GET UP !!!!

John 5:6-7  When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"  "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." 

This story that Jesus tells about the invalid lying at the pool amazes me.  Now I heard this story many times in church but I never really got it until I heard Joyce Meyer talk about it.  I never looked at t before the way she did.  God has hit me over the head many times with this verse and He did again today.  Some people may get offended by the way I describe it and if that is you I apologize in advance.  But the way this story has infected me changes me and my attitude every time I hear it the way Joyce tells it.  It's almost like the ice bucket challenge, a cold splash in the face to wake me up.  You see to me this story is a story about most of us.   We lie around whining and complaining about our life.  We lie around a pool waiting for a magical healing.  Waiting for that one moment in time when an angel of the Lord will fly down from the heavens to stir up the healing pool and we will be the first one in the pool and receive our healing.  The only problem is we are an invalid , not physically but spiritually.  We wait for someone to come along and help us into the pool.  We don't think we have the strength to do it ourselves, we need someone else it do it for us.  We whine and moan and groan about our circumstances and we throw a pity party.  There is always someone else who gets their miracle before us.  It's not our fault, we are helpless.  We are an invalid.  We lie around waiting for years.  People this man had been laying by this pool for 38 years!  Whether he could move much or not is not mentioned but it sure seems like in 38 years he could have wiggled his way closer to the pool so that eventually he could just fall in the pool the moment the angel stirred up the water.

I think the problem here was did he really want to get well?  Think about that for a moment.  Don't we all now people who seem to love the attention they get when they are sick?  I think it was the same with this man.  Everyone was waiting on him, bringing him food, giving him money and he never had to lift a finger.  Okay maybe I am being a little dramatic here but bare with me for a moment or two.  Why should we have to work for something when we can get it for free?  Anyway back to the story.  38 years!  In 38 years he never had to work and had no responsibilities.  Everyone else was responsible for his happiness.  Nothing was his fault.  Jesus, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, the all knowing, all seeing God had to ask this man, "Do you want to get well?"  Jesus didn't seem convinced that this man really wanted to get well so He had to ask.  Then the man answers with a line of excuses a mile long.  Don't we do the same thing?  Does God ask us, "Do you really want to be well?"  Do we constantly make excuses?   "It's not my fault!"  It;s always someone else's fault.  We blame our parents, we blame our siblings, we blame our friends, heck we even blame God.    We get in these moods of self pity and play the blame game instead of admitting our responsibility.  The simple fact is this, it is very painful to look in the mirror and realize you are responsible for the circumstances in your life.  You made the decisions for your life.  So did this man.  He had to deal with the consequences of his choices.  He chose to lie by that pool for 38 years and waited for someone else to help him instead of doing whatever he could do, wiggle!

John 5:8  Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 

Notice what Jesus says in this verse, "Get up!"  He didn't sit down beside Him commiserate with him and let the man cry on His shoulders.  He didn't say "Oh you poor thing.  Life has been so unfair to you."  He told Him to get up!  In my language that means "Stop whining!  Stop complaining!  Stop making excuses!  Get up!  Pick up your mat and walk!"  I am sure Jesus was very compassionate with the man as He is with us.  The invalid was a human being and sometimes when Satan attacks, we humans crumble into a heap and become paralyzed with fear and pain.  Spiritually and physically we can become so paralyzed that we end up siting and waiting for 38 years for someone to come along and rescue us.  Save us from the big bad boogie man who is out to get us.  What a waste of time!  We sink into a pity party and stop trying.  God will do what He can to heal us and restore us, but God will not do what we can do.  If we are sick lying by a healing pool waiting for an angel to stir up the water, we may not be able to walk into the water, but we can wiggle.  It may take us 10 years to wiggle our way closer to the pool but with each move we make we are doing our part and trusting in God to heal us when we finally fall into the pool.  10 years is a lot less time than 38 years.  

Listen I know life is hard, trust me I have had to endure times of just lying by the pool whining, complaining and blaming everyone else but me.  We have all been there a time or two.  People disappoint us, expectations are never met, things go wrong, finances become a disaster, a bad medical diagnosis, a marriage on the rocks, or death of a loved one.  These things can throw us back on the mat quickly.  But instead of just lying there, waiting for someone else to pick us up, we need to wiggle!  We need to get up!  We need to turn to our source, Jesus Christ.  Whenever I fall onto the mat, I turn to the Bible.  That always helps me feel better.  Then I turn up the music really loud and I get up and dance!  If you have a hard time getting up and dancing, then just start to wiggle.  You will be amazed how much better you will feel if you just start to wiggle.  Before long you will get up and dance.  Whining, complaining and playing the blame game is pointless and quite frankly a waste of time.  Sometimes it is painful but we have to look in the mirror and take a good, honest look at ourselves and realize the blame lies within us.  No one can put you on that mat unless you allow them to.  God will never put you on that mat, He is the ones who is routing for you to get up!  I truly believe that is only when we finally get up and do what we can do, then that is when God will do what we cannot do.  

God, please help me to learn what I need to learn about myself when I am lying on that mat.  I know you have already given me the strength to wiggle and get up, so help me tap into that ability and do what I can do so that you can do what I cannot.  When I get into times of whining, complaining and blaming, help me to learn to shut my mouth and instead get up and dance, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

"THE GOOD STUFF"

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

There is a song by Kenny Chesney, a country music singer, called "The Good Stuff".  It is one of those songs that speak so much truth that it goes right to the heart.  At least mine anyway.  Whether married or single, people take each other for granted.  We tend to get so busy, so wrapped up in our everyday world that we miss the little things that bring someone so much joy and happiness.  We get so wrapped up in our own agenda that we do not stop and think about anyone else, even our loved ones.  We miss out on the good stuff.  Time spent together talking instead of watching TV.  Time spent dancing instead of just listening to music.  Time spent laughing over old home  movies instead of watching sports.  Time spent listening to a loved one instead of checking your messages in Facebook.  Time spent just holding each other without any hidden agenda.  Time spent reminiscing about the good times in the past, instead of focusing on the past mistakes.  Time spent loving someone instead of demanding something from them.  This is just a glimpse of the good stuff we have all missed out on.  Think about it, after a long hard day at work the first thing most of us do is grab the remote and turn on the TV and just veg out for a while.   We shut out the world and those closest to us just because we don't stop to think about the good stuff we may be missing.

Love, true love is the good stuff Kenny sings about in his song.  It's not the fancy cars, or diamond rings.  It's not about the fight you had last night.  It's not about who's right or wrong.  It's not about the score of the ball game and who goes to the World Series.  It's not about how perfect dinner was.  It's not about how beautiful or skinny you are.  It's not about always saying the right things.   It's not about flowers or candy.  What is it about?  It's about remembering that first kiss.  It's about remembering the way your heart skipped a beat every time you saw each other.  It's about remembering that wedding and your first dance as husband and wife.  It's about holding your brand new baby in your arms for the first time.  It's about holding each other tight when life knocks you down.  It's about enjoying the life and love you have together.  It's about getting a new T-shirt that says "I'm gonna be a grandma."  It's about watching your children grow up and start their new lives and families. It's about loving someone enough to say "good bye" to them and holding their hand as they take their last breath here on earth.  

