It’s the Truth!
Discovery is scary at times. During discovery one finds truth. Now truth is a scary subject in and of itself. Truth requires a reaction. Even if one does not react, they have reacted. Many people will create their own perception of reality in order to exist. They can not cope with their own inadequacies, failures, or mistakes. In their truth everyone else is wrong, they are growing, striving, seeking, but never making mistakes. Their truth is flimsy at best. It shatters easily when approached by truth.
Jesus states: “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The truth of Jesus will always shatter everyone’s perception or created reality of truth. Always. When it happens and a person accepts the truth of Jesus, their life reflects Jesus’s Truth. It reflects Jesus. Acceptance also drives the individual to forgiveness. They seek to right the wrongs in their life because of the truth of Jesus. Jesus’s truth is rooted in love. Love seeks the betterment of another. This is a sign of maturity (even non-Christians recognize this fact). Love does not take, it gives. Love does not place blame on others, but accepts full responsibility of one’s own mistakes. Love listens. Love keeps no record of wrong. Love is the sign of acceptance of the truth of Jesus.
Do you have it? Think about it?
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It’s November 30!!!!?!?!?!?!
Today is November 30th. It is my birthday. To be honest I never thought I would reach 50 let alone 5…………………….. Yet, here I am.
God has taught me a lot in the past 50 plus years. There will always be mistakes. How you handle you mistakes define who you are. People come and go. God does not. He is here for the long haul. Forgiveness is key to life. Forgiveness promotes self growth and self healing. It also provides a door way for re-unification. There are other lessons I have learned. Your children are only a child for a short while, enjoy it. “Daddy,” from you child is priceless. Walking your daughter down the aisle at her wedding is heart stopping. Holding your first grandchild is humbling. The eyes of your child at Christmas is fascinating. Opening a gift from you child (not knowing what it is) and watching them get excited is so fun.
Most of all, I live and breathe because of God’s grace. No other reason. If it was not for Him, life has no meaning. Thank you Father for my life. You truly have blessed me. Think about it.
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Letter From God
Good morning,
As you got up I watched and hoped you would talk to me. Just a few words, such as thanking me for something good in your life yesterday or last week would do.
But I noticed you were busy selecting the right clothes for work. I waited again to hear from you. When you ran around the house collecting papers, I knew there would be a few minutes to stop and say hello, but you never slowed down.
I wanted to tell you that I could help you accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible if you would just spend some of each day with me. At one point, you waited fifteen minutes in a chair with nothing to do. I waited to hear from you.
Then I saw you spring to your feet; I thought you wanted to talk to me, but you ran to the phone and called a friend. I watched as off to work you went and waited patiently all day long to hear from you. With all your activities you were too busy to talk with me.
I noticed at lunch you looked around; maybe you just felt embarrassed to talk to me. You glanced three tables over and noticed some of your friends talking to me before they ate, but you wouldn’t.
There was still more time left, and I hoped that we would talk. You went home and had many things to do. After they were done, you turned on the TV; just about anything goes there and you spend many hours watching. I waited as you continued watching TV and ate your meal but again you wouldn’t talk to me.
At bedtime you were totally tired. After you said good night to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep. I had so much wanted to be part of your day. We could have had so much fun and accomplished so much together.
I love you so much that I wait every day for a thought, prayer or thanks. Well, maybe tomorrow! I’ll be waiting.
Your Friend,
God
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Ugh Saturday!
Yesterday was black Friday. It is that time of the year that the retailers go into the black. They make the bulk of their profit for the year. The stores are crammed. Sales abound. Lines. Long lines. Pallets upon pallets of products. Short tempers. Tired employees. At the end of the day all are home.
Today, everyone looks at the bills and the bank accounts. There is not a sigh of relief, but a gasp. I spent what??? How could I have spent that much? Shock sets in. Worry. How do I pay off the VISA?
If only we were that concerned about our lives. All the mistakes we made. The heartache. The loneliness. How do we coop with the loss, the grief. Usually we just shove it under the carpet hoping it will go away. We do not worry about it. Something better will come along. It will get better.
Bad practice. Hiding problems do not solve them. They are compounded. Facing them solves them. It is tough. It is difficult. It is not easy. Yet, God promised that He would be with us. He will be our strength. He will provide. We will conquer.
Instead of trying to hide it. Take the hand of God and face it. See what happens.
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The Day After
It is the day after Thanksgiving. The feast is over. The slow moving begins. Too much food. Too much good stuff, which of course experts say we should not eat. Now to get it off. Many today will work it off. Some today will shop it off. Others will chase grandchildren, or even start their Thanksgiving today or tomorrow.
