I Love Christmas!

I have three favorite holidays.
3) is Halloween
2) is St Patrick's Day
1) is Christmas

I love everything there is about Christmas. The lights, Christmas trees and the music. I still wish Santa was real, cause it's a neat story. To think that there would be a man that loved children so much that he would come to every child's house (whether poor or rich) and bring presents. I remember those christmas nights when my aunt and grandfather would come over to our house and spend the night and I would be so excited for them to come. I just couldn't wait till morning to see what Santa had brought me. But as we know life makes us grow up and Santa doesn't exist and those I mentioned have both gone on to be with The Lord. It saddens me that I can never have that time in life ever again. But there is another story that we tell this time of year that gives me hope that I will have a better life ahead and that I will see my aunt and grandfather again

Of all the stories man has written and told there is no more beautiful story than that of the birth of Jesus Christ! A story not written by man but by the hand of our creator himself. It's not the way many thought it would be told, but God had a better version of this story to write than what we thought. When you think of the stories told today most have heroes in them that are praised at the end for some great accomplishment. The story of Jesus should get a prize every time it is read, but for some reason the greatest hero our Earth has ever received never gets the praise it deserves. Why is that?

We all have our favorite books we have read and then we tell others about how great the book was. Yet, when we read the Bible we usually don't recommend it to a friend. That's sad! I'm guilty of this also. I'm here to tell you the Bible and the amazing story of Jesus is the greatest book I've ever read. We all should read it! We should read it over and over. The hundreds of times I've read the Bible there is always something new I see in it. Most books I have read I can remember everything about them. When I read the Bible I see new things that I don't really remember reading before.

It's amazing to me that Jesus came to Earth the way he did. He didn't arrive in a fiery chariot that came bolting from the sky. But he arrived in silence and only two shepherds made the journey to see his birth. No family came and took pictures. His arrival came in a humble way, nobody knew he was even here. This seems to be the way his whole life was. Humbleness was his greatest trait. Even today he doesn't force us to accept him, it's our choice to believe or not to believe.

Christmas over the past few years for me has become a realization about the importance of his birth. Because of Christ we have a free pass to heaven. He became the sacrifice that opened the door to the forgiveness of our sins. A door that was shut until he came and pursued every human being. God has a perfect plan for all of us. He knew the story he was writing needed a superhero in it. He knew we needed a superman to give us some kind of hope to get our attention back on track. Unlike Superman or Spider-Man this man/God was for real and not made up. He had real powers to heal and raise the dead to life. Jesus is the most powerful human to ever live on Earth. He didn't ask for any attention, he just wanted us to love him and believe in him. What superhero has ever asked to love him and then get his love back in return. None of the fake heroes we know of in the comic books have ever asked that. Jesus did and still does today.

We need to be faithful and live a life worthy of his calling then we will have nothing to fear after we leave this planet. Today I challenge you and myself included to give another person this story of a great divine hero. Tell them how great it is to know there is hope in this world. That a real hero once upon a time lived on this Earth and continues to live among us spiritually in our hearts. Start with his humble birth and tell of his great life, ministry and his power to heal especially his ability to heal all mankind while hanging on a cross. This is the reason I love Christmas! To God be the glory forever and ever!

We're All Lost Sometimes!

It doesn't matter who you are, we all get lost in this world. Ive been feeling this way for awhile. I finally understand how it feels to be lost and lose touch with God. Our world can really pull us away into our own bubble sometimes. Busyness and other activities can weigh us down to the point that God is put on the back of the shelf.

I've allowed too much to get between God and I. I feel right now that life and I are in a 12 round boxing match and the ring feels lopsided. Life is winning and I'm allowing it to keep throwing punches and every punch draws me away from him.

I'm glad it's getting close to Christmas and I can see the importance of this season. When I think of his birth it humbles me. When I think of his death upon a rugged cross it makes me feel honored that he would lay down his life for someone unimportant like you and I. He endured the pain of death and the entire world's sin because we are important to him.

When I hear of some of the cruel things other Christians say about others it hurts me. Most of us haven't grasped the true meaning of Christ. Many hate Christians because they say we are judgemental and many are. There were times in my life when I was one of those judgmental followers of Christ, but it took the loving hand of God to allow me to see the real and compassionate Christ. I finally saw Jesus for who he really is by reading and studying a lot.

I'm thankful now when I become ignorant and lose sight of God and his son, that they give me the help and clarity I need. The ability to see them through the crowds of life. Satan has a lot of ability to allow us to push away God and put other things first. Our priorities can easily get construed and put us on a path we were not meant to be on. Christ will always wait till we finally realize we have traveled down the wrong road and we don't recognize this part of life. When we finally ask for directions we see him with a lamp in his hand guiding us to safety.

If you're lost right now don't worry we all are. We're in a world not meant for us, our home is in heaven with Jesus. He's just a prayer away. He might be just a song away or a video away. That's how it happened to me. I heard a song and then saw a video that made me realize I was lost. You can find Jesus in everything good. He's there calling to us all to come home because we've drifted off on our own path. Stay firm and just do whatever you can to get your focus back on Christ. He doesn't need to find you, you need to find him because he's always right beside us. It's us who have moved way from him, he never left.

