WHAT LIES BENEATH CAN BE FRIGHTENING

Oh the sheer beauty of a fresh fallen snow.  The white snow covers a multitude of ugly underneath it.  Lying beneath this beautiful white snow lies and ugly mess of leaves we didn't get picked up in time before the first blast of winter.  I can't even describe the amount of nuts that lie under the snow, we have so many nut trees in our yard that we have a zoo full of squirrels.  And then there are the dead flowers I decided not to get rid of, after all they can wait til spring, right?  I mean seriously look at this picture.  It's amazing and breathtaking.  You'd never know the ugly mess that lies beneath the snow.  It's all covered up and appears pristine.  Almost like a picture post card, until spring.

In spring the mess and ugliness that lies hidden under all that snow will be revealed.  That's when the real work begins.  Our lives are so much like the weather.  Think about it when life is hard we say we're going through a storm.  When life is going great, it's all sunshine and roses.  Then winter hits and life becomes stale and dormant and dry.  It just feels like there is no life left in us.  We feel cold and harsh and bitter, we long for the sun to shine but when it finally does, when the snow finally melts, then we have to begin to regrow and face the ugly mess we have made of our lives.  

Ephesians 4:21-24  assuming that you have heard about and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 

Renewal, getting rid of the old stuff is not easy. Transformation can be painful and downright scary.  When I think about getting down on my knees starting to prune bushes and dig out plants that died and raking up those old mushy leaves, my body starts to shake.  Whether your transforming a garden or your life, either way, it can be and it will be a painful process.  As for our life, we need to get rid of the old way of thinking, the old way of talking and the old way of living.  When Jesus Christ began the transformation process in me, I had to face the reality of who I had become and I had to chose to be ready to get my hands and knees dirty as I dug into places and people and hurts and hangups and attitudes and mood swings and a past that left me damaged.  

I had to do a deep heart check and a deep attitude adjustment.  I had to make sure I used the proper tools to dig down deep to get out the roots of the problems.  Just like when your digging up a weed in your garden, if you don't get to the root of the weed, it will just keep coming back up.  In our lives we need to deal with the root of our issues.  We need to STOP BLAMING OTHERS.  We need to be honest and real with ourselves.  Trust me God already knows the problem with your life is you.  And until you face reality and allow God to deal honestly you and allow Him to do the painful process of transformation, your life won't be any better.  

I had to get rid of people in my life who tried to get me tangled in their webs, I had to stop reading books that were morally questionable.  I had to stop watching violent TV shows and movies.  I had to stop listening to some of the music I listened to.  I had to stop watching and listening and reading things that didn't make me feel good.  I lost some friendships and I ticked off some family members.  I was being way to radical, but I had to.  It was my choice to go all the way with Jesus.  I didn't want my former way of life.  I didn't want the snow to continue to cover stuff I needed to deal with and get rid of.  I wanted to change.  I wanted to grow.  

You don't have to do anything.  You can remain watching and reading and listening to the same old stuff you have for years, and you'll remain the same.  Or you can take a chance and make a change and reach for the stars.  Get rid of that snow and deal with what lies beneath.  You just may find that you like being a Jesus Freak like me.   

WHO DOESN'T LOVE PRESENTS?

Okay lets be perfectly honest here....we all love to presents.  Oh sure we can all say "It's better to give than to receive"  but if we're being honest with ourselves we have to admit that for us it's better to receive.  After all who doesn't love opening presents?  I know I do.  And if you're being 100% honest you'd say the same thing.  For me it doesn't matter the cost of the gift, what matters for me is the thought that went into the gift.  Presents are awesome.  Admit it.  Don't try to be all holier than though, self righteous and pious.  Don't act like you have a halo over your head.  You know darn well that you love opening presents.  It's exciting opening a present someone bought just for you. 

This time of year presents take on a very different meaning, at least for me they do.  For me this time of year I try to do my best to concentrate on presence instead of presents.  Now before you sign off or close this out please take some time and hear me out.  You see for me Christmas is about one of the greatest gifts of all, the presence of God.  Not the presents of God.  Way too often us believers concentrate on the presents God has given us without ever really thinking about His presence.  We thank Him of all the gifts He gives us, but what about His presence?  I too was so blinded by all the gifts I have received from God, so grateful for those, that I totally forgot about the greatest gift of all, His presence.  

God's presence is with me every single second of every single minute of my life.  As a believer in Jesus Christ, as one who received the gift of eternal salvation, the very presence of God is with me.  This presence of my Living God has brought about new dimensions to my life.  No matter what my current circumstances are, I have a peace which surpasses all understanding.  No matter what is happening in the world around me, I have faith that God will guide me through it all.  No matter how mean people are to me, no matter what people say about me, I know what God says about me because His presence is with me.  

I do not have to sit in a church pew to be in His presence.  I do not have to belong to a certain religion to be in His presence.  To be honest being in His presence can be frightening.  Why?  Because once I am in His presence He begins to work on me from the inside out.  He changes me.  The books I read changes, the music I listen to changes, the TV shows I watch changes, the movies I see changes and yes even some of my friends have had to go.  It can be painful to sit in His presence because once you do, you will never be the same.  So if it's painful and frightening why should I sit in His presence?

Well the reward is far greater than anything I could imagine.  He has removed people from my life and replaced them with people who love me and encourage me to be all He created me to be.  He has replaced my books and music and TV and movies with ones that make me feel good about life.  I have a peace and joy in my heart so profound it's hard to explain.  I live in the very real presence of God every day.  It is the best present I ever received.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

What is it about Christmas that brings out the little kid in all of us?  Or should I say most of us?  There always seems to be a sense of magic, a sense of wonder and awe surrounds this time of year. Pixie dust sprinkled letters to a Santa Claus, the smell of fresh baked goodies fill our homes, family and friends we rarely see gather round a lighted pine tree, carolers sing about peace on earth and good will towards all mankind, decorations that make us reorganize our homes, the thought of buying that perfect gift for that someone special....these simple things seem to bring about a sense of magic.  Christmas is not another day and lets be honest...it's not just another holiday either.  There is something magical that only happens at Christmas.  

