Creed for the Suffering

I came across the following in a small booklet of poetry Mom had that I read in 1974 when I was only 8 years old. (Oops❗️🫢 Accidentally outed my age on the internet again.)

(*Remember poetry must be read out loud)

"I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey ...

I asked for health, that I might do great things.

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things ...

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

I was given poverty, that I might be wise ...

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God ...

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things ...

I got nothing I asked for—but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among men, most richly blessed."

- Unknown Confederate soldier

My first take on reading it as a child, almost 4 years before I became Born Again and owned Jesus as my Lord, was that if God was trying to drum up business THIS poem was NOT going to do it for Him. In fact, I suspected it was a clever plot by Atheists to sound like it's Christian but actually turn people off of following Jesus altogether. 🤨

Unfortunately/Fortunately  this poem is as realistically Christian as one can get.

Shall I explain the great truth of this poem to you line by line as all those who have known and followed Jesus for a Lifetime and through great suffering can do?

Nope. 

Until you have encountered your own personal seasons of suffering our explanations will fall on deaf, unexperienced ears.

However, I can tell you that you should ponder this poem a bit and keep it handy because Following Jesus goes hand in hand with suffering.

(It appears I won't be drumming up much business for Following Jesus either.)

Then let me redeem your time with the words of the Apostle Paul when he was discussing all the great things in life this world had given him but he had forsaken to Follow obediently wherever Jesus had called him to go.

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

Philippians 3:7-8

Yes. Jesus is just that wonderful to know.

Well put, Paul.

Link to all of Philippians chapter 3 from the Bible

The Truth with Love,

 Always Laura-Lee 

Your treat for scrolling to the bottom? 🤔

Ah! 😃

"Walk On" by 4Him 

Keep going, Children. 😖 

We're almost Home. 🥹

Link Walk On 🎶

The Integrity Time Warp

 

Let's take a Christian man and put him in a hypothetical situation.

He grows up in a strong Christian home.

He begins his own personal relationship with Jesus at a young age.

He excels at his job.

He demonstrates faithfulness to Jesus through decades of his life.

He gains a reputation for seeking and speaking the truth even in stressful situations.

He gives generously to the poor.

He commits Fornication or Adultery or Swindles someone out of money or Embezzles from a company or (insert any major sin)

Then he hides it, lies about it and then gets caught at it.

What happens next?

Everyone asks the questions,

"I wonder how many other women he's had sex with?"

"I wonder what else he has stolen?"

"What else has he been hiding and lying about that he just hasn't been caught at yet?"

He may have lived a pure life until the moment he fell, but suddenly every past deed he's done is doubted because his integrity has been  destroyed and nobody trusts him anymore.

And it's not just his PAST deeds destroyed but his FUTURE deeds too.

He's with a woman which could be a completely innocent relationship but everyone is wondering if he's sleeping with her too. 

Will his wife ever completely trust him again?

What single Christian woman who has been refusing sex before marriage will want to marry a man who has had sex with another woman and can't withstand temptation?

Who's going to give him a job where he has access to money again?

He robbed before. What's to stop him from doing it again?

He gave himself over to temptation just once ☝️ in a big way, didn't admit it, lied about  until he got caught and it has cast aspersions on all  his past and future deeds.

A person can be loved and forgiven for evil deeds 

but 

 people can't just muster up trust. It must be earned and that takes time, integrity and sacrifice.

If you don't maintain purity and integrity  you may never fully restore them again.

And if I haven't made resisting temptation and maintaining integrity important enough to you yet, ponder this.

If people know you are a Christian you will desttoy Jesus's reputation with your own and negate your ability to quote the Bible again with any authority.

"We need to be Salt and Light."

"We need to live uncomprised lives."

"We need to thoroughly deal with sin in our lives."

"God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand."

Keep your word. 

Keep your integrity.

Do whatever it takes to withstand temptation.

Stay Transparent and  Accountable to SEVERAL people and if you do a major sin...

come clean, 

admit it, 

and own it completely  BEFORE you are forced to admit it because you got caught.

The Truth with Love,

Always Laura-Lee 

 NOTE.

I have NO Ads, NO Store NO Merchandise and I never ask for Donations.

"May I See You Home?"

