OH HOW WE TAKE THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE FOR GRANTED

I don't know about you but for me a sunset reminds me of the Glory of God.  As we left port on our cruise it was 4:30 which meant a sunset for me to breathe in.  My camera in hand and my telephoto lens in place I placed myself in just the right spot to get a picture of it.  Yes I know I take a lot of photos of sunrises and sunsets, but I just feel a strong desire to photograph these stunning events because I do not want to take for granted that I will ever see another glorious sunset or sunrise.  

On the ship there were thousands of people but not everyone was watching this sunset, why?  To me what is more important than watching an amazing sunset?  Nothing!  (At least in my eyes)  There have been many days when clouds interfere with sunsets or sunrises.  There are events that interrupt the possibility of seeing a sunset so I tend to enjoy and breathe in every single sunset or sunrise I can.  

Ir's so cute, my grandchildren know I love sunsets.  If they are up at the lake house with us and are out on the dock, they will yell to me to come and see the sunset.  They know me very well.  Am I weird?   Maybe, but I am wired by God to embrace every sunset and sunrise I can.  To me the sun shining on me reminds me of God's love.  The warmth of the sun feels like a warm hug from God.  My children and grandchildren get that.  Jerry is wired that way too.  Together we have breathed in many sunsets and many sunrises.

Taking the beauty of this world for granted is not something I ever want to do.  I'm not even going to begin discussing taking our loved ones for granted, today is just about the beauty God has blessed us with. 

On the cruise, some people were engrossed in the gambling, the drinking and the shows.  Trust me those were all fun things, but in doing so, they missed out on the Glory of God that was proclaimed at every sunset.  I guess I'm just different.  I thank God that He blessed me with a husband who enjoys the same things I do.

Psalm 65:8 (GW)   Those who live at the ends of the earth are in awe of your miraculous signs. The lands of the morning sunrise and evening sunset sing joyfully.

Miraculous signs!  How many miraculous signs are we missing out on because of the distractions of this world that blind us to them?  What wonders do we not see because we are playing games on our phones or I pads?  What glorious experiences are we putting aside in order to make more money?

Casinos are filled with people looking to make a quick buck.  Bars are filled with people looking for someone or something to make them feel better about themselves.  Pity parties are being waged world wide because people are not happy with themselves or their life.  They are looking for anything or anyone to make them happy.  Meanwhile God is showing them how much He loves them with every sunset and every sunrise,  Meanwhile God's word is screaming out how important they are to Him. 

"Looking for love in all the wrong places" ! Are you looking in the wrong places?  Are you looking for that void in your heart to be filled with money or booze or "Fifty Shades of Grey"?  People let me tell you, the only way that void can be filled is by breathing in the Glory of God.  Every sunset and sunrise is a gift given to us by an amazing Father who loves us.  Don't take that love for granted.  Don't take that sunset for granted.  Breathe in the Glory of God and embrace every sunrise and sunset with a joyful heart.

Lord, thank you for every amazing sunrise and sunset you have given me the privilege of photographing.  Thank you for allowing me to see your glory.  Help every sunrise and sunset cry forth your love and glory in Jesus name I pray, amen!

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY!!

Oh how we all enjoy dessert!  Last weekend Jerry and I were on a cruise and of course besides the fantastic scenery on a cruise the next thing that is talked about is the food!  All the food you want!  All the dessert you want!  Any time of day or night food is available.  It is amazing to see all of this food.   Right now the thought of all that food makes me sick.  I am not one to eat a big breakfast, yet I did on this cruise.  Then I ate a big lunch and I won't even begin to describe dinner and the variety of desserts.  I ate way too much and way too much sugar and carbs.  

As I got off the ship Monday morning I looked at Jerry and said, "if I don't eat for 3 days, that would be fine."  Finally I am back to eating normal, at least for me.  I feel so much better, so much lighter and so much more alive.  Why did I feel like I had to stuff myself?  Why did I eat like that?  O guess it was because well, I paid for it I might as well get my money's worth, right?  Trust me I did get my money's worth.  

