Passion

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25 NIV

Almost daily on the news I hear what people are passionate about. Today it was staying up to see the football draft and what it meant for his team. Other times it's someone rescuing dogs from an unsafe situation. Or protesters trying to make known where their passion lies.

What are you passionate about? What can you barely control your temper about when what your passionate about is wronged?

I am passionate about serving God. I want to do everything I can to please Him. Maybe sometimes it seems I am over passionate, especially when I've spent 17 of the last 20 days at church. Some weeks are like that, especially around Easter and Christmas. But hey, I wouldn't have any other way.

I also have a passion for teaching children how much God loves them and He wants what is best for them and so do I. It would be so much easier though if these kids would just get the message the first time and then maybe I wouldn't have to repeat myself so much.

I have a passion for my family. I love when we get to spend time together and play crazy games. In fact, this week a received a call from one of my cousin's excited that she should be able to get to Florida more so we can spend time as a family. I can't wait!

My passion is for the Lord and doing all He asks of me. My hope is that each of us can claim this.

Entrance

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Matthew 19:24

On one of our vacations we took the kids to a Kid's Museum. The owner of this place had taken old airplanes, cars, ramps, skateboard parks,...and managed to put them all together in a maze. The place was overwhelming. They could climb and explore thousands of things.

But first we had to get in and I became a little intimidated when I saw to even get in the building I would have to climb up a steep ramp using a rope to pull myself up. I looked and looked for another entrance, but this seemed to be the only way. Somehow I made it up and we were able to get inside. I am kind of glad that this place isn't near us or I would be having to use this entrance a lot because I know it would end up one of our yearly field trip spots.

In this story Jesus' tells, a rich young man approaches Him and simply asks, "What good thing must I do to get eternal life?" This man figures he's probably done this good thing since he's so well off, or if he hasn't done it yet he certainly can since money talks.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Jesus tells him obey the commandments to which he finds out he has obeyed them. Then Jesus gives him the clincher, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man goes away distraught because he was so wealthy, he didn't want to give any of it up.

The disciples wonder why he can't give away his stuff, and this is when Jesus explain, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle." Now we might be picturing a needle with a little tiny eye, and those of us who have threaded needles now how hard it is to get the thread in the needle. How in the world would a camel ever get through that?

Jesus is actually referring to an entrance into a city. Towns were built with walls around them and during the day, everyone used the gate to come in and out. At night though the gates were closed and if you wanted to enter the city you had to enter through the eye of the needle. For a camel to enter in, everything must be removed from it's back and it had to get down on it's belly and crawl through. I'm sure it must have been a sight, and I would probably just camp outside and wait for the city gate to open in the morning.

In order to enter heaven, we must give up what's holding us back. For the man in this story it was his wealth. For other people it's their pride and for others it could be resentment. There are many things that prevent us from a true relationship with Christ making the entrance hard to climb. Are you willing to take it off so you can enter into heaven? Or are you going to go away distraught because what you carry is of great wealth?

Choice

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 NIV


Funny thing about life it is full of choices. You wake up and you can choose to hit the snooze button or get out of bed. You get to choose what you will wear for the day and what you want for breakfast.

Throughout the day we can choose how we will react to different situations. We can choose which path to take to work. I usually choose to walk down the hall way and head to the kitchen. Then I can choose if I am in the mood to exercise, how long I want to exercise, and which work out video I want to watch.

When the kids misbehave I can choose how much I yell or which punishment they should get. When my husband has a bad attitude, I have a choice as to whether or not I have a bad attitude back. Sometimes I succeed in not reacting, but other times not so well. It really upsets me when he tells me, "stop talking." When I have something to say, he better not try to silence me that just gets me going. Sure I can choose to listen and obey, but it is hard when I need to speak my mind.

There is one choice each one of us gets to make from the time we are born. The Israelites heard this a lot, "choose today whom you will serve." Sometimes they got it right, other times they'd mess up. The good news is even when they messed up, they got the chance to choose again. No matter who we are, where we are born, or where we live we all get a choice. It's the same choice the Israelites had,"to choose today whom you will serve."

Will you serve the TV? Video games? Money? The latest fad? Or will you choose to serve the Lord? 

As for me and my household we will choose the Lord! It's one choice I don't regret.

Sacrifice

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV

Sacrifice, most of us parents knows what it means to sacrifice. We sacrifice new clothes, new shoes, or haircuts all for the benefit of our children. Sometimes we sacrifice eating a meal just to make sure our kids don't go to bed hungry. If our children need it, we are going to find a way to provide it.

