Good morning and happy Thursday. Tell me who this sounds like. He stood and led a crowd that killed a man. He went house to house throwing people in jail for following Christ. He done all he could to keep the word of God from being spread in his country. Killing and prison were the most widely used deterrents. He wrote many books and letters relating his past and present experience with Christians and how they should be living. His name is Paul and was once named Saul until he met the Lord. Jesus changed his heart forever. What if Osama bin Laden had met Christ and changed his heart for God? What if he became a Christ follower like the one Paul did? How would the world be different today?  How skeptical of his change would you be? This is what Paul had to face in his day and found himself in the jail he once put people in. And yet, from there he penned most of the New Testament. We Christians study the words he wrote to better know the Jesus he was once hated. That gives me hope for my little petty life of stuff I've done over the years. I haven't been perfect, in fact, far from it, but Jesus did not die for me to just quit. He's paid a very high price for me and you and all our past is covered when we let Him take it and bury it to be remembered no more. The least we can do is live a life as pleasing as possible for Him. To give it all to Him the same way Paul did. To realize that Jesus is exactly who He said He is. To have our hearts changed forever and to live the way we should. Osama's sins are no greater than ours. Sin is sin. But we have the chance to be redeemed where we stand right now in one instant. In one instant a past of bad living can be gone, used now as a witness to others that if I can do it so can you. Paul's life gives me hope in all of us of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Thank you Jesus. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Tuesday. Can you imagine standing at the end of your life looking back at where you right now? What would say to yourself about where you see yourself heading? How different would would have yourself start living from that point to get to the point you see you need to be at? Oh, I think we all can say we're missing the mark somewhere in our lives, and if we could be out into our own future and tell ourselves where to go and what choice to make, we all would have some direction to give. Well someone is already there. He's been there from the beginning and the most amazing part of His being is that He's here with us now also to walk along side us. He gave us His spirit to lead us to where we need to be. We keep choosing to follow our own ideas of where we should be. I watched the movie Looper this weekend. It's got me thinking about how we can change our future memories by changing how we live now. This guys future self is sent back in time to him and he has all his memories of the life he lived. The present guy changes the future guys memories by living different than he did otherwise. It's really an interesting concept. But our future is just a memory to God. And He's sent Himself back to help us get to where we need to be going. I think it's best if we listen and heed the advice of the creator of all things. Just saying. This is not a world of chaos as we see it. It's a perfect plan playing out with all of us making choices that effect others in the world. But mostly it effects us and our eternity with God in heaven. That's the goal folks. Not a thing on this earth should be our objective, except the souls of others. See you on the other side. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving week. What are you gonna be thankful for today?  How about everything? Sometimes He just gives us the next breath to just keep breathing, to give us more time to fully understand the grace and mercy He shows to us. Paul wrote in I Timothy that he was thankful for being found trusty worthy enough to be placed into the service of the Lord.  This coming from a man who was locking up and killing those who followed Jesus, that even He could be shown grace and mercy and then to tell others of the same God and savior that can do the same for them. We take this for granted here. We feel entitled to it because we're good people and not like those others. While that may be true, it's seems to me we have lost focus on the real objective, serving the Lord. Entitled people don't serve but are served. I know it's not everyone, but it is many. We need to learn to be thankful for the tasks that God brings us to. It's a chance to show Jesus to someone usually. And then sometimes it's a chance for us to see Jesus in someone else. To be reminded of the stripes we deserved but He took for us. To give us a way Home to God the Father. While its good to be thankful for a lot of things and many blessings in out lives, put your salvation through faith in Jesus first and live a new life for Him. In love always <><