Deuteronomy 21:1-22:10, In-depth Study

Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study. If you’re just not stopping by I highly recommend going back to the beginning, Genesis 1:1. This is an in-depth Bible study that follows chapter by chapter, verse by verse, Genesis to Revelation.

Deuteronomy 21
1 If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:

2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:

3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

4 And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer’s neck there in the valley:

5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:

6 And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:

7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel’s charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.

9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,

11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;

13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:

16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:

17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 22
1 Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

2 And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

4 Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

6 If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7 But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8 When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.


That concludes our lesson for today. Comeback tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!

Bitter Sweet

Bitter Sweet

I stare the blank sheet
wondering how freely to speak.

What can be liberating and free
can also be bitter sweet.
In the space where my thoughts and reality meet.

Do I put it all in black and white
or keep it hidden from the light?

Once it is written on paper
it became like a wager

Solidifying the words like stone
careful or they will be thrown.
The intended purpose never to be known.

Always walking the tightrope
Always hanging onto a thread of hope.

I stare the blank sheet
Wondering how freely to speak.

What can be liberating and free
can also be bitter sweet.
In the space where my thoughts and reality meet.

A battle ground of thoughts and feelings
Some are mine, others make believe.

Interpret, analyze and relate,
Whip a story right into shape.

My experiences go far beyond my years
Because I have very good listening ears.











#153 Daily Bible Study

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 55:22 KJV
https://bible-strong.app

Psalms 55
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Source: https://kingjames.bible

Thanks for joining me and God bless!

Deuteronomy 19:14-20:20, In-depth Study

Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study.Let’s dive into God’s Word together, seeking understanding and insight. May His spirit guide us as we explore Scripture.

Deuteronomy 19:14

14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 20
1 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

5 And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.

6 And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

7 And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

8 And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren’s heart faint as well as his heart.

9 And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

13 And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

16 But of the cities of these people, which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:

17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:

18 That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

19 When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:

20 Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.


That concludes our lesson for today. Comeback tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!

A Moment

Listening Ears

It only takes a moment to listen, a moment to care.
A moment to hear what they have to share.

What may seem miniscule to you
May seem as big as the ocean blue from.
a different view.

It’s amazing the difference it can make to feel heard.
When one is drowning in their own words.

God gave us an awesome power we abuse,
Or choose to never use.

The super power of a listening ear,
And how it can bring cheer.

To feel safe and seen,
Could ultimately mean,
The difference between,

Feeling loved and worthy,
Or sinking below the sea
Never to be seen.


So many times we are busy with our own lives,
We forget those closest by need our time.

The time to talk and listen,
And catch up on all you’ve been missing.

Cause one day when you need a listening ear,
No one may be near to hear,
Or care about what you have to share.

Mommies and daddies grow old, babies have babies of their own.
The cycle continues with what they’ve been shown.

As a mother I always have time for one more story.
Even if I am in a hurry.

Because when my hair is grey and eye dim
I know my children will be there in the end.

For I always have for them a listening ear.
I will never be too busy to hear.

Today’s  stories are about sparkly things and chasing toads.
Tomorrow’s will be about life changing cross roads.

Listen today before it’s too late,
Make no mistake.

If you don’t listen while they are young
When it’s important you won’t be the place you run.



#152 Daily Bible Study

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 
Mark 11:24 KJV
https://bible-strong.app

Mark 11
1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Source https://kingjames.bible

Thanks for joining me and God bless!

Deuteronomy 18:13-19:13, In-depth Study

Welcome back to another in-depth Bible study.Let’s dive into God’s Word together, seeking understanding and insight. May His spirit guide us as we explore Scripture.

Deuteronomy 18:13

13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?

22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 19
1 When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2 Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3 Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4 And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

7 Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8 And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

9 If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:

12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.


That concludes our lesson for today. Comeback tomorrow as we continue right along in the Bible. Have a great day and God bless!

Between the Pages: Chapter 2

Rose


An hour into her stake out and the adrenaline began to fade. Standing in one spot was not only increasingly difficult but also not very
well hidden either. What did she hope to accomplish anyway? Sure, she could lay
eyes on the sneaky snake, but then what? What if the perpetrator turned on her? Rose started to have thoughts about returning home, there was no guarantee they were hiding out on this particular night anyways. I am sure they had other spots just like her little shop to dip into at night. 

Desperate to justify her decision to play detective, Rose stayed. She lowered herself to the ground, finding a more comfortable position. Quietly she snacked on butterscotch and tootsie rolls. Somewhere along the night
boredom caused sleep to overcome her, despite her repeated efforts to fight it.
She was startled awake by the click of the
deadbolt lock. Rose held her breath and calmed her shaking nerves as she waited. The bottom lock softly clicked, the door knob turned and the door swung open. Out walked a young girl who closed the door behind her and walked around the opposite side, oblivious to her presence.  Rose stared in shock. Never did she consider a child cunning enough to pull off such a feat. She hopped to her feet and followed the side of the building.