I know, it has to do with the jolly old sole who resides at the North Pole!  His laughter, his belly shaking laughter that brings the magic.  His willingness to give to others inspires us.  His laughter makes us giggle with glee.  The fact that his reindeers really fly fills us with magical hope that we will actually get to witness this event.  The simple fact that for a day his entire menu consists of cookies and milk definitely brings out the kid in all of us.  Santa Claus, that has to bring out the kid in all of us.  I know it does that for me.  I love Santa Claus.  The idea that someone could love others the way he does gives me hope and puts a twinkle in my eye.  I feel like a little kid again.  The excitement, the anticipation, the nervous giggles all come rushing back to me in a moment.  

The gifts he brings are amazing.  How he knows how to give us the perfect gift is beyond my comprehension.  Yes we may give him a list of what we want, but he does better than that, he seems to be able to know what we need, not just what we want.  He always seems to take gift giving one step higher than we could ever imagine.  His love for all of us reaches to new heights and is simply beyond anything we could ever imagine.  Just the mention of his name brings joy and happiness to a weary, wounded soul.  Just hearing his laughter puts a smile on the depressed person.  Seeing the twinkle in his eyes, warms the hardest of hearts.  Santa Claus is real, but he's not who you think he is, at least not for me.  

You see when I think of Santa Claus, when I see those twinkling eyes, when I hear that infectious laughter, when I see how much he gives to those in need....I see the face of God!  You see the man we know as Santa Claus, or St. Nicholas, was inspired by my heavenly Father...God!  He chose one of the holiest days of the year to spread joy to those children who were most in need.  His heart and love continues to spread across this world today in the hearts of parents and grandparents.  But what some chose to ignore is the fact that God inspired the person we call Santa Claus.

God loves you and I so much that He gives us His best.  His laughter, (yes I believe God laughs after all He'd have to have a sense of humor...He made us) fills my heart with joy.  God's twinkling eyes makes my eyes sparkle with His love.    He overwhelms my soul with love.  When I stop and try to comprehend the gifts He has given me, I am drawn to my knees.  You see God gave His life for us in the form of Jesus Christ.  He came down from heaven, He got up off His throne and was born to a virgin in a dirty, grimy manger.  He was tortured, beaten, bruised and killed so that we might come to know Him and believe in Him and spend eternity with Him.  

You see, Santa Claus was inspired by someone pretty amazing.  God gives us His heart with open arms.  He's waiting for you this Christmas.  He has a gift for you that is beyond anything you could ever imagine.  His love is overwhelming and powerful.  His grace is beyond comprehension.  Please take time and ponder the truth of God's amazing love that is waiting for you today.  The heart of Christmas has a name...Jesus Christ.  And He's waiting for you today.  I feel the magic of Christmas every single day of my life.  It's not about Santa Claus, it's about God!  Even St. Nicholas knew that.

REJOICE

Philippians 4:4-5 (The Message) Celebrate God all day, every day.  I mean, revel in Him!  Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them.  Help them see that the  Master is about to arrive.  He could show up any minute!  

As I sit here trying to grasp how I can rejoice and celebrate God with all the chaos going on in this country try, I realize that it is in situations just like this that we must rejoice.   Listen we all go through storms in life, we all have to deal with disappointments, we all have to endure loss, we also sometimes live with physical pain.  Those are the times we need to rejoice in God and celebrate Him.   When we do that, when we live like that, God notices!   He sees our faithfulness in the midst of the storm.  Jesus Christ rejoiced in God His Father even though He knew He'd endure the cross.  I mean think about it for a moment.  What would this world be like if we all celebrated God every day instead of dwelling on our circumstances and living in our regrets and destroying things over our disappointments?   How much better would we all feel physically and mentally if we rejoiced with God every day?   When will we ever learn that life is about celebrating and rejoicing even through the storms? 

Okay I know it's not easy to celebrate or rejoice when you're going through a storm.  I've been there before and the thought of rejoicing or celebrating anything sickens me to my core.   The way I discovered to rejoice or celebrate during a storm is to drop to my knees in prayer.   Dive into God's Word.  Cry out to God.  Plant your face on the floor and cry a pool of tears.  
"God, I can't handle this situation alone.  I am lost and confused and hurt.  I don't know what to door where to turn.  I need you God!  I give up!"    This is my usual prayer when I'm in a stormy season.   The thing is that when I do this, when I surrender my storms to God and stop trying to handle them myself, that is when God steps in and takes over.   As long as I keep trying to handle it on my own, God won't intervene.  He sits on the sidelines and watches waits for me to give Him control.   And honestly when I do that I can rejoice and celebrate in the storm because God's plan is far better than my plan.  His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are far more on track than mine.  

Sure I could keep on handling it, many of us do, but trust me when I say that it is only when we surrender our storms to Him that we feel the stress diminish and the pain dissipate.   When I handle it, it gets worse and takes much longer to calm.   When I let go and let God handle it, I instantly feel a sense of relief and calm.  No matter how disappointed I may feel, no matter how afraid I feel, no matter how painful I feel, when God takes control and I surrender, the clouds part, the rain and the wind cease and the rainbow appears.  In the midst of the storms I can rejoice, I can celebrate because God will work all things out for my good, even if I can't see it now.   

