THE FACTS OF LIFE

John 16:20  Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

The facts of life are simple.  There are times of sorrow and times of joy.  Times of weeping and times of celebration.  It is hard to understand why these 2 emotions are so intertwined yet they are.  Life has so many different twists and turns that sometimes our head spins out of control.  Death happens and we become overwhelmed with sorrow.  Life happens and our thoughts take a nose dive in the wrong direction.  We become confused and our vision becomes cloudy.  Our thoughts fill with doubt and fear.  Why?  What happened?  We have tons of questions but no answers. 

Tears fill our eyes and ramble down our cheeks.  Our eyes become puffy and sore.  The sorrow is just so deep that we feel like we will never rejoice again.  The pain from loss and fear of the unknown can lead us down a path of sheer destruction.  Unbearable sorrow grips us and will not let us go.  We shed a lake full of tears, yet our sorrow remains.  Nothing seems to take away the deep sorrow we feel.  We watch and see others going through sorrow and pain, yet we feel that our sorrow is the worst.  This cut has hurt us deep and the sorrow is so deep we could easily sink into this pit of despair and never be seen again.  

Sound familiar?   I know when my dad died I felt this way.  I cried for weeks, heck even months later a simple word or thought would make me burst out in tears.  The pain enveloped me and took over my heart.  My smile had disappeared.  I actually remember hearing people at work say, "I'd just like to see her smile again."  The thing about sorrow for me is I was weeping for myself.  I had lost the man who raised me, the man who carried me to bed when I was little, the man who showed me how to grow a garden, the man who protected me and kept me safe, the man who loved me first.  My sorrow was deep.  

When Jesus spoke in this verse about our sorrow being turned into joy, I thought that was a bunch of hog wash, but now I get it.  I can look over my life with my dad and rejoice.  Joy fills my heart now.  The memories put a twinkle in my eyes and fill my heart with joy.  Oh sure a tear still forms in my eyes when I think of Him, but it not because of my sorrow, it's because of memories, it's because of the joy that returned to me.  

Yes, death is painful and sorrowful for those left behind, but when we know where our loved ones are spending eternity, we will ultimately rejoice.  We know that we will see them again in heaven.  We have comfort knowing they believe in Jesus Christ.  We have peace knowing they are with Jesus Christ.  

Lord, please help our sorrow be turned into joy knowing that we will once again see our loved ones in heaven.  Help our memories bring us the joy in Jesus name I pray, amen 

   

DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?

1 Peter 2:1  So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. 

"Did you hear the news?  I just heard this from so and so, who heard it from so and so, who heard it from her mother's brother's uncle that so and so is pregnant.  Her boyfriend wants nothing to do with her also!" 

 Okay come on we have all done this at one time or another.   Don't play innocent!  Okay maybe not to this extent, but lets face it, the news reports are plastered with this kind of garbage.  Just watch the entertainment news networks and you will be overwhelmed with so much gossip and hear say that it is ridiculous.  To top that off we not only hear it on TV, we can read about it all the tabloids that are plastered at every check out in every supermarket.  People complain about these tabloids, lawsuits are filled over these lies, and the people spreading the rumors get paid for lying or snitching on people they know.  Really?

Let's be honest it doesn't just happen in politics or royalty or Hollywood.  It happens in our everyday life.  Peoples lives are ruined over rumors and gossip.  People are humiliated and marriages end in divorce over some of this gossip and rumors.  And we think that It won't hurt anyone?  Look around!!!   It has become sickening!  Listening to the demeaning remarks of someone who don't really know you, yet they heard this "truth" from someone who claims to know you or someone who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows you.  

Ever tell a close friend a secret only to have it eventually get back to you in an over exaggerated statement?  I have and I don't think I am the only one who has had this happen.  We make statements on Facebook and read into it what we think they are really saying without asking first.   In fact it was funny, a few years ago I posted about something I had been dealing with for 25 years and that I was finally over it and let it go.  God helped me deal with a situation that was holding me back from being the me He wanted me to be, so I posted it on Facebook.  Well we actually had a friend call Jerry and I asking if we were getting divorced, really?  Talk about taking something too far.  WOW!!

