An expedition along the River Severn near Tewkesbury 9th Sept 2025

An expedition along the River Severn near Tewkesbury 9th Sept 2025

This morning in my van I awoke early, just before dawn , I could hear a couple of tawny owls hooting not too far off in the woods , suddenly they were interrupted by a wood pigeon cooing , welcoming the first signs of daylight.   I was parked at the Lower Lode carpark on the edge of Tewkesbury,  Gloucestershire, UK. 

I went back to sleep for quite a while , and had a few unpleasant dreams before waking again at about 10 am . 

To cheer myself up from the dreams I meditated on some scriptures , especially thinking about how God loves me , so much that he gave his only son Jesus. 

I got up made a nice cup of tea on the camping stove , then cooked breakfast ... half a packet of minced beef with steak seasoning . I'm  currently on a carnivore diet. 

As I sat in my van looking across the river Severn I spotted a green woodpecker flying from the opposite side of the river to my side. Then later a sparrowhawk hunted quite high up, following the far Riverbank downstream hoping to disturb small birds in the willows and undergrowth. 

At about midday I decided to go for a walk downstream from the Lower Lode. First you have to pass through the grounds of Cheltenham College rowing club and then you enter into cow fields. The river is on the right side of the meadow and on the left side  is a long hillside covered in woodland . Above the woodland on higher ground is the golf course, and then further along are fields of wheat. Thankfully there were currently no cattle in the field today ... I'm a bit nervous of them, always worried they're going to stampede. 

I had with me my deckchair as I thought it would be nice to sit by the river to rest every now and then . 

As I walked along I spotted a heron sitting on an overhanging branch on the opposite bank. After spotting me It seemed to be deciding whether to fly off or stay put but in the end he decided to stay put as I was a bit far off to be a threat. 

Along the river bank on both sides were many trees and bushes , mainly willow. 

I came to two large old oaks in the meadow which no doubt the cattle sheltered under sometimes. One of the oaks was considerably larger and older than the other and had a huge girth. I put up my deckchair and sat under the oaks looking at the river. I was quite a long way from the carpark and only a few dogwalkers and people out for a stroll might come this far . It was lovely and peaceful although the wind was picking up. I watched a flock of long tailed tits flying from willow tree to willow tree gradually moving along the riverside trees in an upstream direction. 

Suddenly three mute swans appeared in the distance flying a few metres above the river, they passed me by it was a wonder to see their large wingspan and distinctive noise of the wings beating. 

I noticed a gate on the edge of the field with a track leading away from the river going up the hill and through woods near Tewkesbury golf course. 

I went through the gate and entered the long narrow strip of broadleaf woodland that follows the hillside. I followed the track uphill through the woods and came out on a large recently ploughed arable field, probably wheat . In  the centre of the field was a large dead tree , providing good  habitat im sure for insects and woodpeckers etc. 

A buzzard appeared from the direction of the golf course and soared overhead. 

THE NAMES FOR GOD.

THE NAMES FOR GOD. YHWH Yud-heh-vah-heh.

Here is a list of 21 names of God in the Bible followed by a Bible study on each name.

1 - ADONAI

2 - EL

3 - EL ELOHE YISRAEL

4 - EL ELYON

5 - ELOHIM

6 - EL OLAM

7 - EL ROI

8 - EL SHADDAI

9 - IMMANUEL

10 - JEHOVAH (YHWH)

11 - JEHOVAH-JIREH

12 - JEHOVAH-MEKADDISHKEM

13 - JEHOVAH-NISSI

14 - JEHOVAH-RAPHA

15 - JEHOVAH-ROHI

16 - JEHOVAH-SABAOTH

17 - JEHOVAH-SHALOM

18 - JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH

19 - JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU

20 - YAH, OR JAH

21 - YHWH Yud-heh-vah-heh 

1 - ADONAI

Meaning:

The Lord my great God.

Bible reference: 

Psalm 8: 

Psalm 8:1-9

[1]O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory on [or above] the heavens.

[2]Out of the mouths of babes and unweaned infants You have established strength because of Your foes, that You might silence the enemy and the avenger. [Matt. 21:15, 16.]

[3]When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established,

[4]What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

[5]Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

[6]You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: [I Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22, 23; Heb. 2:6-8.]

[7]All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field,

[8]The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

[9]O Lord, our Lord, how excellent (majestic and glorious) is Your name in all the earth!

Isaiah 40:3-5

[3]A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3.]

[4]Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain.

[5]And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5, 6.]

Ezekiel 16:8

[8]Now I passed by you again and looked upon you; behold, you were maturing and at the time for love, and I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I plighted My troth to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord, and you became Mine.

Habakkuk 3:19

[19]The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments. 

Comments:

Pronounced Adonai (plural) is derived from the singular Adon (Lord). This term was pronounced in substitution for YHWH (Yud-heh-vah-heh) (considered too sacred to be uttered). 

Application:

God is the Master and majestic Lord. God is our total authority. 

2 - EL

Meaning: 

The Strong One

Bible reference: 

Exodus 15:2

[2]The Lord is my Strength and my Song, and He has become my Salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.

Numbers 23:22

[22]God brought them forth out of Egypt; they have as it were the strength of a wild ox.

Deuteronomy 7:9

[9]Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations,

Mark 15:34

[34]And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?–which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me [deserting Me and leaving Me helpless and abandoned]? [Ps. 22:1.

Comments:

Pronounced: el Occurs more than 200 times in the Old Testament ( including compounds). Generic Semitic name for God, used by other cultures to their gods. El is used in compound proper names such as Isra-el (wrestles with God), Beth-El ) house of God, and El-isha ( God is salvation). 

