DELIGHT

DELIGHT

A friend wrote this to me: “The Bible says that for everything there is a season. There have been so many seasons in my life, and they have bridged the gamut from absolute disaster to delight beyond my wildest expectations. But in this season, right now, I am beginning to experience the harvester and the sower passing each other. My prayer requests and heart's desires are beginning to run and chase me down. This is so new, the baby is still crowning on the way out.”

 

As it says in Amos 9:13: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing] [AMP].”

 

This is what God spoke to the Israelites after they’d spent a long time in captivity and struggle. They yearned for deliverance and the blessings they’d once known. I think we all go through times when we yearn for better times, without so many struggles, a purer time of happy days and more delight.

 

The Message Bible translates Amos 9:13: “Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won’t be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings! Blessings like wine pouring off the mountains and hills. I’ll make everything right again for my people: They’ll rebuild their ruined cities. They’ll plant vineyards and drink good wine. They’ll work their gardens and eat fresh vegetables. And I’ll plant them, plant them on their own land. They’ll never again be uprooted from the land I’ve given them. God, your God, says so.”

 

That’s exciting, and I believe that’s what’s happening now for God’s people around the world. We can expect restoration. “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed” (Joel 2:25-26).

 

And new things: Isaiah 48: 6-7 says: “From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. They are created now, not long ago; before today, you have never heard of them, lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’”

 

And Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

 

These new blessings that God and the Lord Jesus have for us are so new that we won’t be able to attribute them to anything but the sheer magnitude of God’s love for us. We are going to start getting more prayers answered and new blessings before we even get the requests out of our mouths. I’ve started to see it happen, so I expect it to spread.   

 

Start writing down your delight list today 😊. I think it’s going to be a long one!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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STRETCHING OURSELVES TO LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX

                                    

STRETCHING OURSELVES TO LOOK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Research in Quantum Mechanics has shown that an electron or a photon of light existing in a wave form changes into a particle form when observed. The remarkable double slit experiment studied the nature of subatomic phenomena. A photon of light was to pass through two slits. When it was not observed, it acted like a wave. But when observed, it behaved like a particle.

 

This is very much like how the Lord communicates with us. Wisdom from above is all around us in wave-like quality, ethereal, and sometimes, we don’t quite grab it. But when we observe these peripheral thoughts, they become like the particles: clear, substantial, and real enough to affect the way we think and act.

 

To bring that Godly knowledge or wisdom into our reality, we have to look outside the 9 dots of our own finite minds. I’ve often found that heavenly revelations are literally floating at the edges of my peripheral vision.

 

I can be going along in my own thoughts, and all wound up in work or people’s problems or any number of other things, but I just know that there’s something else I’m supposed to see.

 

The Lord wants us to look outside of the box. The phrase “thinking outside the box” originally comes from the popular “nine dots” puzzle. I’ll show you. Here are the 9 dots:

.         .         .

.         .         .

.         .         .

 

The goal of the puzzle is to connect all 9 dots using 4 or fewer straight lines, without lifting the pen and without going over the same line more than once. The key is to go beyond the boundaries to link all dots.

 

Thinking only within our limited frame of mind reminds me of a funny story about a guy I worked with. Brian needed to get new glasses. I asked him about his new glasses, and he told me the ones he had before were super fancy, all the bells and whistles, all the special features, and everything. When he went to the store, excited to get his new glasses, he put them on, and he hated them. He found that the frames were way too small, and he didn’t like seeing only through that little space. So, he had to send them back.

 

Like Brian, we want to see the big picture, and as Christians, we want to see it from the Lord’s point of view.

 

Isaiah 54:2 says: “Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.” I think we can take that metaphorically, as well as what it says in 1 Chronicles 4:10: “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!”

 

I think one of the biggest Holy Spirit blockers is that our minds are too full of other stuff, and we get preoccupied with it all. We need to find a way to ease our minds and slow the frenzy, so that we can even begin to look to the side for the things of the Spirit.