We read into situations without knowing the full story, we hear bits and pieces of a story and end up spreading gossip and rumors and lies that hurt people.  Even in church this happens, and don't pretend it doesn't!  I have heard it, seen it and dealt with it!!  We all have to one extent or another.  And I want to ask one question, WHY?  Why do we do this to each other?  Does it really make us feel better about ourselves if we bring someone else down?  (Alright 2 questions.)  

How many people have committed suicide or killed others because of gossip and rumors and lies?  How many marriages have ended in divorce over gossip and rumors and lies?   How many people have been bullied for years with these lies, and gossip and rumors only to end up going ballistic?  When will we get it through our thick skulls that words can kill!!

Stop trying to make yourself feel better about yourself by spreading gossip, rumors and lies!  Stop spreading gossip!  Stop spreading rumors!  Clean up your house!   Clean up your mouth!  Clean up your thoughts!  If that is all your friends like to do, find new friends!   I did!  I used to long to be invited out with when my husband went to Muskrat dinners,  I felt left out.  Well I got asked once and never went out with that group of friends again.  All they did was complain about their husbands, complain about their children, complain about their jobs and gossip.  I got new friends!!  

Listen our words are powerful, as well as our thoughts.  We need to use them to build people up and encourage others.  We need to use our mouths to tell others about the love of God and the grace Jesus Christ died to give them.   

"If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

Lord, please help me to use my words to spread love and encouragement.  Keep a watch over my mouth and forgive me for the words I spoke in jealousy and anger.  Help me to use my words to tell the world about you, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

LOVE OR HATE, WHICH DO YOU CHOSE?

1 John 4:20-21  If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see?  The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both. 

Hate - feel intense or passionate dislike, loathe, detest, despise, dislike, abhor,  intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury

OUCH!!!! Yes this one hurts.  We humans get so wrapped up in our emotions that we let them get the best of us, which brings out the worst in us.  Hate seems like such a strong word, yet it is an emotion, a verb, that rules some of our lives.  We hate the guy who just cut us off in traffic.  We hate our ex spouse who is doing better than we are.  We hate our neighbor who just got the promotion we wanted.   We hate the cop who busted us for speeding.  I could go on and on with examples of hate coming from people who say "I love God".  

Hate crimes are on the rise.  People are beat up for having beliefs that are different than ours.  People are murdered for being different.  People are bullied for not "fitting in" with societies standard of normal.  Are you kidding me?  I'm sorry but this sounds like a radical extremist group instead of a group of so called Christians 

Strong words?  Yes!  How many divorces end with one spouse hating the other?  How many families have been divided by sheer hatred and jealousy?   How many fists have been raised in anger and hatred?  How many children spout off that they hate their parents?  "I hate" is something that we should never, ever say IF we proclaim to love God and truly do love Him.  

As true believers and as someone who loves God, the word hate should never cross my lips.  As Christians, as believers we are called to love God and love all people, not just those who love us.  Yes it can be painful but we are called to love our enemy!  Those we may feel we hate and despise the most, we are told to love and pray for them.    

Matthew 5:44-4  I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best--the sun to warm and the rain to nourish--to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. 

The reason behind this "love your enemy" command is because, well to be honest it is easy and simple to love those who love us.  Even the worst of the worst evil doers can do that.  So why should we just settle to love those who love us?  We need to get off our high horse and step into the horse poo.  (Sorry)  If we don't than we need to ask ourselves an honest series of questions;

 Do we really love God?

Do we really believe in Jesus Christ?

Do we truly want to be living examples of Jesus Christ on this earth?

Are we true disciples of Christ?

Do we love the way God loves us?

Let me be brutally honest with myself and you.  God has the right to hate each one of us for the things we have done or not done, said or not said.  He has the right to hate us for us continually turning our backs on Him.  He has the right to hate us for the sins we have committed.  Yet He doesn't!  He forgives us!  He loves us!  He accepts us!   

We are not better than God by any means and we have no right to hate any person!  No matter how evil or how much they have sinned or hurt us.  We must do as God tells us and love our enemies because He loved us when we were still His enemies.  He loves us even though we don't deserve it.  So lets rid ourselves of this word, hate!  Let's remove it from our vocabulary totally and forever.

Lord, please forgive me for the times I have hated.  Fill me with your love and grace so that I may learn to be more like you and love my enemies and pray for them. Help me to be a true example of your love here on this earth.  Help me to truly know what it means to love you fully and completely, in Jesus name I pray, amen!  

YOUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE YOU

Philippians 3:13-14  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,   I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. 

As I look to my future I cannot help but look back at the past sometimes.  When I was at my mom's home, I went through her photo album and found some pictures of me in the past.  Why do we let the past still affect us?  Past mistakes can haunt us.  Past words from a bully can sting us.  Past failures can loom over our head like a cloud of doom.  Past skeletons can creep out of that closet we thought we had locked many years ago.  A simple word, a smell, or a touch can bring back memories that can either comfort us or propel us into a flashback that rocks us to our very core.  

Your past does not define who you are today.  It helped shape who you are today, but it does not define you unless you let it. The past can almost be like a "Pandora's Box" or a treasure chest/  The thing is we have to let the past where it is, in the past.  Hopefully we learned from the past mistakes and failures but some of us, me included, tend to hold onto the past like a trophy or a prison.  

For way to many years I held onto the past like a prison.  Yes I learned from the past, but instead of letting it go I tended to occasionally keep dwelling on it.  The words that hurt me through grade school and high school, the mean spirited bullies who teased me, The "if only" and "what if" thoughts could easily take over.  The regrets and the "if I had known then what I know now" scenarios played out in my mind.  Why?  the stupid thing is the past is the past.  I cannot change it or undo it.  All I can do is learn from it and move on.  

Way too often we are so wrapped up with what someone did or said to us 10, 20 or 30 years ago.  We miss out on friendships because of something in our past.  We miss out on good times because we are locked in our past and too afraid to step out of the past and step into the future.  We become timid and afraid and lock ourselves away.  Or we could deny our past and pretend we never made a mistake, never failed at anything.  We could deny that we were hurt by someone and build a barrier around ourselves so thick that no amount of love could penetrate it.  

If we do not learn to embrace our past and learn from it, we will be making a colossal mistake.  I have learned a lot from my past about who I was and who I am now and who I want tot be in the future.  My past allows me to look at myself in the mirror and say, "You've come a long way baby!"   Instead of going around with a poor pitiful me attitude about my past, (trust me there still are times I go there), I try my best to ask God what He wants me to learn from my past.  

Your past, my past, does not define who we are today!  For me I am choosing to look forward to my future.  I am looking forward to learning more about who God wants me to be.  I will press on to the end of my race where I will receive the prize of eternal life with God.  My past is my past and God holds my future.  The sins of the past are dead and buried through the blood of Jesus Christ.  My future is bright and yours is also.  

Today, put the past where it belongs, in the past.  God is not in your past.  He is in your here and now.  he is on your future.  He has wiped away your past, He has dried your tears and He has forgiven your sins.  Look forward and press on.  Stop being a victim and letting your past define you.  God defines who you are and He says you are made in His image!  He loves you inspite of your past.  Let Him heal your past and help you learn from it, but don't let your past define you any longer!

Lord help us to learn to forget what lies behind us.  Help us to learn from the past and move on the the future you have waiting for us.  In Jesus name I pray, amen!

LET'S GET REAL ABOUT THIS

1 John 2:3-6  And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.  If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.  But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 

Let's get real about these verses, they hurt!  At least for me they do.  If I am honest with myself the believing in Jesus part of this Christian life is easy.  For me the believing in Jesus is a no brainer. History proves it, at least for me.  Reading His story it becomes crystal clear that no one would ever die the death He died if He wasn't really the Son of God.  No one would endure the torture He went through if they were not being truthful.  I believe in God!  I believe that Jesus Christ was and is God's one and only Son. He was born to set us free from the sin that rules our lives condemns us to a certain hell.  I believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is now seated with God in heaven.  I believe that I have the power of the Holy Spirit of the living God, living within me.  Call me crazy, call me a fool, but I believe!

That for me is the easy part.  For me the complicated part is obedience.  I have always been one who is considered a free spirit.  If I could float around on a cloud all day, I would.  I love to relax and enjoy my life.  For me life should be easy and uncomplicated.   When I think of hanging a list of rules and commands over my head, a sense of dread comes over me.  The stupid thing is Jesus's one main command He left us is this:

Luke 10:27  "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

You see all the commandments are wrapped up in one command.  Love God, love your neighbor and love yourself.  Sounds simple doesn't it?  Yet it is not simple, at least for us human beings.  We like to seek revenge when someone hurts us, we like to get even with people who have wronged us, we like to sit in judgement and point fingers at those who are different, we like to gossip about people and spread rumors to embarrass others and humiliate them.  We like to beat others up physically and with our mouth.  We like to laugh at others expense and we like to tease them about physical abnormalities.  We stare at those who appear different.  We snicker and whisper behind peoples backs.  And we dare call ourselves Christians or believers?

