Are We Being Real?

Are you like me and hear the comment, 'you need to be real', a lot?  What does that mean to you, when you hear it?  I know in church circles what it normally means.  It means for us to be honest, to be truthful, to admit we are human and make mistakes and to understand that others do to.  It is important for Christians to be real - with each other, with the unsaved but most of all with God.


I mean seriously guys, He knows the truth anyway so why to we try to 'pretty it up'?  He knows every mistake and failure we have made (or will make).  I know one reason we try to make it sound better, we are ashamed of what we have done and we are afraid He won't love us, yet He knew it before we did it.


We have the same problem with people, we are afraid if they know that we committed some sins, folks will shun us, they will look down at us.  And unfortunately many times they will. 


There is a video that keeps circling Facebook, actually there are a few of them.  They are of a church choir singing a song  'Say Amen'.  As the song is being sung, members come up holding signs.  Those signs show the things the person did, had happen or was involved in on one side of the sign.  On the other side they show the outcome through the grace of Jesus.  I've watched these and seen those who were addicted to drugs and alcohol, adultery, those who had cancer, who lost loved ones.  The outcomes were deliverance, healing, comfort and strength to walk through the situation.  As I've watched these I noticed something, I've noticed some 'sins' that don't seem to be represented.  As I thought about it, I wondered is that because there is no one there who went through this or is it because, there are some problems we still believe God can't forgive?  Or at the very least, even if God forgave, we think our fellow Christians can't handle. 


I could be wrong, maybe in those different churches, no one had these issues but if that's true, it's sad we aren't reaching them.  Some of the ones I noticed 'missing' - abuse - not the victim but the abuser and secondly prostitution.  Maybe they were in more 'correct' terms.  I mean" sexually active" could involve prostitution and "problems in my life almost cost me my family" could refer to abuse. 


But my question is even when we are acknowledging God's power and forgiveness are we truly 'getting real'.  Now there are those that say 'you don't need the details' and you are so right, I don't.  But if we are sugar coating, we are not acknowledging all the Lord has done  If that's not the case and there are none that come forward with these 'sins' is it because they believe God's grace only covers some things and others are too bad for Him to handle or at least too bad for His children to handle?


Please don't misunderstand, I love the videos I've seen and I rejoice as I see the things God has done.  But are we as Christians still keeping some things 'taboo' to talk about?  And if we are, is that keeping us from reaching those that have these issues?  It's another blog where I'm not sure the answers, I just wonder when we say we are getting real, are we honestly? 

When Is It Taking A Stand?

Have you ever 'boycotted' anything?  What did you do?  Did you sign a petition? Maybe you marched?  How did they know you were 'boycotting'?  I know in the case of a retailer or product the hoped for result is that their sales will decline and they will see 'the error of their ways'.  Some folks make a big deal out of boycotting things.


For me the jury is out on the real results on that.  Not don't get me wrong, I've seen TV shows that had no business being on the air pulled because the advertisers were scared away by a boycott of their products.  And we saw a TV network and some other businesses do the exact opposite when folks boycotted to get a show returned so you can see results.


But often it is, I'm not going to shop 'store X' because they do this, which that means you will probably shop 'store Y' that if you researched might do worse, 'store X' just got the spot light put on them. The fact is if Christians boycotted every business and product that the company did 'anti-Christian' things, in today's world we would probably being living on a farm, growing our own food and have no connection with the outside world (tv, internet, cell phone, pad, etc) with an occasional CookOut or Chick-fil-a..


So how do you pick and choose what you boycott?  How do you decide 'this one is the one I'm going to pick out?   That is a serious question, not just thrown out there for a joke, yet if we look at it carefully, it is sadly funny.  Sad because there are very few companies that even care about real Biblical standards let alone adhere to them.  Funny because picking one or two is almost hypocritical.


Now I'm not saying if you boycott you are wrong, I'm just asking if that is the best way to handle the situation.  Did God call us to call out the lost on their individual sins or are we to show His love and grace and tell them that all sin is wrong so we aren't going to pick and choose the ones that upset us the most.  I don't know the right answer here.  This is more of a 'we know we should do something but how do we do something that counts' blog with answers needed, not given.


If we, as Christians, lived our lives with more conviction, faith and trust instead of condemnation, would there be more coming to desire what we have? 