Application:

He is more powerful than any false god. God will overcome all obstacles. We can depend on God. 

3 - EL ELOHE YISRAEL

Meaning: 

God, the God of Israel. 

Bible Reference:

Genesis 33:20

[20]There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel [God, the God of Israel].

Exodus 5:1

[1]AFTERWARD MOSES and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.

Psalm 68:8

[8]The earth trembled, the heavens also poured down [rain] at the presence of God; yonder Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Psalm 106:48

[48]Blessed (affectionately and gratefully praised) be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, Amen! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) [I Chron. 16:35, 36.]

Comments: 

Pronounced: el el-o-HAY yis-raw-ALE The name of the altar that Jacob (Israel) erected after his encounter with God and God's blessing upon him. (Gen 32:24-30; 33:19-20).

Application:

The God of Israel is distinct and seperate from all false gods of the world. 

4 - EL ELYON

Meaning: 

The God Most High.

Bible reference: 

Genesis 14:17-22

[17]After his [Abram's] return from the defeat and slaying of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the King's Valley.

[18]Melchizedek king of Salem [later called Jerusalem] brought out bread and wine [for their nourishment]; he was the priest of God Most High,

[19]And he blessed him and said, Blessed (favored with blessings, made blissful, joyful) be Abram by God Most High, Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth,

[20]And blessed, praised, and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! And [Abram] gave him a tenth of all [he had taken]. [Heb. 7:1-10.]

[21]And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons and keep the goods for yourself.

[22]But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted up my hand and sworn to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth,

Psalm 78:35

[35]And they [earnestly] remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.

Daniel 4:34

[34]And at the end of the days [seven years], I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

Acts 16:17

[17]She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us, shouting loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce to you the way of salvation!

Comments: 

Pronounced: el EL-yuhn Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Jeru-Salem) and the priest of God Most High, referred to God as "El ELYON" three times when he blessed Abram. 

Application:

He is the sovereign God in whom we can put all our trust. El ELYON has supremacy over all false Gods. 

5- ELOHIM 

Meaning: 

The All-Powerful One , Creator.

Bible Reference: 

Genesis 1:1-3

[1]IN THE beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. [Heb. 11:3.]

[2]The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.

[3]And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.

Deuteronomy 10:17

[17]For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe.

Psalm 68:1

[1]GOD IS [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him!

Mark 13:19

[19]For at that time there will be such affliction (oppression and tribulation) as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until this particular time–and positively never will be [again].

Comments:

Pronounced: el-o-HEEM plural form of El. This name is usually associated with God in relation to his creation. Some people use the plural word Elohim as proof of the Trinity (Genesis 1:26). Elohim is also used to refer to false gods and even human judges. (Ps.82:6-7 ; John 10:34)

Application:

God is the All-Powerful creator of the universe. God knows all, creates all, and is everywhere at all times. The plural of "El".

6 - EL OLAM

Meaning: 

The Eternal God

The Everlasting God

Bible Reference:

Genesis 21:33

[33]Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.

Psalm 90:1-2

[1]Lord, YOU have been our dwelling place and our refuge in all generations [says Moses].

[2]Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed and given birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Isaiah 40:28

[28]Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

Romans 1:20

[20]For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification], [Ps. 19: 1-4.]

Comments: 

Pronounced: el o-LAHM Jesus Christ possesses eternal attributes. He is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb. 13:8). He obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).

Application:

He is the Beginning and the End, the One who works his purposes throughout the ages. He gives strength to the weary. 

7- EL ROI

Meaning: 

The God who sees me.

Bible Reference:

Genesis 16:11-14

[11]And the Angel of the Lord continued, See now, you are with child and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael [God hears], because the Lord has heard and paid attention to your affliction.

[12]And he [Ishmael] will be as a wild ass among men; his hand will be against every man and every man's hand against him, and he will live to the east and on the borders of all his kinsmen.

[13]So she called the name of the Lord Who spoke to her, You are a God of seeing, for she said, Have I [not] even here [in the wilderness] looked upon Him Who sees me [and lived]? Or have I here also seen [the future purposes or designs of] Him Who sees me?

[14]Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me]; it is between Kadesh and Bered.

Psalm 139:7-11

[7]Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence?

[8]If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. [Rom. 11:33.]

[9]If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

[10]Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

[11]If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me and the night shall be [the only] light about me,

Matthew 6:7-8

[7]And when you pray, do not heap up phrases (multiply words, repeating the same ones over and over) as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their much speaking. [I Kings 18:25-29.]

[8]Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

Comments: 

Pronounced: el ROY Hagar called the Lord by this name besides a fountain of water in the wilderness. God knows all of our thoughts and feelings. Jesus knew the thoughts of those around him, demonstrating that he is El Roi (Matt. 22:18 ; 26:21,34; Luke 5:21-24).

Application:

There are no circumstances in our lives that escape his Fatherly awareness and care. God knows us and our troubles. 

8 - EL SHADDAI

Meaning: 

The All Sufficient One, The God of the Mountains, God Almighty.

Bible references:

Genesis 17:1-3

[1]WHEN ABRAM was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).

[2]And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.

[3]Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him,

Genesis 48:3

[3]And Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared to me at Luz [Bethel] in the land of Canaan and blessed me

Genesis 49:25

[25]By the God of your father, Who will help you, and by the Almighty, Who will bless you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings lying in the deep beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

Genesis 35:11

[11]And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;

Psalm 90:2

[2]Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed and given birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

Comments:

Pronounced: el-shaw-DIE Some scholars suggest that Shaddai refers to God's power evident in his judgement. Others suggest that El Shaddai needs "God of the mountains". God refers to himself as El Shaddai when he confirms his covenant with Abraham. 

