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“The Answer Is No!!”

When you were a kid, was there something you wanted really bad but your dad or mom said a definite no?  You can probably feel the frustration that you had at that time, right now, as you think about it.

I remember when I was a kid, one day a stray dog showed up.  My mom, brother, and I really wanted to take it in.  The dog was really matted looking and really dirty.  Our hearts went out to the dog.  But my dad said a definite no.

Our neighbor came by and I don’t really remember what he said to my dad but he convinced him to take it in.  So he went cautiously to catch it.  He took her to our tub to clean her up.  She was a mess.  She was matted, dirty, and had big bruises.

The next day my mom took her to get groomed.  When she went to pick her up she told the lady it was not her dog, she looked so different.  She was so beautiful.  She was a Cockapoo and had silvery/grey/black hair.

She was the best dog that we ever had.  She was so loving.  We did not have her long, I don’t remember the time frame, maybe a couple three years.  She ended up getting cancer, which probably came from her injuries.  But I am telling you it was worth all the time we had with her.  We were grateful my dad finally said yes and he would agree.

It made me think about how we look at people.  When we see people do we see them as “matted and dirty”?  Or do we look passed the surface?  A lot of people are a mess.  They are matted and dirty with sin.  They maybe bruised physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially.  How do we respond to them?  Do we draw them to us or do we say absolutely no?  I don’t want to be bothered.

Just like stray dogs there are a lot of stray people.  The question is how can we reach out to them.  Just like a stray dog can be dangerous and bite you, people can be dangerous as well, even more dangerous.  So how can we reach the people?

Here are some steps that I would recommend.  There can be many answers to these questions but I am just going to give you a few ideas.

  1. Seek wisdom from God. We are all individuals and I don’t think that any of us can tell someone else how to reach out to people.  God is the One with the wisdom.  He is the one that can guide and protect.
  2. Ask God for divine appointments.  God can lead you to the ones that He wants you to minister to.
  3. Ask for God’s love.  People can sense our disgust or love.  The atmosphere we carry around us is felt.  If they sense our love it can be a wonderful thing for them and we haven’t even said a word.
  4. Smile!  It is amazing what a smile can do for a person.
  5. Qualify whom you reach out to.  I think a good rule of thumb is to reach out to your own gender.  Men reach out to men and women to women.  That can be a safer thing to do.
  6. If they walk into church don’t shun them.  We don’t need to know the motive of why they are there, it may be a selfish one, but that is not our job.  We need to show love.  And we need to be in tune with God.

Dear Father,

This can be such a hard thing to do, to reach out to the unlovely.  We ask for Your wisdom.  We know that You love all.  You love the sinner but hate the sin.  For us we struggle with separating the two, please help us.  Thank You for the love You have shown us and help us to remember where You have brought us from.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

We need to draw so close to God that when people are struggling they can feel His love through us.

Love you all.

What divine appointments has God given you and how did He help you?

Maybe you are someone who was in a bad place and someone reached out to you.  Tell us how God used a person in your life.

I would love to hear the testimonies.

 

 

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“Are Your Taxes Done?”

The time is winding down before the due date for taxes.  The question is are you ready?  I don’t always wait until the last-minute but I did this year.  Life has been so busy I have been procrastinating.  I think partly due to the fact that I am afraid of the outcome.  It seems, as humans we tend to think if we keep putting it off maybe it will go away, but it never does.

One thing we can always know is that we will owe something.  What we owe does vary from person to person.  It depends on how much you make and what deductions you can take.  So how much we pay is different all the time.  There is never any consistency.  There are so many variations.  Everyone owes something different.  But the reward is the same for everyone.  We get to live free in this country.  Some may say, “There is no freedom.  We are in bondage and oppression to the laws of the land.  Where there is no law there is no freedom.  It may seem like freedom but it is not.

I was thinking about how this compares to God’s Kingdom.  The amazing part is that it doesn’t matter how rich, poor, what color of skin you have, or where you were born our “taxes” are all the same.  What we owe God is equal to everyone.  What do we owe God?  We owe Him the total surrender of our lives to Him.  We may not live in His kingdom unless we give total surrender.  In order to live in the USA we have to pay taxes if we don’t we will be punished.  In order to live in God’s Kingdom we have to fully surrender our lives to Him or be punished.

