Morning Prayer

Good morning and happy Friday. Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day. Thank you for the air in my lungs. Thank you for your blessings each day. Thank you for the trials in my life that you use to strengthen me. Thank you for fellowship with others so we can grow. Thank you for caring about me and all the small little things that I try to handle on my own. They always seem to be gone with out so much of a fuss. Thank you for being involved in every aspect of my life. That everything about me matters to you. For being patient with me as I try and move closer to you. For listening to me when no body else can hear what I'm saying. For sending your Son to die for me so I can be with you. For forgiving me of my sins. For loving us all the same no matter how far away from you we get ourselves. This could go on forever and that's a good thing. Help me have clarity when you speak to me and discernment to not hear my own wants as you. I love you. In Jesus precious name. Amen

God's Love

Good morning and happy Thursday. From last nights small group discussion came this revelation to Lindsey. Her parents based their love and help on her performance. While God shows His love even as we perceive ourselves as failing. That is powerful and so true for so many. Even for ourselves as parents. But in that to we have to find that God does discipline, but it's with love and care for us based on nothing done but what's ahead. We are the opposite. We discipline out of love but because of what's been done. God doesn't walk beside or behind us in our journey, He walks ahead of us with His hand held out to us to follow. Everything with Him is positive. We bring the negativity and doubt into the relationship. When we let go of that and truly trust Him, then we grow in a more positive and productive way. I can't fathom the depth of His love. I just know and trust that it's enough for all of us and then some. I want to love like that. In love always <><

Move, Just Move

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Ever sleep in the same position all night and you wake up sore and achey? You don't feel good for the rest of the day. Our relationship with God is the same way. We get stuck in the same rut and routines with church or small group or whatever. But it gets stale that way. We have to be moving and being busy with His work too, not just our own. We make Him fit into our schedule. I know it's hard to do but once it starts it really does get easier. Just shake things up a bit. Invite a friend to lunch or coffee. Let people see you talking about God and living a life for Him. That's the best testimony for Christ ever. I still remember being young at church every time the doors were open. Everyone thought they were doing so good. I look back now and see that nothing was being done except for ourselves feeling better. Really? Is that how Jesus taught us to be. No. Go into the world. Don't sit back waiting on it to come to you. Move yourself. Don't get a crick in your neck from being in the same spot all the time. Call me I'll go have a cup with ya. I need to move myself. In love always. <><

God Loved Him

Good morning and happy Tuesday. As mean as Bin Laden was, as hated as he was by so many people, he had one thing in common with us all. God loved him. That brings me great joy. It comforts me to know that it is up to me to decide the direction of my life and that no matter how bad I screw it up along the way, He will be there. As far away as I may run from Him, the trip back to His loving arms is just a turn around away. I know that evil is all around us in this world. And probably on a much larger scale than we know. But we all have a choice to make. We decide for ourselves which path to take. God just simply puts the paths in front of you. Bin Laden had family that loved him. Some of them are good decent people. Their prayers for him were to turn away from his ways I'm sure, as we pray for ones we see lost and roaming. But the common thread is God. He never stops loving and He never gives up hope in us to turn to Him. Bin Laden was an evil man. But He was never too far gone to be out of reach from God. Now that's hope for anyone. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, hope in God the Father, and love for others as the Holy Spirit leads. It's never too late to find God waiting for you, but you have to make the choice. In love always <><

P.U.S.H.

Good morning and happy Monday. How long must one pray til God hears? Is it the 100th time that you see what He has done for you? Is there even a number? No. Of course not. But pray we must til the answer is given. And the answer may not be what we want for ourselves. The amazing thing in that is how good we think our want is in the whole thing and the good we can do from that point, but God simply says no I've got something even better for you to do. So if what we want is so good to us and we know God has it better for us, why are we so reluctant to follow His will? Trust in people is built over years. Trust in God is a given, but we still listen to people first. It's a big long corner to turn to get to a place where God is first. But if you not even turning the wheel, why are you upset with your life and the way it is going? Make a change in yourself and the relationship you have with God and then see if it doesn't get better. Better, not easier. Pray and don't stop. Trust and follow God where He leads. To see God at work in a persons life is the most beautiful thing. Change a life and change the world. In love always. <><