Application:

God is the all-sufficient source of all our blessings. God is all-powerful. Our problems are not too big for God to handle. 

9 - IMMANUEL 

Meaning: 

God with us . I Am.

Bible reference: 

Isaiah 7:14

[14]Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. [Isa. 9:6; Jer. 31:22; Mic. 5:3-5; Matt. 1:22, 23.]

Isaiah 8:8-10

[8]And it will sweep on into Judah; it will overflow and go over [the hills], reaching even [but only] to the neck [of which Jerusalem is the head], and the outstretched wings [of the armies of Assyria] shall fill the breadth of Your land, O Immanuel [Messiah, God is with us]! [Num. 14:9; Ps. 46:7.]

[9]Make an uproar and be broken in pieces, O you peoples [rage, raise the war cry, do your worst, and be utterly dismayed]! Give ear, all you [our enemies] of far countries. Gird yourselves [for war], and be thrown into consternation! Gird yourselves, and be [utterly] dismayed!

[10]Take counsel together [against Judah], but it shall come to nought; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us [Immanuel]!

Matthew 1:23

[23]Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel–which, when translated, means, God with us. [Isa. 7:14.]

Comments: 

Pronounced: ih-MAN-u-el This name indicates that Jesus is more than man. He is also God. Isaiah said that the child born to the virgin would be called "Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14;9:6). He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature. (Hebrews 1:3).

Application:

Jesus is God in our midst. In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. 

10 - JEHOVAH Yud-heh-vah-heh

Meaning: 

I AM. The One Who Is The Self-existent One.

Bible Reference: 

Exodus 3:14

[14]And God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE; and He said, You shall say this to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you!

Exodus 6:2-4

[2]And God said to Moses, I am the Lord.

[3]I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty [El-Shaddai], but by My name the Lord [Yahweh–the redemptive name of God] I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles]. [Gen. 17:1.]

[4]I have also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their temporary residence in which they were strangers.

Exodus 34:5-7

[5]And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord.

[6]And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth,

[7]Keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation.

Psalm 102:1-28

[1]HEAR MY prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You.

[2]Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in distress! Incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

[3]For my days consume away like smoke, and my bones burn like a firebrand or like a hearth.

[4]My heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that [in absorption] I forget to eat my food.

[5]By reason of my loud groaning [from suffering and trouble] my flesh cleaves to my bones.

[6]I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a [desolate] owl of the waste places.

[7]I am sleepless and lie awake [mourning], like a bereaved sparrow alone on the housetop.

[8]My adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse.

[9]For I have eaten the ashes [in which I sat] as if they were bread and have mingled my drink with weeping

[10]Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, for You have taken me up and cast me away.

[11]My days are like an evening shadow that stretches out and declines [with the sun]; and I am withered like grass.

[12]But You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations.

[13]You will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come [the moment designated]. [Ps. 12:5; 119:126.]

[14]For Your servants take [melancholy] pleasure in the stones [of her ruins] and show pity for her dust.

[15]So the nations shall fear and worshipfully revere the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory. [Ps. 96:9.]

[16]When the Lord builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory;

[17]He will regard the plea of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.

[18]Let this be recorded for the generation yet unborn, that a people yet to be created shall praise the Lord.

[19]For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary, from heaven did the Lord behold the earth,

[20]To hear the sighing and groaning of the prisoner, to loose those who are appointed to death,

[21]So that men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem

[22]When peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship and serve the Lord.

[23]He has afflicted and weakened my strength, humbling and bringing me low [with sorrow] in the way; He has shortened my days [aging me prematurely].

[24]I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days, You Whose years continue throughout all generations.

[25]At the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands.

[26]They shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing You shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away.

[27]But You remain the same, and Your years shall have no end. [Heb. 1:10-12.]

[28]The children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You.

Comments: 

Pronounced: juh-HO-vah A 16th century German translator wrote the name YHWH using the vowels of Adonai, because the ancient Jewish texts from which he was translating had the vowels of Adonai under the consonants of JHVH. By doing this he incorrectly came up with the name Jehovah ( YaHo-VaH)

Application: 

God never changes. His promises never fail. When we are faithless, He is faithful. We need to obey Him.

11 - JEHOVAH-JIREH

Meaning:

The Lord will provide. 

Application:

Just as God provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac, He provided His son Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. God will meet all our needs. 

Bible reference:

Genesis 22:13-14

[13]Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering and an ascending sacrifice instead of his son!

[14]So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided.

Psalm 23

Mark 10:45

[45]For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many.

Romans 8:2-3

[2]For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.

[3]For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], [Lev. 7:37.]

Comments:

Pronounced juh-HO-vah JI-rah Also known as YHWH-Jireh. Abraham called the place " the Lord will provide" where God provided a ram to be sacrificed instead of his son Isaac . Jesus says that he is the bread of life and anyone who comes to him will be provided for ( John 6:35).

12 - JEHOVAH-MEKADDISHKEM

Meaning: 

The Lord who sanctifies.

Application:

God sets us apart as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, holy unto God a people of his own. He cleanses our sin and helps us mature.

Bible reference: 

Exodus 31:12-13

[12]And the Lord said to Moses,

[13]Say to the Israelites, Truly you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you [set you apart for Myself].

1 Peter 1:15-16

[15]But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

[16]For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. [Lev. 11:44, 45.]

Hebrews 13:12

[12]Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city's] gate in order that He might purify and consecrate the people through [the shedding of] His own blood and set them apart as holy [for God].

