Good morning and happy Friday. TGIF. A lot of folks use those letters at the end of the week. What about TGIM ? Nobody likes Monday. Nobody thanks God its Monday. You might if you nearly died over the weekend or your child came home from a weekend camp outing. We are quick to blame God for stuff or at least ask why He let something happen, but really slow to thank Him for just the air that we breath every second of the day. Why is it so hard to be thankful? Or maybe just to let God know we're thankful? Do we assume He knows? Are we taking Him for granted? Well He knows how we feel about  the bad things but we don't mind talking about those. It's relational, that's what this whole thing is. We tell each other thank you all the time because we're friends or we're doing business together, whatever. Stop and tell God thanks. Thanks for letting me wake up this morning and go about a day that I can give praise and thanks to you. And thank you for Monday. TGFE, Thank God For Everything. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Forgive me Father for I have sinned. Powerful words, especially when heart felt and meant. We all have  sinned and fall short of the grace of God. We don't deserve His forgiveness. But since He loves us and can do that for us, why are we not able to do that with each other?  Are we above God that we can't forgive?  Of course not, but we hold on to stuff that we thought we let go of and it eats us from the inside out. Forgiveness. Powerful, freeing and so amazingly hard to do and for some even harder to receive. Why? I can't wrap my mind around it at all but find myself always in need of it. Father thank you for your love for us that we can come to you for the grace you give us. Help us to do the same for each other. Help us to bless your name by showing what your love does for all of us, no matter where we are or how far away we feel. Forgive those who have hurt you and receive the free gift of forgiveness they give to you. Ours lives will change forever. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Tuesday. It felt so good having a day off yesterday. So good in fact I forgot today was Tuesday and thought it was Monday again. Reminds me of when I find myself back in the grove with my Bible studying and relationships period. With God and people. It's just refreshing to get that second wind feeling and push forward through the stuff of the day and come out unscathed by it all. Trust and faith in Jesus is the only way this is possible. Staying in relation and then being removed only for a day puts the importance on the relationship. It's like thinking its Monday and finding out its really Tuesday. I'm stoked. I love the fact that it's Tuesday. I love when I refresh my time with God and feel so good inside about it. Like a new start. But isn't that what He offers us anyway?  He cracks me up with His reminders of the things I should already know. I love Him so much and I've wasted a lot of my life missing Him. Not any more. I hope you feel the same. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. Did you know that there was another apostle selected  by the others to replace Judas?  Yeah me either. It's in Acts 1:12-26. He's mentioned there and never again. Why? Why does God have this in the Bible if this guy is never going to be mentioned again? Heres what I've learned from it. Some men and women, about 120 of them, prayed and sought Gods council and therefore thought they were making a godly decision. But in the end none of it mattered. All the things that God wanted to have done got done in spite of their choices, good or bad; right or wrong. It's in the Bible because Luke wants to show us that we need to seek Him but He will still get His work and plans done in spite of our good or bad decisions. These guys got a twelfth man and as far as we know he did nothing much at all. So the church grew anyway. God doesn't need us; He wants us. He will use whatever mess we've made of it and bring His plan into being. I love that. And if we're close to Him we may be a part of what He's doing. I just thought this was an interesting bit to really ponder. God is awesome and so loving. We have to be careful though not to be taking credit for what He's doing or done. Give all glory to God and live for Him by serving others. In love always. <><