Obedience of this command is essential for me.  Loving others may seem simple but it's not and if you are being honest with yourself, you will admit loving others can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, especially if we feel they don't deserve our love.  As believers we should live our life as Jesus did.  He sat with sinners and non believers.  He talked with people no one else wanted to.    He touched the lepers and the outcasts.  But just because He died on the cross and ascended into heaven does not mean His efforts to love others ended with Him.  Today He still loves the broken, tattooed, homeless person on a street corner.  He loves the drug addict and the alcoholic.  He loves the sinner,    He loves the unlovable.  How does He still do this today?  Through you and I!  Let's get real about this.  It's not always easy to love everyone, but Jesus commanded it!  

So let's get off our high horse and step down off that pedestal we put ourselves on and get real.  Let's go after the sinners the way Jesus went after us sinners.  

Lord, your example of loving others is one I want to relate to.  Oh how I long to obey your command to love one another.  Help me and guide me as I walk my path in love and only love.  In Jesus name I pray, amen!

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Luke 8:39  "No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you." So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him. 

Jerry and I are headed home.  It has been 2 months since I stepped foot in our home.  To say I miss this home would be an understatement.  But this home is not the main reason I miss our home.  I miss our family big time.  I miss our children, our son-in-laws, our grandchildren and I miss our grandpuppies!  I miss our church family big time!   I miss watching sunrises from our deck.  I miss hearing the laughter of our children as they bring up memories.  I miss the chaos when we all gather together.  I miss our home!  If home is where the heart is, my heart is back in Michigan.  That is my home!  Family means everything to me! 

 I do not miss the snow and cold we have had this winter.  For that reason I am grateful that we were able to be out here in Arizona.  I am also grateful that I have been able to spend time with my mom.  At 84 years of age, I am grateful she is still with us.  I will miss her, but this is where she has lived for 30 years.  She loves it out here and this is her home now.  I am grateful for the memories and laughter we have had out here but I need to get home.

You know when I read this verse, it touched me because Jesus had just healed a man who had been possessed by demons for years.  The man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus said, "No, go back to your family and tell them what God has done for you."  Can you imagine what that was like for that man?  For years everyone avoided him, including his own family.  For years he was an outcast who was tormented by Satan.  He lived in agony and pain as the demons took over his body.  

The thing about this verse is Jesus told him to go and tell everyone about all the great things God has done for him.  Often we keep our mouth shut about the blessings God has given us because we don't want to seem like we're bragging.  Also we feel if we tell people what God has done for us, others may feel bad because God isn't blessing them in the same way.  How in the world can we ever proclaim the great things God has done for us and not be labeled as bragging?

We need to proceed with caution here because it is very easy and tempting to brag about all we have and our awards and all our promotions and so on.  It is easy to get wrapped up in all our accomplishments and take credit for it all.  That is where true wisdom comes in, at least I think so.  When I sit still and listen for God's voice, I will hear His truth.  I will gain some wisdom for reading His word.  This verse clearly states Jesus wants us to tell others about the great things God has done for us.  The caution comes in making sure we clearly give God the credit for what we have.  

All credit, all honor and all blessings I have is used for the Glory of God!   To God be the Glory!  I have been blessed by a God who loves me and He loves you too!  Shout from the roof tops the blessing God has given you.  Tell others about your healing from God.  Because of Jesus Christ, I have been redeemed and forgiven.  Because of Jesus Christ I have the promise of eternal life.  It is because of Jesus Christ that I am who I am and have what I have.  I have done nothing to deserve any of His blessings, yet He gives them freely. 

Lord, help us to shout about your truth from the roof tops.  Help us not keep quiet, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

HALF HEARTED, LUKEWARM AND MEDIOCRE

Revelation 3:15-16  "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

I honestly think there are too many Christians who live their life with a half hearted, lukewarm, mediocre attitude.  Afraid to stand up and proclaim Jesus Christ as their Savior, afraid to raise their hands in worship, scared to be honest with their family and friends about their beliefs.  I can be one of the occasionally.  Now be honest, so can you!!  Our lives sometimes revolve about impressing others, worrying about what others may think of us and afraid to rock the boat.   True?