 

Everyone will find their own way to do this. Some people speak in tongues to calm their minds. Some take a hot bath. Others do deep-breathing exercises or other forms of exercise. I’m sure you can think of at least one thing you can do that helps calm your frenzied mind. And if not, pray for the Lord to show you some alternatives to try. “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

 

Some friends have said their best time to hear from the Holy Spirit is in the morning, somewhere between sleeping and waking. I tend to agree. But the Holy Spirit’s messages sometimes just hang there at the edge for days or even weeks until I’m calm enough to realize it’s there, and then I turn to observe. The results are always great.

 

God took a world that “was without form [worthless, confused] and void [empty, ruin]” (Gen. 1:2), renewed it, and made it beautiful. If He could renew a whole world, He can renew you and me.

 

It’s so worth it to look outside a small frame of mind and outside the 9 dots of carnal thinking. Let’s look rather to the truths He puts in our peripheral vision and “stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords” (Isa. 54:2).

 

Love, Carolyn

 

You can find more stories about how people apply the writings of the Bible to their everyday lives.

 

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CURIOSITY WITH DISCERNEMT

CURIOSITY WITH DISCERNMENT

Curiosity is okay. Learning about something? But have you ever noticed that too often people tend to be curious about bad things—ugly things, evil actions, etc., and down the rabbit hole you go. Curiosity without discernment doesn’t usually work out very well. That’s what got Adam and Eve in so much trouble!

 

The devil convinced Eve that God was holding back on them, wasn’t letting them see everything or know “important” stuff. But that was a lie! God was NOT holding anything back. It simply just wasn’t the time for them to know about the evil that was out there. Here’s the story, in Genesis 3:

 

 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ 

 

² And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’ 

 

⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: ⁵ for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’ 

 

⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. ⁷ And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”

 

And, because they disobeyed God, they had to leave the garden.

 

The devil presented himself as a beautiful and wise being. But it’s crazy that Eve would believe another created being, rather than the Almighty God. And yet we humans do that all the time. We choose to listen and follow the teaching, instruction, and information of another human being or some other created thing, rather than listen to our Creator, our God.

 

The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that for our own blessing and safety, we want to be “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Are we conscious of doing that all the time? How about even in the next 24 hours? It’s honestly not something most of us really have made a habit of doing.

 

In one of the most well-known Psalms, number 23, David says: “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” In other words, the Lord wants us to walk in a way that exemplifies Him, where we are going in a way that He leads, so that we are representing Him, showing people what it’s like to be with Him.

 

So, the question is, “Are we letting the Lord lead us in paths of righteousness for His namesake?” In other words, in the actions we take throughout a day, whether it’s scrolling FB, emailing or texting a friend, taking a walk outside, being the best worker we can be, etc. etc., are we letting the Lord lead us in ways that represent Him?

 

For example, on the internet, since our thoughts precede our actions, if we let our curiosity dictate which link we click next, we could be in big trouble. That is, unless we first bring that thought to Christ.

 

God knew way before 2026 what would be available for us to be curious about, what would attract us in a good way, and what would lead us in a bad way. That’s why way back in the time of the apostles, God gave a word to Paul for the believers. It was to help them, and now us too, to stay in the paths of righteousness in honoring God and being the best ambassadors we can be for Him.

 

Paul said we want to be “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

 

I challenged myself on this one! For me, since I’m by myself a lot these days, it’s not very hard to recognize those imaginations and thoughts that popped up and wanted me to follow their lead. So I could quickly ask the Lord, “Should I do this?” “Should I look at this now?” And if I get a “No,” then I felt like I was literally grabbing that thought from the air and throwing it down. And it felt great!

 

So, I encourage you to challenge yourself too. Just try it, for, say, an hour, more or less, whatever works for you.

 

I’m pretty sure you’ll find things getting a lot clearer when you try this out for a few days, and you’ll be excited and blessed with the results.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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LAST DAY OF FREE BOOK PROMO

 LAST DAY OF FREE BOOK PROMOTION 😊

Reading this book, answering the questions at the end of each chapter, and doing the easy challenges will help make living the Bible principles an exciting adventure every day.