 Sometimes people are in complete "meltdown mode" but they are "to-ing and fro-ing" so much they aren't looking in the mirror long enough to notice their condition or that a total collapse is on the way.

OR ☝️

 maybe they do realize what's going on but they don't know how to make it stop.

 It's like they are spinning on a merry-go-round and feeling sick but it's spinning so fast they are just holding on for dear life. 

Their false friends, people riding the "gravy train" on their coat tails and the pleasure seeking "Good-time Charlies" in their lives are going to do nothing to help them. They are just exacerbating the problem.

You may be just the stabilizing force they need, even if you're just a temporary or brief one. And you may be the only one because true friends don't show up that often anymore.

Keep in mind, you have to be pretty stable yourself if someone is going to lean on you or you will both fall.

Always tell them the Truth, listen to them, be willing to put up with some garbage while they're cleaning up their lives and make sure they get Home safely. 

Unconditional love in its simple, steadfast, elegant glory. 😊

The Truth with Love,  Always Laura-Lee

" and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes  from the gospel of peace."

Ephesians 6:15

What sparked this post was  the song "Drive" by The Cars, which came out in 1984 when I was 18 years old (Oops❗️🤭 Accidentally outed my age on the internet again). It came up on an old Playlist of mine today and I remembered that when I first heard it I thought, "That is the oddest song (and video)  about true love I have ever heard." 

What do you think?

"DRIVE" by The Cars 🎶 

(You'll need to wear sun glasses for this one. It's a Ric Ocasek Thing. 😎)

🚗 🚘 🛻    🌾🚜🤠

🤨

In the Eye of the Storm (Poem)

(You know what I always demand  suggest.

Poetry must  should be read out loud.) 😊

In the Eye of the Storm

By Laura-Lee Rahn

 "In the eye of the storm a torn sail flies,

On a rugged ship beneath ghostly skies.

The masthead groans, the timbers creak

While all around the tempest shrieks.

Waves of foam like mountains tall,

Threaten to eat and swallow all.

Yet gripping tight to the sturdy helm

One man stands not overwhelmed

In vessels’ steel, he trusteth not

Metal rusts and wood can rot

His haggard face veils a Holy Force

Knowing the Master of the Wind sets his course."

Love,

Always Laura-Lee 

(Edmonton Alberta 2026)

🌊

"I know the Master of the Wind. 

I know the Maker of the Rain.

He can calm the storm.

Make sun shine again."

(Classic old Gospel song) 🤗

✝️

"He [Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

"He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?'

They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'”.

Mark 4:39-41

☘️☘️🌹🌹☘️☘️

* Thanks to Ryan Stevenson for inspiring me with a great song, which is your treat for scrolling to the bottom.

"EYE of the STORM" by Ryan Stevenson 🎶

...and all my love to Jesus for getting me through a LIFETIME of storms and  for never abandoning me, even when I shipwrecked myself.  

🌿🍂

🤳🤔

I asked the AI if  it could generate an image of my poem. They all came out so bleak and dark until I said, "You gotta throw some sunlight on this Dude. He's supposed to be feeling sure he'll get through."

It's not the image I had in mind but ... 🤷‍♀️

What do you think of it? Was it what you had in  your mind when reading my poem?

How to Tell if a Bad Christian Leader has Become a Good Christian Leader

 

So a Christian leader has been caught * doing something bad, whether that be in their business, ministry or personal life and they go public with admission of guilt and apologies. How do you tell if they are sincere or not?

If they are sincere, the first ☝️thing they will do is completely step back from the entire situation to take time to evaluate where they are, question what led them to this and spend time alone with Jesus to learn what to do next.

If they just keep on doing business as usual or keeping up with their preaching and speaking engagements as if nothing has happened, that's a red flag warning. 🚩 

If no steps are taken to correct their mistakes or make amends to anyone they hurt or set up a better way of being accountable in the future, that's another red flag. 🚩

If they continue to do things behind closed doors and are still not transparent that's another red flag that nothing is different. 🚩

Let's have a look at a Biblical example.

✝️

It revolves around a Chief Tax Collector named Zacchaeus who lived during Jesus's time. He was a very corrupt and very short man who lived near Jericho and had previously heard about Jesus.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

Luke 19:1-6

And after only a few hours with Jesus this is how Zacchaeus was transformed.