Come one you know it can be true.  Even in church we can easily tend to be lukewarm.  We don't dare lift our hands in praise during worship because someone may think we are radical, besides we may be the only one.  We don't clap to the beat of the music because someone may get offended, after all no one else is doing it.  We dare not shout "Amen!"   Oh my the church walls may come tumbling down.  Yes, even in church we sometimes are lukewarm.  

Imagine a church where you walk in, kneel down to pray, then sit in your seat waiting for the service to start.  No one dare to utter a single word because we are sitting in a holy place.  In this church we do not really know the person sitting next to us, not really anyway.  We may know their name, but nothing else.  The service starts, the music itself is lukewarm and the members of the church just mumble the words.  Prayers are recited, readings are said with no excitement, no passion.  People are afraid to shake hands because they may get someone else's germs.  After an hour or more, the service is complete and before people rush to the exits and run out as fast as they can to continue in their lukewarm life.

This is the truth about some churches.  It doesn't matter what "religion".  Every "religion" has churches like this, trust me I have been in them!  The entire service is mediocre, half hearted and lukewarm.  Any members of these churches who dare to step out of the box and dare to rise above the mediocrity is stared at and pointed to.  Trust me, I have been there.   I have listened to the prayers and the music, the words they repeat are beautiful and have so much meaning.  Unfortunately these prayers, the music and the words just become some rouge routine some feel they have to complete in order to get to heaven someday.  Seriously?

I feel so bad for those of us who don't get this verse above.  We cannot be lukewarm Christians!  We cannot continue to be mediocre Christians!  We have to stop living our lives half hearted for Jesus Christ.  

Stand up people!  Get up out of those pews and dance for joy!  Jesus Christ has given us the gift of eternal life and we should be the happiest bunch of people around.  Our church should be full of energy and excitement.  Our church should be raising the roof and our hands lifting up to heaven in praise.  We need to be on fire for Jesus Christ!  We need to be excited about what God is doing in our lives.  We need to be a red hot, on fire church.  

In our day to day life, we need live like we are on fire for Christ.  We need to stand up to our friends who try to tempt us drink too much.  We need to stand up to our family members who hurt someone.  We need to live our personal life outside of church, on fire for Jesus Christ.  If we lose a friendship?  Oh well.  I don't want to back down any more and let myself be lukewarm.  I want to live my life inside of the church walls and outside the church walls, on fire for Jesus Christ.  Who's with me?

Lord please give me the wisdom, the power and the strength I need to  live my life on fire for you.  Forgive me for the times I have been lukewarm, mediocre and half hearted.  Light my heart and soul on fire, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

SOMETIMES "SAME" IS GOOD

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

To me, this verse is refreshing and comforting.  While life on this Earth seems like it's spinning out of control, with things and people constantly changing, to me this verse brings me peace.  Jesus is the same as He was at the time the world was created.  His word never changes, it is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.  His laws never change, they remain the same as when Moses first brought them down Mt. Sinai.  His grace never changes, it is available for all those who believe.  

Some of us assume that maybe Jesus would "go with the flow".  Wrong.  Some of us assume that Jesus would be okay to live together before marriage, after all "times are a changing", so Jesus must also.  Wrong.  Some of assume it's alright to cheat the government and even our employers, after all we deserve to be paid more and pay less taxes, surely Jesus would understand.  Wrong.  Some of us assume that if Jesus could rewrite the Bible He would certainly change some of the laws after all, does He really expect us to follow laws that are thousands of years old?  

Well let me say, I used to assume many things until I got real and got honest with myself.  My own selfishness sometimes wishes Jesus Christ would change.  My own greed wishes Jesus Christ would change.  My own sinful nature would love it if Jesus Christ would change, but He doesn't!  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Never changing,  Never willing to "go with the flow".  Never compromising.  

Sometimes this verse stings.  But if we fully grasp the reality of this verse, it is comforting because if Jesus Christ is the same, that also means His grace is the same today as it was yesterday and as it will be tomorrow.  His promise of eternity is not limited to a certain religion, or race of people.  This promise and all of His promises are for everyone who believes.  

