The Last Friday 2011

Good morning and happy Friday. The last Friday of the year. The last message of the year. The last paycheck of the year. The last of a lot things. We will reflect over the year and tv will be full of the best of the year this weekend. But I'm gonna try it different this time. What's ahead next year? What are my plans and goals for next year, better yet for tomorrow?  Jesus told a parable about a man looking back as he plowed the field. The point is, he's trying to make the ground ready for planting but by looking back his rows won't be straight if useable at all. We are not promised tomorrow, but we still have to be ready to wake up and share the good news. Plow next years field looking straight ahead with focus and a purpose for serving God. It will be the best year ever. Remember the past and what you learned from it, but let go and don't cling to something that has past and has been used for it's time. It can keep you from growing and moving forward. Go and plow the field. Happy New Year. In love always. <><

Playing It Safe

Good morning and happy Thursday.  I learned last night that the UIL changed a few rules concerning head injuries to our kids. My youngest took a knee to the head and felt a little dizzy and wobbly, so they took her out and now she has to sit. It will be about two weeks before she can play again and she's not happy. Me either. But it is for the best and it is the safety they are concerned with. I wonder how any of us made it to today. Drinking out of a water hose, riding bikes with no helmets, getting hit in the head and going right back in the game. Have we gotten too soft and playing things too safe? Are we playing it safe with our faith and love for God too?  Gotten comfortable where we're at because we've seen others get hurt by being bold? Safe is easy. Safe feels good. Its time we got out of that comfort zone and began serving the Lord instead sitting back being served. It's time to be like David. While the others coward away to be safe to live another day, be it as a slave, David came forward as a kid and stood up for His God. Stand up and slay your giants one at a time with the help of God and live boldly for Him. We all have them. You're not alone. It's a difference of how safe you want to play it. In love always. <><

It's Worth It All

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Is it all worth it?  Is all the sacrifice worth it? Is the work and dedication worth it?  Apply these questions to anything in your life and you can get some answers. To a job change, a basketball season, a marriage. But the big one was answered for us a long time on hill. You are worth it all. Every lash given. Every kick or punch given. All the ridicule and shame endured. Even the moment He was out of the presence of God. He became our sin and let it be sacrificed once and for all on the cross to die along with Him. And in Him as He rose from the grave, we walk a new life with Him. All because He says you're worth it. All of it. Receive His gift and treasure it deeply and live a life for Him, because He's worth it. All of it. In love always. <><

Pick up His Life

Good morning and happy Tuesday. New years resolutions are coming up, are you gonna make one?  I'm making two; one personal and one spiritual but both require the same thing of me. Stop being lazy. The first will be to get this weight off I have put on. Get back to a good healthy lifestyle. The second is to get deeper into God's word and really find where my heart is in all this. To see and then know if I'm heading at least in the general direction God is pointing me to. Both of these will require that I free up some time and give up something else also. If this is a goal I'm going to set then that is exactly what I must choose. When we decide to follow Jesus then that is what we must do also. Give up the things that have kept us from Him and start doing the things that bring us closer to Him. It's time to put the world down and start picking up the life of Jesus Christ. In love always. <><

Jesus Is The Reason Period

Good morning and happy Monday. I hope that everyone had a great Christmas. And I hope that we all remember to keep Jesus in all of our things for the entire year. You see everyone around Christmas time really pushing the "Jesus is the reason", but soon after the wrapping paper, tree, and lights are put away, we seem to let go of the fact He's the reason period.  He's the reason for January 15th or any other day of the year. I'm glad we take time to celebrate His birth, but we need to be celebrating His life and the gift of life He gave to us. It took 35 years of my life for me to really get that and if I can help keep someone from wasting another day, then that's what I'll do. He came to save us all. And in all the tinsel and lights we can forget about the hurting and the poor and those less fortunate than us. I love Christmas and what it's for but I lose focus for a bit and I don't like that. I wanna be like Jesus. I wanna love the way He does. I wanna see  what He sees. I wanna feel the way He feels. I don't want to forget the bigger picture in all this mess we've made out of Christmas. In love always. <><