Sabbath as a Palace

 Sabbath as a Palace

Purpose is to relax into the peace of sabbath

Scripture Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows;  he leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley,  I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.   You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,  and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” 

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There are places in Scripture that are powerful, so deep, that to recite them is to experience them.  Psalm 23 is one of those places.  As one scholar said, “The Psalm itself is green pasture; it is still water; and it does restore my soul”.  Psalm 23 is very personal.  There are no references to “we” or “us” or “they”, but only “my” and “me” and “I” and “you”.  This is David’s testimony, his personal experience with God.  This Psalm is preached at many funerals.  It is precious to us, a blam to our wounded souls.  And what makes this a constant friend is that it covers all of life.  With simple beauty, it speaks of green pastures and still waters as well as dark valleys and enemies and (ad ver si ties).  

What comforts us the most is the psalm’s confidence.  David really believes and knows this is true about God. He has experienced God in these ways, heard His voice, followed His lead, felt His care.  Beneath the beauty of his words there are solid convictions, formed in the crucible (kroo-suh-buhl) of crisis.

Dr. Charles Allen, a Methodist minister, said a friend came to see him.  He told the pastor the doctor told him to talk to his pastor.  He was nervous, tense and he had literally worried himself sick.  They talked for a while then Pastor Allen took a pad of paper from his desk drawer.   Doctor’s write prescriptions so he said this is what I want you to do.  Follow the directions exactly as I have written them: 5 times a day for 7 days read prayerfully and carefully the 23rd psalm.  When you wake up before each meal and at bedtime, read psalm 23.  A week later when the man returned he was literally a different person.  The power of the Shepherd’s psalm is a prescription for the problems and pressures of our day.  One of the things that we certainly need if we are going to have a life worth living is a faith in something that is big enough for life.  The psalmist begins where we always need to begin. . . .with a God worth serving.

 

Sheep are not intelligent animals.  They are defenseless and dependent and they live by faith in the Shepherd.  David, who wrote or whose life inspired the psalm, is saying that in our anxious, nervous world we, too, live in dependence on our Shepherd.  

A family traveling on a vacation to Washington D.C. got lost.  The kids said “Daddy don’t you think we should stop and ask somebody how to get there.”  Mom said, “Listen, daddy knows the way.  Trust him”.  An hour later, greatly humbled dad stopped and asked for directions.  Pride sometimes keeps us from admitting our need for direction.   David knew the pain of trying to chart his own course.  The prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin, and that moment of brokenness, the shepherd-king saw his need for divine direction.  The Lord Is My Shepherd!

Through psalm 23 we see how God tenderly takes care to provide, guide, and protect us.  David, now a king, was looking back at his time as a shepherd to paint a picture of how God cares for our needs.  A shepherd represents a more close and intimate relationship.  Whereas a king might do what is best for the majority, a shepherd knows each one of his sheep.   Luke 15: 4 says, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 

This is how God cares for us.  He knows each of our comings and goings, he knows every hair on our heads, he knows when even one of us is lost and has made every provision to find us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Now if the Lord is our Shepherd, that makes us the sheep.  Prone to wander.  Entirely and always reliant on our Shepherd, whether we realize it or not.  We need to open our eyes to the fact  that we need God for everything.  He makes all the provisions in our lives.  When we lie to ourselves that we can do things on our own we wander and drift away from our true source, looking for satisfaction in artificial places.  So when David says “I shall not want” he is acknowledging how completely reliant he is on one God as his Shepherd.  God my good shepherd will ensure I have everything I need.  God is my personal shepherd.  God is going to provide for all our physical needs and He will fulfill me.  The word “want” in today’s text means to lack, decrease, empty, or run dry.  What David is telling us: 1) there are areas in our lives that only God can fulfill and He will fulfill them. 2) we need to make a decision not to desire anything outside of the scope of what God wants for us.

