Random tidbit: I like giraffes. I like them alot. When I see a giraffe I believe that God has a great sense of humor. I also like frogs. They are just very interesting and available. Giraffes are harder to get to. (they are very cool, though.)

Question:  How does one make every day feel like their birthday?  Today I had a wonderful day.  To quote a phrase from my children, "I wish every day was my birthday".  There were a few people who didn't know it was my birthday and when I told them, every last one squealed in delight.  Squealed.  Couldn't we all squeal for one another?  I received many lovely test messages, phone messages, facebook messages and real-time words and hugs.  It was a magnificent way to usher in my "42".  I feel loved and celebrated and inspired to be the best I can be for myself and those around me.  I'm ending this day very much as I end them all.  Precious is asleep on my chest, the lights are low, the dog is sprawled out behind me.  The school-age kids are all quietly up in bed and I get to watch an hour of television to close up the day.  I will be up every 2 hours or so with Precious.  The soy is not the miracle answer to prayer I hoped for.  It helps with the pooping but not the sleeping.  And it smells really, really bad.  We have an appointment scheduled with a pediaatric GI specialist so see if there is anything else we can do.  Anyway, I'll be up with her often, for the fourth night of four, until her dad gets home.  Tomorrow night I will pass her off to him around midnight and stagger to another bed for about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I hope. 

I want to end with this quote from the book, The Tangible Kingdom.  It is my view for the future so it seems fitting to me.  Hope you can agree somewhere in your spirit.  "Even though a baptism feels like a culminating event, it's just one movement in a long string of mystical movements toward Christ."  It is my solemn prayer that God will continue to propel me forward in a long string of mystical movements toward Christ.

With grand assertiveness and shameless pleasure, I want everyone to know that tomorrow is my birthday.  I'm not one of those folks who tells no one just to see if anyone remembers.  I choose to assume that it is no one's job to remember unless I remind them and tell them.  When I go shopping on my birthday, I tell the store clerk, the waitress, the guy in line behind me.  I want everyone to tell me Happy Birthday.  That's what makes it Happy.  Good wishes.  Feel free to offer them to me out loud or in prayer if you think of me tomorrow, on the 28th.  I will be celebrating my life.  Why?  Because its worth celebrating. 

Because my mom and my husband are both out of town, the children are preparing to celebrate with me and I have challenged them.  I have asked them to bless me.  All day.  I'm  sure they think it is easier to just buy me something but I seriously want their blessing, their joy, their helpfulness, their gratitude.  We'll see if they can deliver without someone reminding them.

Since we had our extravagant outing last weekend, I intended to have a quiet, work day tomorrow for my birthday, then go out for supper with my brother and our children.  I was thrilled when he called and invited me out.  Its a first.  Somehow, through divine smiles from God, at the end of my work day today I found myself in a delicious place with the day completely off tomorrow.  A coworker asked to switch some days, ironically, for her birthday, and lo and behold.  I'm free.  Wow!  I'm meeting one friend for coffee, another for chips and salsa in the afternoon and maybe I'll take a long walk or a hike at the local hills.  Can't wait to go to bed tonight so I can wake up and say "Happy Birthday to me!"

A few things Roger and I talked about and did or didn't say (me, with no voice) on our getaway:

1.  We're so grateful the kids are happy and healthy and content and well-adjusted and can be excited to have Grandma come and us leave! 
2.  Roger wants a new house (with an attached garage and less issues and a neighborhood with more kids) for all the right reasons, and a few of the wrong ones, like the fact that everyone is buying and selling homes in our town right now and he'd love to ride that wave.  Niki would like the attached garage and more kids to play with but unfortunately, I also am completely in love with our home and when we first saw it I pictured my eldest daughter walking down the staircase in her wedding gown.  Sorry, hun.
3.  Niki wants to adopt more kids so that Precious would have a sibling or 2 to share the adoption story with in our family, and because I just ache for all the children in the world who don't have anyone to kiss them good-night and celebrated their birthdays and lavish love and purpose over their lives.  Roger is not so much there since we usually feel like we can barely keep our nose above the water emotionally, physically, financially and every other "-ally" there is.  Sorry Niki. 
4.  Roger would like a different vehicle so we test drove a honkin' huge excursion that was flashy red...and then returned it to the dealership and made a list of the pros and cons.  We will just pray our current vehicles last a bit longer while we wait for the right one with the right amount of miles and the right price tag. 
5.  We did a personality quiz together to determine our communication styles.  His was dead-on, mine was obscure.  Apparently I'm a hard personality to test.  Big suprise, eh?
6.  One thing I didn't say but thought of more than once in our get-away time, was that my husband is truly and surely the person I most want to spend time with when we have a chance to get away.  We like many of the same things but also many different things and we are both ok with what makes us similar and different.  He is my best friend.  I respect him and love him and even better, I like him.  He's gone now for a few days so I can really appreciate all he does for me and for our family.  Miss you, babe.

1 Peter 3:4   "Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

A gentle spirit, a quiet spirit, one that is not harsh or sarcastic or irritable.  A gentle spirit, a quiet spirit, one that smiles instead of sighs.  A gentle spirit, a quiet spirit, one that does not speak harsh words about others, but rather shows restraint and respect.  A gentle and quiet spirit today may look like a mommy who does not complain or whine about the daily grind, but rather hugs and blesses and offers security and love to her children.  A gentle and quiet spirit today may look like a public health nurse who does the unspoken work, the subtle work in people's lives and homes and hearts, to improve the health of their mind, body, family, community. 

In 2 days I will have a birthday.  At age 42 the beauty is definitely fading and here, buried in the end of the bible, is a birthday gift from God.  How do I aquire unfading beauty, from the inside out, that will not age as I age?  Seek out a gentle and quiet spirit.  Why?  Because it is of great worth to God.  Wow.  God, who possesses all the riches and power and majesty of this world and every other world besides, this God finds great worth in a gentle and quiet spirit.  This God who created oceans and galaxies and babies...this God sees value in being gentl and quiet. 

Lord God of Heaven and earth, transform me, fill me with your Holy Spirit.  Pour into me, in my inner self, the ability to possess the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit so that I can be of great worth in your sight.  Amen.

Warming up before one of the many church services our dancers performed in for this Easter season. We went an hour earlier than the service each time for them to learn the stage and find their places.

Its sunday late afternoon and thankfully, I don't need vocal chords to blog.  I have had virturally no voice for about 3 days which is fine when I am alone but it is very hard to parent without words.  I know, I know, lead by example...but someone still has to say "stop it" once in awhile.  Roger and I had a great time away and since we didn't have major issues to discuss, we could just enjoy eachother's company without too many words.  We ate really well, watched a movie in the hotel and slept later than usual, opted to skip the workout in the morning and then shopped.  I bought some fun, cheap dishes to replace my original set we got for wedding gifts that is now chipped, discolored and far too breakable for children to load in the dishwasher.  Target plastic in bright colors is the theme for the summer!  Thank you, Grandma Mary for being the best grandma ever and handling everything with joy and ease while we were away!  (and thanks for the chicken soup....yum, yum, yum.)

Roger's on the plane, headed for a business trip again so if you think of it, send up a one-liner prayer to God for me once in awhile.  He won't be home (Roger, not God-smile) until late thursday night so it will be a long week.  My mom is usually my back-up for these business trips but she and her hubby are on a cruise ship this week so I'm having to be more creative and intentional.  I've gone deeper in the bench and have called on my brother, step-sister and likely a few others before its all said and done.  It truly does take a village to raise a child.  (And an entire county to raise four of them). 

This morning we attended the 8th different church in 6 weeks, due to the dance circuit doing their Easter performance.  We have been away from our home church most of the time, only there on Easter and one other evening service...even in our small region there are so many different types of church buildings and styles of worship and "faces" of Sunday.  I am sitting here remembering the many pastors, greeters, worshippers, the different kinds of music and setting and I am so grateful that we can have such a variety, and still all agree that Jesus is Lord and we are here to worship and adore Him when we gather.  I am grateful that we have freedom to worship and do not suffer under persecution on this Sunday.  I'm sure that day is coming but for today, we get to attend wherever we choose and glorify Jesus in any way we want to.  It is a beautiful thing. 