The good stuff is what I cling to.  The memories, the laughter, the joy and the love are what is contained in the good stuff.  I watched my mom and my mother-in-law as they said good bye to their husbands and it broke my heart.  My mom and dad so loved to dance.  She has those memories engraved in her memories, that is the good stuff she misses.  My dad used to whistle, she so misses that.  Yes my dad could be a royal pain in the buttocks, but that is not what she clings to, it's the good stuff that she holds dear.  My mother-in-law and father-in-law raised  children together.  For them money was tight but they made the most with what they had and they had a house filled with laughter and jokes.  Tender moments with a tear in my father-in-laws eyes as he walked his only daughter down the aisle, that is the good stuff my mother-in-law clings to.   My friends we are missing out on some very priceless memories because we get so wrapped up in stupid, petty things.   I have made it important to not miss the good stuff.  I have been in the hospital waiting rooms waiting for each of my grandchildren to be born.  I do not want to miss birthdays or holidays no matter how much snow is on the ground because that to me is the good stuff.   I cling to the good stuff, I hold it tight in my hands and thank God for all the good stuff He has blessed me with. 

This verse says it plain and clear, without love I am nothing.  I have nothing and nothing matters without love.  A mansion on a hill may seem great and beautiful, but a house without love is empty and meaningless.  I don't need a mansion on a hill, I don't need diamonds or furs.  Fancy cars or fancy clothes is not my style, I don't need a trip to France or Italy.  I don't need to be right all the time and I don't need to prove my point to anyone.  I don't need to be perfect or have the perfect spouse, I have the perfect spouse.  Jerry and our children and their families are the good stuff that I cherish.  Times spent together laughing over memories and old home videos, time celebrating birthdays and holidays, and times spent saying good bye to our loved ones are what the good stuff is made of.  God has blessed me with so much and I pray that I never take any of my loved ones for granted.  I don't know where I'd be or who I'd be without the love I have from my family.  I cherish them more than they may ever know.  Love is amazing and so rare these days.  If you have found love, cherish it!  Don't take it for granted!  Embrace the good stuff in your life today. 

May God continue to help me focus on the good stuff in my life.  May I learn to cherish those special times spent with loved ones.  May I never take the love I have for granted, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

PUSHY PEOPLE PREY INSTEAD OF PRAY

Philippians 2:3-4 (The Message)  Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 

As I look up to the heavens I see the Glory of God revealed in the clouds and the blue sky.  No matter what is going on in my life at the very moment, I can rest assured that God is in Heaven reigning on His throne of grace and love.  For a moment I lose track of where I am and what I am doing.  I feel surrounded by love, I feel surrounded by grace, I feel surrounded by a feeling of utter peace and joy.  I am in my own little heaven on Earth when I gaze upon the Glory of God.  I wish you could experience what I feel, maybe you do in your own way.  But there are times I feel like I am on top of the world, nothing or no one can bring me down.  Life is sweet and Heaven is right in the palm of my hand.  I almost feel like I am floating on one of those white, billowing clouds that God made.  In that moment God is with me, right  by my side.  I can feel His presence as strongly as I feel Jerry's hand in mine.  The overwhelming sense of His presence brings me to tears and sense His loving arms around me.  For just a moment in time I am lost in the presence of my Almighty, Heavenly Father.  No cares, no problems, no worries, no lies to deal with.  Just me an God, alone.  It's a great place to be especially after a day of dealing with pushy people.  Have you ever dealt with pushy people?  

Pushy people want what they want, when they want it.  They will push a small child out of the way to get what they want, they will even push down the aging mother, to get what they want.  They use flowery speech and compliments to get others to be at their beckon call.  As they walk up the ladder of success, they will gladly knock others out of the way, so that they can reach the top before anyone else.  God forbid someone reach the top before them.  If that happens, there will be hell to pay.  On the pathway to success they may see someone in need, but that's not their problem, let the government step in and help them out.  On the road to the top, they may see someone hurt and disabled, they don't have time to help anyone, they're too busy.  Pushy people, in my eyes, are some of the rudest and cruelest people around.  If you don"t believe as they believe, if you don't live as they live, if your thoughts, words and actions don't agree with their philosophy then you are out of their circle of friends.  "Put yourself aside"?  No way, that is for the weak and the lame.    Pushy people just make life difficult for those around them.  No one wants to listen to them because they force their opinion down everyone's throat.  They don't listen to anyone but themselves.  They are always right.  They know it all, or so they think.

Ever been around people like that?  I have and it's not fun.  Like the professor in the movie, "God's Not Dead".  He was a pushy jerk who made life miserable for those around him.  I have been around some of those people and let me be totally honest here.  They may make life miserable for those who work or live around them, but they are the saddest, most miserable people I know.  Why?  They miss out on the ability to reach out to those in need.  People don't always need money thrown in their faces during a time of need, sometimes they just need an open ear.  Someone who will stop and listen to them.  Someone who will reach out with a hand and help a person up.  Could you imagine what it would be like to help someone else climb the ladder of success?  Could you imagine the what it would be like to help someone in need without expecting anything in return?  Could you imagine what it would be like to give to charity without having your name spread all over the papers and the news channels?  Could you imagine seeing someone give their "Vera Wang" shirt off their back to someone in need?  

I want to be that person who puts myself and my needs aside for others.  I want to be that person who takes time to stop and really listen, the way Jesus Christ did.  I truthfully do not care about the ladder of success because God is in charge of my life, not me.  I want to stop and give a meal to a homeless man on the street instead of driving by him.  Jesus Christ, who was sitting on a throne in Heaven, thought enough of me to come down off His throne, live here on Earth and die a criminals death so that I could have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and be forgiven, why can't I get off my lazy boy chair to help someone in need?  My faith is not something I will ever push down anyone's throat.  Instead I will do my best to show people what my faith stands for instead of talking about it.  Pushy religious people are the worst in my eyes.  Stop getting in everyone's faces about Jesus and just live like Jesus.  Jesus was never pushy or rude.  He loved others and He stopped along His journey to help others.  That is the way I want to live.  

May the Glory of God be revealed in our words and actions.  May we stop being pushy Christians with our words and instead show the love and mercy that God has shown us.  May we be not so quick to run up the ladder of success that we miss out helping others in need, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN. WILL YOU ACCEPT?

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 

Yesterday I had a conversation with a very good friend who asked me where I get my ideas for this blog.  Does something just pop in my head or does God guide me?  What?  Well to be totally honest here, God is the one who guides these blogs.  He may bring up a certain thing that happened in the past or even yesterday.  He may bring a certain Bible verse to my attention, or sometimes He just guides me to a picture.  It's never intentional or planned on my part.  I never know where God will lead me/. There are times I do not like to talk about, but He wants me to,so I do.  There are times I'd love to talk about and He says no.  I do my best to follow His leading because for some absurd reason He has chosen me to do this.  I do not do this for attention for myself or to get a pat on the back.  If I did it for that reason, He would not bless it.  I do it for God!  He asked me to, He guided me to and He chose me to.  This is all for His glory, not mine.  I can't tell you why I was chosen, I do not understand myself, but here I am sharing my heart and soul so that maybe God can change one person's eternity through these words.  You see I did not go to college for writing, in fact I didn't go to college at all.  The sentences I type may not be grammatically correct, but I honestly don't care. 