Thanking God!

Our world is an a state of stupidity right now. It seems it's always been this way since the bite into the forbidden apple in the garden of Eden. We humans continue to get ourselves into one mess after another. We see the messes and shake our heads and throw up our hands. We try to find some kind of reasoning for the mistakes happening. We blame others or we blame God.

Every tragedy seems to be blamed on the man up stairs. We take none of the blame on ourselves. We always wonder why bad things happen. Why, why, why??????

I have never blamed God for anything. I won't go there, I usually blame myself or often like any normal human I blame somebody else. The mess our country faces right now I don't blame God. I believe he has everything in control. It's us who have nothing under control. I believe we have failed in going to God with our problems.

In our government there is no mention about going to God for the answers. We legislate to make new solutions but these solutions often fail or become a problem to an old problem. We don't pray! We don't put God first in line for the answers. We don't thank him like we should. This is our failure to our failures.

It takes a big man to say there is no God. It's a path I would never tread, a path no man has a right to walk on.

God is everything here on Earth. He's the creator of trees, bugs, lions, atoms, humans and most of all love. If you don't see these things with your own eyes then I say you are living for nothing. What a waste of a life.

Thanking God is what our world needs to do right now. Give him the praise for everything big or small. Praising him that he has given us grace. That he gave us his son to die for our sins. We should thank him for every blessed new chance we get to redeem ourselves.

If I believe in a great and loving God all my life I will go to be with him in an eternal place that my mind can't even conceive. A place where I don't have to worry about anything. A place I thank him for every day. I always stand amazed every day about him.

I will thank him more and more as life goes on. I often think about the struggles I have had to bare in the past and how I've learned from them. We will struggle but we need to be thankful for those tough times. He's allowing us to grow as we fight our battles with him by our side.

Tomorrow look around and see God and his goodness. Pray to him and say thanks more an ask less requests. Be thankful in everything and he will always look upon us with gratitude and pure love.

Give Because You can!

Many this year are without and many never expected to be out. But life tosses many different things at us. We don't always know what to expect from day to day. We may be blessed with a lot and then in a snap our world is turned upside down.

I learned tonight that a friend I went to junior high and high school with was killed by a drunk driver this morning. I know she didn't expect to not be on this Earth today but life can some times catch us by surprise. My heart goes out to her family and children.

I'm sure those who have been hit with a loss of a job or a sudden hit by a hurricane didn't expect it either. These are times when God says to us, "make a miracle happen" by giving to people in these circumstances.

I'm not the best giver, but I will try my best to help in some way. We all need to find the blessings behind giving. Satan tries to tell us not to give but to keep all we have. He is wrong!

If your gift is small because you don't have much to give, don't hesitate to give it. I think God loves a giver of any amount. Our gift helps no matter how big or small.

There is a story in the Bible about a poor lady giving her last ounce of money to the Lord. It wasn't the biggest gift that caught the eyes of Jesus, but the big heart behind the smallest gift. He saw the heart first before her gift. She gave from her desire to serve God, not to be seen by man.

Don't give your gift with a desire to gain human attention, but give to catch the eye of Jesus. Allow him to see your heart for goodness and love. Don't tell no one just give it and thank God that you could. Great things happen to us when we give, our reward in heaven becomes better and our hearts go away from self and expands to others. May we all give this season to those in need and continue throughout the year. May God bless our hearts to give and help others in many dynamic ways.

Our loving God!

It was an honor this past Sunday night to baptize my middle child Macy. She asked me if she could get baptized a couple of months ago. I hesitated about it because of her age (9). I felt she was too young, but I was wrong. She understands the reason for the process. Plus, who was I to judge her decision. God had obviously determined this for her, so I had no right to say no. So I am very proud of her for making a great decision most adults can't make themselves.

Our place in this world as followers of Christ is an important one. When he said go and preach his word to all nations he meant it. I write this blog in honor of his request. I want to reach the world in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

My prayer is to ask God to write through me beautiful things about him. Our God is not a hateful god but a kind, gracious and loving being. He is determined to save all his people. He is determined to get his message out to all people. He uses his followers to get his work done, yet even if we turned against him he would still get it done without us.

Tonight if you are not a Christian and are sitting on the fence about believing or not believing take a look around your world and see God. Don't listen to those who don't believe just listen to your heart. Listen to the quiet around you. Look at everything you have been blessed with. Most of all look at creation and it's beauty. There you'll find God right there with his hand stretched out waiting for you. He's there you just have to let go of everything and maybe say a prayer or just talk out loud. Talk to him he's there.

Some times there are other Christians who do more damage than most atheists can ever do. Some Christians are into Condemning by scaring people away with their words. Don't listen to them.

