Good morning and happy Thursday. Happy Valentines Day. Saint valentine was an early Christian who was in prison in Rome. Legend has it he performed weddings for soldiers forbidden to marry and to minister to other Christians. To me this is love. To give of yourself so that others can know our Lord. This day has evolved into a day for couples to express their love for each other. It's a wonderful thing, but I wish we were doing that everyday instead. Some are and do but most of us men folk don't do well enough at it. If you're one I the few, bless you and thanks for showing the rest of us up. But really, we need to show our love for each other more often and more so that others see how we love. Not only do we need to do this with each other, but we need to show it to our Lord and savior more and let that love for Him be seen by the world. The world around us watches us all the time. They are looking to condemn us or find what it is we have inside that makes us the way we are. It's the Holy Spirit inside that gives light to the world. That's a true Valentine's day gift. To give of what's inside so others can see and know Him. Give your love to others; this day and everyday. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. Man oh man God is good. Casting crowns has a song called "Already There". It's about God being ahead of us and us looking back and seeing how all the pieces of our lives fit together that we couldn't understand while it was happening. What's really cool is when you see it happen. I was getting Sunday's lesson ready and had a few of the main topics and ideas ready for class. As a lot of times we get ready to go one way and God needs it to go another. One of the groups brother was in town and visiting our class and church. Well, as I begin to head down the road I was going to, I suddenly started seeing what God wanted said and brought out, in what seems like a simple story of Peter walking out of prison with the help of an angel. As we talked it out we learned about Kirk , the brother's, situation. All that was going on in his life with his wife and the direction and trusting God to lead them. Man it was mind blowing how God showed up and let us all be amazed at His work. In both what was happening in their lives and what was happening at that very moment. We have to be pliable. We have to be ready to move in the direction God is nudging us at the time He says. No delay but with a sense of urgency. You would think that if an angel of God is helping you escape prison and death, that you wouldn't have to worry about anything. Yet the angel tells Peter to hurry and move. It's about being obedient to the Lord and doing what He says when He says. Kirk's anxieties and doubts and worries for his families direction were calmed and the rest of us got to see God do His work in a life right as it was happening. Amazing. We missed regular church as we continued to have our own church upstairs in a room with God. That's what church is any way right? Thank you God for all you do for us. To you be all the glory for this and all you do in our lives. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Tuesday. 'And He washed me white as snow', there's just something about seeing pure white snow. It's so refreshing and calming and I can't even describe some of the feelings. Mostly, now that I'm growing some, it gives me hope. Hope and thankfulness that my sinning stupid self has been bought by the purest blood of all and made to be clean when the Father looks at me with His eyes of judgement one day. Just like the ground outside today that is dry and dirty and at times looks like a barren waste land, Jesus went to the cross and died for you and me, to cover us and make us white as snow. It's such a beautiful image of love for us. I wish we got more snow here to keep that in my mindset more, but at the same time it makes more appreciative of it when I see it. How much of this sounds like our struggle with our daily relationship with God? How much does our Father know we need Him and need reminders of Him? The more we study and take in The Word, the more we can see and appreciate all His beauty in this world here for us to tell us the story. If you're in the snow today, thank God for the chance to be clean again. He died for us while we were still sinners, sinners we are, thank you for the chance to come to you and be made clean through you. Thank you for the snow. In love always. <><