Now if by boycott, you mean you will not watch a show that trivializes God or makes fun of Him, well in truth as a Christian, we should not have thought about watching it, so it really isn't a boycott is it?  Doesn't the very point of boycott mean to not do something that you were doing?  So in some cases I think we are using the wrong words, but then boycott sounds better than 'refuse to let that trash in my house' I guess.  Again just my thoughts, I'd like to hear yours!

How Do I Know God Wants Me To Do It?

Have you ever had that question?  Sometimes the answer is easy, God has been directing you in a specific direction, He is whispering in your ear and you feel His constant compelling to follow a direction.  But other times the direction is less direct.


And did you know that even the devil may direct us to do some good things?  Because He had rather have you doing good things that have no value than doing God's will.  It is amazing how many times the devil uses doing good works or even church work to distract us for doing God's will.


So then how do we know for sure what God wants us to do.  I'm not an expert on this but here are some of my thoughts. 


1) God wants the very best for you!  He never wants you in want of fellowship from Him and from other Christians.  Now that fellowship can be physical, being in the same place with them or it may be viral where you are talking be it over the internet or the phone and getting that good encouragement and uplifting that you need.


2) God doesn't guilt you into things.  He wants you to do things because of how you love Him, not because you feel guilty.  Now the devil loves guilt, he uses it to make Christians feel they must earn their way to God or to keep them in situations where they are not allowed to grow and be all that God wants them to be.


3) It will never go against God's work or the Holy Spirit.  Some things in the Bible aren't spelled out but if we study God can reveal them to us.  But if what is revealed can't be backed up with the Bible it's just an opinion.  The devil is good at using this one too.  He will tell you 'if the Lord wants you to have the best and this is what you know is best, then God must want you to have it/ do it.  Be very careful on that one.


It is important that we all have good, Godly men and women we can trust to help us and counsel us when we need to make decisions but the ultimate guide is what God says.  Call out to Him and tell Him why you are confused, and remember that God is not the author of confusion.  Ask Him to reveal His will and understand that He may reveal the direction but that doesn't mean He has to reveal details.  We must trust, we must have faith.    The Christian life is one of faith walking. We often sing about Living By Faith but we want to Live By Knowing, we want God to reveal the entire plan and if He doesn't we may begin to fill in the details ourselves.


God will direct you, but you must trust and obey His direction, in faith, trusting that He does all things well and whatever your situation is will be no exception.

Increase Our Faith

Do you need your faith increased?  If you answered 'no', well I don't believe you.  :-)  I didn't ask if you want your faith increased, I asked did you need it increased and every Christian, no matter how Godly or faithful they are, could stand having their faith increased.  The disciples that walked every day with Jesus, that is the one thing that they asked for, Lord, increase our faith.


Without faith it is impossible to please God, so it stands to reason that with faith you can and do please God.  The more faith you have, the more you are able to walk closer with Him and the more that pleases Him.  Pleasing God rather than worrying about my wants has been on my mind a lot lately.  And God has been confirming that direction with preaching, teaching and even in songs. 


Do I want to be like John the beloved or am I more like Thomas the doubter as I go about my daily life?  I see 'Thomas' arise a lot, far more than I should.  I also see the impulsiveness of Peter, and I think Lord, could I have his boldness too?  But if I had his boldness, would my faith be strong enough to use it for God?  Or would I just be bold without a real purpose?


When you ask most Christians if they believe that God can do anything, they answer 'yes'.  But if you ask them if they believe He WILL do specific things in their lives they answer isn't nearly as positive, it closer to 'I hope so' than it is to 'yes'.  Why?  Because we don't have the faith!


Faith is believing that God will handle your situation, it doesn't mean He will handle your way!  In fact, faith is keeping the door open to whatever God wants to do to handle it.  I think that is the problem most of us have, we not only want Him to handle it, we have the details all worked out.  And when things start to happen that do not fall into those details, we throw up our hands and say 'God, You said to believe and You would do it' without realizing that He is doing it, just not according to your specifications.


We are so caught up in our plan, we can't see the Master's plan.  Excuse me for a second while I catch my breath, I just hit myself between the eyes with that one. I have a plan for everything, and if I don't have a plan, I'm in panic mode!  Want to take a spontaneous trip?  Ok, hold on for a second and let me get my check list!  I'm serious, it really is that bad.  I'm not sure exactly when that happened.  When I was in my 20s, I had a tentative plan but it was subject to change any minute.  And it did not cause panic if the plan changed.  These days a delay that makes me late or not having a plan ahead of time can cause a full blown panic attack.