David boldly declares “I shall now want” then we come walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  To me this is telling us that our shepherd provides no matter what.  It is not conditional.  The Lord is my Shepherd, and we will lack nothing, PERIOD!    It is human nature to constantly think about our what if in life:  didn’t have, didn’t achieve, etc. God is enough.  An empty cup can not refill itself.  A sheep can not lead itself.  We can not truly be truly fulfilled without God.  

We can trust God has put us here at this moment for a reason.  That we will be equipped and empowered, our needs met.  In Joyful moments, sad moments, and trials He is always there by our side.  He created a pathway through Jesus so we can be forgiven, healed and made whole.  Jesus left us a helper, The Holy Spirit.  We are never left unattended.

In all of Psalm 23 the word sabbath is not mentioned, so what does it have to do with sabbath:  4 things

1. Feeling content with what we have,

2. Finding rest and restoration in nature,

3. Living without fear,

4. Having more than enough of what we need.

What changes could you begin to implement in your life this very week to start moving toward the possibility of experiencing sabbath not just one day but everyday?  Our Faith!  Faith is our place of rest.  Proverbs 3: 5-6,  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do and he will show you which path to take.

Re-read the scripture

Scripture Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd;(Relationship) I have all that I need. (Supply) He lets me rest in green meadows; (Rest) he leads me beside peaceful streams. (Refreshment) He renews my strength. (Healing) He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. (Purpose) Even when I walk through the darkest valley, (Testing) I will not be afraid, (Protection) for you are close beside me. (Faithfulness) Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Discipline)  You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. (Hope) You honor me by anointing my head with oil. (Consecration) My cup overflows with blessings. (Abundance) Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, (Blessings) and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” (Security & Eternity)

Prayer

Father, I am so grateful for your love, grace and mercy.  We come before you today with a joyful heart knowing you will provide for our needs and throw a few wants in along the way.  What peace and comfort we experience knowing if we fall off the path you will search until you find us and bring us back home.  Father let us find our rest in you; in Jesus’s name we pray. Amen     

Resurrection Turns Everything Downside Up

 Resurrection Turns Everything Downside Up

To wonder at how the resurrection of Jesus has altered our lives

Scripture Matthew 28: 1-15

“Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” As the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and told the leading priests what had happened. A meeting with the elders was called, and they decided to give the soldiers a large bribe. They told the soldiers, “You must say, ‘Jesus’ disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.’ If the governor hears about it, we’ll stand up for you so you won’t get in trouble.” So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today. Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” 

The early disciples witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They could not forget the open tomb and His pierced hands and wounded side.  The living Christ had a powerful profound effect on them.  The people who went to the tomb on that first Easter morning testify to the power of the resurrection.  They were in awe and wonder.  This lesson reminds us to revisit the empty tomb each Sunday and remember the wonder of it all.

When I was researching for this lesson I came across Jacob Needleman.  He was comparing his personal experience of the launch of Apollo 17 in 1975 with Easter.  It was a night launch and there were hundreds of cynical reporters all over the lawn, drinking beer, wisecracking and waiting for this 35-story-high rocket to launch.

The countdown came, and then the launch.  The thing you see is the extraordinary orange light, which is just as the limit of what you can bear to look at.  Everything is illuminated with this light.  Then comes this thing slowly rising up in total silence, because it takes a few seconds for the sound to come across.  You hear WOOOOOSH! 

You can practically hear jaws dropping.  The sense of wonder fills everyone in the whole place, as this thing goes up and up.  The first stage ignites this beautiful blue flame.  It becomes like a star, but you realize there are humans on it.  And then there’s total silence.  

What do you think it would have been like to observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave?  What if someone had understood when Jesus said that he would rise from the dead?  What if he sought an opportunity to make some money off this spectacular event?  What if he set some bleachers in front of the tomb and charged people admission for watching? What if he advertised in the Jerusalem Chronicle and a huge crowd showed up to watch?  