The wages of sin is death but God has provided a way for us to avoid that final, eternal death and it is a free gift but it cost everything.  It cost our full surrender.  But we all get equal opportunity and equal right.

Some say, “There is no freedom in God.  We are in bondage and oppressed by His law.”  Every law that Christ has given is fulfilled in these two categories.  “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40  God gave His only Son to die so that we do not have to pay the penalty for sin, eternal death.  How can we not love a God like that?

How do you love your neighbor as yourself?  Basically you treat them how you want to be treated.  Can you imagine what this world would be like if we all did that.  The freedom would be unbelievable.  We would not have to worry about ourselves or our children or anyone.  Because we would all be treated with the same respect and love.  To me that is real freedom.  And the amazing part, we have a choice.  We can choose Him or not chose Him.  We can choose bondage or freedom.

The selfishness of this world and a person only looking out for one self may seem like “freedom” but it is a miserable life.  I don’t consider being controlled by anger, lust, lying, murderous thoughts, disrespect, etc. freedom.  I consider that bondage and misery.

The freedom in God’s Kingdom all starts with falling in love with Him.  Get to know Him.  Look at what He has done for You.  Then surrender your life to Him and I promise you will have the best freedom you can ever imagine.  Trust Him with the outcome of every area of Your life.  With Him in control, as long as we leave Him in charge, we can have rest and peace, even in the midst of the most terrible storm.

Dear Father,

Thank You for loving us.  Forgive us for not accepting Your love and cleansing power to save.  Thank You that as we surrender to You, You are the one that gives us the power to overcome ourselves.  You have given us so much and I am so grateful.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Today is the day to give all to Him.  He has paid the price.  Let’s accept His free gift with a full surrender to Him today.  This is a daily process.  Let’s surrender each day.

Love you all.

As you have stayed surrendered to Christ, what have been the results?  Share your testimony of God’s grace.  I would love to hear it.

 

 

 

 

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“WHAT ARE YOUR SYMPTOMS?”

I don’t know about you but I can tell when my body is fighting something.  There are different symptoms at different times.  But the one that I have the most is that I start feeling really tired.  When I have a hard time pulling myself out of bed, no matter how much sleep I get, I know I have a problem.  It seems to be a different kind of tired.

If I accept the warning I will start taking something to help ward off whatever my body is fighting.  I not only take something to build my immune system and kill off what I am fighting, I also stop doing anything that would compromise my immune system.  I make sure that I am drinking plenty of water and getting plenty of rest.  I also stay away from foods that can lower my immune system, like sugar.  Note: I have read that after you eat sugar it can cripple your immune system for four to six hours.  If I follow these steps when I first recognize the symptoms I usually have no problem keeping well.  But if I ignore the symptoms I am sure to get sick.

This reminds me of our spiritual health.  Are there symptoms that can tell us that we are struggling with our spiritual immune systems?  I believe that there are.  If we find ourselves not having a desire to read the Bible or we find it boring, our immune system is compromised.  If we find sin more attractive and less repulsive our immune system is compromised.  I don’t know what your systems are but I think we all know deep in our hearts what it is for us.

So what do we do about it?  Just like with our bodies, if we notice the symptoms we need to start the fight right away, so with our spiritual lives.  As soon as we notice the symptoms we need to do what it takes to build our spiritual immune system.

Christ is our example and as I read about the life of Christ I see that He communed a lot with His Father.  Long before day He would go and spend time with His Father.  We are not eating enough healthy Food, drinking from the Fountain, and breathing from the fresh Air.

Here are some steps that I would recommend if you have recognized that your spiritual immune system is compromised.

  1.  Go to God and ask for His forgiveness.  When we have been compromising we have brought something between God and us.  It has put a wedge between our relationship with Him.
  2. Eat healthy Food, read your Bible.  Spending time in God’s Word.  Start by reading the life of Christ.  He is our example and we can learn so much on how to live our lives.  Memorizing verses that can help us in time of temptation is also helpful.
  3. Drinking pure Water from the Fountain of life.  Jesus is the Bread and Water of life.  We need to eat and drink of Him each day.  I think of it this way, as I “eat” my Bible each day, the Holy Spirit, the gift Jesus has given us, will speak to us and it will be like a fountain of Water providing us with cleansing, “digestive” help.  We cannot digest the Word of God without the Holy Spirit.
  4. Get plenty of “fresh air”.  I look at prayer as just as important as oxygen is to the body.  We can’t understand God’s Word without prayer.  Without prayer we cannot spiritually live. We need that constant connection with God.  Jesus spent entire nights in prayer.  It must be important.  Just like we cannot live without oxygen we cannot live without prayer.