I pray now for the persecuted church.  I pray that you, Lord, will breathe passion and power into this church that sacrifices so much just to worship together and that you will supernaturally protect and strengthen the church, your Bride.  It is way too easy for us, Lord and I am sorry that it makes us complacent and often ungrateful.  On behalf of the persecuted church and the comfortable church, I say thank you for having mercy enough to cover both.  Help us here, who worship freely and often without passion, to come alive, to wake up, to receive a new, fresh wind of your Spirit, moving us to greater knowledge and love in your precious, holy name, Jesus.  Amen.

soy and listening

Roger reported that Precious slept about 4 hours all at once last night...it appears the answer to my prayers may be called soy formula.  I don't dare to declare it yet, but we are definitely more hopeful that we will soon be getting more sleep and using less diapers.  She had been pooping 8-10 times a day, even at night.  This will be good news to Grandma Mary who is coming tomorrow to stay with the kids so that we can have a little overnight get-away.  One night, about 36 hours and the best birthday present I could hope for!  Next week will be rough as dad has to fly to Ohio again so I hope to bank lots of loving, relaxing, quality time with him this weekend before he goes. 

I've had a strong feeling today that God is wanting to tell me something, or that something is happening.  Ever have that?  Its just on the other side of my mind and I can't quite settle in to hear it.  I'm bending down, I feel his hands pressing in on me so that I will concentrate and hear....but what, Lord?  What are you trying to say?  As I wait and press in, I find that I am hearing everything with distinction and purpose.  Every conversation, every word I read, every thought...I am paying attention.  A friend spoke the scripture from Ephesians 3:10 at a meeting I attended awhile ago so until I hear a clear word or this sense leaves me, I'm just gonna meditate on this for now. 

Mom, I know I'm up way too often at night and I'm sorry. Thanks, though, for snuggling me in every time I squirm and fuss. I really appreciate knowing you're always there...and if not you, then dad. It won't last forever, mom, I promise. Maybe trying soy formula will help? I'm willing to try if you are?

Dear Father God, help us, your sons and daughters, to be survivors of the earthquake or the tragedy or the testing or the events of this world that happen because of sin and imperfection.  Carry us through the earthquakes, Lord.  When the fire comes, use it to refine us, Lord.  Place us in the firey furnace if you have to but deliver us without a mark or burn or blemish so that we can testify to your miracles, your transforming and refining power and your grace.  When we have survived the disasters and walked through the refiner's fire, then help us to hear your gentle whisper.  Press your nail-scarred hands against the back of my stubborn head, lean me in and bend my ear so that I do not miss one precious word you speak.  Fine tune my ears, Lord, to not just hear your convicting words, your rebuking words, your discipline.  Help me to not just yearn for your adoration and kindness and the words of love you speak.  Lean me in closer to hear the gentle whisper.  The secrets.  The desires of your heart and your most cherished thoughts.  I want to hear your gentle whisper, Father.  Thank you for your Holy Word, the ancient words that bless me day after day.  Amen.

1 Kings 19:12: After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

It has been very hard to post as often as I used to.  I'm just beginning to see the reasons why.  My early mornings used to be free for contemplation, devotion and musing...now I'm out walking the dog at 6am, then herding the flock off for the day.  My late afternoons used to allow for a sleeping baby on my chest and older kids watching tv down in the basement.  Now we're off to music, dance or soccer at that hour.  Precious no longer sits passively on my lap as I type.  Those of you who have seen her in action can testify to the lack of sit in this child.  She bounces, grabs, flings herself back and forth, nuzzles, kisses, pulls hair and then bounces some more.  Typing with her on my lap is now out of the question.  Oh, and when she's awake, she wants mom.  Always.  If someone else is holding her and I walk by, she cries and pierces me with those big dark eyes as if to say, "don't stay way over there...come get me.  and I mean NOW!" 

