OK, I Get It!

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 5:1-2a NIV

Have you ever had a message given to you over and over again? It comes a different ways, but the underlying topic is the same.

This past week that's what happen to me. I read several devotions, and within a three day period I received the same message-PEACE.

Finally, I said "I get it Lord, I need to have peace."

The funny thing is I believe my life is pretty peaceful. Sure there are days like yesterday when no one wanted to even consider having peace. The kids were fighting over the dumbest things and were quick to correct each other. The sad part about the correcting was they were saying exactly the same thing. I was at my wits end, "I just need five minutes without having to get onto anyone!"

It took another fifteen minutes before that was possible, finally the peace came.

There eventually will be peace, even in the most chaotic situation. God can come in an intervene. The answer may not be the one we desire, but it usually turns out to be the best one.

We can have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. I will continue to seek peace even when my day is out of control.

My Heart Ached

As a result, he does not live the rest of his life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:2 NIV

What a crazy Holy week I experienced. Some of us felt the ugliness and the confusion over what is happening to our country. It's on the news, on our home page, and all over Facebook.

I was happy to see those take a stand for what we know God desires, even if it meant some of us were ridiculed for it. Standing up for what's right isn't easy, but I understand because I live for the will of God. By living by His will it may mean taking a stand for something we believe in even when others don't. 

This country has lost a lot because Christians were afraid to take a stand. Now though we've come together and try our best.

This week though my heart ached for someone who was taking a stand for what he believed was right. Which is against what the Bible says is right. The part that grieved me most was that he felt Christians were perfect and we shouldn't go around sinning. He apparently has some misguided information about the Bible and it's teachings.

I even shared a Bible verse declaring that we "all our sinners and fall short of the glory of God."Romans 3:23 Of course he took this as me saying I wasn't a sinner and I was looking down on him. In truth I was looking at him in love. Through the eyes of Christ.

You see God loves him just as much as God loves me or anyone else. It because of this love that He sent us Jesus. Jesus would have still come if this man was the only one on earth. Each of us makes mistakes, the biggest difference between me and him is that I've accepted the forgiveness and love of Christ.

I've been praying for this person and I hope that one day he will discover the love of Christ and truly read the Scriptures. Because quoting different verses or different parables without truly understanding them is a misinterpretation. God loves each of us so very much and wants all to come to know Him, so that not one of us will perish but have everlasting life.

Don't You Remember Me?

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- John 10:14

"She says she knows you." One of the dads of my day care kids says when he was picking his child up.

"I don't know if I do, her name's not familiar."

Then when I looked out the door, she was sitting in her car. "You know me, remember I was in day care too with Lauren." Truthfully I didn't remember her, even seeing her didn't send me any memory of her.

"Sure, sure I remember Lauren." Then came the normal kind words of asking how somebody's doing. I racked my brain, but I just couldn't place her face or her name, plus it's been a good fifteen or more years since I was in the group she mentioned. I've meet so many people since then that I just couldn't recall her.

I'm glad though we have a Savior who remembers us. He knows each of us whether it's been an hour since we talked to him or fifteen years. He knows each of us. He will never forget.

In fact, he knew us before we even knew ourselves. He knew that we'd be born and when. He also knew we needed a Savior. He came to earth lived a blameless life. He was afraid when it came time to do what he came to do. Still he did it because in order for each of us to be saved--He had to suffer and die.

He went through what he went through just so each of us could be saved and live forever with him. He would of done it if you were the only one here. He loves you that much.

The best part of this is even though he died, he couldn't be stopped. He conquered death. HE IS RISEN! He wants to be a part of each of our lives, all each need to do is admit you've sinned, believe in Him, and commit and be saved today.

The Bibe is God Breathed?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

At first I wasn't going to watch it, after all it is showing on a channel that isn't known for being Christian or anything Biblically based. After reading an article though about the producers, I was debating watching it.