So I know I need more faith, that is not how God wants us to live.  Now planning is great and it is important to have a plan but we need to be open to God moving the parts of our plan around to have the BEST plan, not just our good plan.


Following God means going on uncharted paths, it means stepping out in places where we cannot see where the step will take us.  It means walking through the dark valley, still holding to the Light!  It means giving your children to God, knowing that the 'whatever it takes' to bring them back could bring you heartache and pain. But as I was reminded in a message earlier," God doesn't promise to make you comfortable, but He promises to comfort you in your situation".  It takes faith to walk that life.  It takes a daily turning to God.  It takes pulling the 'gods' of your life out and exposing them, telling God that you want them out of your life and Him to be in control. 


Lord, let us pray daily for more faith, and then let us truly open up to receive it.  We can ask all day but if we keep our heart and mind closed to anything other than our plan, it's not going to happen.  Lord, give us more faith.  Open our hearts and minds to receive it and our lives to act on it.

Will What You Are Doing Last?

Do you ever read something and say 'how did they know this?'  Or maybe you hear someone make a comment that so echoes what you are thinking and you think 'wow, I thought I was the only one that felt that way'.  We often feel that we are alone in our thoughts or what we are the only one that believes in a particular cause.  Yet if we speak out we often find that not only are we not alone, there are many like us but no one wanted to speak out first.


I'm thankful for the brave folks that step out and say what they think.  Now sometimes it could be more tactfully worded but to be honest in this overly PC world, someone just being blunt and honest appeals to me.  Now everything can be done in excess but a little bit of straightforwardness is a good thing.


I have a friend that always speaks her mind, she has many folks who love that about her, but she has detractors too.  I love to hear her opinions.  Do I agree with everything she says?  No, but I agree with a LOT.  Yet even when I disagree, I applaud her dedication to stand for what she believes.


I know that when she gives an opinion she is going to be honest, she is not going to say what someone wants to hear, she isn't going to be swayed to be 'PC'.  In today's world that is refreshing.  We are all so 'afraid' of being labeled 'non-PC' we are often silent. 


I look in my Bible and I don't see a lot of 'PC' people.  John the Baptist certainly wasn't, and that got him beheaded.  Peter and the disciples after the resurrection weren't, of course that got them killed.  So I get why folks are afraid to speak their mind.  The results can be scary!  The results can be deadly.


Yet in the Bible and over the years since then there have been men and women with the courage to speak their faith.  The consequences aren't always good yet they stood.  How did they do that?  Weren't they afraid?


I think the secret is when you become more afraid of failing God than what man can do to you, you are at the point God can truly use you.  When you put more value on what God has promised than on earthly possessions, you find the peace to follow God's directions. 


Today is kind of funny for me, this is not the blog I thought I was going to write.  But this morning a young man stood up in Sunday School and read  II Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat , the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up .


He reminded us that we are going to only have what we do for Christ in eternity.  When we stand before the Lord, the things/possessions we think are so important, they are gone.  The things we did to draw attention to ourselves, they are gone.  Only what we have done for God will still be there.  Being 'PC' doesn't seem that important when you view from that perspective. 


Lord, give us courage and faith to follow You!

He Gives Good Gifts!

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Do you realize that every good gift, every blessing comes from God?  And mean really realize it, not just take it for granted?  When you get good news at the doctor or a surprise in the mail, the source of that good news is God!  In the past 12 months, I've been growing because I'm looking to grow.  I want to learn more about the Lord and I want to enjoy the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit.

I find myself being thankful for little things that I may have not noticed before.  I find that I more quickly turn to prayer as a first resort rather than a last resort.  But as I grow, I realize how much I need to grow!  The devil still uses my temper or lack of patience against me.  He knows that is a weak spot, another is finances.  I do worry about how things will get paid or what will happen if someone is sick.  But I know that worry is failure to trust so I find myself having to stop and say 'wait a minute, devil get out of my mind, God's got this!'.   Do you find yourself in that spot at times?

I talk to the devil a lot more than I used to.  One of my standard phrases for him is 'doesn't matter devil, you cannot have my family' when something happens that I know could have a negative impact.  Or I may pray out loud telling God what my desire is and what promise I'm claiming from His Word, because the devil can't stand God's word unless He is using it to twist things around.