 

I am who I am.  A person chosen by God to be different and not just like everyone else.  God created me this way and for that I am glad.  I used to complain about who I was because I was teased so much as a child and a teenager.  I used to try to change me and I tried to become someone everyone else approved of.  I hid my true self behind masks because I was afraid that if people knew the real me, they wouldn't be my friend.  I laughed at jokes, I never thought were funny, I joined in on things that really bothered me.  I just tried to fit in with everyone else.  It just never worked out and I never felt comfortable.  I was different and fought it all the way until I met Jesus Christ.  He accepts me just as I am and loves my quirkiness.  I was once told my laugh was to loud and that I should tone it down.  Jesus told me, "I gave you that laugh.  don't you dare tone it down!"  Right then and there I knew that in the eyes of my Savior, I was perfect and that was good enough for me.

I always wondered why I was so different than other people.  As I was talking with my friend yesterday I had one of those Oprah, "Ah ha" moments.  A light bulb went off in my head for the first time in my (soon to be) 53 years.  I honestly heard that still, small voice say, "I made you different for this"  You see what I now realize is that God changed me for many reasons but most of them had to do with this blog.  How could I write about God's love and the saving grace of Jesus Christ if I was watching the TV shows I was watching or reading the books I was reading or listening to the music I was listening to?  Simple I couldn't.  God had a purpose for me.  He chose me for this task and in order to do what He needed me to do, I needed to lay some of my favorite vices down.  Oh trust me I still have a lot of vices He is working with me on, but I realize how different I am and I am okay with that.  It used to bother me that it was hard for me to relate with other women because I did not like to sit and gossip or complain.  As I would gather with some women who were my friends and family, I would sit and listen to the gossiping, the complaining about their husbands, the whining about how bad their kids were and my heart would sink.  I felt like asking them, Why did you marry him?  Why did you have kids?  Why are those people your friends is that's the way you feel about them? But I never have.  

To be honest I have lost friendships because of the way I live my life and for the first time, I am okay with that because I was chosen.  When I first began to write this blog I was all wrapped up in numbers.  The number of people who read it, who read it and who didn't, the number of people who liked it on Facebook and the people who ignored it who said they were my friends drove me.  That's why I started a whole new blog page and began all over.  To be honest it still bothers me when I realize who is not supporting me in this mission, but I have given that over to God.  If only one person reads this and has their eternity changed because of the words God has given me, than my mission has been accomplished.  I realize that since I was chosen to do this, I have a responsibility to fill my mind with godly things.  My friend yesterday made me realize who I am now and how much I have changed and grown.  I also realized maybe for the first time, that I am okay being different.  God chose me to be different.  He called me to lead a life that is different from most, and that's okay.  You have been chosen to.  You have a purpose, a mission that God has chosen for you.  You have to choose to accept it or not.  Do you chose to accept it?

May God continue to guide me through this purpose and mission He has called me.  May my mind and my heart be receptive to hear His still, small voice and obey.  May my chosen path be blessed by God who put me here in the first place, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

GUESS WHO'S MOVING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.

I love The Message Bible.   It is so simple sometimes to grasp God's when I read this version.  whether you like The Message Bible or not, it states it very clear, Jesus moved into the neighborhood.  Other versions say "dwelt among us", same thing just said differently because when someone dwells among us, they have moved into our neighborhood.   Can you imagine how our behavior would change?  Can you imagine how our words would change?  Can you imagine how our lives would change if Jesus moved into our neighborhood?  Seriously, think about that for a moment.  Our lives would change for sure.  For some of us it would be a drastic change, others maybe a slight change and maybe others would move out.   It may seem sort of illogical for us to imagine that Jesus would live in our neighborhood, maybe even the thought of Him living next door to us would make our skin crawl.  "I would not want Jesus to hear or see the things I do or say in the privacy of my own home or in my car.  That's just not right."  Really?  Well guess what Jesus not only lives in the neighborhood, He lives in our hearts every second of every day, He hears every word, He sees every move we make, and He's a mind reader.  That's right He can read our thoughts.  There is no hiding anything from Jesus, so whether you believe in Him or not, He is watching you.  If you don't believe in Him you still can't relax because I guarantee He is living in one of the houses around you, in the heart of a believer.  

I see and hear so many stories about people who say they believe in Jesus Christ, yet their words and their actions are something they would not want Jesus to know about.  The sad thing is, that these people are supposed to be representing Jesus Christ to a lost and broken world.  How can we do that if we would be embarrassed or ashamed about our behavior if Jesus lived in our neighborhood?  Think about how ridiculous we would feel if Jesus was sitting in our car during one of our road rage fits.  I have seen it and heard it all.  There are fellow believers that I refuse to ride with in a car because of their road rage.  I could be on death's door and I wouldn't ride with them.  They flip people off (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.) They cut people off in traffic, yell at others who cut them off, ride peoples bumpers, rant and rage that no one knows how to drive.  What kind of an example is that?   I know that traffic is crazy now days.  People texting and driving or talking on their cell phones and people driving while intoxicated, make it tough but we are to be examples of Jesus Christ, even when we are driving on the road.  We so often assume that people are just rude.  They cut us off in traffic and we have to give them a piece of our minds.  Let me be honest here, most of us cannot afford to give anyone a piece of our minds because that would mean we have less brains that we have now!  I honestly think some of us out there have given so many people a piece of our minds, we have no brains left!  Sorry, I had to say that!  If Jesus was riding with you in your car, how would He feel about your driving?  Listen I know it may be hard to fathom, but even when we are behind the wheel of our car, we can be an example of Jesus Christ.  

Our words, our actions and our behavior can either show someone a true example of Jesus Christ or not.  As believers, as Christians we have a big responsibility to show this lost and broken world the love of Jesus Christ and how can we do that if we are cussing and swearing, moaning and groaning, whining and complaining, flipping people off and cutting them off?  Would you act differently if Jesus moved into the neighborhood and traveled in your car with you.  Would your words be encouraging and uplifting to your spouse and your children?  Would you raise your hand in anger if Jesus was standing next to you?   Think about it.  How would we change our lives if Jesus Christ moved into the neighborhood?  How differently would you drive if Jesus was riding with you in your car?  Would you change what you watch on TV if Jesus was in the room?  Would you change the books you read if Jesus was in the room?  Would you change the music you listen to if Jesus was listening?  Would you take those shots of whiskey if Jesus was with you?  What would you change about yourself or your life if Jesus was your neighbor?  

Well people He is with us.  He has moved into the neighborhood, in fact He is dwelling right now in your home and in your heart.  He is with you in the car, He sees that TV show, He hears that music, He's reading that book, He sees those shots of whiskey in fact He can smell the booze on your breath.  He hears those words you say to your children and your spouse, and He dried the tears in their eyes.  He saw you flipping off the driver of that car that cut you off in traffic.  Oh yea that driver you flipped off was trying to get to the hospital to see his father before he took his last breath in this life.  He sees those movies you watch when you think no one is looking.  Listen Jesus Christ knows all, sees all and hears all.  He not only lives in the neighborhood, He lives inside of all of us believers through the Holy Spirit.  People we need to change, we need to get real.  We are not surprising to God.  He  knew how messed up we were when He gave us life, but when we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, when the Holy Spirit starts to dwell in us, then we need to be honest about ourselves and let God change us.   If we really, I mean really accepted Jesus Christ, than we will change from the inside out.  Today, let's really start acting like Jesus lives in our neighborhoods, because He does.