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

[23]And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

[24]Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

13 - JEHOVAH-NISSI

Meaning: 

The Lord is my banner.

14 - JEHOVAH-RAPHA

Meaning: 

The Lord who heals 

15 - JEHOVAH-ROHI

Meaning: 

The Lord is my Shepherd.

16 - JEHOVAH-SABAOTH

Meaning: 

The Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Armies.

17 - JEHOVAH-SHALOM

Meaning: 

The Lord is peace

18 - JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH

Meaning: 

The Lord is there, the Lord is my Companion.

19 - JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU

Meaning:

The Lord our Righteousness

20 - YAH, OR JAH

Meaning: 

I AM . The one who is . The self existent one.

21 - YHWH Yud-heh-vah-heh 

Meaning: 

I AM . The one who is . The self existent one.

The meaning of Shalom uploaded 28 Aug 2025

 In the Bible, "shalom" (שלום) translates to more than just "peace" in the English sense. It signifies a state of well-being, wholeness, and completeness, encompassing both inner and outer prosperity, security, and right relationships with God and others. It's not merely the absence of conflict, but a positive state of flourishing in all aspects of life. 

Here's a breakdown of the concept:

More than just absence of conflict:

Shalom goes beyond a cease-fire or the absence of war. It implies a positive state of harmony and flourishing. 

Wholeness and well-being:

It encompasses physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being, signifying a state of being complete and healthy. 

Right relationships:

Shalom involves right relationships with God, oneself, and others, including justice and reconciliation. 

Flourishing and prosperity:

It signifies a state of thriving and prosperity in all areas of life. 

The concept of shalom is central to biblical themes of salvation and redemption. God's desire for humanity is shalom, and through Jesus Christ, God offers reconciliation and restoration, bringing shalom to a broken world, according to The Bible Project. The prophet Isaiah looked forward to the arrival of a future king who would establish a covenant of shalom, a promise fulfilled in Jesus, according to The Bible Project. 

Starting a Landscape Gardening company in Cornwall, UK.uk

Starting a landscape gardening company in Cornwall UK . Uploaded 20th Aug 2025.

Starting a landscape gardening business in Cornwall, UK can be both rewarding and profitable, especially given the region's natural beauty and strong tourism/hospitality sectors. Let’s break down how to build your business from scratch – covering essentials from branding to legal setup and marketing. (Ps. for additional advice why not email me: rowlandscapes71@hotmail.com)

🌿 1. Business Concept & Niche

Name Ideas (Optional):

Cornish Garden Co.

Trelawny Landscapes

Eden Roots Landscaping

Wild Coast Gardens

Specialisms to Consider:

Eco-friendly landscaping / permaculture

Coastal garden design

Wildflower meadows & pollinator gardens

Luxury garden makeovers for holiday homes

Hardscaping: patios, walls, decking

Ongoing maintenance packages

Target Market:

Holiday let owners (Airbnb/VRBO)

Retired homeowners

High-end clients with second homes

Local councils / heritage sites

Hospitality businesses (B&Bs, inns, pubs)

🛠️ 2. Legal Setup

1. Business Structure:

Register as a sole trader or limited company on GOV.UK.

2. Insurance:

Public liability insurance (essential)

Employers’ liability (if hiring)

Tool/equipment cover

Van insurance (business use)

3. Waste Carrier Licence:

If disposing of green waste, register with the Environment Agency.

4. Qualifications (Optional, but adds trust):

RHS Level 2 or 3

LANTRA training

CSCS card if working on construction sites

🚛 3. Equipment & Setup

Basic Kit:

Van or trailer

Petrol or battery-powered tools: mower, strimmer, hedge trimmer, blower

Hand tools: spades, forks, secateurs

PPE: boots, gloves, goggles

Landscaping Tools:

Cement mixer, wheelbarrow, levels, etc.

Software:

Accounting: QuickBooks, FreeAgent

Scheduling: Jobber, Tradify, or Google Calendar

Invoicing: Xero, Square, or Wave (free)

---

💸 4. Pricing Strategy

Garden maintenance: £20–£35/hr

Full landscaping projects: £2,000–£30,000+

Design service: £300–£1,000+ depending on complexity

Offer seasonal packages and retainer agreements for regular income.

---

📈 5. Marketing Plan

Branding:

Clean, professional logo & uniform

Branded van wrap or magnetic sign

Business cards & flyers (local shops, garden centres, tourist hubs)

Website (Essential):

SEO-optimised for “landscaping Cornwall” / “garden design St Ives” etc.

Portfolio gallery

Quote form / contact page

Google Maps location listing

Social Media:

Instagram (before/after photos, reels)

Facebook (for local groups, community engagement)

Pinterest (great for garden inspo)

TikTok (time-lapse builds, tips – optional but high reach)

Direct Outreach:

Partner with Airbnb/holiday cottage agencies

Leave flyers with estate agents & builders

Join local trade & networking groups

---

🤝 6. Scaling the Business

Year 1 Goals:

Build strong local reputation

Secure 3–5 long-term maintenance contracts

Complete 5–10 full landscaping jobs

Get 10+ Google reviews

Year 2 and Beyond:

Hire 1–2 staff or apprentices

Offer design-only services as an upsell

Partner with eco-tourism sites or B&Bs

Add a small retail section (plants/tools)

Build an email list for garden tips, offers

---

📋 Optional Extras

Offer seasonal garden planning workshops

Create an online booking portal

Sell native Cornish plants or garden décor

Apply for eco grants or business funding from Cornwall Council

Read Whole Bible

Read Whole Bible.