I missed the first week, I wasn't even home. The second week though; they showed the first part followed by the second. So I watched, and I'm glad I have. It has been educational.

I'll admit I have read the Bible. I've even managed to read it in it's entirety. There are interesting stories in there, stories that teach. I believe so far they have done a good job of portraying the Bible. Even though some things have come up to make me question if that really was in the Bible. Which inspired me to open the Bible up and follow along, sure enough it was in there.

"I wonder how many people are following along in their Bible's as well?" My husband said as I thumbed around to find where they were at.

"Hopefully a lot," I replied. After all seeing God's word for yourself makes quite an impact.

Sure there have been a few things in this portrayal that may not be quite the way I'd picture it, but aren't most movies about a book like that.

I will continue to watch as God's story and truth continues to unfold. I hope other's do as well. Most importantly though I pray that this will inspire people to get that dusty book off the shelf and open it up to find the most amazing story of all time.

Beauty From Ashes

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

When a friend on Facebook posted this picture all I could think "How beautfiul God is." This is her burn pile. A pile used for dead branches and stuff that will no longer grow. She happened to wonder to the pile one day and to her surprise saw this beautiful sunflower growing amongst the dead. The sun light shinning on it is spectacular.

Sometimes its hard to stand for what's right, when the pile around us is closing in. It's hard to say "this is what I believe," when so many turn the other way.

I can put myself here as this flower, and know that God is with me. His love can warm me and help me know that even if I'm among the pile where there is no growth. He will help me florish.

It Can Happen to Anyone

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:26a

Every time a catch this commercial I think it's for bugs...there is this monstrous looking green thing with teeth. It's a cartoon drawing with the artist drawing it onscreen as the commercial runs. By the end is when I realize the little green monster is a sinkhole.

Sinkholes, I've heard of them and even had to be detoured because one appeared on the highway. That's exactly what they do appear just appear. No one could be more shocked about an appearance of one then a local family. The man went to bed probably just as he did every night. Not realizing the unthinkable was about to happen to him.

His brother heard him yell for help and when he entered his room he saw his bed disappear. He tried to save him, but instead he ended up needing to be saved as the hole grew larger and larger. Yesterday, I saw the hole as crews have torn down the house. It was sad as I realized a man was buried alive there.

The scary thing is this could happen to any of us. Not only this disaster, but any number of things. After all we are not invincible. One day we will all meet our maker. Are you ready?

In the end it doesn't matter what size house you lived, what kind of car you drove, what size TV you had...what matters is if Jesus Christ is your Savior. He is the only one who can give you eternal life.

When I stand face to face to God I want to hear him say "well done my good and faithful servant." My hope is that is want you want to hear as well.

Worship In a Shed

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2 NIV

"How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God..." we sang together in a small chapel. My mother's heart was proud as I had entered in and saw my daughter singing praises to the Lord. I had come to pick her up and bring her home, but she was into worshiping the Lord. So I stayed and soon I found myself joining in.

This small chapel is really something special. It is a very small building, not bigger than a shed. That's because it was a shed, and building where junk was thrown to be retrieved at a later date. We know how that goes, soon there is so much stuff in there no one wants to even attempt removing anything. It's much easier to shut the door and forget about it.

Someone though had a vision, a change in this building's appearance. He began to clean out the junk. Once that was gone, he constructed a wooden ceiling. He added stain glass windows and an altar area. He constructed pews and added a hardwood laminate floor. So now at this camp there could be a place to pray and worship God.

This is exactly what we were doing this past Saturday night. It didn't matter the size. Our voices blended together and we sang praises to our creator. There weren't many of us, only nine but it didn't matter. This little shed had really turned into something beautiful.

The Lord can do the same with each of us. We may have filled our heart with junk; so much stuff that we don't even know where to begin. It's become easier to just add to the pile or shut the door and forget about it. Jesus though can come in and clear away the junk the stuff we don't even want to touch again. He can make our hearts pure again, he can clean up the debris. Put in new desires and make us someone beautiful.