Listen to those that speak and preach lovingly. Christ was a loving savior yet he spoke the truth in love. There is no greater example of God than his own son. Look to him by reading the bible. There you will find your savior. Believe, just believe and goodness will flow through you.

My prayer is for all to believe and know how awesome our God is. He loves everybody and he loves you!

Painting God's beauty in our minds!

Our world is a dark place in many ways. Many of us are so blessed that sometimes we don't see the blessings or we take them for granted. A lot of times I don't see the darkness others are going through. I feel blinded to others pain or it's because it's hidden that we don't see it.

As I live life daily I know something else is going on around us, darkness that I know is there. Things like child abuse, children starving, people who are sick and dying, and things people are doing wrong we don't even want to think about.

I read in a book one time about a prostitute who was renting out her 2 year old daughter to other men so she could support her drug habit. I was appalled at such a sickening thing to do to a child. I thought about what I would do to the men who were having sexual relations with this two year old girl. My heart melted when I thought of such evil. My first and only thought would be to beat these men until till their last breath. In God's eyes I would be just as bad as they are.

I believe I sometimes keep myself away from thinking about the pain others are going through. I wash the canvas in my mind and paint it with the beauty of God. I think life should always be perfect. My life has had its share of ups and downs but I always try to find the best things in life to think about and ignore the sadness of others. I am a person who shuns away from sadness and try to find goodness to hinder the bad things in life. That is not what God is wanting me to paint in my mind.

Helping the weak is a victorious painting in God's mind. Devouring evil before it happens to others by teaching others about Jesus is another victory painting. Finding out about what others are going through and standing by their side until the storms in life passes is another masterpiece of God.

While life is grand for us it might be awful for others. Tonight I want to ask God to make me a servant to help others out. To get them through life's problems and help them start to paint their own version of the beauty of God in their own mind. What will heaven be like when we all get there? Will our mental paintings of His beauty be hanging for all to see? Will he call them his masterpieces? I hope so.

Finding The True Gems in life!

Human behavior is a funny thing. Every human being is different in looks, opinion, and behavior. Yet, we always have to fit in or be like everybody else. I love people who don't want to go the same route as everybody else. Because that's who I am.

I'm not ever going to try and imitate another person. I like being like that, I like being different. Some though go a little to far in trying to show others that they are a person who is different than others. Trying to dress or wear your hair different means you're trying to stand out in the crowd. You're a show off in my book. That's not the kind of people I admire.

I love learning about people who are not mainstream beings. These are the people who swim at the other end of the pond instead of where everyone else is. They love life, they explore it. They find peace in God in other ways.

They don't find their God in politics, they see their Creator in all things great and small. Nature is a quality where they see God. They like to work with their minds and hands on certain things. They're creative people yet they have this humble and friendly demeanor that I love about them.

They don't fear what others might say about them. They let things roll off their back. They have better things to do in their lives than worry about the drama of the world. Life is too short for them, they have things to accomplish.

Have you ever met anyone like this? If you have you have been blessed. They are a rare gem in life. I have a found a few people like this. When I am around a person like this I feel God has led me to them. I don't want to be like them I just want to spend time with them. They bring peace to my life.

Our world is just a crazy mess now and has been since the fall of man. Once Satan invaded this planet it's just gone mad. My example of our world and when Satan entered it is like placing a deer in a small building full of wine glasses. The deer will break every glass while going crazy to find his way out. It will tear apart everything and destroy it. Satan has done the same thing to all of us. But I believe there are certain people God has placed here to help us calm the storms in our lives. Those are the people I mentioned above. The calm, cool and collected. In biblical terms they're humble, meek and God inspired people. Gems in life we should be looking for every day in life!

Life! Seeing God in it.

As a believer in Jesus Christ I've always wondered why God wrote his story the way he did. It's a strange story to understand, and one that many have chose not believe in.

I feel sometimes that he should just end it and take those of us who believe to heaven. That's not how he sees it! Our God has put so much into his creation that he's not giving in so easily.

In the Old Testament God is present in the lives of his people. People were there to see great signs of his presence in those times. The Israelites were guided by a pillar of fire during the night. They were fed manna from the heavens every morning by God. Yet they turned away from him and made idols to worship. They had God right there and they were not happy. If that were to happen today many of us would cry tears of joy to finally hear and see a sign from God.

God continued to guide them to the promised land. He still loved them no matter what they did. He is a creator of great love for his people. A love that never gives up!

He continued his story to get his people to love him back. He gave us freedom of choice. To either choose him or choose the ways of Satan. People still continued to turn their backs on him and he still continued to love and give his children unfathomable grace.

Why does he not choose to just speak from the heavens and tell us he is here and in control?

God wants great faith from us. He wants us to give our hearts to him and to be devoted in our belief in him. It's strange but our God wants to see who endures through life and who can face the world and it's problems. He wants his children to be faithful in him till our last breath.

Many witnessed Jesus in his day do his miracles. He healed people in front of many eyes yet some still doubted his claim to be the son of God. There are times I wish I could reach out and slap those who didn't believe. He was right there in front of them and in their stupidity they mocked him and said he was possessed.