“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Luke 19:8

Not only did the guy turn honest and make amends for his previous sins he actually became generous! 😃

Let's take a look at another corrupt Tax Collector who was cheating people and who had a run in with Jesus.

✝️

“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”

Matthew 9:9

BOOM❗️

DONE❗️

One look from Jesus 

(one verse in the Bible) and Matthew walked away from his previous job and life to dedicate himself to Jesus. He became one of the twelve Apostles and God inspired him to the write the book of Matthew, which is the first book of the New Testament!

Are you seeing THAT level of change in the Christian leader we are discussing?

Is he truly owning the sin (or sins) he committed and dealing with them thoroughly or is he (or she) still dancing around the issue, trying to sweep it under the carpet and looking for a way to get 

past it with as little collateral damage as possible?

These are NOT signs of true repentance and no repentance means no forgiveness.

I would also like to mention the asterisk * I put up before. There is a MAJOR difference between whether a person gets CAUGHT doing something wrong or steps forward to CONFESS when they weren't in any trouble because nobody knew about it. 🤨

To boil it down …

the proof is in the pudding, talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words and

  … "the truth (or guilt) is written on all our faces." 

Keep your eyes open,

 your Bibles open, 

your hearts and minds guarded and 

your focus on Jesus.

The Truth with Love,

Always Laura-Lee 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS  in Christ Jesus.”

(emphasis mine)

Philippians 4:4-7

Treat for scrolling to the end.

The Hymn, "Rejoice, the Lord is King" with some spice added by

Phillips Craig and Dean.

"REJOICE❗️🤗 The Lord is King" 🎶 by Phillips Craig and Dean 😎

PS.

To  those who have done wrong but are frightened by facing the consequences which may be quite severe, here's some advice born from experience.

Ultimately there is no running from it once you belong to Jesus because He won't leave you alone until you and He are restored to a right relationship again. The struggle against Jesus is a waste of time and energy. Better to yield to God's will SOONER than LATER. be reconciled to Christ and let Peace and Joy into your life again, which I suspect has been seriously lacking while you've been creeping around trying to find ways to cover your butt.

Here's a Phillips Craig and Dean double play.

"Tell Your Heart to Beat Again" 🎶 by Phillips Craig and Dean

☘️🌹🌹🍀

☘️🌸🌸☘️

BTW. I'm 60 years old. I didn't have time for my usual (Oops❗️🫢...) thing today.

Sexually Deviant Behavior (Simplified)

 

Because this is one of my areas of expertise (I wish it wasn't), I often get asked questions along this line. So let's tackle it head on because as I always say, "Defining the problem is the first step to finding the solution", and with people's moral values being all over the place and everyone doing only "what is right in their own eyes" (Judges 17:6) we need to quickly and clearly get to the heart of the matter.

I will NOT be looking to modern psychology for this answer because, quite frankly, they STILL don't know and in their ignorance and continuing debate over simply defining deviant sexual behavior  they have become a major part of causing it to get worse. 

For example.  Homosexuality was originally defined as "deviant behavior" or a "perversion", then as a "mental illness", and now as just an "alternate lifestyle". 

All the other letters of the LGBTQ+ have traveled this path too and now we are seeing Pedophilia travel this same well worn path and is currently emerging as mainstream and acceptable.

Plus, ☝️try and get a modern psychologist to even define "What is a man?" or "What is a woman?" and after stumbling through some GobbledeeGook, they will leave the room in a huff. (As Matt Walsh demonstrated to us).

So where do we get our answer❓️ 🤔

We are going straight to the words of the God who designed and made us.

"So God created mankind in his own image,

    in the image of God he created them;

    male and female he created them."

Genesis 1:27

✝️

"The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:18

✝️

"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones

    and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called ‘woman,’

    for she was taken out of man.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."

Genesis 2:22-24

There it is! God's way. The RIGHT way of doing it! 

Simple. 💁‍♀️Right? 🤨

Anything NOT done the right way is a DEVIATION from it.

A PERVERSION of the perfect way it was set up to be.