Sometimes our time is sacrificed so we can spend time listening to a friend in need. We go out-of-our-way to help out in a time of crisis. We try to help them when they are being evicted. We lay our hands on them and pray for them when they're ill. We do whatever it takes to help make things right.

This past weekend I spent time remembering what one man did for each of us. Before he did this, there were all kinds of sacrifices required for all different types of sin. These sacrifices though did not clean us on the inside, they may have made a difference but it didn't really change anyone.

The ultimate sacrifice was done for each of us 2000 years ago, Christ did a one time good for eternity sacrifice. He was beaten with a whip that had blades on the end. It ripped His skin. They shoved a crown of thorns in His head causing more bleeding. He was spat upon, beaten even more, and made to carry His cross all the way to Golgotha.

There they pounded the nails in his hands and through his feet and then he was raised up and hung on a cross. People there still yelled at Him and told Him to "Save yourself Son of God." The thing was He could have stopped it all at any moment. He could have not gone through the pain and just walked away, who would have blamed Him.

But He didn't it, He went through all of this to take on every sin we could ever commit. He thought of me knowing one day I would screw up so bad with our finances that we could have lost it all. He thought of you and the wrong choices you have made. He thought of each one of us as He hung there that one Friday and asked God to forgive each of us because we no not what we do.

Then He died, He became the sacrifice so if we had a need He could provide it. Don't let His brokenness count for nothing. Accept His sacrifice, it makes an eternal difference.

Solidarity

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, it it possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Have you ever felt the need to get away by yourself for awhile? There are days when I would just love to find a few moments to myself. Maybe I should start wearing long skirts so I can just pull it up over my head much like Susanna Wesley did when her kids started to drive her crazy. She would need a moment of solitude and the only way she found to get it was to pull her skirt up over head and take a moment to pray and get her peace back.

A moment alone isn't such a bad thing. There were several times when Jesus would need a few moments peace to regain his focus. He had a tougher time then most of us. Once people realized he could heal and perform miracles, the multitudes followed him around. He of course didn't want to turn anybody away, but he did need time to refuel. So early in the morning, he would go off by himself to pray and focus on what he needed to do. He would get his peace back.

On this night when he was praying in the garden, he really needed time to focus on what laid ahead. He knew the next day was going to be tough. He knew he had to endure pain and suffering in order to save us. Here he's seeking God to take this from him.

Most of us don't want to face something painful. We would like to try to find another way if at all possible. Then Jesus says to God, "yet not as I will, but as you will." Jesus would face all he had to if that was what God wanted. Jesus knew this was the way he had to go in order to make a way for us to get to heaven.

His solidarity with God help him to see what he needed to do. Our solidarity with God can also help us see the way He wants us to go. Be sure to take the time to seek His ways and find peace, hopefully you won't have to pull a skirt over your head to find it.

Hope

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not feel faint. Isaiah 40:31 NIV

When I saw this word for today, immediately one of my favorite verses popped in my head. I like this verse because it tells us what happens when we hope in the Lord, our strength become renewed. Some days I need a lot of strength to get through.

Hope for me is believing that something is going to happen to change what's happening now. My hope comes from trusting in God to see me through. He has done it over and over again.

A few weeks ago I had to keep my friend's hopes alive as it seemed everything was falling apart. Her family and her were about to become homeless. The money had run out and they were losing their home. They looked and looked for a new place to move to, but with bad credit the chances of getting a place were growing slimmer.

She'd call me asking for prayers, and her husband and her prayed together hoping each place they looked at might be the one they could call home. One day when she inquired about a place she asked some questions and realized that renting a home was going to be near to impossible.

They took a chance on an apartment. Her husband called a place thinking it was one place and it turned out to be another. There were certain things they needed the apartment to have and they wondered about being approved, and as they looked at this place all the criteria was met. One of the ironic things was my friend actually knew the manager from years back. Through God's grace they were approved and some how God provided the money for the large down payment they needed to make.

This family has a new place to call home. God provided it for them because they put their trust in Him even though they had messed up. God renewed their strength and now they can soar on wings like eagles.

Fear

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

The winds were howling. Rain pounded against the windows and side of the house. Water began to seep in through the foundation. The power went out. Fear began to grip me, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it through this hurricane in one piece.

Then a song from Vacation Bible School filled my mind, "Do not fear for I am with you, do not be afraid, do not fear for I am with you, this is the choice that you make, so don't be afraid." As I looked at my frighten children and husband huddle on the couch I knew we had nothing to be afraid of.

The water stopped coming in and the storm soon passed. We were safe once again.