I guess in our day and time we know God's story and understand his reasons behind it. People then knew a savior was coming but didn't understand God's story. We know God's story, we have no excuse to not want to love him for all his goodness. He has blessed us beyond great measure.

Our world has turned it's back on God so many times, you'd think God would just give up. There is always somebody fighting to keep God out of schools, government and public places. They can eliminate God from every place or sight in the world, but they can never take God out of the hearts of his children. For the Lord doesn't dwell in a school or a godly statement written on the wall of a government building. He dwells in the heart of those who believe in him.

The atheists may think they are victorious in their ability to mock our God in their actions. But the heart of a God fearing man or woman they cannot even go there.

Creation swarms with God's great ability. He's in his creation, you can see it in everything both big or small. I have never seen his face but I have seen his glory through his creation and his
people.

I will never understand how anybody can walk the Earth and still say there is no God. These people walk with no purpose in their daily lives. Death is their goal and no after life will be awaiting them.

Faith is our mission in our lives. To believe no matter what. To love no matter what. God is here his story is true. Look a the finer details and you will finally see him. Life it's a story, read into while you can.

God is always there in the middle of a crisis!!

I got to thinking today about something someone wrote on Facebook awhile back. He was asking why God lets horrible tragedies happen. Basically, he said God is not there and that God never does anything to help. My friend does not believe in God.

So I got to thinking about what he was saying about my God being absent during tragedy and not being a loving father to his creation.

He's always been there. What would the world be like right now if he had been absent?

The Holocaust and Hitler. Yes a lot of bad things happened there to the Jewish people. Hitler was ruthless in his plan to seize power of the entire world. What would our world be like if the Nazis would have won? We will never know because God stopped him and didn't allow Satan to win. Our world would be in bad shape if God would have stepped aside and allowed this evil German empire to rule.
Our God is a fighter and wants no one to live under such tyranny.

What would our world be like if the Northern army had not defeated the southern rebel army?

African Americans would have remained in a life of slavery. Our country would not be the gracious nation it is now. God believes in equality of every man. He knew the plans Satan had against this nation and to keep us from being truly free. If God would have not intervened we would be a divided nation and not a united one.

When I think about the cold war I know God did everything to keep those nuclear missiles from being launched. Ninety miles off the American coast missiles sat in Cuba waiting to be launched. What happened? God intervened and no missiles fired and years later the Soviet Union fell. Freedom rang and God again defeated Satan's plan for evil again.

Years later two planes hit two towers in New York and broke our world's peace. He could have sent an army of angels to stop those planes but he didn't. Instead many perished and went to meet God in his eternal heaven. Tears and screams flew to him and he stepped in and showed Satan the true heart of mankind. Many stepped up in a huge outpour of love, kindness and grace. God gave mankind his strength, love and heart and we cleaned up the wreckage and showed more muscle than this world has ever seen.

When we finally come to realize that we are caught between a battle of God versus Satan we will then understand all the evil here on Earth. Satan is behind every evil act that comes forth on this planet. God is always foiling his plans. Whatever happens we always come out stronger than before.

We will face travesties of all kind and suffering is part of our lives. Pain has always been here. The first temptation in the garden of Eden by Satan started it all. God now will be there in the midst of evil situations and good ones. You may ask why such things must happen? It just does! God wants to see how faithful we will be when bad things happen. He wants us on his side and not the other side.

I have chosen to be on God's side always, no matter what happens. I have come to a point in my life where I know when bad things strike us God will step in and not let us down.

Whatever happens next step back and watch God hear our cries for help, you will be amazed at what he does.

God Is Amazing!

I might not feel like I am in the right place in my life right now, but I can truly say that God is amazing! I believe God has his hands around those who love him. I might not get what I pray for but God knows what's best for me right now.

I spent a lot of time with family and friends last week and it was exactly what I needed. I live 900 miles away from my family and there are times in my life when I lose my confidence in myself. When I go to see them and feel their love for me I feel the confidence come back. I feel God working through me again. There is no place like home.

God is amazing! When I look at the world around me and look at things in a positive way I feel better. I often let all the bad news and others sour and hopeless moods get to me. They bring me down to their level and I don't move forward in life. That's when I ask God to raise me up and allow me to see hope through him. What a view it is when we see through God's eyes.

I look forward to being in heaven one day. Why? Because when I see all the great things in this world I then see how amazing and awesome things will be in heaven. To see the creator face to face and see all he has prepared for us is exciting to think about.

We who believe in God's son Jesus Christ should remember that if we truly believe in him and remain faithful we will have eternal life. We are saved not condemned. Satan tries every day to bring us away from that very thought. He tries to tell us we are not saved and unworthy of God's love. Not true! We are God's chosen people.

Live every day as a prized and saved possession of God. Stand firm and live every day with a smile on your face, because we are saved through Christ Jesus. We will see heaven and see Christ forever and ever. Amen!

We need to pray!