So, it isn't just things like Homosexuality or being a Pedophile but it also includes ADULTERY and FORNICATION.

So, all you "consenting adults" considering yourselves morally superior to the people in the LGBTQ community better think again❗️because if you have not followed God's mandate of "One man married to the same woman for an entire lifetime" you have perverted God's perfect way and participated in SEXUALLY DEVIANT BEHAVIOR.

What you do about your perverted ways is between You and God and I will leave it to you to take it up with Him directly from this point.

It is only my responsibility to bring you...

The Truth with Love,

 Always Laura-Lee 

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."

Hebrews 13:4

PS.

While the previously smug older folks are pondering (and sweating) over what I just said, let me give some hope to you younger people who come to me doubting that Love for a Lifetime is even possible.

Let me assure you that it is! 😃

It has been my privilege to see many marriages at the end of people's lives who were still married to the same person as one of them bid farewell to the other. And the love they shared on that day went  far beyond the love they shared for each on their wedding day.

I have been related to many and known many.

Love for a Lifetime and finding the person God has designed to be YOUR other half that completes you is completely in your grasp. So don't give up hope in finding them.

But we'll talk more about that on another day.

☺️

Taking a moment to honor Reverend  Bryan Norford and his beautiful wife Ann who were the leaders of my home church, "Boundary Road Assembly" while I was growing up in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Love for a Lifetime❓️

Completely "DO-ABLE"❗️

Move along! 🫱

 Nothing to see here.

NOTE.

As I previously stated Pedophilia is moving into mainstream within the laws in various countries and ALL over the internet as the Pedophiles seek to lure children in.

BEWARE of any site, game or app that would appeal to children.

You are looking for this version of the LGBTQ rainbow and the word "MAP" hidden somewhere.

MAP = "Minor Attracted Person"

KEEP  YOUR  KIDS  SAFE❗️

Beauty for Ashes

 

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, 

to give unto them

 beauty for ashes, 

the oil of joy for mourning, 

the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 

that they might be called trees of righteousness, 

the planting of the Lord,

 that he might be glorified."

Isaiah 61:3

Link to "Beauty for Ashes" by Crystal Lewis 🎶 1996

Love,

 Always Laura-Lee 

My Christmas Memories at our Bergen, Alberta Farm 1973

My main toy Christmas present in 1973 was a Mattel Silly Talk Doll. I also got a new pair of long-johns (with the legs 2 different lengths), Super-Slider Snow Skates and in my Stocking was walnuts still in their shells and a bag of Ribbon Candy, AND the Peanut Brittle Mom had SECRETLY made the night before.❗️ 

At the end of Christmas Day, after we had our Turkey Dinner at 5:00 pm and the Wish Bone from the bird had been put on the stove to dry out (so it could be pulled on New Years), we turned on our Black and White TV and tuned into the local CTV affiliate (which was just starting it's Broadcasting "Day" with the Evening News. 

 We took some time adjusting the Rabbit Ears for the best reception, then 

at 7:00 PM "The 10 Commandments" came on and we watched Charlton Heston part the Red Sea and by the time Yul Brenner's chariots were drowned by the hand of Almighty God, my family was  halfway through our yearly box of Japanese Oranges. 🫠

 I felt SO spoiled and rich that year. 

The AI, which helped me track down this Silly toy, was amazed I remembered EXACTLY all the Silly things she said AND that I had recognized her voice was "The  lady from 'Laugh in'" [Jo-Ann Woorly] when that fact had never been publicly revealed and I was only 7 years old that year.

That was a nice Christmas and the final one  we spent with Dad. 

Many of my childhood memories are NOT nice. In fact, many are excessively horrible and I would love to wipe them from my mind, but for the most part, I consider my vivid and precise memory a unique gift from God.

But growing up I had  NO idea someday I would be using it to hunt killers, Pedophiles and expose and destroy Cults.

🤨

Examine and explore YOUR gifts. What tasks and jobs do you think has God designed you to do? Why don't you ask Jesus to tell you? He may amaze you with His answer. It may be something from Left Field you never imagined yourself doing but on deeper thought you see it might be what you're designed to do❓️ 🤔

The Truth with Love,

 Always Laura-Lee 

I can't imagine why anybody would look at this Silly toy and think of me. 🤷‍♀️

What a trip! 😄 I haven't heard this toy "talk" for 51 years!