That's right, everyone has the promise of eternity, if they chose to believe in Him!  Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Buddhists, Protestants, Jehovah Witnesses, and people who have never stepped foot in a church can claim the promise of eternity simply by believing in Jesus Christ.  

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

By believing in  Jesus Christ, is the first step in claiming the prize of eternal grace, which never changes.  As for me, I would not want to believe in or worship a God who changes in order to "go with the flow".  My God stands up in a crowd and stands up for what is right, just and good.  My God doesn't back down or conform to this world.  My God longs to give you the grace He has stored up for you.  All you need to do is believe.  

Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life.  I come to you today and chose to believe in you.. I believe you died on the cross for my sins.  I believe that my sins have now been wiped away. I thank you for not changing with the times.  Come into my heart today.  I make you my Lord and Savior, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

JUST DO IT

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Why do we procrastinate?  Why do we put things off?  Why do we sit and weigh the pros and cons?  Why don't we just step out in faith?  Why do we let fear seep in and steal all the amazing things God has planned for us?  Why do we listen to the lies of Satan?  Why do we sit and wait, instead of getting up and just doing it?  Why don't we just do it afraid and trust in God to do what we cannot do?

These are all questions I ask myself on a daily basis.   I allow confusion and fear to seep into my thoughts.  I allow others comments or lack of comments, to dissuade me cause me to ponder these questions.  I seek approval, I seek encouragement, I seek positive compliments and when I don't get them, I take that as a sign that I am worthless and my life, my mission is meaningless.  I allow Satan to tempt me to give up.  I allow Satan to tempt me to give up the dream God has given me.  

Why do I do this?  Why do allow this stupidity to continue?  I am human!!!  I am a sinner who is still struggling with accepting God's mission for my life.  I am a sinner who has listened to other voices instead of God.  I am a sinner who still longs for approval and acceptance.  I am still a sinner who needs validation and encouragement from outside sources.   Why????

I am not telling you this to get any comments.  I am being honest about who I am trying to stop being.  You see in my quiet time with God, He is the one who encourages me, and that is what I need to breathe in.  In my prayer time with God, He is the one who tells me that I am approved and accepted.  In fact He reminds me on a daily basis that He has adopted me as His daughter.  He tells me how much He loves me and how beautiful I am.  He speaks to me of the plans He has for my life.  He whispers to me about what my gifts are and how to use them.  

I no longer want to doubt and fear.  I do not want to second guess God any more.  I do not want to listen to the temptations of Satan any longer.  I will not allow the lies and the negativity to seep into my mind.  I don't want to tell God why I can't do what I am doing any more.  

My mission, my purpose, my life are gifts from God.  I will use my life for His purpose and not my own.  Although doubt and fear may still creep in, I will cling to the words of my Heavenly Father.  I will listen to His voice and allow His Holy Spirit to fill me with the grace and peace Jesus died to give me.  

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!  To me that means, just do it!  God gave me a gift. to write.  It may not always be correct grammar or proper english, but it doesn't need to be.  God will make it perfect for me, He will do what I cannot do.  

Do it afraid and allow God to just step in and replace the fears and doubts, with confidence in Him!  So instead of just sitting on the sidelines, get up and just do it!!  Instead of waiting for some miraculous miracle that descends from a lightning bolt, just do it!  

Lord forgive me for allowing the lies of Satan to permeate this brain of mine.  Help me cling to your truth, that I can do all things with you by my side.  If it is in your will you will bring it to pass for me and I want to rely on you, trust in you and step out in faith, knowing you will do what I cannot do. In Jesus name I pray, amen!

 

POSITIVE POST IT NOTES

Ephesians 2:10  For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. 

Can you imagine logging onto your Facebook page to find that someone has hacked into your account and posted on your page,  "You should just kill yourself"?  What would you do if that happened to you or one of your children?  Would you have littered the school with post it notes saying, "You are a masterpiece"?

Today I read something on Facebook that just amazed me.  A high school girl had her locker broken into.  That person took her iPad and posted on her Facebook page, that she should kill herself.  First of all this bullying needs to stop!  It is so ridiculous that someone would post that on Facebook.  What kind of sick people are there in this world.?  I really want to shout and scream at that person who did that.  I would really like to get in their face and put them behind bars.  The mother bear in me wants to get even.  But what this girl did, blew me away.

