Good morning and happy Monday. Why and when does God answer prayer? Your guess is as good as mine. The one thing I do know is, it is in His time and His time alone. Some may be answered immediately because He's been waiting for us to talk to Him and others because the timing is just not right yet. The first though, of waiting on me to ask Him saddens me most. To think that He's been waiting to "help" or do for me but I haven't asked Him. Then when I do, I feel like that's all I come to Him with is my needs and wants. But wait that's what we mostly do. To think that He is holding an answer to a prayer because I haven't prayed to Him also means I must be trying to do this on my own and without Him. But the one He's waiting to answer is the one that makes me the happiest, at least now that I have grown up some. This is the one He's letting me grow, mature and be ready for. It's the one He's wanting all things to be right so that we can be blessed and people will see Him in it because we gave Him the glory before the answer arrived. We're always ready to pray for others, at least we say we'll be praying for them. How often do we go to Him on our own behalf just to talk out the day and how things went and are going?  When we get to that stage of it all, our prayers to Him are simple conversations and the understanding of the timing to answers is gotten. I like it when He's grooming us and preparing us for the answer to a long awaited prayer. It means we're ready and pleasing to Him so that we may do what it is He is blessing us for, to bless others. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Friday. How do you feel today? How about yesterday? What was the difference between them and say last year at this time? Do you remember what you were doing and how your life felt the day before 9/11? Yeah me either, but we remember where we were that day though. The day before your life changes forever, feels like any other day. Until you know Christ nothing seems different. Everyday is the same and then one day it changes and you wonder how you ever lived without this before. How do we pass this to people so they don't waste days of their life not knowing Him? It's different for all of us but it's a question we have to find the answer to, lives in eternity depend on it. Those days that are behind us are for us to remember so that we realize the day it did change. I once was lost, but now I'm found. I once was blind but now I see. We have all been lost and blind in the past. Can you imagine physically being blind and then seeing clearly in an instant. Being lost somewhere in the mountains and wondering if death was your next day, and then rescuers turn the corner to find you. Your life would never be the same. You would remember the day it happened, but the ones before may all seem alike. Live for the day He found you and opened your eyes to see. Be an instrument for Him to use to help others the same way. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Thursday. I love to meet with people in a group and discuss issues. I like to see and hear other points of view and weigh them out with what I think. Used to no one was right but me and everyone else just wasn't as smart as me.  There are a number of places in the Bible about maturity of the church and how the mature are to deal and help the immature. Thank you Shawn and John and many others just like them who showed me patience and kindness to explain what I didn't understand. It's people helping people. Showing each other the love of Christ. Jesus spoke in parables to His disciples for a reason. Once they matured they would understand the deeper meaning of what He said. Everyone, including the heathens could make something of the surface meaning. Christians today, as I have said many times, are lazy and not really interested in going a little deeper anymore. We take the surface stuff and call it good and tell others how good God is. Then the person they told digs a little deeper on their own and finds out how GREAT God is. We're missing so much of God and our savior Jesus if we don't get into the Word and study and get involved in other people's lives and hear and learn more so we can grow more. Find a group to get involved in that wants to study and grow. Get to a place where you can lead a group yourself. Multiply our passion for Him with others and set the world on fire again with the name of Jesus. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Tuesday. I tried an experiment last night. At least I paid more attention to it anyway. I listened to my phone music in my ear buds all night. Each time I woke up from the ear buds hurting my ear I paid attention to what song was on. I have all kinds of music on there too. But last night every time it was one of my favorite Christian songs. I kid you not. Now what do I make of it? For most people it's just a coincidence and nothing more. For others, big deal. Who cares?  Me, I thanked God for the most wonderful nights sleep and serenade of music. Just a small little thing in my life that doesn't really mean a thing to anyone else. Just something for me from God. When we really look at all the things He is involved in, how can we not be in awe and amazement? With a God who loves us this much, how also can we not love people more. Take hate out of our lives and begin to let the light of the Lord shine for all to see. Yesterday was a call to arms. Today is how it begins. Thankfulness and humbleness before God. Allowing Him to lead the way and us willing to follow. It may start off small at first so don't be looking for the big miraculous event. I wonder how the army felt marching around a city wall for seven days as part of the battle plan? Sounds stupid and ineffective to them. My favorite songs each time I woke up last night. Sounds stupid and unimportant, but both were very effective. Thank you God. I love you. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. At what point in our lives do we realize we really need God? Is it when everything has fallen apart and we feel we have nothing left? Do we live our lives how we want and then decide to receive His grace and mercy at the end of it? Many people have come to Christ in by those situations. Of the many examples, these are just two for the sake of argument.  