When was the last time you prayed?

I did it this morning and a few times this afternoon. There was a time in my life when I hardly did it. When I did pray it was requests for my life and that's about it.

Prayer for me has become different over the years and after a lot of study. Now it's a conversation with my creator and a prayer that is less about me. Now it's a prayer of thankfulness and hope for others. It's not always perfect but one day I hope to perfect it.

Our world needs prayer and more people to do it. After the recent evil actions in Colorado prayer needs to be said by everyone. Prayer will and can change the world for good. Our world has turned against God. Many have ignored him and taken their lives down the paths they have chosen. Only to find their life is lonely and pointless.

Take a moment tonight and talk to God and tell him what you are feeling and give him thanks and he will do great things for you. He has never turned away from any of us we are the ones who have turned our backs on him. He's waiting to take you back and give you hope and love in a dark world.

If We Could Write A Letter from Heaven.

This is dedicated to all who are no longer with us.

The final pain was great, the breathing became harder and harder. I kept going in and out of consciousness. I saw loved ones gathered around me. People I've loved all my life, my heart was theirs.

The life I lived wasn't great but believing in God made it better. My final thoughts were unclear yet my soul was hard at work with the holy spirit. I saw a vision of what I didn't know but somehow understood.

People around me seemed to be crying. Things were a mess, yet somehow I felt peaceful and sustained. From what I saw with the sadness of everyone around me, I knew it was time for me to leave this world.

At first it was dark and then there was light. Light so beautiful and radiant it would've hurt my human eyes. I didn't go alone if that's what everyone thinks. I was guided by more than one person or angels I believe.

I looked around and finally felt complete. Holiness had made me who I was to be, a defeater of death. The door was small, but inside it was vast and beautiful. More beauty than I ever imagined. Then the hug I always dreamed of finally arrived. It was Jesus himself wrapping his arms around me. He said, "welcome home we've been waiting a long time."

I wanted to leave so I could tell everyone who was surrounding my bed. Tell them don't worry cause I'm here at the place where others we have loved have gone.

I remember being in places on Earth where thousands of people have gathered for special events, but never like this! A long line of people gathered to cheer for me and welcome me home. Then in front of me stood the God of my dreams, the God of my faith and the God who gave me my first breath. He stopped and gave me a hug and said "today and forevermore this is all yours." I then bowed and began my life as a complete heavenly being and a lover of he who created me.

God himself introduced me to everyone there and then to those of my family I never met while living on Earth. He told me of a great surprise he had in store for me. Walking down the road I saw four people coming. I couldn't make them out until they came closer. I leaped for joy when I realized who they were.

Two sets of grandparents. The two men I knew well from my past life and two women. One a grandmother I never got the chance to get to know and one I never met before. They hugged me and told me how proud they were of me. Two dogs nipped at my heels. Two that I truly missed. One a brown poodle and the other a golden dog who got really excited and barked a lot!

Life here is what the race I was running back on Earth was all about. I have no fear now, just peace. I wished for this all my life and now it is here forever. A place where there is no tomorrow because it will always be today. Always the present. What an honor it is to finally get to be honored by my Savior and the God who created me. I stand in awe!

That would be exactly what I would write to others in a letter from heaven. I would tell them to believe and get ready to be wowed like they never been before.

Many here on Earth are against God, against anything that they cannot see or touch. I've seen to many things here to not have any other reason but to believe.
I believe because I was made to believe. It was instilled in my soul to know of my creator and that my life would always follow him no matter what! I believed yesterday, I believed today and I will believe till my final breath.
Amen!

You Are Special to God

There are times in life when you feel absolutely out of of touch with people and God. Life is going to be filled with ups and downs. There will be times when you feel down and completely useless. I've felt that way many times, useless, lonely and unimportant.

We are special to God, he is always there for us. His spirit lives in us and we live for him. We can do many things for our God. We should never say there is nothing important we can do for God. Everything good is important to the service of Jesus Christ. Little jobs are just as important as the big ones.

I feel service for Christ is one of the most important things to make us feel great and we never will know how important our work was but it matters to God.

Jesus had three important jobs for us to do that are extremely important.

1) he said to feed his sheep.
2) give to anybody because it might be him you are giving to.
3) love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind.

I believe if we do these three things in our life, wrapped in a huge ball of faith we are good to go. Somebody once said it doesn't matter how much you give just give something because it pleases the Lord.

We are all special to God.
Never forget that!

Why I believe Part 3

Tonight I was watching some videos of some Christian singers on YouTube. I was reminded of who I belong to. I was drifting and somehow through these videos and simple but powerful words I was brought back.

God is not going to let any of us drift to far from him. He'll let us float out and touch the waters of another kind but he knows when we go to far. He knows when our eyes start going blind and our ears can't hear. He knows when we've been away and gently he pierces our hearts and throws us a life line.

I was remind through a Toby Mac song that God is light in him there is no darkness. I envisioned his light all his light. The song states I want to be in the light as you (God) are in the light.