God will not change - if He says He will do it, He will and the devil can throw every obstacle in the world at you but that does not change God's promise.  God said He would provide my need, He promised me the desires of my heart,  He declares the His love will not fail.  Those are promises that I can rely on every day. 

He said if we ask, He will answer.  Now it may not be the answer we want, it may not be on the timetable we request but He is bound by His word to answer us.  We just need to trust Him.

So today, whatever you may be facing, know that God loves you.  He wants to save and keep you.  He wants to protect you and to comfort you.  And know this, every word the devil says is either a lie or based on a lie.  He will sometimes tell a partial truth but there is always a lie tied in there.  Don't listen to satan and his lies, believe God and trust Him today.

Who Controls Your Money in 2016?

As January is rushing by I sit here and wonder, what will the rest of the year be like.  A number of things have happened that threaten to be a challenge financially.  But God has promised to supply all my needs.  The biggest problem we have is that we often don't understand what is a need and what is a want.  We are spoiled.  As I went over my budget today I realized how easy it is to become spoiled.


You look at things that should just be a convenience as a need.  I've done it.  I'm working to bring myself into reality in all that I do, especially with my budget.  In all honesty it is God's money.  He allows me to have a portion of it and I need to use it wisely.


I need to be generous but also cautious.  Sounds almost contradictory, doesn't it?  In today's world more than ever there are those that will take advantage and often they are the ones that are closest to you.  Or at the very least it is people you know will take advantage.  We don't want to believe that they will do that, yet they do.


And if you have a basic generous nature, you may have set yourself up for that many times.  But today I'm looking at anything I have and saying 'what would God want me to do?'  In some cases, I haven't been generous enough.  But there are others that my generosity has bordered on stupidity!  We are not doing others any favors if we enable them to continue to be less that God created them to be.  Often we do that, specially in the financial realm.


Who doesn't have that person (or people) in their lives that always has a financial need that they think others should help with?  Who doesn't know someone that refuses to learn to budget and then complains when they don't have enough money.  Or who hasn't seen the parent that thinks someone else should be responsible for their child and they should be able to blow their money.  Or who doesn't know the 'child' that believes their parents 'owe' them for their entire life. I've seen all of the above.  At one point in my life that whole budget thing seemed too much for me to comprehend.  I made bad choices financially and it took years to get much of it straightened out.


I know it seems like I'm rambling but hang with me just a little longer.  If we can understand that everything belongs to God and He will supply our needs, we can stop stressing about the future.  If we can grasp that He wants us to be generous with others and not be selfish, we can stop stressing about keeping up with the neighbors, or the other church members.  If we can understand that every time we give to Him, He blesses more than we can imagine we will want to find ways to give.


I need to be willing to put my wallet and checkbook in His hands and say 'direct me, Lord'.  If we can just understand the reason that He wants us to allow Him to control our money, is not because He needs our money.  It is because we need to stop making money our god.  We need to stop thinking 'if I only had this much money, I could do this and that'.  We need to be thinking and praying 'Lord, direct me to what You would have me do and help me to trust You to supply the need to do it'. 


I had a talk the Lord today about something.  I don't understand how He wants me to do it.  But I have no doubt that He does.  I have to take that step of faith and trust Him to do the rest.


After some though I realized that I need to be sure that I've totally turned my finances over to Him.  I need to accept His direction and trust His provisions.


Lord, today I look at the checkbook and the wallet and while I'm not in want, there are times the budget is way too close to draining me.  I am thankful for every need You have supplied and I thank You so much for all the 'extras' You have given me.  I thank You for how good You have been to me and my family.  I'm giving You control of my finances, I'm far to likely to make mistakes with them.  And I acknowledge everything I have is Yours and it is just on loan to me. 


Each time I start to try to manage or plan without You, please gently remind me that You alone know what is best.  When I give help me to do it prayerfully and bless what I give for Your honor and glory.  Help me to realize if I will surrender my finances then You can control them, You the God that does all things well! Thank You for the lessons You have taught me on finances and Lord, allow me to learn any further lessons by leaning on You, not by going my own way and learning the hard way.  I ask Lord, that you hear this prayer for me and any reader than needs this as well.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Prayed Up!