May my words, actions and thoughts give Glory to God at all times.  May I become a witness of the love of Jesus Christ and stop talking the talk, but walking the walk.  May God continue to change me from the inside out so that I can reflect to love of Jesus Christ, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

PROSPERITY GOSPEL OR POWER FILLED GOSPEL?

Acts 1:8  "But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I just don't get it.  Sorry I may blow off a little steam here so bare with me.  This verse says that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us we will have power, right?  Then why are so many Christians living weak, pathetic, pitiful lives?  I just don't get it!  The whining, the moaning and groaning.  The complaining and the "poor pitiful me" attitude it like an epidemic in Christians.  I've seen and I am sure most of you have too, or maybe you are one of the ones I am talking about.  If I have offended anyone, I am sorry but I need to be real here and honest.  Jesus says it right here plain and simple, as believers who have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we have power.  Not simple ordinary, run of the mill, just help us get through the day power.  Not a just let us barely get by power, we have God power inside of us.  "Is this one of those prosperity gospel things?"  No. Actually I'll be honest I am tired of people saying certain preachers have a prosperity gospel and that is wrong.  Yes there are some who TV preachers who preach prosperity, but the ones I have listened to is talking about this power God has given us through the Holy Spirit.  They aren't talking about financial prosperity, their talking about the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit and the power we have to use these and tap into them.

We are sometimes so quick to judge preachers that we are missing out on what God is telling us through them.  We listen to the first couple sentences of a message and if it's not what we want to hear, we tune out the rest of the message.  We make snap judgements without really seeing if what they are talking about is Biblical.  People we are missing out on this power Jesus talked about.  A lot of churches will not talk about this power we have, why?  When my pastor talks about the power we have through the Holy Spirit, his legs start twitching and his steps get quicker and his voice fills with excitement and gets a little louder.  What's wrong with power?  Why are so many of us Christians afraid of this power?  Why are so many of us Christians willing to live weak, pathetic lives instead of tapping into this power?  "Oh it'll go to our heads"  "Then we will think we are God"  Are you kidding me?  That's the biggest load of bull I have heard.  Listen if someone is afraid that this power is going to make them think they are as powerful as God or even if they think they are equal to God, then I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they missing the point here.  We have a direct power line to God Himself.  Unlike our electricity, our powerline to God cannot be broken.  Our transformer to God cannot be blown.  Think about it, when we lose our electrical power, we are lost.  No TV, no radio, no XBox, no hairdryer, no anything.  We rely so much on the power we get from our electricity, we need to learn to rely on the power we get from God.

This power is not something that will push us up the ladder of success faster.  It's not the type of power that will make us win the lotto or strike it rich at the local casino.  This power will not silence our critics and rid the world of all evil.  This power will help us get through some of the roughest times of our lives.  This power will give us peace in the midst or turmoil.  It will give us strength when we are about to pass out from shear exhaustion.  This power will give us the ability to forgive the wrongs others have committed against us.  It gives us the power to love those who don't deserve our love.  This power gives us the faith to endure financial and medical disasters.  This is the prosperity gospel I hear.  The fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit are magnified and supercharged through this power.  God does not want us to live weak, pathetic, pitiful lives.  That "poor pitiful me" attitude is not from God!  "No that's humility"  I am sorry but that is not the humility that Jesus talks about, otherwise He wouldn't have given us power in the Holy Spirit.  Why would He give us this power if He didn't want us to use it?

The greatest example of humility with the power of the Holy Spirit I ever witnessed was  a close friend of ours who came into our office announcing he was going through his second bout of cancer.  Now this gentleman had lost his son the year before, he lost his son's dog (the one who died) a few weeks before we saw him and a week before he found out his cancer had returned, he buried his grandson.  People he came in our office with a smile on his face and a sparkle in his eyes.  I asked him how can you be so positive.  "God will get me through this."  WOW!  I was blown away.  My friends that is power filled humility!  I can do nothing without God!  I cannot do this blog without God.  I cannot take another breath in this world without God.  I am no one and I can do nothing, but with the power that is made available to me through the Holy Spirit, I can do all things.  You see we are missing out on that power.  The power Jesus promised us is available to us today.  Stop missing out on it!  Stop denying this power we have.  Stop confusing humility with pitiful and pathetic.  We are powerful, power filled, Holy Spirit filled Christians!  We can move mountains and we can leap over tall buildings with a single bound (oh that's superman.  Sorry I got confused for a moment,)  Anyway, please take some time and think about this.  If all us Christians grabbed a hold of this power and began to use it, we could change the world!!

May the power Jesus gave us through the Holy Spirit, invade our hearts, our minds and our words today.  May we learn to live powerful, power filled lives.  May our humility be one of remembering that it is only through God's strength and power that dwells in us, that helps us accomplish His purpose for our lives, in Jesus name I pray, amen! 

HOW MUCH MORE CAN I TAKE?

 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body

When I read this verse I can't help but feel a overwhelmed.  My heart starts beating and my head starts spinning in circles because for the life of me I cannot begin to comprehend what it must have been like for Paul back then.  To be chased after, persecuted and imprisoned yet still have such a positive outlook.  It blows my mind.  I try to pretend in my mind that I could handle the things they went through, I try to tell myself that I could endure the physical and emotional turmoil they were experiencing on a daily basis, yet if I am 100%  with myself I don't know if I could have a positive outlook.  I mean yea it's easy to say I could, it's easy to believe I could, I may even be able to convince myself that I could handle the situations they lived in and still have a positive outlook, but in reality I'm not sure.  There are so may times in my life when I feel totally beat down and weak.  Lost in a sea of unworthiness and sadness, I can easily be overwhelmed with feelings that are hard for me to handle.  I can hide them behind a smile and a laugh, but inside I face the reality of my feelings and the fact that I am weak!  I don't feel like one of those positive, uplifting people all the time but I can pretend, can't I?  

My thoughts are taking over and the lies of Satan is overwhelming any hope of a positive comment or feelings.  I have allowed these thoughts and feelings to invade my heart and mind.  My smile turns to a frown and I am drawn to feelings of despair like steel to a magnet.  These thoughts, these feelings are so loud, screaming in my mind that it is deafening.  It just keeps hounding me and hounding me to just give up and admit that I have fallen victim to these thoughts and feelings.  I sometimes feel like I am being chased by Satan himself.  Pressed on every side, like Paul in this verse.  I feel surrounded by an army of evil pushing in on me at all sides.  I look for positive reinforcements, but find none.  I look to the left, I look to the right, I look behind me, I look in front of me and see no one but me. I feel alone, locked in a trap like a scared rabbit, I pace back and forth looking for someone or something to give me hope.  I can't help feeling so overwhelmed to the breaking point sometimes.  I just don't get it.  No matter how hard I try I cannot lose these feelings and these thoughts.  They are dragging me down into the pits.  What can I do?  I look for a mighty angel carrying her sword and shield, but alas I realize that I have to fight this battle alone.  I have to drag myself up out of the pit and fight this battle alone.  To battle Satan is not easy but I guess I have to do what I have to do.  