There have been other times in my life when I have felt fear and each time it tries to grip me, I am reminded of that song. This song brings me comfort as I face the frightening situation.

There is no reason to fear because God is on my side. Even in the most frightening of situations He can get me through it one way or another. So step out in courage with God by your side.

Prepare

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him'" Matthew 3:3 NIV

Most of the time I am prepared and ready for things I need to get done by the time I need to have them ready. There are times though when something sneaks up on me and I am not as prepared as I thought I should be. This can make me feel a bit overwhelmed and ill-equipped.

Through out our lives we prepare a lot of things. We prepare as best we can for the birth of a child. We pick out the crib, the sheet patterns, and the way we want this little one's room to look. Some of us get to know if we are having a boy or a girl. We pick out clothes, toys, and the latest safety features. We go to Lamaze classes so we can know what labor will be like and how to deliver our little one safely. All this preparation and then the little one arrives and we may seem completely lost at what to do now.

This past weekend I prepared a cake. I followed the recipe and made chocolate cake. Then after it was finished I followed another recipe to turn it into a caramel cake. Let me say, I will be preparing this one again.

Once I prepared pancake batter only to discover after the pancakes were made, I mistakenly put in salt when it should have been sugar. No amount of syrup could prepare me for that first bite of pancake.

This season of lent I was prepared to write daily about the word for the day. Somehow I am seven days behind. I was not prepared how busy and tired I ended up last week. My quiet time with God turned into a siesta with the Lord, and my other free times ended up with some behavior problems with the kids. It's not a problem because maybe I wasn't prepared to write about prepare until today.

Anyway, this week I am prepared to celebrate what Jesus did for each one of us. Some of the story is hard to hear, but I know Jesus did what he did because of his love for each one of us. So even though the story is tough, the ending is glorious. So prepare to celebrate a risen Savior!

Transform

Do not conform the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV

I'm sure some of you have seen the movies transformers where a car transforms into a robot. I haven't actually watch any of them myself, but I believe my boys had a couple of the toys. Either way, the vehicle becomes changed, different.

To transform means to change, to become different. We can become transformed in many different ways. Sometimes we become better and sometimes we become worse.

Those who become addicted to drugs or alcohol become transformed into someone their loved ones don't even recognize. They can become mean or aggressive. Sometimes they begin to steal and they may even become abusive. How many times have we heard, "He used to be such a good boy, I don't understand what happened."

Sometimes we transform to the surroundings around us. People just begin accepting certain behaviors and soon it becomes common. There was a day when someone said: "Oh what the f***," he/she would look at you an apologize. Now that word and words like it have somehow become casual words and no one is sorry. The phrase "Oh my God" has also become very common, even though we are calling on the name of God.

This past weekend I got to hear stories about how 33 women's life were transformed by their Walk to Emmaus weekend. These women shared over and over again, how they now see the world through I different pair of lenses. They are handling the pressures of life differently, not reacting negatively much like they used too. There lives have been transformed by the renewing of their mind.

I shared the same experience about seventeen years ago. Hearing and experiencing God's love for me was definitely a life transformation. It has helped me grown closer to God and help me become a new person. I not only renewed my mind but my heart has transformed as well.

This weekend experience is not a cult or anything weird, it's simply a weekend to help each of us become closer to God and feel His unconditional love for us. If you ever have the opportunity to take a Walk to Emmaus GO! It is something you won't regret.

Repent

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17 NIV

Most have seen it or heard it, "Repent, repent for the kingdom of heaven is near. Turn away from your evil ways and turn to the Lord, so you don't enter into the gates of hell!"

I'm not sure how many people have been saved by the Fire and Brimstone preaching, but I don't think God wants you to accept Him because you've been scared to death. Maybe that's what it takes for some to accept Him.

Repent means to feel regret for something you've done. We've all been there. There are many different times in my life I regretted some choice I made. Sometimes the choice came from my anger and sometimes it came from my jealousy. I didn't take the time to pray about it before I reacted, I just reacted.

Yesterday afternoon was one of those trying afternoons for me. It really pushes my buttons every time a child disrespects me. When you are trying to correct a child and teach him/her the way you want him/her to behave, it makes it very difficult when that child laughs at you or tells you "You're not my boss." Luckily, I had been praying about him/her behaving and I was able to stop myself from reacting in an improper way. So this time I have no regrets.

Most of the times when I do react in a way I ended up regretting, I go to the Lord and repent. I don't believe I will see the gates of hell! Like some preachers would want me to think, but I repent because I love God and I don't want to displease Him. Besides after I repent, I no longer feel any regrets.

So repent to get yourself free from regrets not because someone scared you into it.