Dear Father,

Help us to realize our need of You.  Without You we are nothing.  We can’t make it without You.  Thank You for Your unfailing love for us and Your patience.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Get reconnected with God today don’t wait.  The longer you wait the harder it is to do the right thing.  Your spiritual immune system will crash and you will get “sick”.  You can get well but it takes more effort.  Remember God loves you and is there to help you.

Love you all.

What systems do you get that help you recognize that your spiritual immune system is compromised?  What steps have you found to help you get back on track?  I would love to have you share.  I love to learn what has worked for others.

 

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“MY MOST BITTER SWEET YEAR!!”

This year, in the month of March, my daughter would have been 21 years old.  It is amazing how time flies by.  It is hard to believe that it has been so many years since we lost her.  Here is the short version of my story.

As far back as I can remember I had the dream of growing up, getting married, and having a little girl. My mom and I have always been close, and I always desired the same for my daughter and myself. I was elated when, after having two sons, a daughter was born to me. I could not have been happier.

When my daughter was 5 weeks old, I laid her down for a nap. She cried for a little while and then finally fell to sleep. As the time was approaching for her to nurse, I was in the process of fixing lunch and just needed to finish up a couple of things so I could get my dish in the oven. It was past her feeding time, but since she wasn’t crying, I went ahead and finished up.

After getting the dish in the oven, I headed to the room where my daughter was sleeping. When I entered the room my heart sank as I saw that her face was face down into the mattress. I quickly picked her up and she was limp. Her color was normal so I felt there must be hope.

I ran out to our shop with her in my arms. As I walked through the door, there stood our employee. All I could gasp out of my mouth was “she isn’t breathing.” My husband immediately called 911 while I went into action with CPR.

At that time a GPS could not get anyone to our place so our employee went and met a paramedic and then later the ambulance. She was taken to the nearest hospital and then air lifted to a bigger hospital.

I held together fairly well until after they took her, then I fell apart. Was there something wrong with my milk? Was it wrong to let her cry herself to sleep? Why didn’t I go into the room sooner instead of getting the food in the oven?

At the first hospital we were suspicioned. “We can’t seem to bring her around, it is like she does not want to come back. Is there something you need to tell us?” When going through something so devastating and then have accusations thrown at me, that made me feel even worse. I never said a word to the doctor about how I was feeling.

Our daughter was then air lifted to another hospital. When we arrived and the doctor met with us, I finally felt safe to breakdown and share how I was feeling and the questions that I had in my mind. He was a wonderful doctor. He assured me that I had done nothing wrong. That was a blessing for me.

The next few days were agonizing. I remember pleading with God to save my daughter’s life. The very last night we stayed in the hospital, I felt this peace come over me. I thought the peace was God saying that she would live. I was able to sleep that night.

The next evening it was very evident that she would not live. We had to make the decision to unplug her from life support. It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make in my life. She was the dream of my life. After unplugging her, we carried her to the operating room where they would take some organs that we were donating to help another child.

The days that followed were very difficult. I had been nursing her and the separation I felt was agonizing. I wondered where God was during all this and what was the peace about that He had given me. I was so confused.

I remember my dad asking me, “Do you believe that God was in the room when she was napping?” I had to answer yes. I knew God had been there. Did it make the pain easier? I can’t say that I know, because God was there with me as I went through this and He did give me peace through it. I can’t imagine going through these kinds of things without Him.

Besides God being beside me, I also had a friend that would call me everyday. She didn’t say a whole lot to me; she just let me talk. I can’t tell you how much that was a help to me. If you know someone who is going through a painful experience remember to listen. This is such a key point.

The question still remains, “Does the pain ever go away?” No, but time is a healer, although I will always have a spot in my heart missing. The greatest thing is the hope that I have in the second coming of Christ. God’s precious promise, “Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers’ arms.” GC 645. I long for this day and I strive to be ready.