I suspect they would have experienced something similar to what Jacob Needleman experienced at the Apollo 17 launch.  I am sure some would have arrived cynical, casual, and callused.  But when the splendid light followed by momentary silence before a deafening noise, Jesus would have stepped forth from the grave alive, I suspect that the onlookers eyes would have been as big as saucers.  Their jaws would have dropped.  A sense of wonder and ecstasy would have filled everyone watching.  The feelings would never be forgotten.  The resurrection of Jesus itself is never described anywhere in Scripture, presumably because no one saw Jesus exit the tomb.  Not a single person beheld the moment when Jlelsus burst forth from the grave on that first Easter morning.  No one witnessed the resurrection, but many have experienced it.  No one can explain the resurrection, but many feel its effects.

The earth felt the effects.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, It shook, it reeled and rocked.  The ground quaked, rocks erupted, the earth cracked, the olive trees in the garden waved their twisted limbs.  Nature was aroused,  the earth trembled in sorrow at the crucifixion, but it leaped for joy at the resurrection.  The quake attests to the cosmic significance of the event.  

The angel felt the effects.  The angel descended from heaven and approached the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning and his robe was as white as snow.  Like an action hero on a Saturday - morning cartoon, shafts of lightning blade from the angel with its clothes shimmering like new-fallen snow.  He rolled away the stone not to let Jesus out but to let the women in.  The angel sat on the rock that had been rolled away indicating the triumph of the completed work.

The guards felt the effects.  The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.  They stood as corpses.  They shook, in their sandals, longer than the ground shook.  The ones keeping watch over the dead became like dead.  They were scared stiff.

The women felt the effects.  As the Sabbath was dawning Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.  They came to anoint Jesus’ body with spices to give him a more appropriate embalming.  En route they were concerned about who would move the stone for them.  On seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb and hearing the angel proclaim that Jesus was not present, that He had been raised. They were filled with wonder and joy.  The good news of His resurrection became their message to share.  Everyone present that day felt the effect of the resurrection.  The WHOOOOSH went right through them.

Does the resurrection move you?  Can we celebrate Easter and not be moved?  Can we still have the world as it were yesterday?  We want to come to church on Easter, sing some soul-stirring hymns, eat lunch with our family and friends, hunt eggs with our children, and still have our world unrocked by the resurrection.  We are amazingly well adjusted to the same old world.  

Luke records Easter as a meal on Sunday evening with the risen Christ, John records the encounter of Mary Magdalene in the garden.  So what about Matthew?  What is significant in his story?  It was a ruckus, dead people walking in the streets, a sudden earthquake, an angel descending from heaven and rolling the stone away and sitting on it. 

Have you ever been in an earthquake?  I have not.  But we have family members who live  in Oklahoma that experience them frequently.  They are minor but they are strong enough to feel your house shake.  Easter’s  earthquake shook the whole world.  It got everyone’s attention.

On the cross, the world did all it could to Jesus.  At Easter, God did all he could to the world.  And the earth shook.  You don’t explain that, you experience it.  You feel it, it goes right through you.

In the 1950s there was a devastating earthquake in China that caused a huge boulder to dislodge and revealed a great cache of wonderful artifacts from a thousand years ago.  A new world became visible.  When the stone was rolled away that entombed Jesus, and the earth shook, we got our first glimpse of a new world.  A world where death doesn’t  have the last word, where injustice is made right, and innocent suffering is vindicated by the intrusion of a powerful God.  Does it have an effect on you?  If not, maybe you need to check your spiritual pulse.  We don’t want to get caught between the time of Good Friday and Easter.  We need to move forward to the resurrection, let God shake our world, allow God to move the stone away so our hearts will be filled with the love and power of Jesus Christ.  Easter is a time to remember how much Our Father loved and still loves us that through Jesus a pathway was created so we can be forgiven, healed and have our sanctification.