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Weekly-Workbook-Christian/dp/B0874LGZ34/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6nVqxrsb3tjNGtjXf5pXdZH3rBpRKGXKxSGqdkqGjRVymEXhJs1IuqbLnr6bE4fWzxaYKEcOQDh8D9Zn5wrslGLgoUK9qSHus_RVSP_q89_X4tfCQguRe3qHreOBur_cLXP5FhdvYyNcK2IDmEiP0qw9OGkl-bQCtcqF8AVUTuKdFIBEdkXjgi1pz4LKWXPC3jTxYUCi0BQWwZgHVyuGiOIJd5cZdgO-gT7wHX95x_s.qITiruNsrMCeyM5m7uZWytjcicJlFAnykG_8fXZ9iM0&dib_tag=se&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&qid=1777947428&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-1

 

Love, Carolyn

FREE BOOK THIS WEEK - TUES MAY 5th THRU SATURDAY MAY 9th

 My book, WINGS: A Journey in Faith - Volume 2, is FREE this week from Tuesday, 5.5, through Saturday, 5.9! 😊. Enjoy.

In this book, you will experience narrow escapes from Satanic worshippers in the worst of job situations, angelic encounters in the most surprising circumstances, and miraculous rescues in the San Francisco Bay, the woods of Northern California, and on the streets of South Africa. 

The heart-warming dog stories will inspire you; learning about your commissioning as a spiritual soldier who defeats the wickedest of demons will thrill you; and the personal awareness of God’s love will satisfy your soul and give you peace of mind. You’ll be electrified by the new truths you understand and the wisdom you never knew you had. 

You’ll be able to delight in laughter and relax in peace and protection. 

Reading this book, answering the questions at the end of each chapter, and doing the easy challenges will help make living the Bible principles an exciting adventure every day.

Love, Carolyn

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Weekly-Workbook-Christian/dp/B0874LGZ34/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EZNJZZUP3KHG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6nVqxrsb3tjNGtjXf5pXdZH3rBpRKGXKxSGqdkqGjRVymEXhJs1IuqbLnr6bE4fWzxaYKEcOQDh8D9Zn5wrslGLgoUK9qSHus_RVSP_q89_X4tfCQguRe3qHreOBur_cLXP5FhdvYyNcK2IDmEiP0qw9OGkl-bQCtcqF8AVUTuKdFIBEdkXjgi1pz4LKWXPC3jTxYUCi0BQWwZgHVyuGiOIJd5cZdgO-gT7wHX95x_s.qITiruNsrMCeyM5m7uZWytjcicJlFAnykG_8fXZ9iM0&dib_tag=se&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&linkCode=ll2&linkId=db88efb13727dcb484eb29f5b1683284&qid=1777947428&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica%2Caps%2C353&sr=8-1

CLEARING AWAY BURDENS

CLEARING AWAY BURDENS

I had four stacks of papers and folders on my desk, going back several months: insurance papers, home warranty papers, medical folders, union notices, articles on artworks, and so much more. Then, when I retired, I decided it was time to reclaim my desk. In my mind, the task was huge! I didn’t realize how much these items weighed on me until I cleared them away—what a relief. What looked like a monstrous task only took a couple of days! Did you know that all physical items can have a “voice” and affect us positively or negatively? Take a look at what’s around you right now. How does each item make you feel?

 

In removing the items from my desk, I got a new revelation from Isaiah 58:6. It reads: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”

 

Things, places, and people can all be bands of wickedness for us and heavy burdens. They can oppress us and make us feel like we have a yoke on us. God’s will is for us to be free. But it’s not His job to always be the one to rescue us. We have a responsibility also.

 

Galatians 5:1 tells us: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” We can’t stand in the great liberty of Christ if we have unnecessary things pulling at our hearts and minds. God takes burdens away, but we have a responsibility as well. We have been given the spirit of Christ in us, including a complete set of spiritual five-senses. For example, I remember an incident when I went out to lunch, started eating a steak, and my spiritual taste buds told me it wasn't good. I told the waitress, and she took care of it quickly and easily. It’s our responsibility to use these spiritual senses to recognize when things are not right, or places or people are oppressing us or putting undue burdens on us.