24 Nov red Matt 26 last supper, garden of Gethsemane , Jesus arrested

Red psalm 26 David won't keep company with sinners, corrupt or bloodthirsty men who take bribes. Instead he delights and sings praises of joy in the sanctuary where Gods presence is. 

23 Nov 2025

Red genesis 26 there's a famine.Isaac goes to Gerar . He says Rebekah is his sister but king Abimelech sees them caressing.

Issac becomes wealthy in flocks , crops and servants , king Abimelech asks him and his servants to leave the area due to his great success. 

He goes to valley of gerar and his servants dig three successive wells due to opposition from the native shepherd's. 

Then his servants dig another well at Beersheba. King Abimelech turns up and says he wants to make an oath, with curse, that Isaac will do no harm to the people of gerar being as he is so blessed by God. They do an oath and the city is named Beersheba means "well of the oath."

Esau marries two Hittite women who cause Issac and Rebecca much stress.

Red Matthew 25

The ten virgins

The servants who sowed the masters money and the one who didn't

Matthew 25:35-36

[35]For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me,

[36]I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. [Isa. 58:7.]

Red psalm 25 

Psalm 25:1-2

[1]UNTO YOU, O Lord, do I bring my life.

[2]O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on, and am confident in You. Let me not be put to shame or [my hope in You] be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me.

21 nov 2025

Red Genesis 25

Abraham dies age 178

[9]And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is east of Mamre,

Then a genealogy of Ishmael.

Isaac wife Rebekah gives birth to twins Esau and Jacob who was holding on to his heel.

Then how Jacob got Esau to sell his firstborn blessing inheritance for lentil stew. 

Red Matthew 24

 Jesus talks about the end times tribulation and no one knows the day of his return.

Red Psalms 24 

Psalm 24:1-2

[1]THE EARTH is the Lord's, and the fullness of it, the world and they who dwell in it. [I Cor. 10:26.]

[2]For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the currents and the rivers.

Red Genesis 24 

Abraham sends his head servant to Abraham's birth place to find a wife for Isaac from his family. He prays and tests who's the right one by seeing who brings up water for him from well. Rebecca turns up and brings up water. He gives her gifts of gold bracelets and earrings. He goes with her and talks to family about her marrying Isaac.Her family agree. He brings back Rebecca. Isaac is comforted by Rebecca after the death of his mother Sarah.  

20 November 2025

Red Matthew 23 Jesus greatly rebukes the Pharisees all through

Red Psalm 23 the Lord is my shepherd

Red genesis 23 Sarah passes . Abraham buries Sara in Machpelah east of Hebron. 

14 November

Red Matthew 22

13 November 2025

Red all psalm 22 a picture of Jesus on the cross ... They can count all my bones, they cast lots fur my garments

Red all Genesis 22 God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaak but stops him in the last second and provides a ram. Abraham calls God Jehovah jireh.

Red all Matthew 21 includes getting the donkey and Colt and parable of the owner of the vineyard who's son they killed

Red all psalm 21

31 Oct 2025 

Red all Genesis 21 sara gives birth to Isaac and was full of laughter. ( Joy I'm guessing) Hagar and Ishmael sent away . God heard Hagar again in wilderness and revealed a well of water. 

Red all Matthew 20 

Those who are first well be last. Jesus has compassion on two blind men. 

Red psalm 20

Red genesis 20 king abimelech also takes Sarai to be his wife but God warns him in dream he will die if he doesn't give her back. We also find out she is Abraham's half sister , different mothers. 

4th Sept 2025

Red Matthew 19

Matthew 19:29-30

[29]And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

Y cualquiera que haya dejado casas, o hermanos, o hermanas, o padre, o madre, o mujer, o hijos, o tierras, por mi nombre, recibirá cien veces más, y heredará la vida eterna.

[30]But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. 

Pero muchos primeros serán postreros, y postreros, primeros.

Red psalm 19 

Psalms 19:1

[1](To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

Los cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios,Y el firmamento anuncia la obra de sus manos.

Psalms 19:10

[10]More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 

Deseables son más que el oro, y más que mucho oro afinado;Y dulces más que miel, y que la que destila del panal.

2nd Sept 2025

Red genesis 19 angels of the lord destroy Sodom , but spare Lot and his daughters. Lots wife turns to pillar of salt after disobeying God. He escapes to cave near Zoar. His Daughters get him drunk and sleep with him to continue his seed ... Moab and Ammon are born. 

Red all Matthew 18 greatest in kingdom is little child . Humble ourselves like a little child. Shepherd leaving 99 for the 1 . The wicked man who was forgiven his debt but didn't forgive his servants debt. 

30 aug 2025

Red psalm 18 I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies. 

The Hebrew word for "love" in Psalm 18:1 is racham (רחם), which is different from the more common word ahavah found elsewhere in the Bible. This word conveys a sense of deep, tender compassion and mercy, similar to a mother's love for her child, rather than the affection or emotional bond of ahavah. 

Here's a breakdown:

Racham (רחם):

Meaning: To love with intense compassion, mercy, or pity, like a mother's love from the womb. 

In Psalm 18:1: David declares, "I will love You, O LORD" using the form 'erachameka' (I will have compassion on You). 

Why it's different: This is an uncommon word in the Bible for human to God love, emphasizing a deep, personal affection and tenderness. 

22 aug 

Red genesis 18 the Lord visits Abraham as three men. Sarah laughs and denied laughing. Abraham asks God to spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous men .

Red Matthew 17 the disciples couldn't cast the demon out because of their unbelief. Also this kind won't come out without prayer and fasting. 

red psalms 17

21 aug 2025 

Red genesis 17 Gods promises to Abraham that Sarah will bear a son a year from now. Abraham circumcises all men in his household including Ishmael age 13 and himself age 100 and all servants etc

Red Matthew 16 Pete r recognises through God that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus calls him blessed and he will build his church upon Peter the rock . Then he says get behind me satan later in the same chapter when Peter says he won't allow Jesus to go to the cross. 