Being out of God's light just doesn't mean doing evil and saying foul words. It means were not attached to very the being who gives us true life. We're in the world being like the world is. Darkness has no room for the light we are to be.

Which means we are floating in life and not swimming in the right direction. Being reminded by God is a major reason I believe. He doesn't condemn me when I fall and fail all the time. He is constantly sending us messages all day every day to turn around and come back to safety. To come back to the boat and stay afloat with him.

God is amazing. He is alive. He is a great and merciful God. He has paid to much to let us go astray. He gave his son as a ransom to declare for eternity that he is love and he will always love us. No matter how bad we fail and fall short of his glory he will remain faithful to us. We must remain faithful and stay attached to the very end. If we remain in him he will remain in us.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that he who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Please believe!

Why I believe part 2

There are times in our lives when things don't make any sense. The other night I sat In my truck eating lunch while at work. I thought about my existence and everyone else's also.


My first thoughts were about cars. I know it sounds weird but yes it was about cars and God. I was thinking about the past or the beginning of the world. It started with God putting together the universe and piecing all the parts of the world into place.

He created two human beings and put them together as man and woman. They were in paradise or what we know to be what heaven will be like. They were perfect with no pain and definitely no reason to ever be sad. They had it all until the snake (Satan), the apple and the fall.

It was then that the perfect became imperfect. They now had to work the land and the woman now had to bare labor pains during birth. Pain became a new thing for these two. Life was uncomfortable for them and also for the future of all mankind.

This is where I thought about cars. When you read about the past and see how people have evolved over the years life has gone from uncomfortable to more comfortable. The world and it's people continue to come up with new things to make life easier. The invention of cell phones, DVDs in cars and many other new things to make life a lot easier for us all. Why is it that we evolve so much? The answer is God. He's opened our minds to create just like him.

There are areas of research that have allowed people to live longer. There is no cure for cancer, Parkinsons, muscular dystrophy and many others. I'm sure there will be a day when we finally conquer such diseases. But until then God has our minds closed to such things. He has the answers to all of the worlds mysteries. If these researchers would pray more maybe God would open their eyes to a cure for such diseases.

Many researchers take the credit for all the discoveries they have found to cure certain deadly diseases. If they would instead give God the glory maybe he would open their minds to new cures.

Our life will never be as comfortable here as it will be in heaven. But as life rolls along and our minds evolve toward greater things God will do his best to make us comfortable. But not comfortable enough that we may totally forget him. Suffering in Christ is a painful but good thing for us.

The more we settle into our good and sweet life we often forget our merciful creator. As soon things go completely downhill he is usually our last resort for help.

The theory of comfortable versus uncomfortable allows us to see how great God has been to us. If God were to turn away from us completely we would all just stop living. He holds the ability to make us do what we're able to do. Walk, think, breath and keeps our hearts beating every day. Without a living creator we don't exist. With a creator we do exist and for a greater purpose.

Think about all the things God has done to allow us to be comfortable in this life. Then think about the future and the great things he has in store then. We serve a great and wonderful God. Take time to praise him and give him the glory. Oh, the thing about cars. I like them better than riding a horse. Another comfort from God.

This is why I believe!

Why I believe!

There are times in life when you finally realize God is the only thing worth living for. I've come to see this over the past couple of years. Maturity is a long process for all of us. Some become more mature mentally faster, but their spiritual maturity is in a huge mess.

Others like myself are not mature in the way they act but have come to a realization of their spiritual maturity. I goof off a lot, I love to be funny and be goofy. I don't want to be a stiff around others. I worry about some things but I don't worry about a lot of things.
When it comes to being right before the eyes of God I take it pretty serious yet i continue to fall short every day. I know in my heart there is a loving creator behind everything that is in this world. Every inch of it!

I have a friend who has become an unbeliever and likes to tell people about it. I just don't get it. But I pray for him and others who follow the same path. I pray they will come to a point in their life when they will hit rock bottom and say that prayer of desperation when they finally realize they can't do it on their own. When they do God will do great things!

I want to tell you why I believe. Yes my parents brought me into the faith by taking me to church and yes I believed what I was told there. So an atheist would say that's why I believe because it was engrained into my thinking as a child. So it's my parents teaching is why I believe. That may be a strong statement but there comes a time in your life when you test it. And I have!

It wasn't profound things that made me finally say I believe it's the simple things that have given me my deep faith.

I once watched a gnat fly around and land on my arm. I sat there and looked at it and I was truly amazed at its size. How something so small could survive on such a big planet and a vast universe. So tiny and so vulnerable yet it continues to serve it's purpose until I swatted it and ended its life. To create a little bug like that must've taken amazing ability. It was then I realized how awesome God's hands are. He is an artist of greatness! Even the tiniest things are important to him.

I've seen plenty of hate in my young life. It's all around us but it is not created by God. It's the hand of another.