Once the girl reached the sidewalk she hung a right, disappearing into the darkness. Rose decided not to follow further. The girl’s quick steps were far faster than hers. Instead, she returned to her car and slept until it was time to open the book shop. All day she pondered what to do. From the looks of her, she couldn’t be no more than 10 or 11. Rose wondered about her story and why she was sleeping in her book store. What sort of circumstances leaves a young girl in such a situation? Where were her mother and father?

Elianna



Elianna strolled the streets of Yellow Town, she knew the businesses wouldn’t be open for at least another hour. Any time she saw headlights she would dip into an alley, not wanting to draw attention to herself. A child alone at this hour never looked good. Elianna walked the half a mile to Piggly Wiggly and around to the back of the store. The large building sat nestled against a patch of overgrown greenery. A couple handful of saplings and thick briers sat just behind the dumpster. One tree managed to grow to a sizable height, sprouting up in the middle. Somehow forgotten or unseen during employees’ daily duties. Elianna pushed through the shrubbery and scaled the tree. She sat in the nook of the branches and waited for sunrise, blissfully listening to the morning song birds.


About two hours later, Elianna climbed down and circled to the front of the store. She casually walked through the parking lot and to the sidewalk.  Elianna walked the long route to her destination, along the way she gathered flowers.  She took care to only choose ones that extended to the side walk. She considered those free game and not stealing. She may wear many unfavorable titles, but a thief wasn’t one of them. By the end of her walk she had assembled a marvelous bouquet. She pulled a piece of ribbon from her pocket and tied the flowers together. She finished just before the hospital steps.

Visiting hours began at 10:00 AM. She climbed the familiar walkway, the same as she had done at least 500 times. Once a stark reminder of what was, now warm and inviting like home. Elianna climbed the staircase all the way to the top, nodding at nurse Jackie as she went past the nurses station . As expected Scarlette was sitting in her bed watching cartoons.

“Good morning Scarlette.”
“Good morning Eli.”

A nickname only a handful of people have ever called her. She never cared much for the cutesy name but for Scarlette she doesn’t mind.
Elianna extended the flowers, pride beaming from her face.

“Look what I brought you today.”
“Real flowers! They are gorgeous we
must get them into water soon so they life as long as possible.”

Scarlette rang the nurse call button prompting  nurse Jackie to appear in the doorway.

“What is it Scarlette?”
“Can you get me something to put these lovely flowers in please?”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“What would you like to play today.” Elianna asked. “Tick Tac Toe, Gold fish?”
“I’m actually kind of tired today can we just watch cartoons together?”
“I think TV sounds perfect.”

Nurse Jackie appeared once more this time carrying a small beaker.

“Not its intended purpose but it should work just fine.”
Jackie placed the flowers into the makeshift vase, already half full with water.

Elianna spent the day watching cartoons with Scarlette; a peaceful silence settled amongst them. Scarlette drifted in and out of consciousness happy to know Elianna was still there each time she awakened. Nurse Jackie signaled for her of to stay just a little while longer, permitting her to stay past visiting hours. Elianna knew if she did, the bookstore was out of the question for a place to sleep. The old lady would already have locked up and went home by the time she could walk there and hide away, Despite the dilemma Elianna stayed a little while longer knowing all too well tomorrow is never promised.


Rose

Rose tried to stay vigilant all day, determined to see the moment the child came into her shop. Beyond that she wasn’t sure, should the confronts her? Doing so might scare her away. Should she call CPS and notify them? She has heard horror stories about children in foster care. Some homes they get placed in our unloving and cruel to say the least. For now Rose would leave her be, at least until she had just a little longer to think about what to do. She was doing no harm and Rose was no longer concerned about her safety.

To her disappointment, the pale faced girl never showed. She was certain of it. Just to be sure Rose searched every nook and cranny but no little girl lie hidden between
the pages. Finally, Rose locked up and headed home. Out of curiosity she took the long way home. She drove past all the local shops on main street and all the way to Ol Blessness Hospital. As she drove past the pale face little girl made her way down the steps of the hospital. Rose parked her car
and watched as walked down the side walk. A million questions ran through her mind, they only fueled her curiosity. Rose followed close behind the girl. Close enough for her old eyes fo see but not close enough to draw suspicion. Rose lost sight of her as she rounded the corner of Piggly Wiggly, persumably heading to the back of the building, unreachable by vehicle. Tired and stilled needing time to thank, Rose drove home.

Between the Pages: Chapter 1

Elianna


Elianna pushed herself through the small gap between the corner bookshelves. She
turned to watch as the old woman rang up her last customer of the night. Like clockwork, at exactly 7:00 PM she turns off all the lights and leaves for the night. Presumably to some cute little cottage with a white picket fence somewhere along the outskirts of town.