Don't Be An Assumption

Good morning and happy Friday. There are two people doing the same thing every morning at my job. They come in to sell breakfast burritos. I've watched them now for a while and have noticed something. One has a shirt on with the business name and asks people if they want to buy some. The other comes in regular clothes and doesn't say much. She is assuming people know what she's there for and isn't active in what she's trying to do. The other let's everyone know and gives them all the chance to make up their own mind. That's us with our sharing the faith we have and the good news of Jesus. We just assume people will ask us if we look the part. Needless to say the one talking about his burritos is selling the most of them. People will ask you about salvation but that should be the ones we missed by mistake. Let the world know one person at a time. Go and let the world see and hear you doing Gods work and not assume they know you are. In love always. <><

The Empty Cross

Good morning and happy Thursday. You see all the time a crucifix of Jesus on a cross. It's a good reminder of what our sin cost. We need that sometimes. But what does a cross with no Jesus on it remind you of. I hope that it reminds you these things. It's finished. He has taken our sins away and they are no longer ours to carry. Lay them there at the foot of the cross and leave them. We spend more time beating ourselves up over our sin and feeling guilty than we do getting on with Gods business. When they took Jesus down from the cross, they took down our troubles, woes and worries. He's not on the cross anymore and neither is everything He took there with Him. When you see a cross, rejoice in your salvation and know that death has no victory over you while you are in Christ Jesus. See the empty cross, and know that your are forgiven. See the cross and know that you have been paid for. See the cross and know that you are loved more than you can imagine. But to see the cross in the first place you have to turn and look at it. You are gonna have to move to see it. He's done His part, it's time to do ours. In love always. <><

Don't Loose Focus

Good morning and happy Wednesday. This is the fourth day. The week is busy again. Plans for the summer are being made. Hoping you can go somewhere with gas the way it is. And some just wondering if they will make it period with gas the way it is. A lot of things are on our minds again. Our focus has left Easter. Most of us are no longer talking about the good messages we heard Sunday or what that day was really about. We get back to busy. But we did do Easter. Check that off the list for the year. But Easter and everything it is, is everyday and we just don't make the time to remember it. Don't keep it on a shelf and use it once in a while. Wear it like a new shirt. Everyday all the time. Take it off to wash it and get your stuff off it and put it back on. Wear it out. Stop being so busy we forget and have to be reminded what has been done for us every day. In love always. <><

Now What Are We Gonna Do?

Good morning and happy Tuesday. So now what? He's been seen. He's eased Thomas' doubts and He's gone to Heaven. What they do now is the answer to what we do now. They were scared for their lives and had gotten themselves distanced from someone they knew. But now nothing stops them from telling the world about Him and what He's done and what He can do for them. With more passion than ever they go out into the cities and tell the good news. We've distanced ourselves from Him too at times. We know who He is and what He's done and yet we're still not that close to Him. Many are but more are not. I don't think you can be close to Him and be quiet about it. I just don't hear the noise of people talking about Him much. I want their passion after it was all over. After He was gone from them. That's when they really got it. If you're not talking about Him, start. The harvest is plenty but the workers are few. In love always. <><

Easter Monday

Good morning and happy Monday. So now He's risen. But the stories are already out that it's not true. So for the next 40 days Jesus appears to about 500 different people at different times. All to reinforce what has really happened. What He said is true. He is truth. So everything that He's taught and said about life, death, and eternity are all true. He commanded them to go and spread the good news and make disciples out of the nations. That's our job today. Don't let the meaning of it all die this week. Make it last a lifetime. Jesus is alive today and everyday. Spread the news. In love always. <><