The thing that bothered me the most about my eating habits on this cruise, is that I do not eat like that and to use the excuse of getting my money's worth is stupid.  I want to eat healthy and be healthy yet I didn't.  I succumbed to the pressure of the food in front of my face.  I choose the wrong path.  I choose to fill my belly and in some instances over fill my belly.  God brought me to this verse this morning and I truly related to it.

Philippians 3:18-19 (MSG)  There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them.  I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross.  But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites. 

Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV)  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 

I talked yesterday about my goal for this year and when God brought me to this verse I realized that while on my cruise, I got off track.  I didn't read my Bible, I didn't study the Holy Spirit and I didn't read the books I bought about the Holy Spirit.  While on the cruise I was on easy street, so to speak.  I never will ever hate Christ's cross, for without His cross I would be destitute and empty, but I did lose focus of the ultimate goal of time spent with Jesus.  

My appetite was for food even though I wasn't truly physically hungry.  Today I have been warned that I have no idea what true physical hunger feels like, but I do know what spiritual hunger is for I am hungry for more of Jesus.  I long for my spirit to be refilled an recharged with more of Jesus.  

My goal of truly knowing more about the power of the Holy Spirit will not be without challenges or temptations but as long as I maintain my focus, I can trust in God.  Alone I cannot do this, by myself I am powerless against the temptation of easy street.  Only with God on my side and Jesus at my right hand and the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me can I ever accomplish what I long to.  

Listen, easy street is so very tempting.  The hunger in our bellies can be so overwhelming that we lose focus of the spiritual hunger we truly need to focus on.  So join me in talking the road less traveled.  Join me in filling our spiritual hunger first.  Join me in loving and accepting Christ's cross.

Lord please forgive me for allowing myself to be tempted to step off the path you have for me.  Please help me to tap into the power you have given me through your Holy Spirit so that I can withstand any and all temptations, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

WHAT'S MY ULTIMATE GOAL?

    

To be honest I am not a goal setter.  I love to "fly by the seat of my pants".  I love to "go with the flow".  I think you get it but as far as any goals, I have hardly ever had any in mind.  I think the reason has always been that is I do not set goals I will never get disappointed if I didn't make it to my goals.  I know doesn't sound logical but that is me.  

Jerry and I took a Dave Ramsey course a few years ago and he had a term that totally described me, a free spirit.  That is me in a nut shell and to someone who is not a free spirit, it can be very difficult to understand how I work and honestly it probably can be frustrating.  

Anyway there is now one goal that I have set before me, to get to know the power of the Holy Spirit that lies within me.  the funny thing is I set my goal, I make my plans, I get the supplies I need and the books I need to read and then God laughs.  His plans never seem to mesh with mine.  So I struggle, but this goal I will not give up on.  I will not surrender this goal.  I will do  my best to keep fighting my way no matter what lies before me.

Often times I struggle with my past goal failures and Satan constantly brings that up in my mind.  But this time I have my boxing gloves on and my fighting attitude.  I am ready, or at least I pray I am.  Why am I doing this?  Well my pastor did a talk on the Holy Spirit a few months ago.  He sited chapters and verses along with many other things.  In fact he had so much to say about it he continued it for an hour and a half the following Wednesday.  I took so many notes and this struck me so hard I knew that I had to set this as my goal for 2015.

My goal is set in stone and yes this free spirit will have to fight to maintain it, but I am determined, so pray for me.  

As I set forth in my goal I feel sort of odd since I am not a goal setter but this is not a mission I have given myself, God has given me this mission for a purpose.   

Philippians 3:13-14  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

As I journey down this path in life I am awestruck by the simple beauty of a sunset that God continues to show me.  Over and over again I am able to witness a sunset that is stunning and breathtaking so I will not take these for granted.  I think of every sunset as a prize for continuing on my goal.  

This free spirit is breathing in every moment, every sunset, every breath and every smile.  I will forget what lies behind me and press on towards the goal God has given me.  Will it be a struggle and an upwards battle?  Probably but I am armed and dangerous.  