Prayer

Father, 

Today we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  May we always feel the surprise of the resurrection and eagerly share the Good News:  Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.  In Jesus name. Amen

 

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The Beauty of God’s Creation

 The Beauty of God’s Creation

Sunday I taught Sunday School. My message was titled Creation Meditation and Creator Worship.   The Scripture was Psalm 104.  I shared a survey that was taken at a junior high school about the religious beliefs of the students. One of the questions concerned the relationship between religion and science - “Do you think God understand things like nuclear physics or molecular biology, etc.?”  What do you think the students said that believed in God?  They answered No!  They didn’t think God understood those things.  Obviously that thought God was a simple old man who lived in the Bible times when people thought snakes could talk and you could walk on water.   The modern scientific world was too much for God.   I wonder how we have failed as Christians to relate to the children that God created everything, is in control of everything.  Everything we have is a gift from God.  In Psalms 104 David affirms that God’s creation is good and by meditating upon the vast complexity of the created order is a way to worship God.  David reminds us of God’s mighty deeds.  We can be encouraged to praise God because He is trustworthy.   Scripture tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  It doesn’t say He made it or xeroxed it or built or or developed it or mass-produced it.  No He created it.  Can you imagine how much he enjoyed painting stripes on a Zebra, hanging stars in the sky, putting gold in the sunset, stretching the neck of a giraffe, putting a flutter in the humming bird’s wings.  As a finale He made man which has the unique honor to bear the stamp - in his own image.   Next time you go outside, pause and look around you at all God created.  The clouds in the sky, all the different colors of green in our tress. Listen to the sounds of nature. I could go on and on.   As you enjoy the beauty, be grateful and praise God for His handiwork.   Remember God loves you and so do I.

Right On Time

 Right On Time

To remain alert and vigilant in times of waiting and to trust in God at all times

Scripture Mark 13: 5-8, 28-37

Have you heard the cliche “It does not matter what someone believes as long as she or he is sincere.”  This definitely is not true.  What we think and believe matters, and because it matters what we say about Our Father is of utmost importance.  Our scripture today begins with Jesus giving sage advice, “Watch out that no one deceives you”.  

Many experts call Mark 13 a “Little Apocalypse” (uh-pok-uh-lips).  An apocalyptic (uh-pok-uh lip-tik) literature puts people into two groups - God’s people and their enemies.  For the enemies of God’s people this is a word of horror, and for God’s people a word that assures and encourages.  When Hebrew prophets wanted to get the people’s attention they often reminded the hearers of God’s power of wrath.  We hear the same today.  In the teacher's book it gave this example: a church member ask another member to attend her brother’s funeral to support her.  She said “They don’t believe as I believe.”  It was held at a small country church and the pastor was a firebrand preacher.  He yelled, screamed, shouted and cried.  He said it was too late for Joe.  Joe could only get to heaven if God made a rare exemption.  This went on for 2 hours.  My daddy’s brother was that type of preacher.  As a child I thought of him as a Holy Roller preacher.  He wasn’t entirely wrong but he took all hope away.  

We have to prepare for every facet of life.  One might ask, “will I ever be ready?  The answer is no.  Life requires that we move from situation to situation, relationship to relationship, job to job.  Everytime we think we are fully ready and become complacent, life throws us a curveball and we find ourselves lost.  We need to always be watchful and make preparations because we don’t know what life will bring our way.  

Watchfulness in our relationship with our Father is of the greatest importance.  If we slack off and fail to prepare ourselves in a relationship or job we may lose a friend or position , but if we fail to be alert, make preparations and watch for the Lord, then we may miss our Father and lose salvation in the process.  Let us always be watchful for His coming.  We will never know the day or the hour.

Imagine you picked up the paper, or turned the news on the TV.  The headline in bold letters said Jesus Christ Will Return on December 25!  What would you do?  How would you react to this astonishing information?  I think there would be 2 reactions: 1) some would change their lives immediately, out of fear.  Our Father is coming and I am not ready.  I need to get back in church, pray more, seek reconciliation with family, neighbor, co-worker, and certainly with God.  2) others wouldn’t do anything differently.  It  is too late to change now.  God has already decided my fate.  My hope is we would say, “Isn’t this the event for which the world has been waiting?  Isn’t this the reason for which he came into the world?  If we are living righteously we can be confident that our preparations have been sound.  The advent season is a time to reevaluate our lives and see how we have been doing with the invitations extended by our Father.