Elianna waited motionless after the ding of the closing register drawer. She faced the wall hoping her black hair would be better camouflage than her pale face and
bright blue eyes. She counted how many times she had stood in this corner like a toddler enduring time out, 7 maybe 8 . It didn’t take long to pick up on the old woman’s habits. The same routine day in, and day out, or so it seemed from the snippet of her life that Elianna had been able to observe. Her aging eyes made it difficult to spot her in the dark crevasse
between the book cases. This was quickly becoming her favorite spot to sleep.

The moment she walked into Rose’s bookstore she knew she had found refuge. The sign read “Find a Home Between the Pages”. She didn’t expect to find home, rather a safe place to get a little sleep. The location appeared to be promising especially with the owner and sole employee being an elderly woman.

Elianna shifted out from her hiding spot, confident that the old lady was well on her way home by now. She had the place all to herself, at least until 7:00 AM. She would be long gone by then, usually waking up before dawn. Then she would casually walk out the back, making sure to lock the door behind her.  She walked to the furthest corner of the book store by memory, the rooms
now thick black. She retrieved the small flashlight hidden between the books. Covered with a torn piece of cloth it illuminated just enough to see but not enough to raise alarm if a passer by happened to see a glimpse in one of the windows. She quickly memorized the laborth of bookshelves and tapestry on her first visit. She knew every nook and cranny by heart, often utilizing them to stash necessities, long before she dared the
overnight sleep-ins.


Elianna made her way to the front of the shop to make sure the old lady lowered the blinds on the front windows. Sometimes she forgets and one time Elianna risked lowering them just for the added security. To her relief they were both closed. She turned to retreat back into her labyrinth of safety when something caught her eye. The old lady’s lunch bag. The one she brought everyday, sat in her chosen chair. She must have forgotten it. Elianna debated the likelihood of her returning to fetch it? Should she hide in the corner just in case? Then another thought echoed through her mind. What if it still contained food?

She hadn’t ate a decent supper in longer than she could remember. Usually lunch at school would be her last meal of the day, but during breaks, like now, food was hard to come by. Her belly rumbled and mouth watered as she thought of all the possibilities. Mild starvation pushed her to risk opening the bag, just for a peek. Her heart trembled when she saw a
fully packed lunch. Ham and cheese sandwich with potato salad on the
side and a red shiny apple.  Elianna pondered the chances that
she wouldn’t notice. Could the old lady possibly think she ate it? If not, finding her missing lunch pale tomorrow with devoured contents would be sure to raise suspension. Obviously the ol lady’s cognitive function was slipping if she forgot not only her lunch bag, but to eat her lunch as well.

She decided the least risky choice was the apple. So, despite the risk, she ate it slowly, savoring each bite. After she finished nibbling. away at the core  her little belly rumbled for more. Desperation encouraged her to eat the rest despite the danger of the possible consequences.

Overly grateful to have a full belly, she returned the bag to its original place and retreated to her sleeping spot. A far back corner where she could stretch out on the floor, her little
backpack used as a makeshift pillow. At night she liked to read stories of fairy tales and far away lands. Stories that always had heros and happy endings. The sound of her internally narrating the words would lullaby her to sleep, where she would dream of her own hero and happy endings. But tonight the hunger pains were subdued, no longer stealing her rest so sleep came swiftly and peacefully. She loved the way rows of books blocked out sound and created a sense of security. The tall stacks offer shelter and hope.

Rose


Rose unlocked the bookshop door and scurried to her lunch bag. She had to prove to herself she wasn’t getting batty in her old age. Sure enough, the lunch she purposely left was all gone. Presumably by whomever had been staying in her shop. How else could the dead bolt be unlocked and her food missing. The first time she saw the door unlock she chalked it up to her aging mind. The second time, she seriously began to doubt her sanity. The third time she knew something was wrong. Nothing was ever missing nor out of place, but someone undoubtedly
was hiding away in her shop at night. The question was, what were their intentions?

Rose pondered all day as to what she should do. Should she call the police and inform them of a break in? Could it be a criminal on the run or some mentally disturbed person? Could it be a wife leaving her husband or an illegal immigrant looking for freedom?

Curiosity got the best of as she formed a plan to spy on the sneaky snake to see for herself. She locked up as usual, turning the sign to “Close”, lowering the blinds and turning off the lights. She locked the door behind her and double checked that it was locked. Then climbed in her car and drove away. Instead of going home she parked about a block down the road where she waited for darkness to settle.

Slowly she walked back to her beloved book shop, adrenaline causing her to feel 10 years younger. She cut through the back alley and across the adjacent yard stopping at the furthest corner of the shop. She slid around the side of the building, immersing further into darkness and preparing to wait on the mystery mooch to emerge out the back door.

Daily Bible Study #152

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17 KJV
https://bible-strong.app

Isaiah 54
1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

2 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;

3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

13 And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Source https://kingjames.bible

Thank you and God bless!