Lord instil me with the vision you have for me.  Give me the wisdom I need to accomplish this goal you have given me, in Jesus name I pray, amen. 

EVERYTHING IS SUNSHINE AND ROSES

As I sit and ponder the magnificence of my God I am drawn into this picture of palm trees, sunshine and flowers.  I can sit for hours and just gaze into the greatness of my God by just looking at nature.  I am drawn in by the shear beauty of this planet and I become intoxicated with the majesty that others don't see or maybe just too busy to see.  

I know I am weird, I am different.  My children often point that out.  I take so many pictures of nature my children wonder what I see that they don't.   Well I see God.  

A palm tree blowing in the warm winds on a day in January reminds me it is warm in some part of this world..  A snow drift that covers the dead grass of winter reminds me of the fun I had as a kid sledding down hills as fast as I could.  A mountain arrayed with wild flowers reminds me of a peace so profound that I get lost.  An ocean wave crashing against a rock reminds me of the power of God.  

You know life is a mystery and when I sit back and look at this planet I begin to understand just how mysterious this world is.  There are parts of this world that have not been explored.  There are places in this world that cannot be explained and those are the things that I cling to.

I rejoice because God gave me this planet to live on.  With all the hardships, with all the negative and horrible things that happen in this world I rejoice.  In trials and tribulations that I have faced I am drawn to continue rejoicing because I have seen the power of God in water and in storms.  I have experienced the peace of God on a mountain filled with wild flowers.  I have felt the love of God in a sunset that takes my breath away.  

Listen I have no idea where you are in your faith and belief, but I can tell you where I am and where I have been.   I have been to the pits and back.  I have been in want and need.  I have fallen so many times and sinned just like you.  I have been unworthy of anyones love.  But like Martin Luther King said many years ago, "Mine eyes have seen the Glory of God."

I have sought Him out.  Desperate and afraid I came to Him because I wanted the peace, the love and the power that only He could give me.

Psalm 40:16  But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the LORD!" 

I don't want to imagine where my life would be without my God!  My salvation, my eternity, my hopes and dreams, my peace and my love has been revealed, restored and recharged by my God.  

I wish I could get each and every person out there to understand this and grasp the reality of my God.  I hope and pray that we do not get so wrapped up in "religion" and man made rules and rituals that we forget the reason we rejoice.  

Look around you at the greatness of our God.  Breath in His peace and love so that your life may be better than ever.  Step into a sunset and surround your heart with the warmth of His love.  

  He's waiting for you!  He loves you!  Run to Him today and embrace the Greatness of our God!

May the greatness of God be revealed to you today in your heart, your mind and your spirit.  May your life never be the same and may His peace and live invade you forever.  In Jesus name I pray, amen!

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER

The simple beauty of this flower makes my heart sing. I love flowers.  They seem to brighten my day and lift my spirits.   They speak to me of how beautiful they are and their sweet fragrance fills the air with sunshine.  As I gaze at these flowers I realize that they have nothing more really to offer me.   In reality they offer me nothing except their beauty and sweet fragrance.   Oh they also provide nectar for the bees to make honey, but they actually do nothing.  They produce nothing, they are basically worthless and empty.  They sit around on their branches and just look good.   How many of us live like this?  

I know for me I would sit around grooming and taking care of the external side of me that everyone sees.  Make up, hair, jewelry, clothing, all makes me look good outside, but what about the inside?  What about the heart?  Am I covering up my heart by adorning the outside of me?

God I hope not!   Listen I love to look good.   I do my makeup everyday and I do my hair everyday.  I put on jewelry and nice clothes but I pray that I am not doing it to hide my heart.  Yet there are days when I feel that I spend more time preparing my external self than I do preparing my heart for the day ahead.  Am I alone?  

For me, I had a wake up call a few weeks ago.  My mission this year was to connect with God deeper and learn as much as I could about the Holy Spirit.  But one day God had pointed out to me that I spend more time preparing my external self everyday than I do my internal self - my heart.   How in the world could I ever be ready to face the day ahead of me and rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit if I didn't spend time with God first?  I thought I had it all together.  My beauty, my heart all seemed to intertwine or so  thought.  