All that said, I want to offer a fresh epiphony and maybe the Holy Spirit will nudge you to join me in this quest for Holy Transformation.  God has been working on me for several years in the fruit of gentleness.  I'm not so gentle.  I'm nurturing and loving but the Lord has clearly convicted me on the need to work on gentleness.  It came up a few years ago and I gave it a half-hearted effort and then let it slide.  Its back.  God intends to transform me into a gentler woman.  I'm not sure how to move into that on my own so I will pray for an increase of gentleness and that gentleness would replace whatever is not godly in my spirit.  And I will wait for God to reveal His heart to me.  I began this posture of submission to His call to my gentleness as I walked with a friend today.  I told her I want to put on a robe of gentleness and wear it as if it fits me.  Maybe if I wear the robe of gentleness long enough, it will feel like it belongs on me and I will begin to be gentle and not just wear it.  Here is where the epiphony comes in (sorry if I'm misspelling it.  I'm not gonna spell check cause P is on the floor playing contentedly and I only have a few minutes to type as fast as possible...).  My epiphony is that perhaps God doesn't just want me gentle to transform me.  Maybe He wants to see His gentleness displayed through me so that someone else can see the gentleness of the Lord.  How is it that the best wisdom and revelation from God always end with the knowledge that its not about me, but about Him? 

So what is He nudging you to grow or change or transform or wear?  Is there a robe of something you could put on and wear it until you own it?  The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.  If nothing resonates a "yes" in your spirit, just choose one. 

Grandma Kredit quickly figured out the first picture of Jeremiah was Isaac instead. Oops. Good thing there are only 4 Kredit kids or I may be a danger to myself and others. Here's the young Jeremiah, at about 8 months old...very little baby pictures of him as a newborn were buried too deep for me to find. Grandma you rock!

"The sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught."  Isaiah 51:4

Dear Heavenly Father, on this early, quiet spring morning you have awakened me.  I should be out walking but the thunderstorm said 'no' to that so instead I received this gift, this desert for breakfast.  A few quiet moments to listen and to search and to read from your Word and to pray.  Thank you, Abba Father, for these few moments.  The psalms led to Isaiah and that is where you have met me, with the prophet.  I hear you tell me to listen, to be instructed, to be ready to be transformed and to expect gentleness.  Because you promise me that you made me in your image, I trust you.  I will be clay in your Potter's hands.  You may transform me today and each day forward.  Help me to be a gentle mom and wife and friend and daughter.  Help me to live in this day as one who has an instructed tongue and not an untamed tongue, as one being taught and not one going my own way.  Amen.

Today is Jeremiah's birthday.  He is so excited that its a wonder he is sleeping at all.  Jeremiah is 6 today and gets to bring treats to school, then have a party later today with his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  On friday he gets his buddy party so it will be a fun few days for him.

We love Jeremiah so, so much.  He is sweet and kind and tender.  Jeremiah gets his feelings hurt very easily and requires very little discipline.  He is eager to please, helpful and fun.  He's a very silly boy and very affectionate so we smile alot and get lots of hugs and kisses.  He is famous for the phrase, "I just love you so much!"  I am pretty sure that when God was forming Jeremiah in the secret place, He was smiling.  Jeremiah could one day be a David, a man after God's own heart.  We are proud and grateful to be his parents and will savor this day, this chance to celebrate him.  Thank you, Lord, for our son Jeremiah.  You have blessed us beyond measure with his life and we are so grateful.  Amen.

Today I had a series of experiences and conversations that surmounted to this statement.  God loves relationships.  God loves that we experience the lives of eachother.  God also loves when we keep pace with eachother and spend time together.  Quality time.  God loves quality time.  I love quality time.  I'm a quality time girl.  That's my love language.  If you've ever read the 5 Love Languages you can identify with one or another of them and ironically, God is the author of all 5 so we can all line up with Him when we claim which one we identify with the most.  As a quality time person, I can say that if I spend good, focused time with the people I love, I feel filled up, at peace and connected.  I get to take Claire to a symphony concert tomorrow night.  Quality time.  Roger and I have a get-away scheduled for the 23rd.  Quality time.  I've had a shopping day with both Claire and Isaac and even with my mom and Precious in the past month.  Quality time.  Jeremiah's time is still coming.  It takes awhile to schedule quality time.  Find your love language and then sing it, pray it, live it, work at it and edify the Lord in it. 