"David did not fall on his knees and pray for strength before he fought Goliath.  He was already prayed up and had seen God deliver the bear and lion into his hands, so he was ready to face the giant."  I heard someone say that on radio this morning and it hit me between the eyes!


How often do we have to spend time 'getting ready' for what is to come because we have not already spent time on our knees before it happens?  For me, I have to be honest, it happens far too often.


I've seen God deliver, I've seen Him slay the giants but I get comfortable and then I must  cry out 'Lord, help my unbelief' instead of  'My God will deliver'.  Oh. Lord, please forgive me!  Forgive me for not being prayed up, forgive me for doubting, forgive me for not claiming all that You give me!


We, just like David's brothers, Saul and all of Israel, quake with fear instead of realizing that God has this!  He knows what the devil plans to do and it doesn't frighten Him at all.  He is there to deliver us and wants to deliver us.  We just have to trust.


More and more God is showing me every day that He is enough and oh so much more.  He is enough to meet every challenge, to handle every issue and enough to see me through.  He is my deliverer, my provider, my comforter, my salvation and my strength!  He is God!  He is my Lord!


Why must I every day be reminded of that?  Because I am human and the devil stays busy whispering in my ear.  I see something happen that could have a bad result and I automatically 'hear' the voices in my head going 'oh no! this will happen' or 'that will happen'.  When in fact, all I know, is that God is in control and I need to back up, take my hands off of it and claim the blood of Jesus to cover it all!  Anything else I 'hear' in my head is the devil whispering and trying to get me to get ahead of or behind where the Lord wants me to be. 


Today I say 'I will not allow the devil's whispers to determine my destination.  I will trust the Lord because great is His faithfulness'. 

New Every Morning

Did you make resolutions this year?  If so, have you broken them yet?  I've never been into New Year's resolutions.  But I am into each day being a fresh slate to begin again.  New beginnings, second chances, I'm a believer in those.  And I acknowledge I have needed them repeatedly.


Lamentations 3:22-23   It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.


God's mercy and compassion is new every morning, what a way to start your day, realizing this is true.  His mercy and compassion does not fail.  What a precious promise to hold on to!  He will not fail, no matter what happens. 


I not only like to write, I enjoy reading as well.  I have a number of favorite authors.  What is really great is to start reading from one of them when they are new and still learning.  As you watch the progression from that as their skill grows the outcomes become less predictable, the surprises can happen.  In some cases I've read later works by an author then go back and read some of their earlier works.  You can see their growth and enjoy the enhancements they have made to their writing. 


I use that example to give a visual of us as we grow as Christians.  In the beginning our steps are wobbly, our issues are predictable and our failures (or plot reveals too soon) are easy to spot.  But as we grow, we begin to get hold of what God has for us.  We aren't as easy to trip up, we don't make the beginner mistakes as often.  One of the reason for that is our Lord's mercies and compassion.  He allows us to learn and grow. He doesn't look at our early steps and go 'never gonna make it' and cut us off.  He sees our potential if we will give our talent as well as our trials over to Him.  He wants all our life, not just little parts of it.  Once we give that to Him, we can see and appreciate the mercies and compassion that is new every morning.

Our Children, Are They Worth It?

I'm writing this on my daughter's birthday.  On this day in 1988, I had been in labor at this point for about 12 hours.  My circumstances were not the best.  Her father had already walked away.  My parents were ashamed and disappointed, most of their family had no idea I was even pregnant.  They felt I had again, let them down.


My grandparents were dead but my mother wasted no time at all telling me she was glad they were already dead so they didn't have go through this time and see how my life was going.  I look back and it still hurts, I've forgiven my parents for the hurt but I still remember how it hurt at the time.  For a lot of years that hurt ruled my life.  It kept me from allowing others to get close to me.  I only let people somewhat close that I knew had 'things' that kept them from trying to 'reach' the deep and hidden places in my life.


That had a negative impact on my daughter.  I loved her and I still do, more today than ever, but only at times was I able to be fully open to complete love.  Oh, how I wish I could go back to those days and open my heart completely to her and to others.  I know I have would have opened up for risks of being hurt again, that was why I kept those doors closed but I missed so much of my life hiding behind those closed walls.  My daughter missed so much of my life. 


Now I have a granddaughter.  My prayer is that God will protect her and keep her.  I also pray that He will give me, her parents and other grandparents the wisdom to show her unconditional love.  For her to know that even if she disappoints she is loved.  When she fails, she is still loved.  When she makes us angry, that does not change our love.  I've been the result of not knowing that, I've seen the results of not knowing that.