Oh trust me I could face the day alright but I wasn't being guided by the Holy Spirit.  My heart wasn't  as beautiful as I had hoped for.  Oh my external self was fine, but my heart was lacking.   Like this flower my concern about my external self left my heart basically empty and ugly.  I saw everyone else's flaws except my own.  The funny thing is that no matter how beautiful we look on the outside, out heart, (our actions and words) truly reveal the ugliness of our inside, our heart. 

1 Peter 3: 3-4  Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious

You know as a human we can sometimes get so wrapped up in our external beauty that we forget about the internal beauty that our heart exposes.   Some of the worlds most beautiful people are the ugliest on the inside.   Their hearts are empty, meaningless caverns of selfishness and greed and hatred and lust and judgment.  These beauties feel superior to everyone else and they push and shove to get their way.   Society is overflowing with people like this.  How sad! 

I will probably never give up my makeup and hair but I will no longer allow that external beauty to define my.   My heart will define who I am and whose I am.  

Jesus Christ lives in my through His Holy Spirit and I must display that at all times.  My heart belongs to Jesus and I want everyone I meet to know that.   I want my inner beauty to,shine like a beacon of hope for a lost world.   I want to spend more time preparing my heart to greet the day then worrying about how I look and dress.   I will not allow society to define my beauty, Jesus does! 

My beauty is not external but internal.  Some of the most beautiful people I know would be considered externally deficient by Hollywood standards.  External beauty fades,but a beautiful heart will never fade.   No matter how many plastic surgeries we have to reduce the fine lines and wrinkles, they will always return.  We can have surgery to remove the external flaws but as far as the heart is concerned, the heart reveals our true internal beauty or lack of it.  

I would rather have a beautiful heart any day!  I want my heart to reveal who I am and whose I am!

May the beauty of Gods amazing love shine forth from my heart and my lips.  May I never become so consumed with my external beauty that I lose focus of my internal beauty give to me by my Savior, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

CONCEAL DON'T FEEL

That line, "conceal don't feel" came from the Disney movie "Frozen", if you haven't seen t, see it.  There are actually a lot of life lessons in that movie but that's not what I want to talk about today.  

Today as I was putting on my make up God spoke to me about my concealer.  I guess I never really imagined how my concealer and Jesus Christ are alike.  Okay bare with me a moment.  

Concealer is used to cover up blemishes, scars, fine lines, dark circles under the eyes and wrinkles.  We look younger, our skin looks flawless.  Concealer helps us hide the truth about our face.  It covers up all the imperfections and brightens our face. It is an amazing tool in our make up bag that we don't dare neglect.  

In the movie "Frozen" Elsa is told to conceal the truth about who she really is and what gift (or curse) she has been given. Elsa wore gloves to conceal her curse.  Without the gloves, everyone would know her truth and would be afraid of her and run.  Her truth was so harsh, so cold, and so shameful that she had to run far away from everyone she loved.  She couldn't risk hurting anyone with the truth she had tried to conceal.  

Maybe that is why I love this movie so much.  It speaks right to my heart.  I don't want let anyone know the truth about me.  To take off my concealer, to take off my gloves and reveal my true self with all my flaws and sins, my fine lines and my scars is just down right scary not to mention that it is easier to conceal and not feel.  To admit the truth and deal with it is difficult.  Like Elsa we all have that desire to just runaway and conceal our truth.  To admit we are not in control of our gifts, is risky.  We fear we may hurt someone we love or ourselves, so we conceal and we don't feel, we run.

We fool ourselves into believing that we are the only ones who need to cover up our sins and flaws.  Everyone else seems so perfect, so sinless, so wrinkle free.  We hold up our mirror and compare ourselves to others and we never seem to measure up.  We never seem to look as perfect as they are.  Are you kidding me?   