Next on my agenda is to schedule some quality time with God.  I had a day with Him a few years ago and it was like a date.  I literally felt him tell me, "thank you for coming" and then spent hours with my Lord.  My take-away message from him was to:  Be gentle.  I'm still trying.  To be gentle. 

What's your love language?  I'd list them but that would take time and I don't want to google now so google it yourself, or remember if you ever did the study.  Share with me, I'd love to know your love language.  I can write about them all!

Be moved.

There are many, many ways I can be moved in a day.  Sometimes it is through something my children say.  Sometimes it is a song, a suprise visit from a bird outside my window, a memory that lines up with a fragrance that floods me with a feeling.  The significant thing is not even what moves me, but that I move.  My greatest fight in life is one against complacency, acceptance and mediocrity.  Life is too short and too beautiful to not be open and ready to be moved.  Being moved is seldom comfortable and often scary.  But it is living.  Tonight I jumped on the blog to check out my blogging friends and read the most recent post from my friend Sarah at Sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com.  This post is heart-wrenching and real and filled with life and ultimately, with what it is like to walk with the Lord through life.  Through hard life.  Tonight, at the end of a full and wonderful weekend, I am not complacent, accepting or mediocre.  I am moved.  Please be moved with me and visit her site. Thanks and blessings on the beginning of a new week.  May we all, daily, be moved.

Dear Lord, please grant travel mercy to Auntie Lois and Uncle Dale who are coming to see us and meet Prcious Maryn.  They will travel all day and get here in time for supper.  Thank you for loving family.  We are very excited to spend time with them and show them our home, our family and a taste of life with the Kredits.

 Thank you for this dog, Lady, that we have decided to keep permanently. Thank you that she is quiet and people-pleasing and fun to play with.  Help us, Lord, with this transition into dog ownership, and give me patience and wisdom, Lord. 

Thank you for the week I had to declutter my closets.  Help me to now shift back into working mama mode this week.  It was so nice to feel like a stay-at-home-mom for a few days.  I am grateful for my job, Lord.  Help me to do it well.

Please help Precious, heal Precious.  She is coughing again and teething and, Lord, she doesn't sleep.  Pleeeaaassseee help us find a kind way to get this child to sleep at night.  Please.  Please.  Please. 

God, we look to you for our answers to prayer, our hope, our joy and our strength.  We look to you for everything and we deny what is in the world that stands against you.  Make those things clear to us and undesirable to us so that we can line up with you rightly and rightously and obediently and joyfully each day.  Amen.

Today is the final day of my spring cleaning/de-cluttering/dial-down the stress week.  In 3 days I will have accomplished some serious household tasks which will ,in turn, reduce the stress of my life.  Unfortunately I didn't get much time for lingering in coffee shops and taking naps but there are still only 24 hours in a day, despite my constant prayer for more than that. 

If I manage to finish the toy sorting in the basement and pick up down there, make my 2 dishes for the swim team pot luck tonight, shower, go to my meeting at noon and my hour a week volunteer time at Jeremiah's class I can call it a job well done.  If that all takes place my plan is to go shopping with my mom tomorrow, with Precious and buy myself some new walking shoes and a spring outfit.  I'm all about rewards. 

My walking partner commented today that I have alot on my plate.  I hear that often.  Yes.  It's true.  I do have alot on my plate.  I like it that way.  When my plate is full, I know what to do and I stay focused and hopeful.  A full plate feels like the abundant life to me, a life of service to God and others.  When my plate is full I feel like my days have meaning and value and that is a thank offering to Jesus.  He died to save me from my sins but when I accepted salvation, he did not immediately take me up to heaven to live with HIm.  He keeps me here to walk out the living a saved life, the service to others, the joy and work and challenge and daily walk with him. 

My plate is full, my heart is full, my nest is full, my belly is usually full.  Don't misunderstand me.  I am not a saint and I do demand time and space and rest and care.  I have many good people around me who serve as the table that my full plate rests on.  Blessings.