As parents and grandparents I pray that we can grasp how important that is to our child's development.  When they are acting out or they are 'needy', it is so often just to get attention.  Attention that their heart must have to develop into strong adults.  And if they don't get that time and attention in every day life they will find ways to get it.  And usually it is negative ways because even punishment and negative attention is better than no attention.


And each child is different. One child may only need 10-15 minutes a day to feel loved, appreciated, respected and know that you love them no matter what.  Another child,  30-45 minutes barely tips that bucket that needs filling.  My goal these days whether it is my adult child or my grandchild is to ask myself this 'if I did this, how would my heavenly Father respond'.   that can really change your attitude and actions in just a few minutes.  But this is new to me and I fail at it many times and I quickly realize I've not responded as He would.  But it is a daily process. 


Since my granddaughter lives with her mother and me, I'm looking for ways I can do my part in time that is just hers.  The time that she feels she is the center of my universe.  Not my cell phone, not the TV, not a book but her having my undivided attention.  It doesn't sound hard does it, but in today's busy world it can be.


But aren't our children and grandchildren worth the effort?  I never felt I was with my parents.  Now, when it's too late to talk about it,  I've realized they did the best they could.  I did with my daughter as well.  What we all needed to realize is the best we can is so finite, we need to do the best that God can enable us to do, for without Him we cannot succeed.


A note about that day in Jan.  I went to sleep that evening and woke up to a completely white world, it had snowed during the night.  Just like Jesus can make us white as snow the world that my new daughter would see first was white. A reminder for us that every day He can make things new.

The Devil's Future

So you know that this week I have to talk a little football, right?  Alabama is going for their 16th National Title.  Clemson is going for their first in 34 years.  I mean my daughter wasn't alive when Clemson won their only National Title.  Both teams are hyped and so are their fans. We all talk about 'our team' and how good they are.  We are all convinced that 'our team' is going to win.  Or if you are not an Alabama or Clemson fan you may think your team got cheated, they should have this shot.  I'm a bit competitive (my friends are just rolling their eyes and going 'REALLY?? YOU???'  Then I'm sure they laughed really hard).


I don't like to lose at anything.  I am not one of the folks that say it 'not about winning or losing', I mean seriously, if it's not, then let's not keep score.  But how often do we live our lives like it's a competition?  If we do enough 'good stuff' then we'll be OK but if we don't 'score those points' we will lose.  I'm so glad that my salvation and my future are not based on my ability to do the 'good stuff' but rather is based on what Christ has already done. 


As competitive as I am, I admit that my score is 0 in the game of life, there is no way my 'good stuff' would outweigh my 'bad stuff'.  If I sat down and started to write all the times I've failed, all the times I've messed up, the list would go on for a good while.  But when I talk to my Father about those things He says 'I can't see what is under the blood'.  Do you get it?  Do you really grasp it?  Every sin you have confessed to Him is blotted out!  It cannot be remembered by Him again.


We beat our self up a lot about the past.  You know like the team that loses on Monday will do, we replay every effort and every miscue wondering what would have happened if we had not 'missed the ball'.  That is one of the devil's favorite tactics.  He loves to taunt you with the 'what if's'.  He loves to remind you of your failures and mistakes.  God is all powerful but there is one thing that the devil can do that God can't.  The devil can remember the sins that God has forgiven.  But God, the all powerful and all seeing God has chosen to cast those away and never remember them again. 


Don't let the devil use something that God has cast away against you.  I read something once that I really like, "The number of times you fell is not important, What is important is how many times you got back up".  Get up in the power of Jesus name, get up and put on your amour.  Get ready for battle!  When the devil throws your past in your face, remind him that you know his future and he's going to hell!

Do You Know Peace? What about Freedom?

I was talking to someone over the weekend and they made a statement, I'm sure I won't quote it exactly but she spoke of allowing God to remove all the 'junk' we have. Allowing Him to reach in and take the pain, the bitterness, the despair, the anger and whatever else we might be holding on to.  The as she had one hand cupped like a scoop, she proceeded to take the other hand and go over that hand in a back and forth motion, 'Then He can fill all of the space there, He can replace the things He removed with peace, love, His joy'.  I like visuals.  I could see that cupped hand 'filling' with all the good stuff where the junk had been.