There have been so many times in my life when I thought the storms would never end.  I felt so defeated, so battered and bruised that it was too much to bare.   Tears run down my face like a flood and my heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest.   It just doesn't seem fair.   It is during those times when my faith has grown stronger.  It is only during those times that I have always been comforted knowing that my Lord is always with me.   In my deepest, darkest despair I surrender.   I wish I didn't have to get to that point to finally get it but sometimes that's what it takes to get through this thick skull of mine.  You see for me, when things are going smooth, when everything is coming up roses, I don't need much faith, I don't really need God.  I get comfy and lose sight of who God is and what He can do for me.   Ocassionally I need a gentle reminder, or I should say I need a kick in the buttocks.   

I do my best nowadays to rejoice and celebrate God all the time, even in the stromy season.  I realize how close He is to me every second of every day.    He is my refuge, my strength, my Savior!    Without Him I can do nothing, with Him I can do whatever He needs me to do.   No matter what disappointment you face today, let it go!    Surrender all your pain, all your tears, all your hurts and all your fears!   Let go of all the disappointments!   Rejoice and celebrate that no matter how bleak your situation seems, God is in control!   He has a plan we will never fully understand!   Just have faith that He will work it all out!  

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

Genesis 3:9. But the Lord called to the man, "Where are you?"

"Where are you?"   Can you imagine the God of the universe, the creator of this world searching for you?  Does it sound even remotely possible?  Why would God search for me?  After all He's so important and He has so much important things to deal with, why would He take time to search for me? I mean I just don't get it.   It puzzles me yet really intrigues me to think that God is searching for me.   Could this question be real? Could God really be searching for me?  It really makes me pause and think.  How about you?   I imagine the reality of hearing the voice of God saying, "Debra, where are you?"  In a way that is a very comforting idea, the idea that God is searching for me means I must be important to Him.   On the other hand when I hear my name being called it sends me into fear, "What did I do wrong?  Why is God searching for me?"  How about you?

As I ponder the question, "Where are you Debra?" I become lost in a sea of the past.  My sins come flooding back, my past mistakes, my past regrets, my shortcomings, my failures all flood back like a title wave.   Every thing I have ever said or done that was wrong fills my mind to overflowing and my eyes with tears.  Then I stop for a moment and actually listen to the question again, "Where are you Debra?"  I realize He isn't asking me what I've done, because truthfully He already knows what I've done in my past.  He already knows all my sins, past, present and future.  He knows every mistake, every regret, every shortcoming and every failure.  He already knows every word I have spoken yet He still searches for me?  Really?  Let me be honest here....if God really knew all of this about me, if He really knew my past, then it doesn't make sense that He would be searching for me.

Do you feel this way also?  I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way, in fact I know I'm not.  How can I know that?  I've heard the stories, I've read the news, I'm on Facebook.  I see the pain in between the lines and hear the sheer despair in the voices of those pondering this question.  God is searching for you.   He's not looking to punish you, Jesus Christ already paid the price for your sins and failings.  He doesn't want to remind you of your painful past, He's already forgotten it because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for you.  He's not searching you out to fill you with fear.  For many years growing up, this is what I thought, if God's searching for me, that's not a good sign.  I must be guilty of something.

Truth is I am guilty!   I am guilty of so many sins, so many mistakes, so many regrets, so many failures that they are to numerous to recall.   I find it very hard to believe that God would want to search for me because He loves me.   That just seems so unrealistic.  In fact it seems almost impossible.   As I sit here typing this I am simply undone and overwhelmed at the sheer possibility that God is searching for me.  The truth is He is searching for me.   That is my reality.  He searches for me every moment of every day.   He longs to be with me and talk with me and hold me and love me and dry every tear I have ever cried.  He wants a relationship with me.

God does not want to be put up on the mantle and stared at like some trophy.  He wants to know you. He wants to hear all about your fears and your failures.  He wants to know all about your day and then problems you face.   He wants to hear about what your needs are and what the desires of you heart are.  He wants to hear from you and me.   He wants to be your friend, your mentor and your daddy.  He wants a relationship and that is why He is searching for you. 

Right now there is a void, an emptiness, a longing for more.  There is a painful past searching to be healed.   There are thoughts running through your mind that there has to be more in life than this.   You search for meaning in your life through horoscopes, mediums, psychics, fortune tellers, and other gods all to no avail.  Let me be blunt here.   There is no other gods searching for you.   No new moon parties will ever fill the void in your heart.  God, the creator of the universe, is earching for you.   He's calling out to you, "Where are you?"   Will you answer?  Will you respond?

ARE YOU PARKED IN YOUR PAST?

Philippians 3:13  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.  

Past - gone by in time;  no longer existing.  It is finished,  It is done.  It is in the past.  If it's in the past, then why are you still living there?  I know that one hurt.  It did for me too.  Many years ago I realized I had lived in my past for way too long.  The fact that my parents moved to Arizona crushed me.  It affected me or I should say that it infected me.  To be honest they did nothing wrong.  My dad's health was top priority and moving to Arizona was the best decision they could have made, but for me it was devastating.  The fact that it happened 31 years ago didn't dull the pain.  I never allowed this pain to affect my relationship with them, I don't think they know how their moved affected me.  I never became verbally angry with them, never lost my temper with them.  They were my parents and I loved them.  I may have wanted to but I didn't.  I spent years crying.  I spent years reliving this past pain.  I told almost everyone I met about the sad story of my past.  I parked in the pain of the past for almost 25 years.