But wait a minute suddenly there is a hand that reaches down to me in the pit.  Afraid it might be Satan I refuse the hand.  That's all I need, more hell on Earth.  Thanks but no thanks, I don't need that kind of help!  No way!  But then I hear a whisper.  Wait a minute where did the shouting and screaming go?  How can I hear this whisper when just a moment ago, the loudness of my thoughts and feelings left me almost deaf?  The darkness of the pit has been vanished by a brilliant light.  The hand is still there just waiting for me to reach out and grab it.  So I figure why not?  What could be worse than this?  As I rise out of the pit, I see that all my thoughts, all my feelings, all my negative emotions have been killed and they are lying on the battlefield of my mind.  A mighty army surrounds them and these feelings, these emotions, these thoughts that overwhelmed me, have been destroyed. What just happened and what is going on here?  I look at the hand that is holding onto me, the one that lifted me out of the pit and there is a hole in the palm of his hand.  Instantly I drop to my knees and cry out to Jesus!  "Thank you for saving me!!"

"My dear sweet child, I am always here for you.  I will never abandon you no matter what lies Satan tells you.  You may have felt hard pressed on every side, but you were never crushed because I was there with you.  You may have felt confused and perplexed but you were never left to feelings of total despair. You may have felt persecuted and alone but you were never abandoned.  You may have felt beaten and struck down, but you were never destroyed.  You see when you became I believer, my Spirit came to dwell in you and from that moment on you have my strength, my power and my love with you always.  While Satan will tell you lies to confuse you and overwhelm you, I give you peace, joy, patience, kindness and love.  No matter what you may go through in life always remember this.  I am with you always even in the battle for your life and soul!  I already fought Satan for you and guess what?  I already won!  No power in hell can ever defeat you if you remember this!  I Love You!"

Oh if only we could truly grasp this and realize the truth of that last paragraph.  To be honest I sometimes lose track of this truth and succumb to the lies of Satan, but every time I do, Jesus Christ is right there picking me up out of the pit.  Always remember what Paul fully understood, that because we believe in Jesus, we have His Spirit, His power, His strength and His love with us always.  Satan is a liar and a thief and he will steal your joy faster than the blink of an eye, if you let him.  

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Jesus we come to you on bended knee with the sad truth that we have forgotten about the strength and power you give us daily.  Thank you for fighting our battles with us and for us.  We trust in and rely on you.  We submit ourselves to God so that we can resist the devil and he will flee.  We ask you to continue to fill us with your power, your strength and your love, in Jesus name we pray, amen!

YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO A WEDDING, WE NEED YOUR RSVP!

Matthew 22:8  "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

We've all gone out to our mail boxes to find an invitation to a wedding.  Be it for one of our family members or a friend, it is always exciting to be invited to a wedding.  I love going to wedding and seeing the bride with her beautiful dress from Kleinfelds in New York, the bridesmaids all dressed up and of course the groom and the his team of men, all dressed up in their finest suits.   Cascades of flowers fill the church to overflow and music is gently floating in the air like a soft puffy cloud.  Tears stream down the parent's face as daddy walks his little girl down the aisle to meet the man of her dreams.  Everyone is happy and love fills the air as the bride and groom say their vows to love each other until death do them part.  They place rings on each of their fingers symbolizing their eternal bond together.   Their hitched!  Married!  Husband and wife!  Family members, friends, acquaintances and even strangers line up to greet the happy couple.  Kisses and hugs are shared by everyone and there is not a dry eye in the place.  Now it's time for the real celebration to begin.  A banquet, a feast like no one has ever seen before is included in this celebration.  There will be music and dancing, for all who attend this banquet.  It's a party!  we gather together to rejoice in the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.  

Can you imagine what it would be like to through a huge banquet like that and have no one come?  Impossible!  Not in today's world a free food, dance and wine?  Why would people not come?  It's hard to imagine but sadly this is so true.  You see we have all been invited to the banquet of a lifetime.  A feast that pales in comparison to every other feast ever held on this planet.  The likes of which none of us have ever seen or even dreamed of.  The banquet is eternal life.  The invitation has been sent to you by God Himself.  It is an engraved imaged and sealed with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.  This invitation is open to everyone.  Race, creed or religion, it doesn't matter.  Pastor, priest, homeless, prisoner, ex-convict, stay at home mom, computer geek, or business professional, you all have been invited to be a part of this banquet.  Come as you are.  No dress code at this banquet.  No formal attire required.  You do to have to bring a present, you are the only present He wants.  In fact He has a present for you, if you chose to attend.  Eternal life!  In the above verse, Jesus was saying that He has invited many, but none chose to come to the wedding feast because they chose not to come, they didn't deserve to come.  Yes that may sound harsh, but why wouldn't anyone accept an invitation to eternity for free?  The good news is you don't deserve to be invited to this banquet, but you have been.  It's free!

The invitation is in the mail, it is an invitation to a majestic feast the magnitude like no one has ever seen before is waiting for you.  All you need to do is accept the invitation.  He is waiting for your RSVP.  Will you accept His invitation?  I did!  It was the best decision of my life.  It's not complicated, no forms to fill out, no postage stamp needed.  All He requires is you saying yes to Jesus  Christ.  You see I am the bride of Jesus Christ.  He is my groom who has gone ahead of me to prepare a place for me in eternity.  Yes on Earth I am married to Jerry, but eternally I am married to Jesus.  I said yes to the invitation I received.  Will you?  As a Catholic we were never taught to verbally accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It was never really talked about, but in the mass it is repeated over and over again that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  Okay let me go out on limb here.  This may tick some people off but I truly (my opinion) feel that unless you verbally confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you will be missing out on the banquet.  Believing it is one thing, saying it takes this banquet invite to a whole new level.   What is so difficult in saying this?  Why do some religions feel it is unnecessary?  Jesus said for us to confess that He is our Lord and Savior with our mouths.  So if we believe the Bible is true, than why do some religions chose not to do this?  

Matthew 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Listen, we have all been invited to be a part of God's family through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Whether you chose to accept the invitation or not, that is your choice ad your free will that was given to you by God.  But I will tell you this, that although I grew up knowing Jesus was my Savior, but when I stood up in a crowd of over 15,000 people and verbally said out loud that Jesus Christ is my Savior, my life changed, my heart changed, my words changed and I changed for the better.  We are all invited to be a part of this banquet Jesus Christ died to give us, why not be a part of it.  Believing is one ting but saying it speaking it out of your mouth is something beyond description.  Many are invited, but few are chosen.  Are you willing to be a part of the banquet?  Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and everything you were taught and proclaim that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior?  I was chosen by God through the blood of Jesus Christ to be apart of this banquet and I do not regret that decision at all.  It was the best invitation I ever said yes to!  If you have never verbally accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I ask you to do it today.  Don't let another day go by without accepting this invitation that has been hand engraved for you.  Repeat after me.