Dear Father,

Thank You for Your comfort in times of sorrow.  I pray that You will be with each one that has been through losing a loved one.  Help each one to feel Your presence, Your peace, and Your love.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I want to speak to those that are hurting from the loss of a loved one.  It is not an easy thing, I know.  But I do know that God is there.  Reach out to Him, He hears your cries.  He cries with you.  I encourage you to reach out to someone.  Also get involved in a support group.  It is always helpful to be able to talk with someone who has experienced similar things.

I want to speak to those that know someone who is hurting from a loss.  Be there for them.  Not as an adviser but as a listening ear.  Pray for and with those that are hurting.  Also hold them in your arms.

Love you all.

Have you had a loss?  Share how God helped you through it.

 

 

 

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“FRUSTRATED?”

Do you have those days that are a frustration?  It seems as if nothing seems to be going right?  And the thing that is amazing is that it could not come at a worse time.

I had one of those days a few days ago.  I am not immune.  Some people may read what I write and think, “Wow, she has it all together.”  The truth is that I am human like everyone else.  That is really what makes it possible for me to share with you.  I have difficulties too.

This particular morning I had to be gone early.  I had a doctor’s appointment and then I was off to work.  My time was limited and every thing was going wrong.  I was like, “Lord, why now?”  Why are you picking this time to allow all this?”

A lot of times we ask these questions but the bottom line is there is really never a good time.  How many of us really want things to go haywire any time?  There is never a good time.

As I was having things go wrong and questioning the Lord, His still small voice came to me, “Because I need to show you that you still have a struggle trusting Me.”  “Oh, Lord I am so sorry.”  I have to say that I struggled for a little while that morning.  I have such a struggle with wanting to fix every problem.  It is hard to hand things over to someone else to fix them. I don’t know about any of you but I think deep down inside I have this fear of what God is going to do.  What I need to do is trust Him knowing that He has my best interest in mind.  It is hard for me to see that at times.  The thing that is so frustrating is that I know better.  There have been so many times where I have allowed God to have full control and the outcome is amazing.  But it seems that I am not any different from the Children of Israel.  God would do some miracle for them, (provide food or water), and the next day they would turn right around and start complaining about something else.

One thing that I have found is we tend to go this direction because we forget how the Lord has led us in the past.  A good practice is to have a journal that we write down the things that the Lord does for us as they happen so that we can go back and look at them when we lose prospective.  This is what I have been doing for a while, to help me think.  We tend to let every day go by without thinking about how the Lord is leading.

Here is some steps that I recommend for each day.

In the morning:

  1. Write down three things that you are thankful for.
  2. Write down three things that you want to accomplish today.
  3. Write down a daily encouragement statement.  Example:  “I am strong in Christ.” Or “I can do all things through Christ.” Or “I am a son/daughter of Christ.”

In the evening:

  1. Write down three amazing things that happened in your day.
  2. Write down in one sentence how you could have made things better.

One of the first things that I am grateful for is God’s forgiveness.  When we do make a mistake and get frustrated, instead of putting ourselves down by saying negative statements, we need to just ask His forgiveness and go on allowing Him to have control.  Negative statements only make a bad situation worse, no matter what.  We need to be making positive statements.

Dear Father,

I thank You so much for Your patience and Your love.  Forgive us for not always trusting You.  Thank You for Your overwhelming forgiveness.  I know that You have our best interest in mind.  It is easy to think and say but way harder to actually put into practice.  Give us Your strength.  Continue to prompt us with Your still small voice.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

I encourage you to start a journal.  It can actually be hard at first to think about what you are grateful for.  It is a different mindset.  But as you do it, you will find an amazing change coming over you in your life.

Love you all.

When you have a frustrating moment, what do you do?  What have you found to be most helpful for you?  I would love to hear your ideas.  It is the sharing that helps, not only others, but us as well.

 

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“MY VISION IS BLURRY!”