As individuals and a community we are constantly waiting.  We wait in lines in the market, the banks, and stores.  We wait for events: the big game to start on tv, or a movie in the theater, or the arrival of a family member or a friend.  Most of the time as we wait we know something will happen at a prescribed time.  We wait for birthdays, three day weekends, Christmas and holidays.  And yes we celebrate Jesus arriving on December 25.  

Sometimes we wait for things that eventually will happen but we don’t know when they will occur such as farmers waiting for rain for the crops they have planted into fields.  After a long  winter we all look forward to spring, blooming flowers, budding trees.  Jesus first coming allows us time to prepare for his second coming.  Our scripture today challenges us to be watchful and prepare now, for we do not know the day or the hour.  Jesus gives us three commands: Don’t be deceived , Take heed to yourselves, and Be Alert.  What does it mean to be deceived?  Think about these sayings that some so called Christian churches say:

1. Jesus was a good man.  He gave a wonderful lesson.  His morality is exemplary.  If only we could live up to his commandments!

2. Jesus came as an example to us, showing us how to love each other.  Now all who sincerely try to live a life of love belong to him, no matter what they believe.

3. Jesus is a Savior, believing in him offers us one way to God.  Surely, however, God will honor all those sincere believers in other religions by bringing them to himself.

It is very important to be careful about our language.  Each of these claims includes some truth, then twist that truth.It may look minor, but the difference is the difference between heaven and hell. 

1. Of course Jesus was a good man.  But He also is God incarnate, and to leave that out is to miss the central message of the New Testament.

2. Of course Jesus provides us with an example, but the Jesus of the Bible is an indwelling Savior, not external glorified role model.

3. Jesus  is not only Savior, He is the Savior.  “I am the Way, the Truth, and the LIfe, no one comes to the Father but through Me”.

Jesus tells us not to be led astray by false claims about himself.  How do we guard ourselves against the false teachings?  In Revelations we are told what to watch for, the method of His return, and to depend upon His word.

In verse 28 when Jesus talked about the fig three, is to remind us that as trees leaf out each spring, that Jesus will come again.  That He is always with us.  

 

What changes must we make and actions we must take in order to stay more alert and watchful as a disciple?  Mark is telling us that our Father will stand by the believers to the end and beyond.  That through Jesus, our Father rescues us from this turbulent world.  

In the life of faith, there are times in which our faithfulness seems to exact a great personal cost.  The doctrine of the end times assures faithful people that God will be there for us at the end, just as God was there at the beginning.  What other people fear, the faithful see as the final redemption of the steadfast by God.  

Will you pray with me: Father keep us alert and vigilant especially in times of waiting; In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

God Will Meet Your Needs

 

God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

—PHILIPPIANS 4:19

I read a devotional today.  It began with a question:  If you had the choice, if you were offered a palace with no Christ or a prison with Christ which would you choose?  

Nero the ruler of Roman had a palace but without Christ.   Paul was in Prison but had Christ.   You know the story. You have heard it many times in sermons and Sunday School.  You have read it in the Bible.   A palace sounds enticing compared to a prison.   The key is Jesus Christ.   If you were to ask Paul what he would choose, He would tell you that his purse was empty but our Father’s is not.  Philippians 4:19 promises us our needs will be met.   Our Father is in charge of our lives.   The Neros of the world will try to sway you that, that is not true.   That they can see to your needs.   Without Christ Jesus in your life it will be full of chaos, with your focus on Jesus you will find JOY and Peace.   Yes there will be trials, but our Father who  is in control of the Universe, all powerful, all knowing will see to our needs.   A palace without Christ becomes a prison.  A prison with Christ becomes a palace.   Remember God loves you and so do I. 