Jesus Christ, today I am accepting the invitation you have given me, I accept you as my Lord and Savior.  Come into my life and my heart today.  I believe that you died so that my sins may be forgiven.  I believe that you have given me the promise of Eternal life.  Send your Holy Spirit into my heart so that I may be changed and transformed, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

CELEBRATION TIME

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

As I sit here staring out into another gorgeous sunrise I am taken back by the mood I have been in recently.  You see usually I have been waken by some beautiful sunrises.  The light slowly begins to peek into my room and I am allowed to see a sunrise.  For some reason, when I wake up this way, my day starts off on a positive note, but living here in Michigan we are never guaranteed to see the sunrise because of the clouds and rain.  Lately it seems like the clouds have covered up the beautiful sunrises.  I would wake up  to clouds and gloom.  Yes I realized the sun was still working and it was rising, I just couldn't see it.  It made me sad for some strange reason that I cannot explain.  This sunrise was actually a month ago taken off my deck.  It was one of the best I have seen.  The cascade of colors, the reflection in the lake and the breathtaking silence was amazing.  With each sunrise I would praise God and celebrate the birth of another day, another gift from God.  The thing that is puzzling me is why I got so down when I did not get to see the sunrise.  I knew it was there,  knew it was still rising even though I couldn't see it, then God brought me back to the story of doubting Thomas and this verse.  Why did I need to see the sunrise to celebrate the birth of a new day?  That is dumb!

The sun is just beginning to peek out from the darkness of the night and the sky is beginning to have pink highlights kiss the clouds.  Yes, there are clouds again, but this time I will continue to focus on the fact that I believe without seeing.  Fish are jumping out of the lake to catch their breakfast. Hopefully they are eating mosquitos, why did God create mosquitos?  I really want to know.  Anyway back to the sunrise.  I now realize that any day and everyday that I wake up I need to celebrate.  I really should not have to see a sunrise to make my day start off on the right track, after all I am alive.   God woke me up and I should have joy in my heart and a quick step to my feet.  God has placed me here at this time in history for a reason that I do not fully comprehend.  He gave me to ability to write for  purpose, so I do.  

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  I believe He came down from heaven and sacrificed His life so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins and live in eternity with Him and God.  I have never seen God and I have never seen Jesus, but I believe in them without having to see them.  Why? Well I know that there had to be a great power that created this world, it didn't just happen.  When I see a sunrise or a sunset, I am blown away by it's beauty.  To the witness the birth of a brand new baby is a miracle.  To see the natural beauty of this world, only brings me to one conclusion; someone worked very hard to create this world for me.  I don't have to see Him physically, I see Him everywhere I turn.  I see Him in everything I see and I see Him in everyone I meet.  To me it takes a fool to deny His existence,  but that is my personal opinion.  You see we don't see oxygen, but we believe it exists or else we would be dead.  I don't see the wind, yet I feel it as it kisses my cheeks on a hot summer day.  I don't see God, I don't see Jesus but I feel their presence with me every second of every day.  With every breath I breathe, I am reminded how precious this life is and how special I am to have the presence of my Savior with me.

Oh the sun has risen and it is now above the row of clouds that kept it hidden.  Yea!!!  Today I chose to celebrate this life I have been given by focusing not on what I see, but who lives in me.  I am going to have a celebration of my life knowing that the Holy Spirit of God dwells in me because I believe in  His Son, Jesus Christ.  I need to celebrate this life I have because all over the world, my fellow believers are being persecuted and dying because they believe.  To me that is hard for me to understand.   I cannot make someone believe what I believe.   I do not expect anyone to  believe just because I say they have to.  God gave us all a free will and we all have choices to make.  No one forced me to believe what I believe.  I chose this path I am on and I have been greatly blessed because I have chosen to believe.   I did not do anything spectacular or earth shattering to receive the blessings I have, I simply believed and trusted in God and His Son Jesus Christ.  His grace is a free gift I cling to and claim as my prize.  To believe without seeing, some may see as ignorant, I see it differently.  To have to see before believing is a sad way to live.  I believe therefore I have been saved ad redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Everyday I am alive is a day to celebrate.

May the doubts in your mind be filled with the truth of who God is and who Jesus Christ is.  May you learn to believe without having to see the evidence.  May you learn to celebrate each day of your life, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

REJOICE IN THE STRUGGLES?

Romans 8:35-39  ( The Message)  Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

This is my daughters puppies, Stanley and Dudley.  They are brothers and like us humans they sometimes wrestle with each other and horse around.  They love these times of chasing each other  and playing together.  They struggle and fight, they nip and bite, yet eventually enough is enough and they tire out and give up.  They have so much fun during these times of struggle, it's a game to them. They rejoice and celebrate each other, while being attacked and chased.  I think it's the thrill of the game knowing that in the end, it will all be okay.  Of only we could live our life like these 2 and earn to embrace the struggles and actually learn to enjoy them.  That's right I said enjoy them.  "How in this world do you expect us to enjoy, let alone rejoice, in our times of struggles?  How can you say that?  Do you have any idea the struggles I have been through?  That is ridiculous"  I know it may sound a little far fetched but please stick with me a moment.  You see I know full well that this Earth,  is an abusive place to live.  Sometimes I feel like the Earth has swallowed me whole, chewed me up and spit me out.  This Earth and all it's inhabitants has left all of us battered and bruised.  Wars, diseases, global warming, death, pain, depression, hatred and anger are just a few of the many battles and struggles we hear about and some of us face on a daily basis.   This Earth with all it's natural beauty can be a very ugly place to live.  

Cancer, Ebola, Aids, and so many other crippling diseases are killing people and destroying peoples lives.  Financial disasters are happening every day and people are left broke and homeless.  War has pit nation against nation and has even divided nations.  Hatred has been spewed on every news channel around the world.  This world is ugly and painful.  How can anyone be expected the rejoice with all this pain and sorrow?  Well the answer is crystal clear to me.  I have the hope and the promise of eternity in Heaven.  God never promised us that this life would be a walk in the park.  "I never promised you a rose garden, along with the sunshine, there has to be a little rain sometimes"  This line is from an old country song.  But it rings true still today.  God did not promise that his life would be pain free and glorious.  If it was, we wouldn't need Him.  As it is now, this world seems filled with evil.  It seems lie Satan has taken over the world and we are all victims in his sick game.  Well, let's be honest here, Satan has not taken over the world, thank God, but he is out to harm us and destroy us.  Us Christians are targets for his wrath.  He wants us to become beaten down and depressed by the struggles we go though.  He wants us to have a poor  pitiful me attitude when we are going through a storm.  He wants us to lose hope and lose our joy and peace.  Sadly we fall for his tricks.   So many of us Christians become bitter, angry, resentful, depressed and hate filled believers.  So many of us have lost our joy, lost our hoe, lost our vision for what is going to come.  

It really saddens me to hear the words some believers say.  "Why is God punishing me?"  "Why can't God just step in and intervene?"  "This is all God's fault!  Where is He?"   I know that it may seem rather harsh for me to say, rejoice in the struggles and the storms in life, but that is what we should do.  God is not causing this, yes He may be allowing this but ultimately it will be for our good.  If life was a piece of cake with no problems, no storms, no pain, we would never grow or learn or change.  We wouldn't need God.  Think about all we have learned through the  storms and struggles in our life.  Think about all the times we have come out on top of the storm.  Think about the simple joy we feel after the storm has passed.  I know for me personally these struggles have changed me for the better.  I do my best to remember to rejoice during the struggles.  I get out my music and crank it up loud and sing along with Chris Tomlin's  "Amazing Grace".  I raise my hands high to heaven and celebrate with Casting Crown's "Lifesong".  I fall to my knees and thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ when I hear Santcus Real's song, "I'm Forgiven".   I love the way The Message Bible says these verses.  It's so true!  Nothing can separate us from God's love so why are we so uptight and depressed?  I know where my eternity will be spent, do you?  I know that no matter what I go through, God is there loving me and embracing me because I have accepted and truly believe in His Son Jesus Christ.  Nothing Satan can throw at me will ever faze me because Jesus Christ is the center of my life and lives in my heart.  The Holy Spirit of God dwells in me because of the blood Jesus shed so why should I live this temporary life depressed and miserable?  I shouldn't and I won't! When I dwell in God's Holy Word and obey Him and since I believe in His only Son, Jesus Christ, my eternity is promised.