My daughter had an eye appointment yesterday. The thing that she dislikes the most is when they put drops in her eyes so that they dilate. It stings when they put them in. On top of that, after a little bit things become blurry. Now when you’re all done, if you have not brought your own sunglasses, they give you some “cool” looking ones to wear temporarily. No one really wants to be caught wearing those, so you always try to remember to bring your own. The reason for the sunglasses is because when you get into the sunlight, especially on a very bright day, it really hurts your eyes.
I couldn’t help but think about our everyday lives. We can have things that are in our lives that keep our spiritual eyesight blurry. Every time we get in contact with the Son it makes our spiritual eyes painful. The unfortunate part is a lot of times we put “sunglasses” on because it is painful. And if we don’t put our own on the devil is sure to give us some. But we usually like to wear our own because we want it to be disguised. The devils “glasses” are more visible to those around us. Either we don’t know how to make things different or we don’t want to. The solution is different but the solution to both involves you and me as Christians.
For those of us as Christians, it is a matter of choosing. Now that is easier said than done when self wants its way. We need to ask God to “…Anoint my eyes with eye salve, that I may see.” See Revelation 3:18. If we go to God with a willing heart He will show us what is getting in the way of spiritual growth. As we read His Word, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, our eyes will begin to open. We will only see a little at a time and as we follow through with what God is telling us He will reveal more and more. There may be times that we will need to agonize with God in prayer. Self can be so tough to cut across. But God is more powerful if we give Him full control.
There may be someone out there that is struggling but they really don’t know what to do or where to find the answers. That is where we can be of help in sharing our experiences. We can help restore a brother or sister. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
There are also those out there that may know there is a God but don’t know anything about reaching out to Him for help. We should become a friend and as the Lord leads we can share with them the answers that we have discovered. It is very important that they feel your love and not condemnation. We are all sinners, make mistakes, and need the mercy and grace of God. Love is an important key.
Dear Father,
Wash our eyes so that we can see the wonderful things that You have for us. When our eyes are blurry we cannot discern Your love. We tend to look at Your ways as restrictive. That is what the devil wants us to think but truly Your ways are freedom. We need You. Guard us against Satan’s tactics. Thank You for Your unfailing love.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Remember God loves you beyond human imagination. No matter what anyone is telling you, it is never too late to come to God. Satan wants to keep you in the trap of feeling unworthy to come. God loved you so much He sent His only Son to die just for you. He wants you to come to Him no matter what you have done or what has been done to you.
Love you all.
Have you had something in your life that made your spiritual eyes blurry? How did God help you to see? I would love to hear how God helped you or used someone else in your life to help you.
What kind of crazy things have you had happen when you have had your eyes dilated? I would love to hear your story.

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“HOW FIRM IS YOUR FOUNDATION?”

Have you ever felt like you are just wobbling along in life?  You feel like you are going to fall over at any time and you’re not sure what to do about it?

There is a picture of my mom, when I was a baby, which I have always been intrigued with.  Every time I see it I shake my head.  She was wearing shoes that had such a skinny heel on it that it boggles my mind that a person could even stay upright.  It seems to me that she would have been wobbling all over. To me having a firm foundation would be more comfortable.

It is true that shoes that have high heels have a negative effect on the body.  The more unstable the shoe the more damage and discomfort.  It is damaging to a persons back as well as the legs.  It is putting the body into a position that it was never meant to be in.

We as humans are always looking for ways to make ourselves look better.  We don’t really think about the damage that it may be causing.  If it makes us look prettier or handsome, sexy or buff, etc., whatever can get us more attention or just help us to fit into the crowd.

This started me to thinking about another important foundation.  What kind of foundation are we standing on in our Christian life?  Is it stable or are we wobbling around?  This is more important than any shoe heel.  The Christian foundation that we have can be life or death.

Even as Christians we can be so afraid about what other people think of us or what image we portray that we do things that are putting us on a wobbly foundation.  Our foundation gets so tall and skinny that we are barely able to hang on to Christ.  The problem is that if we are not fully hanging on to Christ we will not make it.  We will fall.

What I have found to be a great foundation is God’s Word & prayer.  As I pray and ask for the guiding of the Holy Spirit, I have been led.  It can be a struggle at times because it crosses self.  But I have found, that as God shows me things in my life that need changing, that if I give up and surrender to Him, He comes in and does the work.  I have even prayed, “Make me willing to be made willing.”  He loves each of us and wants to be there to help us through it.  We just have to give Him permission.  He is a loving and polite God.  We have freedom of choice.  Freedom of choice is true love.

Dear Father,

We need You.  Give us the strength to stand firm.  Help us in building a strong foundation.  Convict our hearts on those things that are causing us damage spiritually.  And give us the strength to overcome.  We have no power within ourselves to do this.

Thank You for loving us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Make sure that you have a firm foundation.  God can show you what areas you need to change so that your life will not be so wobbly.  And the amazing part is that He will give you the power if you surrender it to Him

Love you all.