It's true, He wants to give us all the best stuff.  Sometimes we hold on to things that we think is good but what He has is better.  Have you ever see the cartoon where the little girl is holding on to the little teddy bear saying "it's mine" and Jesus is reaching for it?  What the little girl can't see is that Jesus has a big teddy bear behind his back.  We are holding on to the little things and He has big blessings just waiting for us to let go.


The last months have had some of the hardest times I've ever faced personally, I have been hurt to the core of my being, I have felt so defeated at times.  But each of those times I look up and there He is, ready to pick me up, ready to comfort me.  His love never fails.  When it seems there is no way out, there is Jesus!  He doesn't need a conventional method to deliver, He is the way!


I've walked through some hard times, I was not alone.  I've cried many tears, He dried them and held me.  I've felt I was helpless and He showed Himself faithful and true.  While I can say that the last months have had some of the worst times, I have felt such peace, I have felt such freedom.


In writing this blog, I've allowed myself to acknowledge things that I held tight to before.  I have been able to face the failures, knowing that He knows them all anyway.  There is nothing I've done or will ever do that will come as a surprise to Him. Yet He loves me.


He knew I would have many failures as a parent, as a daughter, as a Christian.  He knew that I'd look back and feel so unworthy of His love and it is only through His grace that I have any standing.  My failures are many, my sorrows are too.  My life was in shambles, I thought it was through.  Then Jesus came walking, He saw all my need.  He came in love if His voice I would heed.  I know I'm unworthy of all of His grace, yet my sin He banished without a trace.


There is so much I could say today about God's love.  Yet no matter how many words I use, they would not be sufficient to describe how totally amazing His love and grace can be.  It's hard to describe what you truly mean by peace and freedom yet the joy it brings bubbles in my heart and soul like a spring of living water. 


God meets you right where you are, He wants to deliver you.  He wants to fill all the cracks and crevices that removing the junk creates, with His grace, His mercy, His joy and His love.  Will you let Him?

Stupid Mistakes - Do You Learn or Repeat?

I'm a football fan, you guys know that if you know me at all.  I'm an Alabama fan always.  But there are other schools that I pull for as long as they are not playing Alabama.  In recent years one of those has been Clemson University.  I was a South Carolina 'fan' for years, not a committed one but one that pulled for them often when they were playing teams I didn't like and I always pulled for them in the state bowl.  Not really sure why I had picked them in the state competition but I had.  I had friends and family on both sides of the equation so either way I had folks to do the football 'trash talk' with the end of November.


A few years ago some things happened, now remember I said I was not a committed SC fan, just a fan of convenience I guess.  But I have always been a big believer that a football coach's biggest job is to teach character.  A winning season is awesome but if it comes at the cost of teaching that the ends justify the means, then I have a problem with that.  I saw a quarterback that made stupid mistake after stupid mistake, mistakes that broke the rules and often broke the law. he made them often enough they went from mistakes to habits, yet he continued to be put in to play, there were no consequences. 


The coach's excuse was 'he's young, he needs to learn'.  You don't learn when there are no consequences!  That is just plain human nature.  I was disgusted by what I saw.  On the other side of the 'state bowl' I saw a coach winning young men to Jesus and teaching them to help others.  That year for the first time I wore orange for a few hours that last Saturday in November.  Just a note, I'd never worn Carolina colors except for the fact that they are close to Alabama colors.


In the last few years I've watched and compared the two coaches.  No man is perfect and Dabo is far from it BUT he continued to show a fine character.  Did he lose his cool at times, oh yes, and any dedicated football fan, coach or former coach can tell you that in the heat of the moment that sometimes happens.  On the other side I continued to see a man that 'the win is everything'.  I love football, I believe you should play to win, but you have to have some balance.  My 'in state' team loyalty was solidified this year when (in my opinion) the coach left his team mid-season rather than have a losing season on his record.  He abandoned them when they were down, when they needed leadership the most.


This week we've heard the news of the 3 players at Clemson being sent home in disgrace as one announcer put it.  They failed a drug test (you know drugs, the thing that Spurrier discounted as 'just being young and needing to learn').  Suspended for the 2 most important games of the year.  Everyone in America that follows football has heard their name and what they did.  One announcer said 'how embarrassing for them and their families'.  Another said 'it was a stupid and selfish decision these young men made, they let down their teams and their fans'.  Yet another said 'you hope that these young men learn from this, and take this chance to turn their lives around'.  You never heard any of those type comments when SC had the quarterback making these types of mistakes because he HAD NO CONSEQUENCES!