I know that sounds sad but it was my reality.  Instead of focusing on the good times I had with my parents, the back of my mind was filled with the past of what they had done to me. Holidays and birthdays were filled with tears.  The pain for me became a badge of courage.  I would wear that badge to get attention and give me a reason for my pity parties.   Sympathy I received was adding to my reasons for keep parking there, you know, in my past.  Why do we allow our past to define us?  Why do we park in our past hurts?  Why do we keep a list of wrongs done to us?  Why do we wear our past as an excuse to live a pitiful, depressed life?

 Honestly the thoughts I had back then, sickens me now.  The way I parked in the past makes me physically sick to my stomach.  Listen everyone has a past, some more painful than others, but when we park in the past, when we relive every painful word, every painful hit and every painful wrong, why are we surprised that our life is pitiful?  Listen I had to answer this question honestly myself.  I had to get real and allow God to heal my past and teach me to let it go.  It wasn't easy because I had to deal with myself.  It wasn't my parents fault that I lived a pitiful life for 25 years.  Okay listen let me clarify, my life wasn't pitiful, my attitude was pitiful, okay maybe it was pathetic.  Anyway I think you get my drift here, at least I hope so.  

I will be as brutally honest here as I can be and I hope I offend you enough to make you stop and think.  Get over it!!  No matter what lies in your past, no matter how much someone hurt you, no matter what someone did to you, guess what?  It's over!!!  It's in your past!!!  I'm not asking you to forget what happened, but it's time to pull up your big girl (or big boy) panties and stop parking in the past.  Deal with it, talk with someone, seek counseling, whatever you need to do, but then move on!   We all experience pain to one degree or another.  Some pain is worse than other but pain is a fact of life.  We were never promised a life without pain.  You don't have to allow your life to be ruined because someone hurt you.  

When you park in your pain, you're settling for a life that is less than what God has waiting for you.  We can't always avoid pain, but we can choose to not let it ruin us.  Listen no one is perfect.  People sin, people commit crimes, people screw up and make mistakes, but we don't have to live in the past.    Your past cannot define you unless you allow it to.  Your pain cannot change who you are unless you allow it to.  Harsh?  Maybe but it's time to grow up.  It's time to let go.  Put your life in gear and begin traveling down that road less traveled.  You may be amazed at what God has waiting for you around the corner.

We cannot change our past.  We cannot erase the words spoken to us.  We may not be able to eliminate the physical pain we live with.  BUT we can learn to move on.  Stop parking in our pain and let it go.  Don't let pain ruin life.  

WHERE HAVE YOU SETTLED?

Genesis 11:31-32  Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan.  But when they came to Harran, they settled there.  Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran. 

You know what?  I have read these verses before a few times but I never really the reality of this verse until it was pointed out to me last week.  Take a moment and reread these verses.  Terah was headed to Canaan, but he settled in Harran.  Did you get it yet?  Canaan was the promised land God gave to the Israelite's.  Canaan was the promised land.  It was a land flowing with milk and honey.  It was a special place God chose for His people.  But Terah never got to Canaan because he settled in Harran,  He settled!  He stopped  his journey and settled.  He basically gave up his dream.  He lived 205 years and died in Harran.  He died where he settled.  Are you going to die where you have settled?  Are you going to be like Terah and give up on your dreams? 

What if Terah had made it to Canaan?  Would that have made a difference in his life or the life of his family?  The sort of funny thing about all this is many years after they had settled God told Abram (Abraham) to take his wife and leave Harran and his family.  God did not want them to live in Harran, He had a better plan, a better place.  Would Terah's life have been different if he had continued on to Canaan?  We will never know because he settled.  Okay maybe there were extenuating circumstances.  Maybe there was a list of excuses a mile wide, but maybe, just maybe Terah could have made it Canaan if he had tried harder.  I don't know the what if's of the if only's but I know that things could have been different if he had not settled where he did.

Where have you settled?  What comfort zone are you afraid to step out of?  Is the gear shift of your body in park?  It's time to put your car in gear, it's time to step out of your comfort zone.   It's time to stop settling and go all the way with God.  I know for me personally I have settled.  I have allowed myself to slip into my comfort zone, put my body in park and settle.  I get tired, I get frustrated, I get upset, I get sad.  It's so much easier to sit and turn on the stupid TV and watch mindless garbage instead of reading the Bible or a book that can help me be a better me.  It's so much easier to park at the point of my pain and never let it go.  It's so much easier to have pity parties and make excuses for myself.  It's so much easier to live with a chip on your shoulder, expecting the world to commiserate with you.  It's so much easier to put the car in park and settle where you are than take a risk of getting hurt or damaged.  

I've discovered that when we settle, there is something in our soul that dies.  Our hearts fills with regrets and we bury ourselves in our comfort zones. That dream, that hope, that vision of what could be dies.  We become lazy and physically sick.  Our hearts become hard and distant.  Sometimes we become depressed and jealous.  As we settle, we lose focus on what's really important and we focus on ourselves.  The risk far out weighs the rewards right?  Wrong!!!  

Life is a journey and if we settle we may never be able to experience the joy waiting for us just around the corner.  As we travel through this life there is so much joy awaiting us, yet for some of us we have chosen to stop, settle and focus on the pain.  To me that's like taking a car ride to the Grand Canyon and stopping because the road is too long and the journey too rough.  If we knew the Grand Canyon was right around the next turn, would you keep going?  Or settle?  "Well, we got close at least."  Listen close only counts in horseshoes, not life.  You have no idea what is lying just around the next bend in the road.  If we stop and settle we just may miss our promised land. 

God has a plan for each and every one of us.  His plans for us is not like anyone else's.  Our promised land may not look like our brother or sister, but than again maybe it can be similar but we just gave up and settled too quickly.  Where have you settled?  It's time to put that car in drive and go all the way through with God and finish the journey He has for you.    