Do you have a fun story about high heels?  I would love to hear it.

What have you found to help you make a good foundation in your Christian walk?

 

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“ARE YOU HOME SCHOOLED?”

I have learned in the last couple of years how much different it is for a child that is home schooled and one that is not.  I am not here to debate whether a person should home school or send their child to school.  Where a child goes to school has to be the decision of each parent and it is different for each one.   I am just here to share what I have observed.

I remember when two of my boys were younger.  They were home schooled.  I think they were around 7 and 9.  We live right next to paper company land, so the mountain behind our house became their playground.  They would spend hours hiking and exploring hundreds of acres of land.

They were hiking one day and they ran into an older gentlemen on the mountain, on one of the many logging roads.  They spent a little time visiting with him and then they were on their way.

I don’t remember how we connected with this gentleman later or found out he was a piano tuner; it was maybe through the boys.  We needed our piano tuned so we got a hold of him.  We have been so blessed to know him.  All my boys have had the privilege of working for him every summer.

What was interesting is not only was he a piano tuner, he was also a retired teacher.  And this is what he said to us later, “When I met the boys on the mountain I knew right off that they were home schooled because they carried on a conversion with me, an adult.  Kids that are in the school environment only related to their peers.”

Now I am sure there are exceptions but I now have seen both sides of the picture because, after homeschooling one of my boys for many years, I sent him to school.  His life changed.  It was slow but the change took place.

It seems that the majority of the time those young people who are attending school are more concerned about what their peers think than what the adults think.  Those that are Home schooled generally relate better to adults and are more concerned about what the adults think.

There has been a concern that kids will not be well-rounded if they do not have that social life with others their age.  What I have seen is that when it comes to real life, it is adults that you really need to learn to relate to.  Your not going to work for another kid, you’re going to work for an adult.

There is nothing wrong with young people having friends their own age, my kids did, just not very many.  They were free to be who they wanted to be without other young people looking down on them.  They could dream and pursue those dreams without condemnation.

It made me think about Christians.  How are we coming across to other people?  When someone walks away from us do they have a sense that we are “home schooled” (Christians)?  Or are we concerned about what others think of us?

This can be an area of difficulty for us as Christians.  We need to be so schooled in Christ that we reflect Him.  We need to be so connected that when “peers” (those who are not closely connected with Christ) want us to join in their pursuits we will not be drawn in.  And when someone walks away they can say, “I was just with a Christian.”  Or  “They were so loving and kind I want to be more like they are.  I want to learn more about what makes them that way.”

Dear Father,

Whether we are young people or adults, help us to realize that the best approval we can have is Your approval.  If we follow our “peers” we are doomed to die.  But if we follow You we will be able to live eternally with You.  Thank You for loving us so much to send Your son to die to make this possible.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Stay connected with God so that He can refine your character for heaven.  And you will reflect His character and win others to Him.

Love you all.

Have you ever struggled with being pulled in by your peers, whether it was young people or adults?  What helped you through it?

 

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“IS IT FRESH?”

There is nothing like a fresh loaf of bread.  I think a lot of you probably know what I am talking about.  And I am not talking about a loaf that was just put on the shelf in the store.  I am talking about a loaf that just came out of the oven or bread machine.

A couple of years ago I got a bread machine.  You put all the ingredients to one loaf of bread in and then walk away and a few hours later you have a fresh loaf of bread.  But there is one factor, you always have to make sure it is connected to the power; otherwise, it will just sit there and do nothing.

I have made bread many times over the years.  As a kid and into my adult life, I did it the old-fashioned way.  The final steps are kneading it by hand on the table, forming them into loaves, and then placing them in the oven.  As the children came along and I had less and less time, my husband bought me a Bosch machine.  It mixed and kneaded and then I would form into loaves and put into the oven.  I was able to make 5 loaves at a time.  But now I have the bread machine that makes it even quicker.

Even with the bread machine, you still have to take the time and it seems we’ve gone for long periods of time with no fresh bread because I am too busy.  But recently I have been able to do a couple of loaves.  And let me tell you there is nothing like a fresh loaf of bread from your kitchen.

It made me think of the most important Bread, God’s Word.  We need to be eating this Bread every day.  And it needs to be fresh.  We can’t rely on the Bread that we “ate” three days ago or even yesterday.  We need to be putting it into our lives every single day.  We need to hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against God.