Easter Part 3

Good morning and happy Friday. Part 3. God is so obvious we miss it sometimes. On a hill a picture of the world is played out. Two thieves, the world, and the savior of both. One mocks Him and says save yourself if you're God. He wasn't here to save Himself, so there He stayed, carrying the weight of the worlds sin and the world begins to doubt. The other side a man deserving of his punishment receives salvation, even at the last moment. The only two choices we have really. And our savior in the middle of it all with our sin on Him, so much so that God cannot look upon Him. So with our sin now dead on a cross, people who had been with Him begin to doubt if He really is who He says He is. Our sin is taken from the cross and buried away in a tomb to be forgotten with our faith in Him conquering over it. But it's now Saturday, the doubt must be really growing now. Have faith in Him. Sunday, glorious Sunday. All doubt is removed, at least for some. He is alive and the tomb is empty, except for the sin of the world, which no one now sees. So the choices still remain, choose Him or choose death. That was a long Friday for Jesus. A long Saturday for His followers. A magnificent Sunday for the world. We can never doubt the love God has for us. We just simply read it and say it too fast out of habit instead of seeing, feeling, and hearing what He is so obviously showing us. We have to stop. We have to give value to our lives because they were paid for at very high price. And for that price, it is only asked of you to follow Him and tell others of His love. I think we got off easy. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me. For caring enough about me to die. And in you omnipotence you knew my name and how I would let you down and you still died for me. I love you so much. In love always. <><.

Easter Part 2

Good morning and happy Thursday. Part 2. It's the day before you die, what would you be doing? Living life to it's fullest. Doing that one thing you never got to do. Jesus was with His friends still teaching them what they needed to know to help save others. He had dinner with them and told them things of Himself, themselves and how they were to be when He was gone. They've given up their lives to follow Him and now they hear Him say really, this is it. The rest is up to you. I've shown you God the Father. You've walked with God the Son and you have the gift of the Holy Spirit with you. Tell the world of these things. I get that they were scared when this played out. I get they wanted to just save themselves and hide. That's what we do now. It takes a moment of connection with who Jesus is to truly move our hearts to change and live for Him. Ask Paul, the one killed and persecuted Jesus' people. He changed and wrote half the New Testament. It's never too late to live for Him. In love always <><

Easter Part1

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Part 1 of 3. So you've entered the city and you've been welcomed like a star, yet you know exactly why you came here. Today and the next two I want you to think about your life ending Friday. You know you will die and it will be horrible. Beaten so badly that people can't look at you. Blood pouring out of you to point you may die of the lack of it first. You talk with people and only give a few hints has to your death to your family and friends. But you've done nothing wrong and no one understands why you're saying these things. But they will know and they will see you are who you said you were. I can't imagine the loneliness Jesus must have been starting to feel. He knew His friend would deny even knowing Him just to save himself. To feel like everything He came to do is lost on deaf ears. In Luke 23:31Jesus says, "For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?". He's talking to us. What are we gonna do? He was with them and they killed Him. Aren't we still killing Him today? You die this Friday. Everything you've done means nothing to no one. You're alone and beaten and being led to the place where it ends. Think about Him for next few days. Really try and put your mind around it. Don't let His life on earth be nothing to us now. In love always. <><

Pour Out Your Gift

Good morning and happy Tuesday. You know when you hear one of those songs that just touches you at the heart. You just feel it. Sometimes you feel like it was written just for you. In the beginning of my journey out of the place I was, those songs would make me cry because I didn't feel worthy. Then, the same songs seemed pious and arrogant. That no one was as good as this. We can't forget that those songs were written by people who, just like you and me, were in a place they needed God to help them. They are blessed with the gift of music and so they pour out what God gave them onto us so we can see Him. Plain people with a gift. A gift given by God and used to glorify Him. I'm a plain person that needs to find his gift and use it to glorify Him. No matter how small or big it is, someone somewhere needs you to pour it out for them. It may be the difference of eternity. Glory to God forever. In love always. <><

Auto Pilot

Good morning and happy Monday. The sprinklers came on in the yard early yesterday morning and I thought about how the grass was doing. Long story, but what I realized was that I no longer really take care if my grass the way I used to. The sprinkler doesn't have to be moved and the only time I walk in it is to mow it. If I didn't like it so much I would have someone do that. The point is there used to be a day that I would really tend to my yard. Now things are automated and take care of itself it seems. I think God was telling me yesterday that's how I'm letting my relationship with Him get. Just going through the motions and not really tending to it. If you are finding yourself there too, dig in. Pick up the Word and find a place to start planting the seed God wants you to be planting. Get your hands dirty with doing His work here for His glory. It's time to get off auto pilot and start flying the plane to a better, deeper relationship with God. In love always. <><