ALIVE OR DEAD

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)  For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

or

(The Message) Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm His bounty.  Life verses even more life!  I can't lose.

I sit here and stare at this verse and I am in awe.  For me to live is Christ seems like such a powerful yet unrealistic goal, but when I read the verse in The Message version I get it.  Although it's still not an easy thing to grasp yet because I am alive, because I believe in Jesus Christ, because I have received Him as my Savior and my Lord, I am His messenger here on this Earth.  As long as I am alive I have a job to do for Him.  Wherever I go, whatever I do, whoever I meet.....I am a witness for Him.  I am a living, breathing example of Jesus Christ here on this Earth.  When people see me, they should see Him.  When people hear me, they should hear Him.  To live is Christ is a difficult task, especially in these trying times, but it is something I must do, it is something I want to do.  Okay let me be honest, it is something I should do.

I say should because I really want to live is Christ, I really want to be Christ's messenger here on Earth, but if I am honest, I'm not always a good example of Jesus.  I fail, I screw up, I fall short, I sin.  It's not always comfortable to live is Christ.  It's not easy to live as Christ's messenger.  If I live that way that means I need to forgive those who have hurt me and don't deserve my forgiveness.  If I live that way I may have to step out of my comfort zone and step into someone else's mess.  If I live that way I may have to stop and give my last $5.00 to that homeless man standing on the street corner.  If I live that way I may have to learn to shut my mouth and keep my opinions to myself.  Let me be honest I don't always want to be Christ's messenger.  I want to complain and whine and moan and groan.  I want to keep that unforgiveness in my heart for hours or days or weeks or months or years.  I want to keep that $5.00 in case I need a Starbucks coffee.  I don't always want to keep my mouth shut.  I want to be me and not Christ.  Being Christ's messenger in a lost and broken world is not easy.

But oh the reward is so amazing!!!!!  To see the look in another persons eyes is so worth the minor discomfort or uneasiness.  I remember one time I was standing in line at a Verizon store, yes the line was long.  I finally got to the counter when I overheard a mother and daughter talking about getting back to the hospital ASAP.  The ladies husband had a heart attack and the daughter was trying to help her mom get their phone straightened out.  The person helping them was doing their best to hurry to help them.  As I was ready to leave, I heard a whisper from God, "Just tell them you're praying for them."  I actually argued with God, "But I don't know them?  I don't want to interrupt them in the middle of their talking?"  I clearly heard, "Just do it.  Trust me."  So I did.  It was so uncomfortable for me to do this but I did.  The look in their eyes was priceless.  Their eyes filled with tears and heard "Thank you."  from them and from God.  

It was at that very moment I realized that I had a choice.  I could have walked out of that store without saying anything or I could have let them know that someone out there cared for the, a stranger, me.  But also I understood that I was talking to them for God.  I was a messenger and I chose to step out of my comfort zone and be a messenger to a hurting pair of women.  I walked back to my car and cried.  I thanked God for giving me the wisdom and the courage to just do what He needed me to do.  

When Paul wrote those words he was in prison.  He knew he could die any day.  He was tortured and beaten but he stayed happy and committed to being a messenger for Christ in that prison cell.   Even at his lowest moments he praised God and lived as Christ.  Because of that many of the guards and fellow inmates become believers in Jesus Christ.  In the midst of the darkest moments of his life, Paul never stopped singing praises to God.  He proclaimed Jesus Christ to everyone.  He lived as Christ.  He was Christ's messenger here on Earth.  He never made any excuses and he never apologized for being a believer.  He spoke with the heart of Christ and lived his life for Christ.  

He knew that when he was alive, Jesus was with him through the power of the Holy Spirit, but he also knew that when he died, He would be in eternity with Jesus Christ.  So when he said "to die is gain" that meant that he knew no matter what that his eternity was sealed.  So whether he was alive or dead, he was going to be fine.  He couldn't lose either way.  Whether on Earth or in heaven, Paul was faithful.  His faith was in Jesus Christ.  He would do what he could on this Earth to be Christ's messenger and he looked forward to dying to be face to face with Jesus Christ.

What prison cells are keeping you from being Christ's messenger on Earth?  Fear?  Unforgiveness?  Let it go!  Begin to live as Christ on this Earth, Lord knows we need more love on this Earth.    

MY PRAYER FOR YOU

Ephesians 1:17-19 (Amplified Bible) (For I always pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation (of insight into mysteries and secrets) in the (deep and intimate ) knowledge of Him.  By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set apart ones), and (so that you will know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength

As I sit here today I am trying to take in the fact that many of us believers do not understand what we have through Jesus Christ.  We seem to have lost sight of all He died to give us.  Or maybe we don't want to know what He has given us.  Could that be?  Is it possible that we are afraid to know the endless possibilities and the enormous abilities we have been given through Jesus Christ?  Is it easier to deny our gifts and bury them?  Is it easier to drown ourselves in pools of tears?  It is easier to hide them under a bushel basket?  I know that this may sound harsh and maybe I have offended someone, but it's time we wake up and claim all that Jesus died to give us.  It's time to claim our birthright.  It's time to claim our inheritance.  

There is power in the name of Jesus.  Yes, just saying His name gives you power.  I remember a couple years ago when gas prices were at an all time high.  I was in Kroger's gas station and there was a line up a mile long because their's was much lower.  As I sat in line there was a man backing up his truck to get into another line.  He backed up so fast I did not have time to honk my horn, or maybe I was in a state of shock. He was headed right for my door when I screamed "Jesus" (my window was shut or else he would have heard me).  He stopped within an inch of my door.  So don't tell me that it is silly to say there is power in a name.  It's just not a inspirational song, it is true.  The thing about God id that He gives us everything we need to get through this life and be a witness for Jesus Christ, but if we don't believe in those gifts, we won't receive them.