 

I love the Old Testament prophecy that tells us Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (Isa. 61:1).

 

How many crazy things around us are keeping us bound up and agitated? Are our minds and emotions prisoners to things we might not be fully aware of? The impact of having someone or something around who emits negative vibes can be enormous in some cases. In the Bible, it was like that when Achan took a few cursed items from the enemies they had conquered.

 

When Joshua and the Israelites entered the promised land, they conquered the city of Jericho, but the Lord banned them from taking certain items. “Be careful that you don’t covet anything in it and take something that’s cursed, endangering the camp of Israel with the curse and making trouble for everyone” (Josh. 6:18 The Message Bible).

 

But Achan couldn’t resist the urge: “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it” (Josh. 7:21).

 

Because of that, the whole tribe of Israel suffered and couldn’t seem to make any real progress. It’s interesting here to see that the items Achan took for himself affected the health and welfare of his whole family and his whole tribe.

 

There’s another great principle to see here: Not everyone knew what Achan had done. We are not always aware of the things in our car, our house, our children’s closets, or the influence other people’s actions have on us. But God will tell us if we want to know, and we’re willing to listen. “There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you” (Josh. 7:13).

 

This principle of the Word of God is still true today. We can’t progress like we want to if things burden us, places, people, or ideas that are not God’s will for us at the time.

 

The spirit of God within us teaches us to be observant. “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Eph. 1:18). Using our spiritual five senses, we become aware of what things are good or bad for us in any situation. Achan took the cursed items in that situation. He took beautiful garments, gold, and silver. It’s not that those things are innately evil, but in this situation, they were. Sometimes, when God says no to something, we feel like we’re being deprived, but that’s not the case at all.

 

In Genesis, the serpent tricked Eve into thinking that she and Adam had been deprived of the knowledge of good and evil. But that wasn’t the case. God was going to teach them all about good and evil, but just not at that time.

 

God doesn’t deprive us of any good or true thing, but the right timing is essential. We don’t want to be like Eve and jump the gun just because “we really, really want it right now!” We can easily see her results, and they weren’t good!

 

It seems that for most people, it’s way too easy to be a collector. We collect everything from rocks and papers to electrical devices and even people. It’s amazing how much junk in any category can pile up if we let it! And then it’s heavy on us even if we don’t think it is. But it keeps nagging at us and begging for attention. Every person, thing, or idea has a voice. So most of us probably need to take inventory more often.

 

Once I cleared my desk, the Lord was able to release new things, ideas, and people to me, and it’s been wonderful.

 

Let’s make sure we practice being spiritually aware of what and who is around us.

 

Don’t be an Achan, and don’t let Achans influence you. The Lord wants us to be free. The only burden we have is His, and Jesus promises: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30).

 

Love, Carolyn

This will be one of the chapters for my next book, Volume 3 of WINGS: A JOURNEY IN FAITH. I thought you’d like seeing the type of questions and easy challenges that I have with each week’s lesson. 😊

 

QUESTIONS AND EASY CHALLENGES (chpt. )

 

1. Take a look at the things around you right now. Write down what some of them are, and next to the item, write down how it makes you feel. If your response is a negative one, is there an action you can take that will change the item’s effect on you?

 

2. Recall a time when you asked the Lord about something or someone who was really bothering you. Describe what happened and what the Lord inspired you to do about it.

 

3. Have you ever been impatient like Eve was and found out you chose the wrong thing to do? Describe the event and the results. What would you do differently in a similar situation?

 

HOW DO REBUKING AND FORGIVING FIT TOGETHER?

HOW DO REBUKING AND FORGIVING FIT TOGETHER?

