Tag: gratitude

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!

John 1

I cannot read the first chapter of the Gospel according to John without finding myself riveted, not only to the content, majestic as it is, but I am also taken in by its cadence, grandeur, and mystery. I feel I am peering into the very heart of Almighty God. It surges with the pulse of all He has determined to do among us and for us. He coaxes us back from teetering at the precipice of the dark abyss. He does not stop there. No, His intention is to bring us into the glorious light that powerfully streams from Himself. (1 John 1:5) All His desire is to bring us into the Kingdom of the Son.`

He knows full well we are incapable of making such a transformation on our own. He has given us an invitation, complete with new authority, increasing understanding, and even committed His own Spirit to us, to act as internal guide and revealer of hidden truth. He clearly marks the path. (2 John 1:16)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John 1:1-18

More?

I am grateful to have my wife’s library shelves moved back where they can be used! It has been thirteen years since we had space to do that. Time flies!

Me: Good morning, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good morning, Jon!

Me: Last Saturday (22nd), You gave me a diagram that is useful to explain, among other things, the difference between salvation and sanctification. Would you lead me to more supporting scripture verses to go with that diagram?

Holy Spirit: I assume you mean in addition to the ones I gave you at the time?

Me: Yes. I have a sense there is much more.

Holy Spirit: Let’s start with Ephesians chapters five and six. They have much to say about walking: in love, in light, in wisdom, in the Word, in obedience, in the whole armor of God, and in faith by grace. Concerning the endpoints on the diagram, see Colossians 1:13.

This translation from darkness to light is a past event for the spirit of the believer. It is also an ongoing journey of growth and change (sanctification).

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

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

Sing with Gratitude More Often

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16

Me: Good morning, Jesus!

Jesus: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I am grateful that your word brings wisdom! I pray that You will help me to more deeply let it “dwell in me richly”.

Jesus: One way is for you to follow the instructions of this verse and sing more often.

Me: I am grateful that You always give me spiritual songs if I only turn my heart to You and open my mouth and lift my voice to You. I don’t know why I tend to skip that blessing.

Jesus:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2

Those songs will be transforming. This is wisdom.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2

Me: Thank You Jesus! I love You!

Jesus: You are welcome! I love you! I tell you the truth of the way to walk in Me to abundant life.

Light and Darkness

I am grateful for sight! What a marvelous gift!

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of life light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Matthew 6:22-23

And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
 “Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.”

Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:
“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant,
The houses are without a man,
The land is utterly desolate,
The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land”

Isaiah 6:9-12

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:4-5

Me: Good morning, Holy Spirt!

Holy Spirt: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I wrote “life” instead of “light” when writing down Matthew 6:22.

Holy Spirit: As you see from John 1:4, there is a sense in which they are equivalent.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness [a]was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

John 1:5-9

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

John 3:19-21

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12

 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

John 14:19-21

 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit for leading me though these scriptures! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

Mahaska Morning

Out of Chaos…

…Order

Substance

I am grateful to have the small chicken coop moved under the trees, where the chicks will be cooler in the summer heat!

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11

Substance, here, in the NKJV, is hypostasis; a compound of hupo and histemi; a setting under (support), i.e. (figuratively) concretely, essence, or abstractly, assurance (objectively or subjectively) — confidence, confident, person, substance.

I note that we get our English word stasis from the Greek word histemi, meaning – in this context – equilibrium or a stable state. The Strongs exposition, above, incorporated the word concretely, which we equate with stability.

In the third verse, the writer speaks of the worlds being framed by the word of God as a basis for understanding faith. The word of God is surer as a foundation than is concrete! Concrete will eventually decay, but the word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Lord, thank You that Your word is faithful and true, a sure foundation for life! Thank you that our relationship with you is by faith in You, and not by our always-inconsistent performance.

Small Chicken Coop

Life and Death

A short stroll through Romans 8

I am grateful that You are Spirit!

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:6-11

Me: Good morning, Father!

Abba: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I think Romans 8 may be my favorite passage of scripture.

Abba: What is not to like? No condemnation, freedom, righteousness, life, peace, adoption, heirs, glory, hope, help, purpose, deliverance, and protection, just to skim the surface.

Me: The benefits you have given us in Jesus are truly boundless! Thank You! I love You!

Abba: You are welcome! I love you!

Tiger Lilly with Visitor

Peace in the Midst of Turmoil

From my handwritten journal entry of 4/5/2025

I am grateful for peace in my heart!

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:14

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:16

And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

John 17:22

Me: Good morning, Holy Spirit!

Holy Spirit: Good morning, Jon!

Me: I lament the “divide and conquer” inroads the enemy is making into our society. There is so much discontent, name-calling, accusation, and even outright violence!

Holy Spirit: Do not expect peace to prevail where the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) is rejected. Your statement of gratitude today recognizes that the heart is the residence of Peace.

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteousness of God tests the hearts and minds.

Psalm 7:9

 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9

Those who have accepted Our invitation, who have allowed our indwelling have the fulfillment of Ezekiel 36:26 –

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Those who have not accepted will still be subject to hosting evil vitriol, and will remain in fear, be filled with hate, strive in turmoil, and be overrun with anger. This is what you observe around you, to varying degrees of progression. The cure to this terminal sickness was purchased through Jesus’ blood shed for all. However, fear, hate, chaos, and anger are blinding. They obscure the light of Truth (Matthew 10:34).

Let the light you have been given shine (Matthew 5:16). The darkness has no defense against it. Encourage those who will listen to not respond to evil speech in kind. The dark response will merely merge with the darkness that baited them, resulting in more darkness.

Me: Thank You Holy Spirit! I love You!

Holy Spirit: You are welcome! I love you!

Peace Personified