Read these verses again....there is power given to us through our belief in Jesus Christ.  We have power.  Do you understand that?  Do you believe that?  I mean do you really believe that?  Because if you do, then why are we living such weak pathetic lives?  I'm sorry that does sound harsh, but someone said that once to me and it rocked my inner being to the core.  It shook me and made me stop and think.  I probably had a "deer in the headlights" look on my face because it was the truth.  I would cry and whine and pout and complain and whine some more and cry a few more tears.  I must have looked pathetic, if I had let anyone see me like that.  I always did this behind closed doors.  I didn't want anyone to know.  I didn't want anyone to see me like that.  It would have been embarrassing.  The crazy thing is God saw me.  He saw me at my worst. 

When I went to a women's conference many years ago, I heard a speaker talk about how pitiful she would act.  Whine and cry and complain and cry some more, it sounded like me.  Then she said God whispered to her, "You can be pitiful or you can be powerful, but you can't be both."  Ouch!!  That simple phrase rang through my ears over and over and over again.  I prayed to God that night and asked if He was speaking to me, I heard a soft whisper saying "Yes. I have so many plans for you but you can't do them weak and pitiful.  I need you to be powerful."  Okay I think I got it.  So pitiful or powerful?  Which do you choose?  I chose power that day.  Oh trust me I still have those times when I feel pitiful, then I hear a voice in my head screaming, I do mean screaming, "Those are the lies of the enemy.  Pitiful or powerful?  Your choice?"  

You see the same power, the same Spirit, that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us as believers.  It's there.  We have power but we have to believe in that power and receive it.  So often we believe the lies of the enemy instead of the promises of God, why?  Is it easier to weak and pitiful?  Is it easier to just sit back and let life pass you by?  Well honestly it may be but what will you be missing out on?  There is power available to you today.  Do you believe in that power?  Are you willing to receive that power?  Let me pray....

Lord, I pray that you grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  Give us insight into the mysteries and secrets of this life.  Give us a deep and intimate knowledge of you.  Flood the eyes of our heart with light so that we may know the hope to which you have called us.  May we believe and receive in the rich, glorious inheritance you have for us.  Help us to  believe and receive the immeasurable, unlimited and greatness of the power you have for us who believe in you. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY, THAN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL

Ephesians 4:29  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Oh how I remember my mom telling me this all the time as I was growing up, "If you don't have something nice to say, than don't say anything at all."  Those words still ring through my thoughts before I dare open up mouth, well most of the time at least.  Hey I'm human as we all are.  Most of us mean well when we speak but we can lose our focus in the heat of the moment and say things we deeply regret.  We open our mouth and insert our foot.  I know I'm not the only one who does this because I have heard people talk to others and it makes me wonder if their mom talk them what my mom taught me.  Did your mom teach you this also?  I wish all of us would live by this golden rule.  This world would be a much better place.  

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is another old saying but this one is bull.  Oh words may not physically hurt us but words can hurt us in ways that no one ever sees.  Bullies take pride in their words, as well as their fists sometimes.  Well meaning people often speak without thinking.  Family and friends offer us their free advice and their opinion without asking us if we want it.  Then there are the people who are only trying to help us.  They seem to know it all and no problem telling you how wrong you are.  Sound familiar?  

Oh listen I understand that we are all human beings and we screw up and sin every single day.  We cannot always control what happens in our lives, but we can control our mouth.  "I just have to give you a piece of my mind"  Have you heard that one before?  Well let me tell you if some of us would actually listen to the way we speak we would sadly realize that many of us can't afford to give anyone a piece of our mind because quite frankly many of us have little mind left to give.  We've given so many people a "piece of my mind" that there isn't much left.  OUCH!

Yea I know that hurt some of you and in fact some may stop reading right now after that one.  Am I using my words to build you up?  I'm sorry I got carried away.  But listen this is the truth sad with love....we need to choose our words wisely.  If we wouldn't want it said to us, why would we say it to someone else?  There is so much judgement and pride and selfishness in our words that it is sickening.  Oh trust me I am speaking to myself with blog also.  Our words can be a weapon or a blessing.  They can bring life or death.  How many suicides could have been prevented in this world if we would take time to think about what we are saying?  How many marriages could have been saved if we chose our words more carefully?  How many of us would have our lives radically changed by a few encouraging words?  How many of us are willing to change our own words in order to encourage someone else?  

"Let NO unwholesome talk come out of your mouth"  To me that means that our words matter to God.  When we talk to ourselves, when we talk to others, basically any time we open our mouth we should speak with words that build others up.  Oh it's so easy to point out others faults and tell them everything they're doing wrong.  We need to help point people in the right direction if their doing something wrong or dangerous, but there is way we can use our words to uplift people while pointing them in the right direction, but it takes work.  That's the clincher.  Many of us don't want to take time to think about what we're gonna say before we say it.  We'd rather speak our mind.

Listen I want to encourage all of us right now to stop and think before we speak.  In our own power, we can't do this.  With our own patience, it's hard to do this.  It is only through a relationship with Jesus Christ that I have learned how important words are.  Words carry meaning and your words say a lot about the condition of your heart.  So please let's become beacons of light in a dark world.  Let's use our words to bring healing to the broken.  Let's use our words to encourage others the way Jesus did.  

Jesus Christ gives me the perfect example of how to speak.  He (for the most part) spoke softly, calmly and with love.  He used words to build people up, not tear them down.  The only time He used words to get people's attention was when He spoke to those "religious" people who thought so much of themselves. Listen I'm not perfect, never will be, but I am a work in progress.  I am doing my best to keep my words in check.  "If I don't have something nice to say, I won't say anything at all."  Will you join me?  