In Luke 17, Jesus answers this question and makes it very clear. Verse 1 starts: “Then said he unto the disciples, ‘It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! Then verses 3 and 4 tell us what we are to do:

 

“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

 

There has been so much emphasis put on the forgive part that the rebuke part is nearly forgotten. One without the other is not the way of the kingdom. I had to find out the hard way.

 

A family member dishonored our mother and, in doing so, offended two other family members. I was so shocked, I could hardly believe it, but since it was already a rough patch in family affairs, I chose to try not to get angry but instead tried to ignore it. I did that for several months and thought that I’d forgiven the person, but I could feel that something was wrong. Finally, the holy spirit, my constant companion, led me to Luke 17:3, and I was compelled to take a closer look. When I did, I learned a lot. Though it was way too many months after the incident, I did what was right and took appropriate action to right the wrongs, and everything worked out well.

 

The Lord was rebuking me, and that was a good thing! Jesus’ very first instruction in verse 3 is that we are to take heed to ourselves. But what does that really mean? The Greek word here means to take care of, to guard, and to beware. Ok, so first, the Lord is concerned about our personal well-being and our right thinking.  That’s great, and what’s next?

 

Forgive, right? NO! That’s not what Jesus said. But that’s what most of us Christians believe we are supposed to do; just forgive and move on. But Jesus said we must first “rebuke him.”  The word “rebuke” means to “charge one with wrong” (Strong’s).

 

So, when we experience offense from a brother in Christ, it is our responsibility before God to lovingly point it out, so that the one committing the wrong can hopefully see the error and repent. If we don’t do our part, it’s like we are offending our Lord! And not only that, but we are not helping the one who did wrong; we are harming the well-being of the entire body of Christ, and we are harming our own lives, too.

 

It’s better to do our best to face the offense as soon as possible, but not with emotional anger. We figure out a way to be truthful, but kind in our rebuke, so the person gets a chance right away to understand what they did wrong. So what’s next?

 

This is when the person in error has a choice: repent or deny. So, what does it mean to repent? To say, “My bad”? “Sorry, sorry”? NO. Flippant responses don’t cut it.

 

The Greek word for repent is made up of two words, ‘meta,’ meaning ‘afterwards’ and ‘noeo,’ meaning “perceiving with the mind, to have understanding, to consider, ponder, and heed’ (Strong’s). Repenting takes some serious thought. So when you put the two Greek words together, you get “metanoeo,” meaning “to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sin/s” (Strong’s).

 

So you can see why a flippant “sorry, sorry, my bad” is not an appropriate response at all if there’s no heartfelt action to go with it.

 

But Jesus’ instructions go on. Jesus says in the last part of verse 3: “if he repent, forgive him. So our forgiveness is required of God after one has repented. And Luke 17:4 says: “And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

 

We’re all pretty much agreed on that, but here’s where something changes!

 

Jesus was talking to the disciples before, but now the apostles wanted to know more. They could see that if a person, after many times of repenting and being forgiven, was still unsuccessful in changing their habit, then it’s probably more than a habit. It’s most likely a demon operating in them, and the person needs to cast it out themselves or get someone to help them. The apostles stepped up to the plate.

 

“And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.” They knew that they needed to know more and have faith to cast out demons. And in the next verse 5, in the same context, is the parable Jesus gave them about plucking up the sycamine tree from the root and planting it in the sea. 

 

Our God and our Lord Jesus see everything and know how to get things done. I was happy to find out what the Lord revealed about our responsibility in the body of Christ to take care of ourselves first, then to have the boldness and loving kindness to rebuke a brother when they have trespassed against us, allowing them a chance to heartily repent, change, and receive forgiveness. And if they err repeatedly, we either ask the Lord for the increased faith to cast out the demon/s or we can pray that the Lord send laborers who are gifted in that way already.

 

Matthew 9: 37-10:1 “Then saith he [Jesus] unto his disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.’ And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

 

I feel the body of Christ is getting more powerful and more beautiful every day.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

Discover how the principles of the Bible still apply to our lives today. My books contain short, true stories addressing current issues in a Biblical way.

 

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