Romans 3:23-24  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 

Do you get what that verse says?   No do you really get it?  Everyone!   Everyone!  Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.  Listen sin is sin!  We all sin!  Every priest, every pastor every minister, every judge, every single person on this Earth has sinned.  No one person living today is perfect.  Billy Graham has sinned, Mother Theresa has sinned, heck even the pope has sinned.  Stop thinking you are the worst person in the world.  Stop trying to conceal the truth about yourself.  

We have a concealer that removes every sin, every flaw, and every mistake; Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the only concealer we need.  By the blood He shed on the cross, our sins have been concealed and removed.  We have forgiveness because of Jesus Christ not because of some priest.  We have grace because of Jesus Christ.  We have done nothing to deserve this except believe in Him. 

In the movie Elsa came back home after she realized that only by learning from her mistakes could she learn to control herself.  We also need to come back home to Jesus Christ.  Only He can heal us and help us learn from the past and embrace the future.  Only He can give us the grace we need to live an amazing life.  Only He can help us control ourselves and stop concealing our truth and begin to feel again.

Lord, help me to stop concealing the reality that is me.  Help me to stop running and start living.  Help me to start feeling again.  Thank you for concealing my sins and justifying me, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

LOST AND FOUND DEPARTMENT PLEASE

Have you ever felt lost?  Have you ever wandered around trying to figure out where you are and what you're doing?  Confused and bewildered I have stumbled my way through life trying to figure out where I am.  Not literally but figuratively.  I remember days when I would just sit and contemplate where I was and who I was.  Lost in a sea of confusion is not a great place to be but for me it has been eye opening, especially lately.  

I've gotten wrapped up in non believers angry words and bitter banter back and forth as they try to fight and ignore the feelings they have buried so deep that they seem lost.  Some of them are so angry that they pounce with all the power of hell and try to plunder all hope out of us.  At least that is how I have felt, especially lately.  Lost in a sea of words and anger, they seem to spew so much bitterness from their mouths that I get defensive and upset.  Really?  Me?  Why do I let this get to me?  

There are so many people living today who are lost and yes occasionally I am one of them, but I am not just talking about non believers ut believers also. There are so many of us believers who are lost in "religion".  The sacraments, the rituals, the ceremonies, the doctrine, the rules and the same prayers week after week make some of us lost without even realizing it.  Believers arguing amongst themselves over these stupid issues is ridiculous.  No wonder the lost, non believers feel free to attack us, heck we attack ourselves and each other.  

We argue over when and how to baptize, we disagree over how to receive forgiveness, we rumble over our choices in worship music, and we point fingers at those religions who are not like ours.  Really?  I have a hard time discerning the difference sometimes over who is lost for not believing and believing.  Okay if I may be honest here, we are all lost.  Believers and non believers alike.  

Let's face it sometimes us believers can spew out so much anger and bitterness that it is hard to believe we are believers.  We are sometimes so angry and our words are so destructive that it is jare to imagine we sit in church on Sunday and worship Jesus.  Sadly sometimes we are so busy judging the lost that we cannot see we are pushing them away.  

Jesus Christ came for the lost and forsaken.  He came to set captives free. 

  

Luke 19:10  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

We need to stop defending Jesus to people who don't really know Him and truthfully can't see Him in us.  Jesus does not need us to defend Him to others, we need to just be Him as best we can,  We need to drop the "religion" and religious attitude and serve those non believers the way Jesus did.  

Listen, Jesus, the Son of God Himself did not come to this world to point His fingers at us and condemn us with everything we have done wrong.  So why do we?  If we a believers are supposed to be a true example of Jesus Christ then we really need to go back to our Bibles and reread how Jesus treated people.  He sat down with sinners and just loved them where they were.  He sat down with prostitutes and forgave them without an angry, harsh or judgemental tone.  Jesus never rose His hand in anger and pointed His finger in judgement of anyone except the "religious" leaders of His time.  

We need to reach the lost non believers and believers with love and patience and kindness and tenderness and compassion and acceptance!  For I was lost, but now I am found!  

Thank you God for finding me!  Thank you for loving me and gently guiding me back to you.  Help my words and actions reveal the truth of who you are.  Help me to lose my "religion" and cling to my relationship with you.  Help me to reach the lost as you would, in Jesus name I pray, amen! 