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

1 John 4:7-8  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.

Love...so many people try to define it but the love John is talking about in these verses is not a love we're used to giving.  Agape love. It is a selfless love, a sacrificial love, an unconditional love.  It is the highest kind of love.  It's immeasurable and incomparable.  It's concern for others before there is any thought of concern for ourselves.  This kind of love is breathtaking and overwhelming.  It makes our heart stop and brings tears to our eyes. To experience this kind of love is a dream come true.  This kind of love makes people lay down their lives for others, others who may not deserve it or earned it or asked for it. This love is unbelievable.  It's a love like no other love.  It's a love we all dream of experiencing.  It's a love we'd like to all believe in, but is this kind of love real?  

Are we humans able to love like this?  Some are, but unfortunately many can't.  Many find it hard to let go of past hurts and hangups.  Many find it difficult to love those who hurt us.  Many of us relive past events and keep a list of wrongs certain people have done to us.  Many of us go through this life thinking we know what real love looks like and hows its supposed to feel.  But we have a very wrong version of the love God expects us to have towards others.  Agape love is not sentimental and sappy.  It's not even a brotherly love feeling.  It can be difficult and hard and messy.  It's the type of love that is not shown in what you say, but rather in what you do.    

Well, let's look a what happened 15 years ago yesterday.  Firefighters, police officers, and everyday human beings stepped up and risked their lives to rescue people after the attacks.  They had a job to do yes, but instead of focusing on their own lives, instead of saving their own lives, they climbed stairwells, walked in flames and hot coals, they risked their lives and many gave up their life to save others. They didn't stop to consider whether that person deserved to be helped or loved, they just did it.  They didn't stop to look at someone's past mistakes, they just loved them by saving them.  Mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, along with many other family members and friends cry every September 11th while remembering how much they miss that loved one.  They gave their life so others could live.  That is the love Jesus commanded us to have.

John 15:17  This is my command:  Love each other.

Notice this is not a suggestion.  It is a command from Jesus Christ!  Love each other. Agape love each other.  IF we are true believers in Jesus Christ, IF we truly believe the Bible 100%, than we are commanded to agape love everyone (Period).  No exceptions are given, no excuses are allowed.  Agape Love Each Other.  As believers we are to love others as God loves us.  As believers we are to love everyone.  Not just love the way we are used to loving, but we are commanded to love others the way God loves us and IF we are true believers we totally understand that this kind of love can cost us.  It can cost us our pride and selfishness.  Yes when we Agape love others, we may have to swallow our pride and bury our selfish ways so we can love those who are unlovable and undeserving in our eyes. 

Let me be really honest here, this agape love stuff is painful and difficult.  It isn't always easy to love someone who has hurt us.  It isn't always a good, sappy feeling to love someone who doesn't deserve it.  I don't want to agape love people who hurt me, but Jesus commanded me too.  It's not easy for me to erase the list of wrongs I have kept for years and sacrifice my pride and myself to agape love others.  It has been painful to deal with the truth of how I love others, but I'm so glad I swallowed my pride and burned up my list I had of every wrong in my past.  It has been very freeing to release that burden and just agape love others the way I have been commanded to.

The way I figure it is that if God can agape love me with all my list of sins, with all the distractions that keep me from Him, if God can agape love me when I definitely don't deserve it, who am I to not learn to love like He loves me.  After all God is love, not a brotherly love but God is agape love in it's highest form.  He came down to Earth in human form as Jesus.  He was tortured and beaten beyond belief.  Then He was crucified on a cross for me and for you.  He agape loves us so much that He laid down His life so that we could be saved from the punishment we deserve.  

Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of agape love and that is how we are commanded to love.  Jesus doesn't have a list of wrongs we have done, so why do we?  If we are to truly agape love others like God loves us we need to throw away that list of wrongs and just allow the Holy Spirit to teach us to love like God.  Are you willing to swallow your pride?  Are you willing to put others before yourself?  Are you willing to throw away that list of wrongs you've been keeping for years?  Are you willing to agape love others?  Please join me in starting an agape love revolution.  

THE CHOICE IS OURS TO MAKE

Deuteronomy 30:16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to Him, and to keep His commandments, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Love God, did we really need to be reminded to love God?  Obviously we had to be reminded otherwise God wouldn't have commanded it.  Why did He feel the need to remind us to love Him?   Could it be because we get so distracted and caught up in ourselves that we lose sight of His love for us?  Could it be because we don't realize how important it is to God that we love Him?  You see love is not a feeling, it is a decision.  Every morning you wake up and decide whether or not you're going to love your spouse or you children.  So what God is saying to me is, I need to decide whether I will truly love God with all my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. The choice is mine to make, but so are the consequences if I chose not to. You see unless we're able to fully love God, we won't fully be able to obey Him.     

  Obedience...why is that word so hard for us to hear?  As children we are taught to obey our parents and if we don't there will be consequences.  As employees we are coached to obey our boss or else there will be consequences.  As law abiding citizens we are obligated to obey the law or there will be consequences.  We humans don't always like to obey the law but the consequences are much worse.  Yes sometimes obedience can be painful.  We may have to do without some things that make us feel good temporarily, but sometimes, heck most times, its for our own good and safety.  We need boundaries, we need structure, we need laws.  Without laws, this world would be worse than it is now.  Personally I would rather obey and do without some things than deal with the consequences of living without laws.