There is a caution.  We can read and memorize the Bible every day but if we are not connected to the Power it will do us no good.  It will just sit there.  We need to have it mixed into our lives to form a Godly character, fresh from the hand of God.  This is the only way we can shine to others so that when they have been with us they will feel that they have tasted from the fresh Bread of heaven.

Dear Father,

Thank You for giving us the Bread of Life.  Continue to prompt us to spend time in Your Word and to plug into the Power so that You can change our lives.  Thank You for loving us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember to spend time each day “eating” the Bread of Life and make sure to plug into the Power so that you receive a character transformation.

Love you all.

What memories do you have about fresh bread?  I would love to hear about them.

How has the Bread of Life changed your life?  Share your story.

 

 

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“DID YOU WALLOW IN THE MANURE?”

There seems to be a trend in our society.  If you are follow the crowd, you fit in just nicely.  But if you choose not to go along with the crowd you are an outsider and considered strange.

The other day we came home and found that one of our little dogs had gotten out of the fence and wallowed in some manure.  I don’t know what he smelt like to himself but to us he stank.  If he were together with his buddies, that have all enjoyed the wallowing pit, he would have fit right in but to those of us that were not in his pit it stank terribly.

It reminded me of someone who is wallowing in the pit of sin.  They are fitting right in with the world and no one seems to notice that they stink because they are all following the crowd of society.  If there is someone who is not choosing to wallow in the pit of sin, they are looked at as strange.  This can be difficult, especially for young people, but, then again, us older people can be really drawn in as well, we just may be a little more subtle about it.

There are a lot of people who are wallowing in the pit of sin but they are still going to church.  They have a drawing to do what is right but they are having a hard time getting out of the pit.  It feels so comfortable to fit in with the majority.  They have a drawing for the truth but when they go to church they feel out-of-place.  They don’t even fit into the conversations.  They want to talk about the latest trends, movies, music, or whatever the world has to offer for them.  They don’t even really realize that they “smell” so they don’t know why people shy away from them, or try to avoid them.  Eventually they may even stop coming because they feel like they don’t fit in, so they go back to the friends and ways that they feel comfortable with.

As I look at it, there is only two reasons why we would shun these people.  One, we secretly are not any different, we have just become a good hypocrite, so we fit in with both crowds.  Or, second, we have not truly fallen in love with Christ.  Christ was drawn to those that were wallowing in the pit of sin.  His heart went out to them in love.  They were drawn to Him and wanted to be in His presence, even though they had gone so far that they were possessed with the devil.

We need to be so representing Christ in our lives, that those wallowing in the pit of sin will be drawn to us.  When they have been with us, they will feel as if they have been with Jesus.  And when they leave they will start to feel uncomfortable wallowing in the pit of sin.  They will look forward to being with us because they feel a love and a peace which passeth all understanding.

I want to speak to the one that knows that he/she is wallowing in the pit of sin.  You know that it is wrong but you can’t seem to break out of the mold.  You want to fit in with your friends.  It is a choice that you have to make and no one can make it for you.  But God can give you the strength.  Spend time reading God’s Word and start to memorize the promises of God.  Prayer is a much need component.  Pray and let God know exactly how you feel.  Ask Him to lead you to new friends and He will.  If you have connected with “Christians” that have not been a friend to you and have shunned you don’t give up, keep looking.  Be honest with the ones that do show love and compassion.  Let them know that you are struggling and need their prayers.  You don’t need to open up your whole life as an open book if you don’t want, but just ask them to pray for you.  And above all things remember God loves you with an unconditional love.

Dear Father,

Help those of us that claim to be Christian to be more like You.  Help us to realize our need of You.  We are not any better than anyone else without You.  We are all in this world together struggling with sin.

I also pray for those that are struggling in the pit of sin.  Draw their hearts to You.  Help them to feel Your love.  Surround them with Your protection from the “manure’ of this world.

Thank You so much for the love that You have for each one of us.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Remember the answer for all of us, whether we are Christians, claiming to be a Christians but really being a hypocrite, or wallowing in the pit of sin, God loves you.  He wants to have a connection with you and lead you to better paths.

As Christians we need to ask God for His love to spread to the world so that all may know the love and peace of God and we can all go to heaven to be with Him.

Love you all.

Have you experienced wallowing in the pit of sin?  How did God help you out?