LIFE IS A MYSTERY

 

I realized today it's been almost a week since I have written.  What can I say?  I guess Satan's been dealing with me.  I've sort of been in a funk.  I wish I could explain it but I don't understand myself.  I wasn't sick or anything like just, just dealing with a lot of attitude from my own self.  It seemed like I was totally unmotivated and ideas were running dry.  I didn't pick up my Bible, although that was part of my New Years Resolution,  Yea I totally blew that one.  I felt down and empty.  Yet I still felt happy.  I don't know I guess I was just going through an attack from Satan himself.  

I let him get me off track and focus on meaningless things like last weeks Bachelor TV show.  I didn't get it then.  Even Jerry was shocked when he came home from work.  "Are you watching Bachelor?  Seriously?  You?"  Yea me!!  I wasted 3 hours on the most pointless, meaningless and mind emptying garbage I have ever seen.  I mean really, what was I thinking?  After that my week went down hill in my spirit and I gave up writing this blog.  I had to get my mind straightened out before I ever typed another word.    

So here I sit here in Florida, hundreds of miles away from home and hundreds of miles away from the frigid blast that has engulfed Michigan.  When I left hone today the wind chill was -4.  That's 4 below zero.   I am sorry but that just seems so insane.  Last week the wind chill was even colder than that and in the midst of that frigid cold a 158 car pile up happened on a major highway from Detroit to Chicago.  Miraculously only one person lost their life.  Now here I sit in Florida.  Really?  

In 3 hours I hopped on a plane in the dead of winter and landed in sunshine and 68 degrees.  Now 68 degrees may not seem that warm to some of you, but when you've lived in -4 degrees, that is a 72 degree jump in temperature in 3 hours.  No more winter coats, gloves or boots.  Break out the sandals and the sunscreen.  Okay maybe not the sunscreen, but you get my point.   Okay I'm rambling a bit here but just bare with me 

This morning I woke up at 5:00 am.  My plan was to wake up at 6, but God had another plan because I could not get back to sleep.  Jerry and my mother-in-law were still asleep so I grabbed my phone intending to look at Facebook, but again God had another plan.  I opened my app for Biblegateway and started going over all the verses I had memorized a few years ago.  I used to look at them every day and pick a few new ones to memorize but that lost it's luster.  After that I started rereading Psalm 23.   Now I have read this and practically memorized it, but for some reason today the firs verse hot me and hit me hard.    

 Psalm 23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Want!  That is how I feel I am some times.  I want and want and want and want.   It seems like there is always something I want, not need, want!  I am sure I am not the only one here who feels this way.  I have so much to be grateful for, and trust me I am grateful, yet I want more, why?  Okay before you think I am sounding greedy, I am not talking about things or money.  I want attention.  Why? I don't know, I'm weird I guess.  

Anyway today when I was reading this Psalm, I realized that I am being so foolish.  Why are we human so superficial?  I mean really, what is wrong with me?  It's just one of those mysteries of life chalked up to the fact that I am a human being and I am weird.  You know what? I'm okay with that.  You see the Lord is my shepherd.  I want for nothing!  Not even attention because today as I sat reading this Psalm and trying to really grasp the meaning of this first verse, I looked up at the clock and it was 6:00 am.  Time to rise and shine and for the first time in long time outside of  church, I spent an hour with God!  

If I tell you that time this morning changed me, would you believe it?  Well honestly, I feel better spiritually than I have in a while.  This time spent in the warm weather and sunshine is just what God ordered for me.  How can I ever thank Him for His patience with me and His never ending love and forgiveness?  Life is a mystery but when the Lord is our shepherd, the mystery becomes clearer focused.

May the Lord become your shepherd today.  May His light shine down on your and transform you from the inside out.   May your wants disappear and may your heart overflow with the love from our shepherd and Lord, in Jesus name I pray, amen!  