The cup of cold water

Matthew 10:42 reads:  And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.

This was my meditation from the Lord yesterday.  I read it, prayed it, chewed on it, talked about it and now will put it out here for all of you.  I hope you find some daily sustenance in the assignment, the position and the promise of this powerful verse. 

I've been frustrated because our filtered water system is not keeping up with the demands of our family.  Whenever I want a cup of cold water, the jug is empty.  What a metaphor that is for us who are busy caretakers of family, friends, co-workers.  I'm thirsty and I want a drink but someone else needed a drink first and now my cup is empty and my throat is parched and I'm getting pretty close to a pity-party.  How like God to call me on that immediately and refuse to allow that to happen.  I am not allowed to wallow in self pity, or thirst, for that matter, because the Living Water, the Victorious One, the Author of every good and perfect gift is here, is listening, is waiting for me to lean on him, to call on him, to ask of him.  He promises me I will certainly not lose my reward, the favor of my Lord, my blessing, as long as I freely give the cup of cold water to one of these little ones (who will probably not say thank you or offer one back to me). 

Lord, show me the cup of cold water.  Show me who needs it today.  Help me to not wait for the thank-you but to give unselfishly every time.  Thank you for blessing us with adoption, with Precious.  We offered a cup of cold water there and our reward is great and abundant in her smiles, in her life.  Thank you for each of the lives I care for, and thank you for their thirst, that I may be useful and helpful and a vessel of refreshment to others.  Thank you for teaching me to give more than I get because it helps me to know you better, Lord Jesus.  You give and you give and you give.  Amen.

We started Easter break with a trip to an area butterfly house and park. Spring is here!

These cheeks feel just as good as they look.

This homemade walker was made more than 60 years ago by my great-grandpa, whom we called "Pa". Countless children have rode in it...and it was the precurssor to all of my uncles becoming cowboys. Oh oh, Precious Maryn, get off, quick!

Precious and the big kids and the eggs they found...all 125 or so!

Grandma and the grands that were around for Easter. I guess she's great-grandma to the kiddos!

We are sitting on the tail end of Easter Break.  From this position, I see the following:  my baby asleep on my shoulder after a day with 2 fun high school freshman babysitters.  She had a rough night again so sleep is very sweet for my dear daughter.  I'm sipping on a coke because there is no room for a nap from the tail end of Easter break.  There is a large dark Chessador dog at my feet.  Her name is Lady and we have her on a trial basis as we were looking for a dog and she was in need of a family.  We've had her for 3 days and she's not doing too bad.  I'll keep you posted.  There are nerf guns everywhere and my 2 boys plus the neighbor boy, and they have had 5 days of non-stop fun on the trampoline, walking the dog around the block for me, eating me out of house and home and just enjoying a structure-less break.  There are 3 10-year olds upstairs and I cannot see them from this angle of the tail end of Easter Break but I hear their footsteps above me.  They have been working on a play all afternoon, complete with script and costumes and, apparently, dancing. 

From the tail end of Easter Break, one would guess it is an end and not a beginning.  It is Monday.  It is the beginning of Spring and April  and so I have caught something that was dangling from the tail end of Easter Break.  I have caught a plan for self-preservation and sanity and stress-relief.  My plan involves cramming all of the work I could into today and staying home the rest of the week without children.  I plan to tackle 4 closets and one master bedroom full of clothing that have been outgrown.  I plan to take a nap or two, have lunch with my husband once this week and go help in Isaac's classroom for an hour.  I plan to go to a coffee shop and linger, maybe play my piano and walk every day.  I plan to soak in prayer and scripture daily.  I have caught a wonderful, post-Easter plan and I am going to enjoy this week alot. 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. Wile they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:1-6

We cannot celebrate Easter morning without the classic hymn Christ Arose. Happy, Blessed Easter everyone. I'll return to my own thoughts and words later today but thank you for indulging me in a fast of my own thoughts this week to blog those of my Lord Jesus.

The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Gililee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Luke 24:47-49.