But the question I would ask is this; If God is good enough to be sought out for at the end or most desperate time of our lives, why isn't He good for the whole thing?  As humans we seem to think we have it all under control, or at least the idea that we can control things in our lives. To some degree we can by our decisions., but we have an illusion that we can do more. We can turn things around. For people who don't believe in God I could see this but Christians do the same thing. The evidence is in a good look at our countries history. Founded on beliefs in God and prosper till we begin to allow satan to whisper in our collective ear that its all ok. We are deteriorating slowly as we continue to push God out of our country and our lives. It's time, it's past time, for the Christian nation to stand up and no longer be silent. Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Tell your church. Make it happen. Quit being comfy in your Sunday pew and realize you're being called to action. We owe it to the One who gave us all. In love always. <>< 

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 <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. Just a few days away from Thanksgiving. My prayers this time of year are for us to realize how thankful we should be and that the world of self satisfaction melts away from our hearts. That we find that place within us to love each other and to care for each other,and not just the people we know but the ones we don't. I'm thankful it doesn't potentially cost me my life to worship Jesus. That my family is not at risk for me having a Bible or spreading the Word of God through this message. I pray that we stop taking all this for granted and really apply this to our lives daily and not just on Sunday. That God is first in our lives just like He said He should be. To be ready to give up everything we hold dear to follow after Jesus just like He said to. If we believe some of what the Bible says why aren't we believing all of what it says? In Luke chapter 9 Jesus was not trying to discourage people from following, He was making sure they knew the cost to do so. If you truly are going to follow Him,then be prepared to pay the cost. Nothing here on this earth is worth hanging onto just to loose our eternity with Him. This season be thankful for the smallest of things in your life. Jesus is in all them. He cares about every part of you. Be thankful for the country that lets you read this and your Bible anytime you want without any danger. Use these blessing to be a blessing. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Thursday. Faith, where to begin? This is from a Christian view of faith in God and in our lives. First, faith is the belief in something not seen.( Church way version ). I think you could add and not known. Not everyone knows God, but they still have a nagging in the inner being of something bigger. It's trust on steroids. So we've heard the phrase living in faith, or walking by faith. One and the same. From old text walking meant our life journey. So how do you live in faith? It can be a two edged sword for some. " I have faith that God will take care if this". Sure but what is your part in "this". If its the bills being paid your part is working and writing the check. He gave you a job to work at and trusts you to do what He needs you to do there. " I have faith that God will heal him and make him well ". Yes He can, but the healing may be on the other side of this life and not in that hospital room. When we lose our faith in God we're no longer trusting His word and then we are headed for doom. Again, faith is in what we can't see or don't always know. We're trusting God to be who He tells us through the prophets and scripture He is. That's really as far as you can take it. Just because you have faith doesn't mean the check is written and mailed for you without you doing something. Faith in God is the same thing, you have to be living for Him. Humble yourself and serve. Serve others needs and let them see God in you and then they have hope which leads right to faith. That's why they are together in the Bible with the biggest gift of all, love. He loves us no matter what. He has faith in us no matter what. He has hope in us no matter what. We feel His presence enough to know He's there. Have the faith to know He is who He is. He will never forsake you and never leave you. It's us who walks away from Him. And sometimes it's because we've lost our faith in Him. It is a daily ordeal for some an hourly one for others and that's why it's living, walking, in faith, it's all the time. You never saw Jesus and you never saw Him die for you, but have faith in Him that that is exactly what He did out of love for you. Your eternal life depends on it. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Wednesday. What does it mean to be in God's way? I'm in the way of God sounds good on one side but terrible on the other. Sometimes we have before us a task at hand that we feel God has presented to us and we begin to work, as good followers do. But what happens when it's not getting anywhere? You feel like nothing is working and the end is no where in sight. That's when questions begin to arise like, " why isn't this working" " why is there no progress" " is God really in this or am I seeing it for something else". Doubt of wether or not God brought this to you., really. We're good followers of Christ, we know when it's God. (Sarcasm in the tone above). I think that sometimes God puts things in our life to simply be a witness to His work, not to fix it. My wife once told me a very profound statement. " I don't need you to fix everything, I just need you to listen". No babe I haven't forgotten. Sometimes God just needs us to "listen" to Him as He works in the lives of others. You'll know when it's time for your role in it. So don't feel guilty or despair because you didn't do it for them. Be glad there's a God alive in all of us today and has not forgotten a single detail in our lives. He may be making someone stronger for you to able to lean on or draw from later. And when you find yourself as the project, don't let things hinder you from finding what God has for you, and most certainly don't begin to try and find blame. It's a test and only a test. It will make us all stronger and better able to serve God. So you, bystander, get out of God's way and let Him reveal Himself to the world through this mess. Stop trying to fix it and listen. Glory to God. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Monday. Crippled, lame, deaf, mute, unclean and any other thing one could point out about someone, was considered an outcast in their society a ways back. Today they are called handicapped or disadvantaged. Whatever, the point is not the label  put on them. In Jesus' day these folks would be near be city gates or roads and other places that people passed by. They were seen daily and helped or not helped everyday by someone. Today we've built ramps and such to help make things as easy as possible for them to live a normal and independent life as possible. A good thing. How often do you see someone in a wheel chair in need of help? Imagine if there were no ramps or ways for that person to get up onto a sidewalk. Someone would have to stop and help. There would be a need in the life of a brother and a chance for us to help. Did we make all the things easier so we wouldn't have to deal with them? To make it easy for them to be out of mind? I don't think so but it's a thought. Have we built ramps in our lives to make it easier for us to not have to help Jesus? Are we making it "easier" for others to find Jesus without our help so we don't have to be involved. Out of sight out of mind. It's sad that we are becoming the Pharisee of our day. We are walking past those in plain sight and in need. Take down the ramps and the easy way and the idea that it will get done without you. It will, but you're needed to do your part, and start reaching out to those in need and those who are lost. We are the ramps God built for the world to use to get where they need to go, Home. Become useful to our Father, that's how He made us. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Wednesday. Well, you've heard me say before that I feel like God has an amazing since of humor. Still undecided as to how to vote yesterday and torn about a lot of issues on both sides, I was still asking God for a clear choice. Well, I get to the polling place and it seems I've been purged from the system. "No vote for you. " so after a lot of face booking in a lot of places last night it became clear to me. He was keeping me neutral for a reason. We are now split literally 50/50 in this country. Who knows their Bible here? Well this country and Gods people had better get together and work out their differences. And there are Christians and non Christians on both sides. This isn't about party lines. Just like religion, man divided itself into groups. He's done blessing us and will leave us to our own self serving ways if we just keep going. Now, the neutral in me sees both sides good and bad, but all people were  doing last night and today are bad mouthing the whole thing. That's not the answer. It doesn't solve a thing. We are to love each other and I don't see that coming out of anyone's mouth. What I do see is anger and bitterness. That's poison. Our enemies are watching at the door step of our collapse. As long as we are divided this bitterly, we will collapse. And it won't be the presidents fault but we'll blame him, no matter who's in the office. "Jesus open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers. Let our hearts be, lead by mercy". There are three fingers pointing back at us when we point out someone's mistakes or issues. He will bring us to our knees one way or another. If you voted great, if you didn't, hush. If you're not ready to give all to Jesus, get ready. Nothing stops the roar of a crowd like the painful truth of who reigns. Who will stand up and hush the crowd? Stop complaining and get about fixing instead. Unite as one nation and take it back for God. In love always. <>< 

Good morning and happy Election Day. I look back at the people of the Bible that God has used for His work here among us. It's easy to point out the obvious, David, Moses, Noah, and so on. But what about Pharaoh, Pilate, Judas, Herod, what about the part the bad guy plays in our lives? If not for some of these guys, those others may not have been pushed into the spotlight. Sometimes we need a look at how bad things are before we get to doing the right things. The Ten Commandments are not possible to keep. So why did God hold those as His standard? To show how much we need Him and that we are not able to do life apart from Him. It's not the only reason, we are to try and do our best to live by God's word, but the point is, if you feel like your life is not where it should be or this country isn't headed where it should be, do something about it. If called into the spotlight, answer. If called to help someone there, answer. I hope that when all this is done we can pull together as a UNITED STATES. Not the divided ones. We need God now more than ever. Evil is perched at our door and waiting as we grow weaker. Stand up and be heard. Bring God back to this land as our leader. In love always. <><

Good morning and happy Monday. God bless America. Can He really?  He has before but seems to have slowed it down a bit. I really feel like its just those following Him and not the nation as a whole anymore. We, the country have asked Him to leave. Why would we expect Him not to. We pray for miracles and expect those to happen. Why would we not expect Him to leave us alone? We've attained great wealth and power as a nation. We are a world leader. All of this by the hand of God but we have claimed the success as a our own. No glory to Him at all. When a Christian person comes into the spot light, i e Tim Tebow, everyone sees it as weird or odd instead of as the norm. He becomes a parody on SNL and made fun of. I believe that's what Jesus said would happen to us when we followed Him. So is God gonna bless the heathens mocking His people? I think not. The answer doesn't lie in tomorrow's election results. Do go and vote, but take a look at your inside and see what you can do to make Jesus the norm in this country again. In love always. <><