LINK Silly Talk Doll from Mattel

Super Slider Snow Skates. The reason half the kids in Canada showed up at the ER that year.

The BEST part about that Christmas was that I had grown my two front teeth back by then and I  wasn't constantly being asked to sing that stupid song! 😖

"All I Want for Christmas is My 2 Front Teeth (1960s version) 🎶

My First Bible Verse

 

On Christmas Day in 1975, when I was only nine years old (Oops❗️ 🫢 Accidentally outed my age on the internet again), I received my first Bible. It was a KJV (King James Version) from Mom and inside the front cover the publisher had put the first Bible verse I would memorize 

"...perfect love casteth out fear..."

1 John 4:18

This was the perfect verse for me because I was absolutely riddled with fear as I was  starting my life with several Monkeys on my Back including my main one called,  "Anthropophobia"

Definition: It is an intense dread of human beings, regardless of the setting, which can cause anxiety around strangers, crowds, or even close family and friends.

I also had "Agoraphobia".

Definition: an anxiety disorder that causes an intense fear of being in public places or situations where escape might be hard or help might not be available.

Situations that often cause fear include: Using public transit like buses, trains, or planes.

Being in enclosed places like stores or elevators.

 Standing in line or being in a crowd.

Being outside or home alone.

I also have "Anticipatory Anxiety Disorder".

Definition: persistent fear and dread of experiencing another panic attack,

(and I haven't even mentioned my OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) but that's for another day.)

This revelation probably comes as a huge surprise to those who know me because I have a huge capacity to focus my thoughts to temporarily subdue my fears, but there were times (perhaps when I was tired) when the fear would consume me and I would pass out in public from the intensity of it. Like when riding home on a crowded, standing room only bus at the end of the day. Riding on the Skytrain in Vancouver was torture because it was always crowded and there was no way to get off it in-between stations.

But whatever big, fancy medical terms you give these feelings it all comes down to FEAR❗️

So my first Bible verse was perfect for me. Even though I didn’t know where to find this "perfect love" it talked about, it gave me hope to know it existed and some day it would cast off the shackles of my Fears and set me free.

I found this perfect, unconditional, sacrificial love in 1978, one month before my 12th birthday, when I was introduced to Jesus and welcomed Him to take over my pathetic life and make Himself at home in me, where I crossed from darkness into the light and from death to life. (Oops❗️🫢 Accidentally outed my Born Again age on the internet again).

And from that moment on Jesus healed me of all my fearful disorders and phobias and I walked into newness of life humming "Blessed Assurance" and constantly followed by several pink kittens.

Uh. Actually, no. It didn't work out that way. Much to my chagrin I discovered that all my fears were very much still there. But when I asked Jesus why didn't He "casteth out" my fears when He moved into my life He responded this way, (which is part of Jesus's prayer for us at the Last Supper).

 "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

John 17:15-17

Reality, our sicknesses and human weakness do not simply stop when we choose to follow Jesus. In fact, we GAIN many hardships we didn't  have before when we become Christians. Followers of Jesus quickly learn we are required to pick up some form of a daily cross, God has designed specifically for us, as we trudge along after Jesus, who carries the FULL weight of our sins on His cross. 

What He actually promises is to make His Home in us and never leave us. THIS promise He always fulfills. He has to me no matter what dark path I have had to go through and there have been many in my lifetime.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."

Psalm 23:4

The quest for "perfect love" I started 51 years ago at just nine years old (Oops❗️🫢 Accidentally outed my age on the internet again) is something we ALL long to find. Whether it's to cast out Fear, Loneliness, Pain, Desperation or All of the Above. I am here to encourage you that it does exist and is available to you when you surrender your Self, your ENTIRE Self , to Jesus. When it will be your moment to step from the darkness into the light and death into life.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39 

The Truth with Love,

 Always Laura-Lee 

Here's your treat for scrolling all the way to the bottom.

In 2010 I was coming back with a batch of  groceries I had just got for Mom because she had become too sick to do her own shopping and it had been a rough time for me because the store was so crowded and I was stuck in the lineup with my cart a long time. I paused on the street outside her apartment to get myself under control so that her discerning eyes wouldn't pick up any problems with me that would cause her extra concern. 