Red psalm 16 God is my portion and fills my cup. Your lines fall in pleasant places 

red genesis 16 Hagar called God the God who see eth me "El Roi" in Hebrew . for the angel of the Lord had come to her in the wilderness and seen her distress fleeing from Sarah. Also God tell Abraham that Ishmael will be a wild man who's hand will be against all other men. 

19 aug 2025

Red Matthew 15 

Matthew 15:30

[30]And a great multitude came to Him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them down at His feet; and He cured them,

To maim means to inflict serious bodily injury on someone resulting in permanent damage. Originally, in English common law it meant to cut off or permanently disable a part of the body such as an arm, leg, hand, or foot.

Therefore Jesus quite likely prayed and new limbs etc appeared and wounds healed. 

 Red psalm 15 I looked up the meaning of " nor takes up a reproach against his neighbour" means ...nor makes open a disapproval against his neighbour

redRed genesis 15 gods promises to Abraham about having a son and forwarning him about 400 years in Egypt then returning with great wealth. Interesting note about amorites their sin is not yet in full. 

Watched Interesting YouTube vid about amorites and abominable child sacrifice

https://youtu.be/STXLgRjDQWA?si=Al3MwHLhPlDqS7JO 

Red Matthew 14 john baptist dies. Feeding 5000 men. Walking on water to disciples and Peter walks on water. 

23 June 2025

20 June 2025

Red all Matthew 13 the parable of sower and other parables 

Red all genesis 14 Abram rescues lot from king chedar , gives a tenth to Melchizedek king of Salem (Jerusalem) the priest of God. 

Red all psalm 14

4th Nov 2024

I red all Proverbs 3 . Let not mercy and truth Leave you.

All Matt 3

6th Nov red all Genesis 4 Cain and Abel

7th Nov red all psalm 4 Psalm 4:7

[7]You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly.

Red all Prov 4

Proverbs 4:18

[18]But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared]. [II Sam. 23:4; Matt. 5:14; Phil. 2:15.]

Proverbs 4:23

[23]Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Red all Matthew 4

Matthew 4:17,23-24

[17]From that time Jesus began to preach, crying out, Repent (change your mind for the better, heartily amend your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

[23]And He went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every weakness and infirmity among the people.

[24]So the report of Him spread to throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all who were sick, those afflicted with various diseases and torments, those under the power of demons, and epileptics, and paralyzed people, and He healed them.

8th Nov 2024

Red all Genesis 5

 Genesis 5:27[27]So Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died. 

Oldest man on record.

Red all psalm 5

Psalm 5:7

[7]But as for me, I will enter Your house through the abundance of Your steadfast love and mercy; I will worship toward and at Your holy temple in reverent fear and awe of You.

9 Nov red proverbs 5 

Proverbs 5:5

[5]Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead).

I red all Matt 5 .. start of the sermon on the mount 

10 nov red genesis 6 Noah's ark start

17 Nov 2024

Red whole psalm 6 

Red whole proverbs 6

Red whole Matt 6

 red whole of genesis 7

25 nov 2024

red whole psalm 7

Psalm 7:12-13

[12]If a man does not turn and repent, [God] will whet His sword; He has strung and bent His [huge] bow and made it ready [by treading it with His foot].

[13]He has also prepared for him deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.

red all proverbs 7 loose woman

red all proverbs 7 loose woman

red all matt 7 planj out of eye ask and ye shall recieve

28 nov 2024

red whole genesis 8 the waters redecing , the raven the dove

Genesis 8:21

[21]When the Lord smelled the pleasing odor [a scent of satisfaction to His heart], the Lord said to Himself, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination (the strong desire) of man's heart is evil and wicked from his youth; neither will I ever again smite and destroy every living thing, as I have done.

God will never again curse the ground.

29 nov 2024

red all psalm 8 

Psalm 8:4-6

[4]What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him?

[5]Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

[6]You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: [I Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22, 23; Heb. 2:6-8.]

27 nov 

Red Proverbs 7

Warning - the loose woman leading a young man to his death while the husband is away.

Red all Matthew 7

Matthew 7:22-25

[22]Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?

[23]And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. [Ps. 6:8.]

[24]So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock.

[25]And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

red proverbs 8 

Proverbs 8:10-11

[10]Receive my instruction in preference to [striving for] silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold,

[11]For skillful and godly Wisdom is better than rubies or pearls, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. [Job 28:15; Ps. 19:10; 119:127.]

red all matt 8

centurions servant healed

jesus calms storm

 legion of demons into pigs

red genesis 9 

Genesis 9:4

[4]But you shall not eat flesh with the life of it, which is its blood. Yahweh talking to Noah

30 nov 2024

red all psalm 9

Psalm 9:16

[16]The Lord has made Himself known; He executes judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion [meditation]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Red all proverbs 9

30 nov 2024

Red Psalms 9 

Red all proverbs 9

2 jan 2025

Red all matt 9 jesus heals several people inc paralytic and forgiveness of sins , someones daughter and blind men, harvest is big labourers are few.  

Red genesis 10 the sons of noah their tribes and where they dispersed in the land

red psalm 10 Why do you stand far off, Yahweh? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

25 Jan 2025

Red proverbs 10

Red Matthew 10

7 Jan 2024

Red proverbs 10

[25]The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered. [II Cor. 9:6-10.]