PEACE

God gave me the word PEACE for 2021.   Okay so what am I to learn and how am I suppose to use what I learn.   Today I am studying the amazing peace of Jesus.   My scripture reading is John 14:27, John 16:33, and Psalm 29:11.   Peace is one of the most sought after wisdoms of life.  Did you know that there are over 50,000 books on Amazon about peace.   In this broken world many our reacting for that straw to hang on to so they can keep afloat.   Without peace there is no happiness.  So how do we find peace in all this chaos?   The peace that Jesus gives is different from the peace that this world offers.  If we search for peace elsewhere we will not find it.   Jesus left us his peace:  the peace that allows him to stand still in the strongest storms of life, a peace that allows him to forgive us.  The Bible provides us with five secrets to peace.  

P - Pray about everything: forgiveness, things that worry you, guidance, your joys, be grateful and our Father’s peace will guard our hearts and minds. 

E - Entertain beauty.  Look for the good around you and you will discover our Father’s handiwork.   Think about things that are true, honorable and just.  Then you will discover our Father’s peace is with you. 

A - Accept Our Father’s gift of peace.  One reason you may have trouble finding peace is because you are looking in the wrong pace. True peace is not hard to find.  All you have to do is accept it.  

C - conquer your fear.  We have fear when we feel weak when we don’t have the presence of our Father. He is with us always spiritually.  All we have to do is love him and keep his word. 

E - Emulate the Saints. Our life’s journey there isn’t 

enough time to learn all the things we need to know and understand.  We have Saints in the Bible and Saints outside of the Bible whose examples we should pattern our lives after.   The Bible says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. 

P - Pray about everything

E - Entertain beauty

A - Accept God’s gift of peace

C - Conquer your fear

E - Emulate the Saints

Peace be with you. 

Remember God loves you and so do I. 

In God We Trust

In God We Trust

What does that mean to you?  Do you really put all your trust in our Father?  

Proverbs 3: 5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

Today with all the things going on: covid-19, Black Life Matters, ugly gossip, hate, people saying no one is going to tell me what to do, on and on, I wonder have we taken our eyes off of Jesus.  The question you should ask yourself, Am I part of the problem?  Let’s talk about the virus, we want the country to open again, but we are not willing to do our part, make any sacrifice so the virus won’t spread.  A doctor said, “wearing a mask is much better than being put on a ventilator.”  Maybe you feel the virus won’t make you very sick, but what about an elder friend or someone who has a compromised immune deficiency.  You can have the virus and not even run a fever.  Do you really want to  take that change and bring harm to others?  

What about Jesus?  He willingly gave his life for you and me.  Wearing a mask and social distancing isn’t much of a sacrifice compared to Jesus’ sacrifice.  

Now let’s talk about Black Life Matters.  I know many say I am sick and tired of hearing about it.  Again ask yourself the question, Am I part of the problem?  Do you think less of people of color, or people who are different than you are?  In the Bible we are told to look at the heart.  If you look others in the eye you can see their heart.  If you want things to be better it has to start with you and with me.  Racism is a sin.  Hate is the same as murder in the heart.  Oh I know what you are thinking, who do you think you are?  Well I am a Christian, wife of soon to be 58 years, mother of 3, grandmother of 11 and great grandmother of 9.  I am a Stephen Minister, Sunday School Teacher and a servant of our Father.  Am I perfect, No, do I make mistakes, yes.   I rely on God’s Grace of forgiveness and on His word. The Bible is my manual for living right.  Although we have free will, we only have two choices: do what God wants or do what we want.  Our Father is a God of love and our new commandments from Jesus are “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”.  So what do you choose, to obey God or do what you want. This isn’t going to go away.  So please rethink your choices.  Don’t be a part of the problem.  Remember what love is and is not, 1Corinthians 13: 4-5.  Care and make a difference.  I am grateful for all of you even if we look different, act different and believe differently.  We are all God’s children.  Max Lucado wrote, “It Is Not About Me.”  If you haven’t read it I encourage you to do so.   Put all your hope Trust and faith in our Father.  Let Him lead you, so you choose what is right.  

Remember God Loves You and so do I!