With all of that said, did we stop and give thanks? Looking back, was there a moment when we stopped, looked to the heavens and say to the Creator Almighty, “thank you?”
Just a thought. If you did not, it is not too late to thank God for all He has given to you. Remember, that everything you receive from Him came at a cost. It cost Him His Son.
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Thanksgiving
Today begins the great Thanksgiving cook off. Kitchens are getting warmed up to cook food for tomorrow’s family gatherings. Of course there is the last minute trip to the store (once maybe twice forgot the carrots). Rush here. Rush there. Just writing about it brings on chest pains.
Maybe we should just stop. Maybe the rushing here and there, the cooking the gigantic feast needs to be replaced with laughter, games, and family. Could it be that we have complicated one day to the point that we forgot why we celebrate it in the first place?
The first Thanksgiving was celebrate by Pilgrims and their new found friends the Indians. For three day they celebrated life. Life that God gave them. Life that came from having food for the winter. Life that came from friends and family. While it was so simple, the leaders recognized something right away. They did not want the friendship, the sense of companionship between the Indians and the Pilgrims to go away.
Fast forward to some 600 years later. Many people will be alone tomorrow. Several will not hear from their family. The Holiday depression will begin.
Challenge. Call a friend who is alone, invite them over. If you are alone, invite a neighbor over. So what if you eat sandwiches. It is not the food that matters, it is the fact someone cares. Try it. See God work.
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Stand
Some of the most interesting and strongest people who have ever lived, stood for something. The staked their territory, then they stood. They did not move. They did not weaver. They stood. Whether they are like or not, they are admired for their fortitude.
In Ephesians 6: 10 – 18, Paul tells his brothers and sisters to stand. He uses the words stand or stand-fast. We wonder why are prayers are not answer. We wonder why we feel defeated. We wonder why it seems like our lives are just chaos. The reason is simple. Jesus won the victory over the war with Satan at the cross. Our position as followers of Him is just to stand on the conquered ground. We do not operate We do not fight for victory, we fight from victory. We have won because of Jesus’s act at the cross.
Therefore when we pray, we pray from a position of conquer. Our prayers are then of praise. When we walk, we walk in humility because our King has won the war. Our attitude is not of defeat, but of gratitude. Our actions are not harsh, but wrapped in love. Why? Because our King has won the war.
Stand in Him. For we are more than conquers through Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Walk (part 2)
Whenever you walk, you have a destination in mind. Even if it around the block or through a park, there is always a destination.
The same is true with Christ. Whenever you walk in Christ, there is a destination. The short term destination is where ever or who ever He has in mind for you today, tomorrow, or the year. The long term destination is home or heaven. Yet it is with meaning and purpose. There is purpose in this endeavor. That purpose is to please God, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
However, when we fail to walk the path God has for us, we are lost. We see that in our society today. We see it even in the church. Walking in God is the most important aspect of life. For He provides the direction that we need to go. He also provides the destination, home.
Think about it.
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Walk (part 1)
At one time everyone was counting their steps. One must walk 10,000 steps a day. It was interesting to watch everyone count their steps. At least it did get everyone who was interested walking. That was good.
After resting in Christ, one must walk. Once we are healed by God’s amazing grace, which is rest, we walk. Walking is the practical application of our rest in Christ. As Godly people we are required to bear the stamp of His healing and display it in how we live. Our walk displays who we walks with us. If it is Christ, then our lives will reflect Christ.
Does yours? When you walk, who do people see?
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Rest
Maybe I have said this before. I do not remember. You know it is that middle age disease called ……………….. give me a minute I will remember. Any way, in the book of Ephesians, Paul begins with the idea of rest. He writes: “ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2: 6 – 9)
What did Adam do on his first day of life? He rested with God. What do we do after we are buried with Christ (baptism)? We rest in Christ. Why? Because we did nothing to deserve what we received. Jesus paid for it all on the cross and at the tomb. We sit with him to learn, grow, and gather strength for the coming day. We rest with Jesus, today, in heavenly places. Scripture is not wrong. Think about it.
Some thoughts: My life is dependent upon what Jesus has done at the cross for the Father and myself. The Christian life from start to finish is based upon this principle of utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus. Our Christian life begins with the discovery of what God has provided.
Therefore the idea of rest is to remind us of what we can not do and what HE does for us. Do you rest and thank HIM for what HE has done for you? If not, try it.
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