Listen life is hard.  Harder for some than others, but no matter where you live or how you live, there is hope.  There is a reason to rejoice in the struggles and pain, this world is only temporary.  I have an eternity promised me that will be pain free and struggle free.  I will walk amidst the wild flowers and sing the praises of my God who loves me enough to send His only Son to die for my sins.  I will float on a cloud and hear the angles singing hymns of glory.  I will have angel wings and soar above the storms and lift my head to heaven.  I will rejoice with every other believer and have a constant smile on my face.  If that is what is waiting me, why shouldn't I live that way now?  I should live that way on a daily basis.  I should be a light in the darkness of this world.  I should be a beacon of hope to the lost and broken of this world.  I should shine my light among others until the whole world sees and hears about the amazing love of my Savior, Jesus Christ!  Will you join me?  Let's start praising God and rejoicing in the struggles.  Let's learn and grow together during these times of struggles.  

May the struggles in life, never wear you down or beat you down, may they lift you up and raise you up to a new level of praise.  May we learn to rejoice in the times of struggles and embrace the grace Jesus died o give us and the promise of eternity with Him, In Jesus name I pray, amen!

GET READY FOR A BATTLE!!!

Jeremiah 46:3-4  "'Present arms! March to the front!  Harness the horses! Up in the saddles! Battle formation! Helmets on, spears sharpened, armor in place!' 

This world is going crazy, isn't it?  At least it sounds and looks like it if you pay attention to the news reports.  Wars, riots, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and all sorts of atrocities are happening all over the world.  Newspapers and TV news reports are filled with disaster and disaster.  We are blown away into a state of fear waiting for the next shoe to drop.   We walk around in fear for our lives and our thoughts are filled with dread and dome.  Our uncertain futures give us cause to worry and fret about what might happen.  We plan strategies for future events.  We stock pile water and food just in case.  We prepare in advance for an uncertain future and we fall into a state of despair as we contemplate what is headed our way.  I have seen it  people's eyes and I have heard it out people's mouths.  Scared and worried is the way some of us live on a daily basis.  The sort of funny thing is that these same things have been happening ever since the world began.  "But lately it's gotten worse."  Are you kidding me? Read the Old Testament!  We have it made compared to those times.  The thing that I realized the other day was this;  we hear about these things the second they happen.  Everyone has cell phones and internet right at their fingertips.  Within an instant we can a video of a hurricane as it hits Hawaii.  We instantly see images of the riots is Missouri.  We instantly see the images of war.  Years ago we never heard about a lot of this stuff because it took days or weeks to go over video what was happening and then bring it back to the studio to actually get it on the air.  How long did it take us to find our what Hitler was doing to the Jews in WWII?    

We fill our minds with the possibilities of things to come and miss out on the here and now.  I am guilty of watching hours of news broadcasts when a catastrophe hits, why?  I don't understand why that stuff is so freaking fascinating to me.  I battle the urge to turn on CNN or Fox to find out what's going on instead of just doing what I need to do, put on the armor of God.  Instead of watching all that garbage, which is usually sensationalized anyway, I need to get out my Bible and read it.  Listen people we are in a battle and if we are not careful we will end up concentrating to much on the problems and not enough time on the problem solver, God!  I know Satan loves the fact that we can instantly see the problems he is causing all over the world.  He loves to see the posts all over Facebook about all the controversies and all the political unrest.  He loves to see us filled with fear and worry.  It makes him feel so great when the current events divide us as a nation.  It thrills him to cause all this turmoil and we fall for it hook, line and sinker.  Families get divided, friendships are destroyed and churches even become target for his wickedness.   

We are being targeted and if we are not prepared in advance for these battles, we will lose the fight.  Personally I have not been as prepared as I use to be.  I let down my defenses and have been attacked at the very core of my being.  Like I said the other day, I have been feeling out of sorts lately.   There was just something that kept bugging me for about 3 weeks.  I felt defeated, deflated and beaten down.  I can't put my finger on any one thing that happened or was said that affected me, I just felt down.  Nothing seemed to be able to pull me out of this slump.  Then at my lowest point, I surrendered again.  "God I don't understand what is going on here.  What are you trying to tell me or show me?  I need your help!  Go ahead and be really honest with me, I can take it."  For a few days, I heard nothing.  Then today I opened the Bible on my computer and this verse popped up.  "My dear Satan is battling for your soul.  You have not been prepared and fallen as a victim.  Get back to my word and back to your studies!  You have to be prepared.  Of you don't it may get worse.  Put on my armor and get ready for battle,"  

 My friends we are all headed for a battle!  Not a physical battle, a spiritual battle and Satan will use anyone and anything to get our attention.  If we are not prepared, we will suffer losses.  I know for me the only way to prepare for a spiritual battle, I need to dive into God's Word and pray.  I need to get over myself and concentrate on what God tells me to do.  When I do that, I can withstand any battle Satan throws my way.  When I don't, I end up like I have been the last 3 weeks.  Jesus Christ died for me to have and enjoy my life and the only way for me to fully enjoy this life is surrender my life to Him.   Every morning, every evening, every second of every day I am constantly surrendering my life to Him.  It is only through Jesus that I can fight Satan and win.  The only way for me to truly know Jesus is read the Bible and pray.  You see Jesus has already fought Satan and won, so only He can guide us on our daily battles with Satan.  

Today I will put on the full armor of God by reading His word and praying.  I will also surrender my life to Jesus Christ so that He can guide me in the battle.  May this restore my strength and renew my faith and rebuild my armor, in Jesus name I pray, amen!     

WHAT ARE WE LIVING FOR?

Ephesians 1:11  It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, 

For a very long time I wondered who I was and what I was living for.  I never have been one to make a list of goals to accomplish in my life.  I never went to college and quiet frankly, never wanted to.  For most of my life I sat confused and bewildered.  I never had much ambition or that "go get em" mentality.  For a very long time I have watched Jerry make lists, set goals, read books on successful sales techniques and learn all he could on sales.  It was his job and he wanted to be the best at what he did.  He had a mission to work hard and learn all he could so that he could provide a nice living for us so I could stay home and raise our children.   Jerry knew who he was and what he was working for.  He also knew what he was living for because he was heavily involved in our church and prayed and believed.  I actually envied him for that.  I know envy is wrong but I always thought that being so structured, so disciplined, so goal oriented was amazing.  I wanted to be like that.  I wanted to be able to get on the phone to be able to make sales calls like he did.  I tried once!  To say I hated it would be an understatement.  I sat around for many, many years wondering who I was and what I was living for.  "Just a mom" seemed like nothing really that important.  Changing diapers, feeding children, yelling at them and disciplining them just didn't seem like anything to brag about.   I remember going to a work function with Jerry or some other meeting and trying to carry on a conversation with another lady who happen to be in the work force and when I said I was a stay at home mom, I felt dumb.  "Oh so you don't work" is the response I usually got.  