Deuteronomy 30:17-18 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed.  You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

Want to feel good?  Want to live without restrictions, boundaries or laws?  Go ahead and try it.  You may feel good for a little while but trust me it will always come back to bite you.  I have lived long enough to know that the hangover in the morning isn't worth it.   A jail cell is not a home I want to live in, do you?  Regrets can fill a person and make them bitter, that is not a life I want to live so I choose to obey.  For me there is no other way to live.  I choose to live my life loving God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength and with all my mind.  I choose to obey God's law and listen to His still small voice.   I choose to believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  I choose life. 

Deuteronomy 30:19  "I call the heavens and the earth to witness about you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live."

The choice is ours to make.  It's up to you whether you choose life or death, blessings or curses.  I don't know about you but I want to be blessed by God.  I want to celebrate life. I really can't imagine choosing death or curses but many do everyday.  I hear you now, "I love God, I don't worship or bow down to any idols."  Really?  Do you spend more time with God or watching TV?  Do you know more about the Kardashians or God?  Who is your hero?  Michael Jordan or Jesus Christ?  Do you spend more time listening to music that makes you dance or music that makes you think about God? 

Listen I fail this every day.  I choose to love God, I choose to obey Him, but then the enemy entices me with distractions and meaningless junk that draws my attention away from Him.  I do my best to listen to christian music, to read books that motivate me to become a better follower of Jesus Christ and I try to watch TV programs that connect me to God through good clean story lines.  Sometimes my best isn't good enough but than God reminds me that He loves me and forgives me.  For me, life spent with God is a blessing I can't deny.  The blessings I have in my life cannot be bought with money.  I have health, I have peace and I have joy.  That's why I choose Jesus Christ.  I choose life.  I choose blessings.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS FOR SOME OF US.

,

John 8:31-33 To the Jews who believed in Him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.  How can you say that we shall be set free?"

Oh my gosh!   These verses are so powerful yet so filled with arrogance, denial and pride.    Read these verses again.  As believers we truly know or at least we should know that Jesus is the truth.   As the truth of who He is revealed is to us through the Holy Spirit, we are set free from the burdens of our sins.   We are free from the chains that bind us and weigh us down.   As believers we should be on a mission to face the truth of who we were and what we did in our past.   As believers we should be able to face our past with the knowledge that we have been forgiven and that we should forgive others.  As believers we should be able to rid ourselves from the lies of guilt and shame.  As believers we should be able to admit our sins and deal with them.  As believers we should be able to allow God to change us through the conviction, not condemnation, that comes through the Holy Spirit.   We should do these things, we should allow these truths, but do we?

Sadly many of us prefer to live in a state of denial.  We walk around with blinders on never willing to admit that we are bound by the chains of the past.   We are burdened by the reality of who we really are.  We never want to admit the truth that we are truly slaves.  We prefer to live our lives depressed and overwhelmed by grief because we get much more attention that way.   We don't want to admit that we cling to our past as a crutch, as an easy excuse for our miserable life.   Sound harsh?  Well I'm just getting started.    This is for me too, so don't think I'm picking on you.  Slavery is a way of life that is much easier for some of us to live.  That way we aren't responsible for our attitude or behavior.   People pity us and feel sorry for us and that makes us feel better but it's only temporary.  Denial is our weapon of choice.  Sound familiar?

Then there is those who prefer to live life in a state of arrogance.   We think we know better than anyone else.   We are know it alls, or so we think.   We feel superior and how dare anyone question us.   We're always right and everyone else is wrong.   We put ourselves on a pedestal and if anyone questions our beliefs, our words, our actions or our thoughts, we are deeply offended and erupt like a volcano.   Sound familiar?  I know people like this.  They don't like to be questioned, they don't want anyone to even hint they may be wrong, and they dare not ever admit they're wrong.  For these people, saying "I'm sorry" is close to an impossibility.  When we hint to something they did or said wrong, their defenses fly and the accusations fly.  They rarely want to face the truth that they are not perfect and hardly ever want to look in the mirror.  

Recently God has pointed out to me the number of people who are believers but slaves to social media.   Selfies and hashtags have been used to draw attention to ourselves.  To get more likes than others, to be noticed by others.  Maybe we think our action is for others good, to,help them, to motivate others or to encourage others but actually more often than not, it's to get other's attention and approval.   I had to face this reality about myself.   Posting about myself, where I was, what I was doing, using hashtags was not doing anything for God's Kingdom here on earth.   In fact my posts had nothing to further His Kingdom, it was all about me.   This too was a truth I didn't want to face.   

It's so much easier to live life without facing the truth about who you are.  It's much easier to point a finger back at your accuser than to face the truth and deal with it.  To admit we need to change is painful but necessary if we are true believers.  To admit we have become slaves to enemy is not easy, it's hard.   I have had to face that truth and it is only when I did that I was set free.    Being set free from the chains that held me down was more than just a feeling a release, it was life changing.   I don't feel the need for anyone's approval but Gods.   I was a slave, I didn't want to admit at first but I was.   Books, music, TV, IPad, games on my iPad bound me and keep me from a truth that was freeing.    Oh don't get me wrong, I still read books, but choose wisely.  I still play games on my iPad, but they don't captivate my time anymore.  I still watch TV, but I choose to watch uplifting TV.    

The Israelites didn't want to admit they were slaves when Jesus made this comment, but at the time they were slaves to the Roman Empire.   They were in a state of denial and in an arrogant way they couldn't face the reality of their current circumstances.   They had blinders on because they didn't want to face the truth.   They didn't want to deal with their pride or admit they were wrong.   They missed the truth because of this.   Please don't deny the truth about your slavery.  Take an honest look at your life and really see the chains that,have weighed you down.   Admit that you are a slave.  Admit you are a sinner.   Admit you are wrong.   No more blame!   No more denial!  Deal with the truth and allow the blood of Jesus to set you free.