Three young men who were about to enter into one of the biggest deals so far in their lives, chose to indulge for a few minutes in a selfish and stupid activity.  That mark will always be there, it is a crossroad.  They can turn the opposite direction and show that people can change or they can continue to make self-destructive decisions.  We all have those moments in our lives.  I hope they make the right decision.  But regardless of which decision they make, they have cost themselves the chance to play in the playoffs and maybe the chance to play for the National Championship.  Should Clemson lose there will always be those that put at least part of the blame at these young men's feet, not being a team player, causing a distraction for the team at a time they need to be focused.  If Clemson should win, the team will be hailed as a team that rose above adversity and stayed focused.  The winning or losing of these games will be tied to the decision these three young men made for good or bad.  Our decisions impact others, every day it happens.


Now, I'm hoping that Clemson rises above this, I'm hoping they win the playoff.  However, if Alabama wins too, my allegiance to Clemson will fade as I say Roll Tide.  Now some of you read this and you say 'really?  your coach is Nick Sabin, of these two men who is he most like?'  I admit he has many of the 'Spurrier' attitude and I don't like it but I was a Bama fan before he came and I'll be a Bama fan when he leaves.  But in state I have no such allegiance.


I know this is a long post but as you read this I hope you see the many applications these situations have for our every day life.  Actions have consequences, if we don't see them immediately it doesn't mean we got a free pass, it means we better get prepared.  As you read this the playoffs will be over, we will know if Clemson advanced as well as Alabama.  I'm hoping they did.  If Alabama wins, regardless Clemson or OK, I'm yelling ROLL TIDE!  If Clemson makes it and Bama doesn't I'm saying GO TIGERS!  Just threw that in extra.


As you go into the New Year, think each day of what consequences your actions may have.

It Is A New Beginning!

Happy New Year!  May 2016 bring you health and happiness.  But most of all may it bring you the peace of knowing that Jesus loves you.  He died that you might live.  He came that you might go to heaven.


Begin this year with a full knowledge of what Christ did for you.  Yes, He came as that baby that we celebrated His birth just a week ago.  He left heaven, can you honestly imagine?  He left His throne, in a perfect place, with no arguments, no suffering, no pain.  He came as a baby.  He could not speak, yet He knew everything.  He could not walk, yet He created the world.  He could not do anything for Himself, yet He was all powerful.  What contradictions His life contained.


He grew up, he went through everything we go through.  He felt the pain of teething and scraped knees.  He felt the hurt of dealing with those that didn't understand him as a young man, maybe even bullied him.  He grew and He knew He had a purpose that no one on earth understood.  How often do we feel misunderstood?  Yet, who on earth could possibly understand that Jesus had left heaven to come and die for us?  That is beyond our comprehension. 


As He began to teach, He was mocked, He was laughed at, He was tempted in ways we cannot begin to understand.  Yet, as much as He was man and suffered these things, He was God and He conquered them!  His earthly ministry was short by most standards, just 3 years.  Yet in that 3 years he accomplished more than any other person to ever walk on this earth.


He had true followers and he had fake ones, just like most ministries do.  He had those that loved and cared for the people and those that cared only for the money, we see that in ministries all the time.  He really did know what we would go through.


But at this point, we have to separate ourselves from understanding what He may have suffered because we in no way understand the suffering of the beatings, the cruelty of the cross, the pain and agony of having the Father look away as our sin was placed on Him.  We can try but we really cannot truly grasp it.


He suffered each of those things for you and for me.  He wants us to accept His love and His sacrifice.  He wants us to know the redemption that He offers.  People often say things like 'I'd have to give up so much to follow Jesus'.  Yes, I gave up things.  I gave up guilt, I gave up self loathing, I gave up the disgust my sin caused and I gave up the chains of sin that weighted me down.  I gave up a lot but none of it had any value.  And for everything I gave up I gained so much.  I gained peace, joy, contentment, comfort, friendship, love, hope.  I got the better end of the deal.


The Bible tells us 'today is the day of salvation'.  If you do no know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, I'd count it an honor to talk with you and pray with you.  Make 2016 a day of new beginning.