When I first saw love or a great act of love I knew this was a better choice. Love creates great people, hate creates nothing. I've seen God's love in many different people over the years. These people were who I wanted to be, and try to be every day. If I took the time I could probably write the names of these people down and try my best to remember why I love these people of God so much. This is another reason why I believe because God put these great people in my life for a reason. He wanted to show me his love and how great it is. God is love.

Music is another great reason of my faith in a creator. When I hear someone sing or hear the entire church sing I am amazed at such a great ability. Many of us don't have a great singing voice but we often get through it. But to hear an entire church sing in unison is amazing. You have got the good the bad and the ugly voices all together but somehow God made it all come together in greatness. Can you imagine how singing will be in heaven?
I can't even describe it and I don't think there is a word on this planet to describe it. To sing is an astounding talent to me it will always be a gift to me that God has used to make many believe in a higher power.

I have decided to share my many reasons for believing in God. I want to share this in parts. It's a lot to read but I hope what I share will help others to look at Christianity in other ways. To not just see the religious ways of the church but to see the beauty of God outside the walls of a church building. You can believe in God by looking at his work outside in creation without ever stepping foot in a church building. We are the true church of God and I truly believe you need others to know God also. To those who don't know God there is other ways of seeing his beauty through his word and his ability to create through his work and his people. May God bless us all!

On Stage With No Parent Watching

For some reason every time I go to watch my kids school programs I always think the same thing. It's a proud moment for a child to perform for their parents. You always see them at some point looking for someone. Looking for a parent or a grandparent in the crowd. They love to see their support in the crowd.

But I always think about the orphan who has no one there to watch them. I know it must be a dreadful feeling to have when there is nobody there to give them a wave, a smile of pride or a massive camera flash in the face.

It saddens me to think that there are children who have nobody to give them love or nobody to fill that void. Take a moment and think about what I have just written. It melts your heart when you really think about it.

I am lost for words just thinking about the loneliness these children must feel. I remember the days of school programs and graduations. I always had my loving family there to support me and take thousands of pictures. Sometimes from from all the flashes I felt like Ray Charles and had to be led off the stage from temporary blindness. But it was worth it just to be loved and cheered.

Tonight let's remember the children who were given up by their real parents and thrown to a children's home for somebody else to care for them.

Pray for all children tonight that God will lead them to people who will love them and cherish them as if they were their own. God bless the children of the world!

Walking Through The Pearly Gates

The year was 1986, it was our first time as a family to go to Florida. We were all excited to go, to finally see Disney World was a dream I always had.
I still remember walking up to the ticket place and going through the gates.

I was 13 years old at the time, and just couldn't wait to see this place everybody had always talked about. I still remember walking through Cinderella's castle and just couldn't wait to see what awaited on the other side. I was amazed!

Last year we returned there with my wife and three kids. They had no clue what to expect. I recently asked by daughter what she thought about it. She said she didn't know what to expect either. She had no idea what Disney World had to behold for her.
My oldest son was mesmerized by the vast amount of people. He said he didn't know there was this many people in the world. The thoughts of children.

As we entered I too was captured by the happiest place on Earth. It brought back my memories as a child. My first thoughts about what lay ahead of me as I walked through the castle.

I often wonder if Heaven will be like Disney World. Will we walk to the ticket gate and be given our ticket to Eternity and then see the most wonderful castle ever? I hope so.

I hope as we walk through God's amazing castle there will be the first instance of being blown away by Heavens beauty. Then as we walk farther and instead of Disney characters welcoming us it will be a huge reception of those we loved waiting to give us a huge hug. What a day that will be. A day of absolute paradise, to be complete as we approach God's presence.

A lot of times we are taken away from the thoughts of this glorious moment. Satan keeps us in the midst of the turmoil of this world. He keeps us busy here to distract us from the true desire of our hearts. Our whole reason for being on Earth is to keep the faith and then one day enter eternity's glory.

We must give everything we have to others. We must give our hearts, our love, our money and most importantly our time to those in need. Ourselves are not the reason we live in Christ but Christ living in us and then we shed ourselves.

Do not live each day for our reasons but for Christ's reasons. We have all fallen short of this. I am extremely guilty of putting my priorities first above others including above our loving father.

Their is a reason Jesus spoke of heaven because he wants us all to be there. Approach the throne of God and see how loving he is. Focus on what is not right and not beautiful here and think about how wonderful it will all be in heaven. Love one another and love God with all your heart, soul and mind.

One day I want to say what my son said but different. I want to say "I didn't know there were this many people in heaven!"

Living on the outside!

Outside the window many things are going on. Bugs are moving, birds are nesting and chirping. Leaves are swaying in the wind and everything is growing because of God's hand.

Outside the windows of the church many things are going on also. People are hurting, not believing, starving and homeless. Yet inside the building people are singing, praying and rejoicing. Nobody outside hears what's going on inside the building. After we leave the building most of us keep it secret about what great things just happened inside. Sometimes we feel that inside the building is the only place God ever shows up. That outside the windows he's not there.
God is everywhere! He was inside the building hearing all that was going on but was at the door waiting for us to get busy outside the building.