A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE

A mind is a terrible thing to waste.  The amazing thing about our brain is we only tap into about probably 20% of it's capabilities.  We have a mini computer in our brain that is equipped with more technology than we know.  Our mind is filled with facts and fiction that we fill it with.  Like a car engine, our brain will either run on all cylinders or it will run on only few depending on the fuel we fill it with.  So what fuel are you filling your mind up with?

The other night I actually spent 3 hours watching "The Bachelor".  Yes, I am serious.   People intrigue me and I love to people watch, then sit and try to figure out what is going through someone's mind.  It was interesting watching one guy with 30 girls all fighting for his attention.  It was also scary watching these girls because it is the reality of why I have only a few good friends who are women.  The gossiping, the back stabbing, the judgemental attitudes, the pity parties, the cat fights (well almost), the petty little innuendos that go flying is just sickening.  Really?  I spent 3 hours watching this?  Why?  

I am human and it really makes my mind focus on what I do not want to be like, I think that is the main reason I occasionally watch mindless and pointless programs like this.  This is the time I tell myself that my mind is a terrible thing to waste.  Oh well at least I got a good laugh at it.  But seriously how many of us watch this garbage night after night after night?  We pick up and read books thinking that may help our minds but seriously, "Fifty Shades of Gray" is not something I would ever waste my time with, just my opinion!

I want to fill my mind with things that are above this Earth.  Books and TV shows that teach me about God and how to grow to be more like Him are tops on my list now days.  I know I am weird!  But when I sat and listened to a neuroscientist talk about how what we put in our mind affects our brain waves, our thoughts, our words and our actions, that affected me.  When I saw the MRI's of a person who thinks negative thoughts compared to a person who thinks positively, that affected me.  I want my mind to give life to myself , my words, my actions, and my thoughts.  I want my brain to look like a tree of life not like a dark cavern of despair.  

I have chosen to set my mind on things that are Godly.

Colossians 3:2-3  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

What is important to me is what is important to God.  If God tells me that it is important to set my mind on things above, then that is what I will do!   

Lord, fill my mind with your love and your grace.  Help me to rid my mind of the endless, pointless garbage and fill it with your word, in Jesus name I pray, amen!    

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS HARD TO FACE

Truth.  Who defines it?  What is truth?  How do we know what is the truth?

Many of us have very different definitions of what is truth, but for me my truth definition is simple.  God's word is the only truth I truly know.  For me the Bible is indisputable truth.  I have believed that for all of my life.  I have not been brainwashed into believing this so don't even go there.  I have lived in this truth and trust me, this truth I know has made me who I am today.  

Maybe your truth is different.  Maybe you never came across anything or anyone who was truthful.  As for me, I have truly clung to the truth of the Bible.  For me, the truth in the Bible gives me strength and hope.  It gives me promises that have changed me and given me a peace of understanding that I cannot explain in words.  

Truth is also a double edged sword, much like the Bible (God's Word).  It can uplift us and give us peace but it can also convict us.  Notice I did not say condemn us.  God does not condemn us, He wants to point out the things in our lives we need to change.  Sometimes that truth about ourselves is hard to face.  

I know for me personally when I hear a truth about myself that is not pretty, I want to run and hide.  I cover my ears and pretend I didn't hear what I just heard.  I don't want to face the reality of who I really am.  Hiding from the truth does not make it go away.  In fact it actually makes it worse.  It is only when I look in the mirror and face the reality of who I am and accept the truth of what I need to let God change in me, it is only then that the truth has set me free.

I need to hear the truth, I need to live the truth.  I need to read the truth.  But how do we know what id truth and what is a lie?  Well for me, I listen to the Spirit of Truth given to me when I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  This Holy Spirit leads to me truth, no matter how painful the truth is.

John 14:16-17  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. 

If you are not looking for the truth, you will not recognize Him.  There are many church goers who do not recognize the Spirit of Truth because they know the truth can be hard to face.  The Holy Spirit has nothing to do with "religion" and everything to do with relationship.  Churches are full of people who want to have the Holy Spirit in their lives but are unwilling to face the truth about themselves.  