"Lord, now I have to face the store twice as often. For me and for Mom. I know you've heard this prayer a Million times from me but I'm going to ask again. 'Help me cope, Jesus. Please help me cope.' Amen"

🙂‍↕️

Jesus's response? 

 "It is Finished!"

(John 19:30)

Right there, on 97th  street, here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in front of the "Petals for Less" florist shop, Jesus cast out ALL my Fears and Phobias in one fell swoop. 🥹

... and I haven't shut up since. 😅🤣😂 Making up for lost time I guess. 😉

Can I get a Praise the Lord for that one❓️❗️🤗

🤫🤔 I wonder how, where and when YOUR deliverance will come?

(Yeah. I know it's corny. So what are you gonna do 'bout it? This is MY blog! 🤨)

Do I need to suggest, yet again; that you start reading the Bible?

Link to my previous post, "The Bible for Newbies"

Another treat for "Scolling Above and Beyond Duty" 🏆

Link Tina Arena's version of the Foreigner cassic, "I Wanna Know What Love Is?" 🎶l

How to Know Who to Hang Out With❓️ (* UPDATED. September 4)

This is such an important topic that I'm surprised more Bible teachers don't talk about it. So let's dive in!

 "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'"

Corinthians 15:33

“Walk with the wise and become wise,

    for a companion of fools suffers harm.”

Proverbs 13:20 

Knowing this as a principle is one thing, but  ☝️ people are two-faced, hypocritical and just plain old deceptive these days and many are actively trying to trap and use you. 😈 

So how do we figure out who is who? 🤔 

Let's get practical.

We must ask God for the wisdom to identify the different types of people because He wants us to be able to tell the difference so we are protected from them and from the harm they will cause us.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

Another good way is to watch them endure hardships and affliction and the outcomes of those things. This will demonstrate their inner character and relationship to Jesus. But you must keep something in mind. ☝️ Some people are enduring bad times because they are ACTING FOR the Lord and others are enduring God's punishment as a JUDGMENT FOR willful disobedience to His will.

The difference will become evident as you watch HOW THEY BEHAVE and WHAT THEY SAY and  

if collateral damage happens to those around them, which will be a sign of them facing judgment for their evil actions.

🔴 Hardship is not always sent by God, but by Satan because we're giving him a hard time as servants of Jesus. But God will use these seasons of hardship to improve us and grow us up into better people.

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.” 

Hebrews 12:7-8 

True followers of Jesus will still be seeking Jesus in extended prayer time, focused not solely on themselves and will have a core of solidness and peace and they won't lose their sense of humor.

🔴 Some hardship is sent by God as Judgment for continuing, willful wrong doing, especially to those who are well aware of the Truth and what God expects of them and they ignore Him and do evil anyway. This hardship will be intense, thorough and purposeful.

“ If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”

Hebrews 10:26-27 

🌹🌾🌹🌾

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  FOR THE MOUTH SPEAKS WHAT THE HEART IS FULL OF”

(Emphasis mine)

Luke 6:43-45 

I've given you negative examples now let me give you a (VERY) positive example so you know what type of companions you are searching for.

“We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, 

so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:

 in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 

in beatings, imprisonments and riots; 

in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 

 in purity,

 understanding,

 patience and

 kindness;

 in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 

in truthful speech and

 in the power of God;

 with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 

through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report;

 genuine, yet regarded as impostors;

  known, yet regarded as unknown; 

dying, and yet we live on; 

beaten, and yet not killed; 

sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;

 poor, yet making many rich;

 having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and

 opened wide our hearts to you. 

 We are not withholding our affection from you,

 but you are withholding yours from us. 

As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—

open wide your hearts also.”

2 Corinthians 6:3-13 

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Don't be discouraged because these people DO exist and, although they may not be plentiful in number, they will bring value and blessings to your life beyond what you can imagine. They are nearby because Jesus desires for you to find each other and, 

while you're PRAYING and WAITING  for their arrival, 

you can be building yourself into someone worthy of them.

The Truth with Love,

 Always Laura-Lee  😌

* UPDATED. September 4, 2026