There is more to life than just going to the building and looking out the windows. We are the building, the true temples of God. We are his hands, feet and voice. Just like a car is our vehicle to get around, we are God's vehicle to get him around all over the world.

Time

A clock ticks for us all in life. We all say time is going by too fast and that there are not enough hours in the day. I believe the world spins at the same speed everyday and so our clocks tick at the same speed also.
I have realized over the past few years that I haven't been spending my time right. As I grow older I think of two things.
1) is that I think about myself a lot and about why my life hasn't turned out the way I thought or planned it.
2) I think about how useless it is that we think more about worthless things than we do about serving others. Which I call God's work.

I love to hear about people who are doing great things in the name of God. It excites me because I get pumped up and want to do the same things. Then life's other activities take over and I don't get the chance to do those other things.
My time needs to be spent better. We all need to spend our time more effectively. Our focus for all of us is different but if we all believe in a graceful creator then all our goals should all be the same. God's work, to win as many as possible.
God's work doesn't have to start out huge it can be done in the smallest things.
Just showing compassion to others is a huge start. Giving your time sometimes is more worthwhile than giving your money. Praying for others can be one of the greatest things ever. I feel so much better when I offer up a prayer for others or for somebody I don't even know. When the results come back good for that person you get a great feeling deep down that you were part of the results because out of faith you prayed.
How do you spend the precious seconds that tick away on your clock in life? Is every second worthwhile or are they just worthless ticks that don't mean nothing?
Today I'm going to give something to somebody. Today I want every tick on my clock in life to be remembered. The time is to start now, change your life as you change the lives of others.

Goals In Life?

What is your goal in life? Not goals but the main reason for your life. I often think about the goals of other people. I think about what my goal is in life. I'm not a big fan of getting others attention it's useless to me. I don't feel that trying to impress somebody is anything achieving.
What does it matter if I impress anybody? If you think becoming someone with impressive power and wealth is an achieving goal your dead wrong. If you think becoming a rock star is something impressive it's not.
If you think becoming a person of great humbleness and a true giver of love is achieving then your somewhat right. If you become this type of person and don't have a love for your God then it's useless.
If you become a person like the above and have a great desire to love God and his son then by Joe I think you've achieved something great in your life.
Our world doesn't desire this type of life. It desires you to achieve in the wrong ways, it desires you to achieve outwardly not inwardly.
The other day I was helping an older couple figure out how to work this stupid new hose reel container for their garden hose to be stored. They made a big deal about it and it seemed it was a big decision for them.
I came away from that ordeal thinking, "is this what my life and their life has come down to. Making a decision about some piece of junk made in China that will fall apart in a few years. I was deflated!
There's got to be something better to spend my time with than this. We've all had these type of thoughts run through our minds more than once.
What is my goal in life? I know what i could be doing, but taking care of others and feeding the poor doesn't pay the bills.
The world around you and I is killing us spiritually day in and day out. Grace is the only thing saving us. If we didn't have Gods grace we would all be in big trouble. He knows most of us will never reach or even try to fulfill his goals he has intended for us.
Satan has totally blinded all of us in this world. We will always fall short of our goal or goals in life.
I envy those who have found their intended paths God has planned out for them.
With all the mayhem that follows us throughout life I am reminded of the words of Jesus when he said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your might!
That I shall do till my last breath, I will remain faithful until the end is near and love him for all eternity! That is my goal in life.

Praying For Others!

 A couple of weeks ago in our Bible class we wrote down our prayer requests and after we finished some offered up their requests.  I didn't tell mine because they were not worthy to mention.  The reason being for some odd reason I felt God say I'll take care of those, don't worry.  But I started to think of the many others out there who don't have such an opportunity.  Many who can't even say a word or make a sound to offer such requests.  Their life has been one constant prayer, a prayer to be normal to not be handicapped or crippled.  A prayer to not be fearful of others who might be hurting them.  A prayer to be mentally stable and not have to roam in the darkness of this world. 
There are many bad things that have attacked many people in this world.  A lot of times we get stuck in our own world and don't realize or just don't know how bad things are for some people.  I wish I knew of all the bad things that are going on or all the bad things that have happened to people over the years.  But I don't think  my mind could handle such atrocities.  That is why God is the great I AM.  He can bare such things and make such things go away. He can make all things new and make life bearable for us all.
There are so many needing our prayers right now, so many that not just one person could pray for them all.  Together we can pray for everyone and hopefully things can become better for those going through tough times.  I am thankful to my God for giving me such a great life and keeping me safe for 38 years of life. I try to give him my heart everyday but often fall way short of being perfect. I have come to know God's grace but I still don't understand it.  Our world thrives on fear and someone is always trying to put fear into all our lives.  I don't watch the news and I try to stay away from people who feel life should always live on a dramatic note.  I don't need to be fearful because whatever happens to me or any other believer we have a better place to go. A place with no fear and completely out of reach of Satan.  That will be our final home and home of complete rest.  I wait for it every day.