25 Jan 2025

Red proverbs 10

Red Matthew 10

27 jan red genesis 11 tower of babel

28 jan 2025 

red psalm 11 Psalm 11:1

[1]IN THE Lord I take refuge [and put my trust]; how can you say to me, Flee like a bird to your mountain?

Jan 30 Red proverbs 11

Red all Matt 11 Matthew 11:28-30

[28]Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

[29]Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. [Jer. 6:16.]

[30]For My yoke is wholesome (useful, 

good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

19 June 2025 

Red all genesis 12 when Abraham left his homecountry when he had to enter Egypt due to famine and told Pharoe his wife was his sister. Pharoe blessed him with much stuff as her brother. 

Red all psalm 12 red all Matthew 12

Red all psalm 13

20 June 2025

Red all Matthew 13 the parable of shower and other parables 

-------------------------

Please continue on the top of the page as it's easier you don't have to scroll down

Please continue on the top of the page as it's easier you don't have to scroll down

16 aug 2025 recipe for eating Scad .

 16 aug 2025 I found the solution to eating  scad which are full of little bones and difficult to eat. But loads are being caught at moment in Penzance, I caught a few Thursday . After gutting them  I boiled them in an inch or two of water with a bit of olive oil. Then mushed them up in saucepan, added lemon juice, pepper and Mediterranean herbs. Then after simmering I sieved it , squeezed all the juice out of the fish. Then added to the juice some (pickled) mussels, chopped salami and smoked cheese n simmered it further. Absolutely delishus fish chowder I've just finished scoffing it as starter . Onto the lamb for main course 😋. I'm on carnivore diet at moment , just meat and fish , virtually no carbs .

Ps I'll probably use the leftover fish and bones that were in the sieve as groundbait for fishing or put them on garden ... good fertiliser.

60 Scriptures About Success and Prosperity .

60 Scriptures About Prosperity and Success

Are you settling for less than God’s best in your life? If you are tolerating any type of physical ailment, anything less than financial abundance, or a struggling relationship, the answer is a resounding yes! 

Take time today to renew your mind to what God has to say about your prosperity and success in your health, relationships, finances and more. Begin with these 60 scriptures about prosperity and success.(All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible.)

Genesis 13:2

Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:5-6

Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.

Genesis 13:14-17

And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”

Genesis 17:1-9

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.”

Genesis 39:21-23 

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.

Leviticus 26:3-5 

If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

Leviticus 27:30

And all the tithe of the land, whetherof the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 2:7  

For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.

Deuteronomy 11:11-15

But the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.

Deuteronomy 28:1-11

Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

Deuteronomy 28:13

And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Deuteronomy 30:15-16

See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

Joshua 1:5, 7-8 

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

1 Kings 2:3

And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.

1 Chronicles 22:13

Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all.

2 Chronicles 20:20

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

2 Chronicles 26:5

He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

2 Chronicles 31:21

And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.

Job 36:11

If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 34:10

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 35:27

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Psalm 37:3-11 

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 37:25-26

I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; and his descendants are blessed.

Psalm 68:19

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.

Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 92:12-15

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalm 112:1-9  

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor.

Psalm 115:11-16

You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who fear the Lord, both small and great. May the Lord give you increase more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.

Psalm 122:6-7

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.”

Psalm 132:12-18

If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimony which I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore. For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Psalm 145:8-9

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

Proverbs 3:9-10

Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

Proverbs 8:17-21

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries.

Proverbs 10:2-6

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

Proverbs 11:25

The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

Proverbs 13:4

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Proverbs 19:17

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.

Proverbs 28:13

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Proverbs 28:25

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

Proverbs 28:27

He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

Ecclesiastes 5:19

As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

Isaiah 1:19

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.

Isaiah 58:10-11

If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Blessed is  the man who trusts in the  Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Malachi 3:10-12

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

Acts 14:17

Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”

Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

1 Corinthians 13:3 

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Galatians 6:6-10

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Titus 3:8

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Hebrews 7:19-22 

For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”),  by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

3 John 2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Set aside some time to meditate on these verses, even if it’s just a few minutes a day. Get the idea that God wants you to prosper and succeed in every part of your life deep down in your spirit. Then, begin praising Him and thanking Him that He is such a good God! Prosperity is coming your way, in the Name of Jesus!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Our mission is to teach believers worldwide who they are in Christ and how to operate in the scriptural truths of faith, divine healing, biblical prosperity and the God kind of love—taking them from spiritual milk to meat, from religion to reality.

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Wild camping near el Chorro, Spain and my first ever Largemouth Bass.

Wild camping near el Chorro, Spain and my first ever Largemouth Bass. 

It was  Oct 2014 I  had been wild camping in the mountains near the village of el Chorro. My camp was hidden away amongst Aleppo pine trees, on the side of a mountain named the "Sierra de la Pizarra" according to peakvisor website. To get to it you had leave the road and walk up a steep concrete drainage channel through the trees until you came to a flattened area higher up where there were horizontal side-channels forming a herring- bone pattern coming off the main channel.

It was fairly remote but not too remote , the village of El Chorro was about fifteen minutes walk. From here you could get a train or bus to the larger town of Alora or the city of Málaga. 

My camp consisted of a cheap fishing bivvy and over it a camo tarpaulin. The tarp had rope attached to each corner and was tied to the pine trees so that it formed a sloping flat roof over the bivvy. I had to use a sharp stick to level the ground where I slept.   

Above : the spot prior to setting up camp. 

19 Oct 2014.

Above: The Camp half finished. 

High Up above the camp, circling the mountain top,  I could often see over 100 griffon vultures, gliding on enormous, broad wings. Once I hiked to the summit and discovered there was a vulture feeding station . I got pretty close to some griffon vultures as they were used to being fed by vulture conservationists. 

