimensioned parts for eight deep brood boxes, with the handholds cut.

Approximately three days of labor so far.

Wholehearted

Journal, Sunday 2-1-2026

I am grateful to have the new pegboards for the shop constructed and up!

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

— Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: This made me think of the adjective wholehearted. When I look at the definition, I find:

1. completely and sincerely, determined or enthusiastic
2. marked by complete earnest commitment; free from all reserve or hesitation.

That said, the verse in Deuteronomy 6 indicates that is not all; more than heart is concerned. I have envisioned the heart to contain the soul (reason/mind, emotions, will, conscience, self-awareness, faith/unbelief, etc.). Does this passage in Deuteronomy 6 negate that concept? I have based my thinking about this matter on many passages.

“who has also placed his seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee”

2 Corinthians 1:22

— And as other examples:

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts.

Psalm 139:23

And

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Abba: I want you to think about this passage in Romans 1, and how the soul affects the heart and how the heart affects the body. And, how some make a habit out of serving the body and its senses. As you know, that gets to be an accelerating vicious circle going to no good end.

Therefore, God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason, God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. Likewise, men abandoned natural relations with women and burned with lust for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, maliciousness. Gossips, slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful; inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, foolish, untrustworthy, heartless, unmerciful; who having known the righteous judgment of God, that those doing such things are worthy of death, not only are practicing them, but are also approving of those practicing them.

— Romans 1:24-32

Surely, you recognize this in action in your day, as it was in Paul’s.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45

The exhortation to love Me with all your heart and all your soul, and all your strength is not saying the soul is not contained in the heart. It emphasizes wholeheartedness, as you have already observed. Not everyone considers the soul a part of the heart simply because they have not considered it. By pointing out details, the text aims to get you to consider the trouble with holding back in any area of your relationship with Me.

David saw it:

Bless the Lord, O my soul! And all that is within me, bless His Holy Name.

— Psalm 103:1

So, “wholehearted” is a good word. An unreserved heart set on Me results in an unfettered soul and directs the body to good and powerful actions.

Me: Thank You, Father! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Graphic depicting some aspects related to the mind, heart, and spirit.

Focus

Journal Entry – January 25, 2026

I am grateful for great direction from the Word!

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

— Philippians 4:8-9

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: All the things in the darkness in this world do not fit in this list

Abba: Yes, and many are cooperating to bring your attention to bear on them.

Lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

— 2 Corinthians 2:11

This last passage tells you not to be ignorant of the darkness, but do not focus on it and give it more power than it is due.

But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.

— Matthew 10:33–36

Understand this: as the darkness progresses, it is all the more important for you to be strong there in the depths of your heart and mind and soul by focusing on things in the light as Philippians four says. You are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16). You cannot long maintain effectiveness unless you are filled with light by what you are occupied with. You need to be light so that those who will can see how to leave the darkness. There is a balance, but remember lessons from physics: the power is in the light and darkness is absent power. Knowing the things that are of Me will maintain your ability to be light, and it is surely needed.

Although the Jesus’ words captured in Matthew 10:33-36 speak specifically of one’s immediate family members, family members make up a community, and communities make up a state, and states make up a nation and nations make up the world. Those of the household of faith will one day be in alignment with Jesus’ prayer for unity (John 17:6-18). That day has not arrived yet and many are set against Jesus’ disciples. Even within the “household of faith” one is set against another. Do not be surprised. Jesus did not want you to be unaware.

Me: Thank You Father! I love you!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Journal from January 18th, 2026

I am grateful to have a place to work out of the cold, and to have the new custom baseboards stained and ready to install in the exercise room.

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:11-13

And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:13

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

James 1:13-15

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: Thank You for leading me through these scriptures! I have long been puzzled by Jesus teaching us to pray, “lead us not into temptation” in light of some of the other passages.

Abba: Jesus was recognizing the need for His followers to not face temptation alone, whether internal or external, but to humbly rely on Me. 1 Corinthians 10 tells you that I will be faithful in answering that prayer.

Think about this: As James observes that “God cannot be tempted”, then if your actions and the very thoughts of your heart are yielded to the Holy Spirit, then where would sin, or even the temptation to sin abide? This is why there is an exhortation to not “quench” the Spirit!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

See how this passage points to the depths of the heart; these are not intermittent activities: pray without ceasing, rejoice always, in everything give thanks, test all things, hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil. These are only possible in a life wholly given to Me. We are not speaking of a divided purpose.

Again, James captured this.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:2-8

Me: Thank You Father! I pray You will continue to help me grow in Your steadfastness and the purposes of Your heart. I love You!

Abba: You are welcome. I Am. I love you!