Being the type of person I am, I easily got offended by these types or responses.  I felt like a nothing, a nobody and a loser.  Why did God make me this way?  Why didn't I at least have some sewing skills like my sister?  Why didn't He give me so gifts and talents like the other women I met?  I tried to sew, didn't like it.  I tried to knit, boring.  Then one day I turned on the TV and Joyce Meyer was talking.  First of all seeing a woman talking about God on TV seemed strange to me.  There were no women priests and I had never heard another woman talk about God before, let alone on TV.  I was intrigued.  She talked about gifts and talents I never dreamed of.  She talked about how miserable she felt because she was so different than other women.  I really related to her.  She spoke straight to my heart.  God gave me the answer I had been searching for.  I wasn't living for anyone else but Him!  I realized that Jerry gifts are much different than mine.  I realized that my gifts are different than anyone elses.  Instead of trying to be someone I was not, instead of worrying about what others thought of me, I turned to the Bible and got the first dose of reality.  

I am living for Jesus Christ!  I found out who I was by reading that Bible and listening to Joyce Meyer.  Yes God spoke to me through the words He gave her.  That changed me and I became more confident in who I am and who I was living for.  For the first time in my life I remembered how I loved to write.  So I started writing and haven't stopped.  As a mom, I realized that I had one of the most important jobs ever.  I raised 4 wonderful children (with the help of Jerry).  They are the greatest source of blessings in my life.  I am glad I did what God created me to do.  I may not be a scholar or a college graduate but I am a mom and a meemaw.  For so many years I let others define me but no longer.  I am who God says I am.  I found out who I am in Christ and who I am living for is Christ.   Instead of focusing on who others expect me to be or who others want me to be, I have chosen to be who God called me to be.  

Whether anyone else approves of me or not, whether anyone else likes me or not, I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I have chosen to do this blog because God called me to do it.  I am tired of trying to live up to other peoples standards for me and tired of feeling judged by others.  For a while now I have lived in a state of feeling inadequate.  You know that state of feeling sort of blah.  I don't know why, I don't know what causes it, but it's there like a thorn in my side, just festering and picking at me.  I have been asking God what I need to do to remove this feeling and get my smile back.  I am a work in progress and God is helping me.  As long I stay focused on who I am and who I am living for, I will come out on top and better than I was before.  No power of hell will ever remove the blessing of Jesus Christ in my life.  

May you learn to live for Christ and may you realize who you are in Christ, in Jesus name I pray, amen! 

DOES YOUR BIBLE LOOK LIKE THIS?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

Well, does it?  I know some of you out there are going, "Oh my goodness!  No!!  The Bible is a Holy book meant to have a special place ob my book shelf.  This is just wrong!!"  Come on admit it, some of you think this is close to blasphemy to highlight a Bible and write in it like this, right?  I used to think that way, then I actually began reading the Bible and studying it.  The amazing think I learned was that it's not the book itself that is Holy, it's God's Word that is Holy.  So many of us look at the Bible like some sacred book to be displayed on a shelf or have a prominent place on a table to be displayed so that all who enter our home can see how we cherish our Bible.  To deface our Bible in this way would be considered a sin.  Seriously?  The scriptures contained in my Bible is Holy and sacred to me.  It is meant for me to read and comprehend.  It's there for me to instruct me and teach me in the ways of God.  If don't read it or study it, how am I ever going to be able to know who God is or how He wants me to act?  Oh I know a priest or pastor will tell me what God says, right?  Well God's word also says we are suppose to discern the right or wrong teachings of or priest or pastor by His Holy Word, so how can I do that if I don't read it or study it?  I can't!

Okay let me be honest here, I was taught that I was to much of a sinner to be able to read the Bible and understand it.  I had to be taught by a priest or a nun who was instructed in the ways of the Bible.  My simple mind could not comprehend the words of God and the meaning behind them.  I believed this for way too many years!  I trusted that what they were teaching and that what they were saying was true.   So instead of reading the Bible I read mystery novels and fiction stories.  The thing was, I always wanted to know what was in the Bible.  What was so deep in the Bible that I can't understand it?  I was confused but truthfully never bothered to investigate it, after all if you question the teachings of the church, be prepared to be sent to hell.  At least that is what I thought and believed.  Then one day I walked into a non-denominational church and for the first time in my life, I was told that i could read the Bible.  In fact they actually wanted everyone to rad the Bible and encouraged it.  I looked around and noticed other people's Bibles were highlighted and even written in.  That just looked wrong to me until I saw the pastor's Bible.  His looked just like the one in the picture.  I was shocked.  In late December they began to challenge people to read the Bible in a year.  They had a diagram to do it and as a church we were going to do it together.  Seriously? 

For the first time in my life I read the whole Bible!  From front to back I read the whole thing.  Oh sure I skipped over the "Begots" but I read it.  Guess what?  I understood it too!!  I was so excited!  I couldn't believe that I had been missing out on reading this book.  There was so much more in there that I never heard about.  I was amazed when I read the book of Exodus.  I came running out of our bedroom and told Jerry, "There is so much more to the story of the Israelites and Egypt that wasn't in 'The Ten Commandments" movie. There were many more plaques that never talked about in the movie.  They never talked too much about all the mumbling and complaining the Israelites did.  I had heard the story of Joseph and his coat his father gave him, but to read it all, was amazing.  I could actually picture the story unfolding before my very eyes.  I actually remember the part when I came to the exact dimensions and measurements God gave the Israelites for building the Arc of the Covenant.  I looked up to heaven and said, "Really God?  Why do I need to know this?  This is so boring!"  You see the description seemed go on for many, many chapters.  Then I heard that still, small voice whisper to me, "If I was that particular in building an Arc, how picky was I in creating you?"  Wow!!  I was totally blown away.   For so many years, I listened to stories and teachings that the church picked out for me.  I was missing out on  "The rest of the story".  

The Bible is a very special book that God gave us to read and study.   It was never meant to sit on a shelf and collect dust.  It was never meant to only be read by biblical scholars and theologians.  It was for us.  Some of you may not believe that the Bible is the word of God.  "It has human authors."  Well to me it is what God says it is, the inspired word of God given to us and written by men God hand picked to write His words down.  God is the author of the Bible and He wants me to read it!!  He wants you to read it too!!  So blow the dust off that Bible, pick it up and read it!  Each page is an adventure, a lesson to be learned and a mystery to solve.  If you have a question, the Bible has the answer.  It may not be the answer you were hoping for, but it does contain the best answer for you.  I have heard parents say they wish kids came with an instruction manual, they do, the Bible!  I have heard husbands complain about their wives (and vise versa).  What do I do to make her happy?  Read the Bible!  The answers are in there.  What is written in the Bible over 2,000 years ago, still pertains to today.  It is not some outdated book, it is still relevant today.  Read it!  Study it!

May the Word of God invade your heart, your mind, your words and your life today and everyday.  May His words echo in your life and transform you.  May you breathe in every scripture and learn to live to way God wants you to live, in Jesus name I pray, amen.