Down below my camp was the El Chorro reservoir , and on the opposite shore was the village El Chorro. I stayed at this camp several nights, my only complaint was the constant hum of the hydroelectric power station nearby but it wasn't too loud and I  had no problem sleeping. 

Some people might ask don't I feel scared camping alone in the wilderness . However I'm a believer in God and Jesus and I trust his promises of protection in the Bible eg. Psalm 37 says "The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them." You can read my  testimony here: https://zedwildsurvivalandecology.blogspot.com/2025/08/i-was-born-in-shrewsbury-my-dad-worked.html?m=1

In the evening I would walk to El Chorro and enjoy a beer at Bar Isabel next to the train station or in the bar at the nearby hotel Gargantes. 

One evening a chap from Ireland arrived at bar Isabel on his bicycle. It was heavily  loaded with camping gear. He was in his sixties and a little overweight. He came and sat with me and told me he was touring the mountains of Andalusia and had come from the direction of Ronda. He had done this similar route several times before. As we drank our beers we both chatted about many things and especially shared how the mountains and valleys of this area evoked strong emotions in us ... even to the point of shedding tears. They were so beautiful , especially the forested areas. That night due to my company I had more beers than usual and remember it was quite a mission staggering back to camp. 

I was new to this area but I eventually discovered that about 10 km away , higher up a winding road there were three very large reservoirs . I had seen these three reservoirs from the plane previously. From the air they formed a kind of fan shape with the lakes almost meeting each other at one end. 

I also found out that there were Largemouth Bass living in these lakes. These popular sport fish were introduced to Spain from North America in 1955 , the Spanish call then Black Bass or bla-bla. 

I decided I must catch my first Largemouth Bass. I had fished on the Cacapon River in West Virginia , USA when I was twenty.  I only caught Fall fish, which resembles a chub, and Bluegills which are in the safe family as Largemouth Bass but much smaller . 

Now was my opportunity to catch Largemouth Bass so one morning I set off from my camp on the long uphill walk to the Conde del Guadalhorce reservoir which is the nearest of the three reservoirs. From my camp I first walked along the side of the el Chorro reservoir. Near the end of this reservoir is the deep canyon called the Gaitanes Gorge, along which the Caminito del Rey travels , now a famous tourist attraction. 

The people crossing the footbridge that spanned the canyon looked like little ants they were so high up.

The road then does a sharp angle left into a valley past spectacular cliffs where sedimentary  rock layers that were  once  horizontal have been tilted by tectonics so that they are almost vertical. 

I continued along this valley, there were trees on both sides , mainly Aleppo pine, as well as other vegetation and way down below on the right was a stream which eventually ended up in the El Chorro reservoir. Near the stream were clumps giant river cane ( Arundo donax) and Eucalyptus trees. 

I passed a beautiful old Spanish church... the Ermita de Villaverde and next to it was a bar and hostel called la Ermita  , which I stayed at on a later occasion. 

Up and up I walked along the narrow road, I left the quite narrow valley and the view opened up at a viewing point noted for it's interesting geological formations . These were large bowl shapes cut in the sides of the sandstone cliffs . I'm guessing wind created these by blowing sand around and around in what started as a small depression and it gradually increased over centuries till some were bowls big enough to shelter several people.

From this viewpoint you could look down the valley from where I had walked and if you turned around in the other direction there was a wide beautiful panorama of pine forest on undulating hills gradually sweeping upwards . Towering above me was the mountain of Almorchon. 

I continued onwards along the mountain road which wound through the pine forest, it crossed over several small rock bridges where there was a dry stream bed below. A cliff face on my right was swarming with martins... maybe sand martins or crag martins. I saw more of the bowl shaped formations in some massive boulders near the road. Eventually as I ascended higher the pine forest thinned out and the countryside became grassy scrub planted with olive trees widely spaced. As I came to the crest of the hill I came to a t junction and here I got my first view of the enormous Conde del Guadalhorce reservoir. The t junction was located halfway along the length of the reservoir, on its East bank, it's now recently been converted into a roundabout and the Caminito del Rey visitor centre is now located here. However back in 2014 none of that was there , I had to descend down a narrow foot-track made by goats , through scrub, consisting of rosemary, tall grasses, chamaerops palms and other scrubby plants. My legs and knees got scratched by the woody stems but eventually I reached the lake shore. The lake was vast, on the opposite shore the rolling, hilly countryside was mainly fields , maybe for growing wheat, and also large olive plantations. Further back in the distance were high mountains,  the Sierra Ortegícar. 

I noticed a few carp cruising so I got my telescopic rod out of my bag, used a small miniature plastic bottle as a float and tied on a size 10 hook with some bread as bait.  It wasn't long before my float dived down and I was fighting a nice little mirror carp of about 3lb . 

Then I decided it was time to target any Largemouth Bass that might be around. I changed my terminal tackle to a small whiteish silicon shad lure on a single jig hook .  I walked along the bank casting out the lure a far out as I could add retrieving slowly , with flicks of the rod to make the lure skip up and down in the water. After several casts a fish hit my lure but I failed to connect. Then after a few more casts the same thing happened again , I couldn't hook into the fish. I decided to slightly change my set up by adding a stinger . This consists of an extra length of line, only a couple of centimetres long,  with a small treble hook tied on . The treble hook is hooked into the tail of the shad. This greatly increases the chances of me hooking the fish . Sure enough after a few more casts my lure was hit by a fish and I had a Largemouth Bass fighting all the way to the shore. It was only a relatively small one not even half a pound but I was very happy ... it was my first Largemouth Bass.