I was confirmed in 8th grade, along with all my fellow classmates.  Even though I was told that the Holy Spirit was coming to live in me at that point, I was not ready to face the Spirit of truth.  To be honest I don't think many of us did.  For me that is not how I received the Holy Spirit, it was by believing and confessing with my mouth that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.  For me that was when the Holy Spirit came upon me and I was able to receive the Spirit of Truth.  I was looking for Him!  I recognized Him!  I was willing to face the truth about myself!  

This Spirit of Truth lives in me!  I know Him personally!  We talk all the time and He has changed me from the inside out.  Trust me I am still a work in progress, but my truth lies in Jesus Christ.  My truth is revealed to me by the Holy Spirit of the Living God which dwells in me.  My truth gives me peace, joy, patience and never ending love.   What's your truth?

May the truth of Jesus Christ invade your hearts and minds today,  May we learn to face the truth of ourselves no matter how hard it is to face.  May we allow the Holy Spirit to change us, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

2015 TIME FOR A CHANGE

As 2015 begins my thoughts have been racing with what I want to accomplish, what I want to do to better myself and what I want to change.  Yesterday my thoughts were answered by the message at church.  Die!  No physically but die to myself and my sinful ways.  I know this sounds totally weird for those of you out there who are not true believers but this message was life changing for me.  I want this year to be the year I die to my selfish ways.  

This world is amazing yet so sad.  When I look around and see all the turmoil and selfishness that is rampant in this world, it sickens me.  So many of us seem to be so concerned about "what's in it for me", that we lose focus on what's truly important.  So many of us are so wrapped up in being "politically correct" that we change our words and our actions just to make sure we don't offend someone.  So many of us are lost in a sea of me.  The "me" generation has ruined this world!  Strong words?  Yup!  Trust me this is as much for me as you.

For way too long I have sat back afraid to put a voice behind the words God has given me.  For way too long I have sat back and watched friends and family members, who profess to be saved, gossip and talk bad about others.  For way too long I have sat back not wanting to offend anyone, especially fellow believers.  The reason I have done this, I feel, is because I was ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  How sad!  

Mark 8:38  "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

"Adulterous and sinful generation" may seem a little strong, but look around you today at this world.  This was written 2,000 years ago, yet it is so true of today's society.   Whether you are a believer or not, these words describe today's society to a tee!   It saddens me to watch the news.  Actually it sickens me.  Selfishness is overtaken this world and it can overtake our hearts and our lives if we let it.  For some of us, it already has.  Churches are full of selfish people.  Pews are lined with people who profess one thing in church, yet another thing once they are outside the doors of the church.   

Listen I will never be perfect and I will stumble as fall as I go through this process of dying to self, but I will never again, at least I hope and pray, be ashamed of Jesus Christ and His words.  You may ask how I was ashamed?  Well in my simple mind I was ashamed of Jesus Christ when I was not able to stand up for my beliefs.  In the midst of opposition I would fold up my cards and walk away, instead of standing my ground.  I feared being rejected or made fun of so I buckled under pressure. I was afraid I wouldn't know the proper response to someone who questioned my faith, so I kept quiet. Really? 

Jesus Christ was not ashamed of me when He died on the cross, shedding His very blood for me!  Jesus Christ was not ashamed of me when I came to Him admitting I was a sinner.   Jesus Christ was not ashamed of me when I prayed the Salvation Prayer.  Jesus Christ is not ashamed of me now!  Sinner that I am, flawed and riddled with mistakes that cannot be undone, Jesus Christ has lifted me out and raised me up.  He has promised me eternity in heaven.  He has promised to be with me at all times.  He has never abandoned me or forsaken me.  Why should I be ashamed of Him?

I am a human who sins, yet I will not allow myself to be ashamed to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I am not just a fan or a follower, I am a disciple.  With the help and the power of the Holy Spirit of God who lives in me, I will tackle this issue of dying to self.  

May the love of Jesus Christ invade your hearts today.  May you never be ashamed to be a disciple and a believer in Jesus Christ.  May you stand up and learn to die to self today and give up those selfish "what about me" attitudes, in Jesus name I pray, amen!