Instead of getting depressed or angry, this girl took piles of post it notes and put uplifting positive thoughts one each one.  Then she put one of these notes on every single locker in her High School.  Are you kidding me?  That is amazing!!  Me the "good Christian" I think I am, never would have dreamed of that.  This girl blew my mind and made me realize that I am too busy trying to criticize others .  Too busy finding faults in others "religions" and too busy trying to remove the splinter in your eye when I can't see the splinter because I have a pole in my eye.

So starting today, instead of pointing our fingers at different "religions", instead of finding fault with other people,  instead of focusing on the splinter in our neighbors eyes, lets begin to focus on the pole in our own eye.   Let's work together to judge ourselves and not each other.  Let's focus on spreading love and uplifting messages.

Listen I know there are some preachers who get labeled because their messages are always positive, but honestly we need a little more uplifting, positive messages.  With all the bull going on in this world, all the negative news reports, all the crime and murder that is glorified on TV and in movies, with all the shows that promote affairs outside of marriage, there is enough negative junk that is pounded into our heads.  We need positive messages.  

If only we could learn to be like this young lady who instead of getting even or killing herself, decided to spread love and acceptance.  This world would be so much brighter and so much better.  I know as believers we need to be cautious of sin, but not the sinners.  In my simple mind we need to show people love and acceptance at all times no matter what they believe or don't believe.  We cannot win people over to Christ if we are are constantly pointing our fingers in judgement.  We need to lift them up and build them up and show them the love of Jesus,  and let them feel the acceptance of Jesus.  

So lets start posting positive, uplifting notes to everyone.  Smile and share love and peace with everyone we meet.  Let's turn the other cheek and share the positive love we all know so well.

Lord, please help us to remove the pole in our own eyes so that we can share your love and acceptance to everyone we meet.  Help us to post positive, uplifting notes everywhere, in Jesus name I pray, amen 

BITTER OR SWEET?

Proverbs 18:20-21 (MSG)   Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.  Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.

If we had to eat our words, how would they taste?  Bitter?  Sweet?  Out here in Arizona orange trees, grapefruit trees and lemon trees are loaded with fruit.  Some is good, some is not.  The thing is you really cannot tell unless you bite into the fruit.  Sure it all looks good and sweet on the outside but once you cut if open and taste it that is when you will find out if it is sweet or bitter.  

Words is that way also.  We may look beautiful on the outside.  Our hair may be styled, we may have our make up on, our clothes may be pressed and we have our Sunday finest on.   Then we open our mouth and the ugliness spews out of our mouth.  Words fly out of our mouth like mosquitoes biting everyone in there path.   Our words leave a path of destruction a mile wide.   Our words can literally kill someone's spirit and they can lead to death, physical as well as spiritual.

Let's be honest.  Most bullies use words first, we all know that.  But even well meaning people can kill us with their words.  Like I said I am talking about physical death as well as spiritual.  Because honestly, a lot of suicides happen after someone's hurtful, mean spirited words.  The old saying "Sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us" is bull!  Words can hurt us!

I am sure we have all experienced words that hurt us.  Innocent comments, well meaning words, as well has critical and harsh words can cut through our soul and lead to feelings of inadequacy and inferiority.  How many of you have felt the sting of words?  If I were to take a poll, I am sure the number would be surprising to those who uses their words to kill our spirits and bodies.  I know personally speaking words have often crippled me to the point of tears and despair.  How about you?

A lesson I learned quite a few years ago is this, people who use words to hurt others are often struggling and hurting themselves.  "Hurting people, hurt people" is a saying that has calmed me and helped me to realize this simple truth.  When I think back to grade school and high school, I realized that those bullies often used their words to hurt me because they were trying to make themselves feel better about themselves.  Although the words hurt, I now realize that the people throwing around the hurtful words, were hurting also.  Maybe there was someone in their life who was hurting them with words or worse.  

Listen we have a choice as to whether we allow words to hurt us or not.  We also have a choice as t whether we use our words to build someone up or tear someone down.  So chose your words carefully.  Sometimes it's  better to keep our mouth shut then to voice our opinion.  

"If you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all"

Lord please keep a watch over my mouth.  Help my words to be uplifting and encouraging, in Jesus name I pray, amen.