not just forgiveness but restoration....

One question I have for you??? Could you be this forgiving??? I had to think about this long and hard this morning and evaluate what it is that I have need of in my life to be totally forgiving!!!

"God Preserves a Remnant" 

Purpose: To understand that God's blessings can be transmitted through our acts of love and forgiveness

Scripture Text: Genesis 43:3-15

Genesis 45:3-15 (NRSV)

(3)Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. (4)Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. (5)And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.(6)For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. (7)God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. (8)So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. (9)Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. (10)You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. (11)I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ (12)And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you.(13)You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” (14)Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. (15)And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter 

This week's text is a lesson in relationships; relationships are difficult to maintain, because none of us are perfect. Hurtful words and hurtful deeds often cause a break in our relationships. This happens in families, in marriages, in friendships, and within the church. When there is no repentance and forgiveness, relationships will remain broken. When there is a broken relationship our ability to be an effective witness for Christ is seriously damaged or destroyed.

All of us are guilty of holding onto hurts and refusing to accept blame or admit guilt, we are reluctant to say “I am sorry.” The sad thing is most relationships can only be restored when there is mutual forgiveness and repentance. We must allow ourselves to let go, forget and forgive, then our relationships can be restored and our life begins anew.

This is where Joseph found himself in our text, he was an injured party, yet he is the one that reached out and restored a relationship with his brothers. As we read the story, Joseph had some very good reasons to despise and to punish his brothers for what they did to him. Our human nature would cause us to get even. Because Joseph took something bad and turned it into something good, he was able to offer forgiveness to his brothers. Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery because they did not like the fact that their father treated him special and Joseph interpreted a dream where they were all bowing down to him. Jealousy and envy are often the beginning of a broken relationship.

Joseph had remained faithful to God and diligent in his service to whatever task was assigned. Joseph was able to see God's hand in his life, and realized what his brothers thought was evil, God used as good. Now Joseph was the second most powerful person in all of Egypt and he controlled all of the resources of Egypt. Egypt is nine years into the fourteen year prophesy; they had the seven years of abundance and now they were two years into the famine and drought years.

Joseph has built large grain storage facilities throughout all of Egypt, he has prepared for the lean years. The famine has spread to the entire region; Canaan is going through the same drought and famine. Joseph becomes the only hope for salvation and continuation of the promise made to Abraham. Supply and demand is all in favor of Joseph and Egypt; they have what the rest of the world wants. Joseph invites his father and all of his brothers to come and live in the land of Goshen and he offers to provide for all of their needs.

We too have what the rest of the world wants, we can offer hope and comfort to those that are without. Joseph offers us the ideal way to handle broken relationships, not just forgiveness, but restoration. That is what God offers us, through His Son Jesus, we are not just forgiven and restored but we become family again.

Repentance is the only "pill" you will ever need!

Today's Verse

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

— 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God is faithful! Scripture declares it. We've experienced it. In fact, we cherish this promise from God, especially when things don't turn out as they "should." So when Satan does trip us with temptation and when we are weak or rebellious, isn't it comforting that we can be forgiven and made clean again? God wants us to call our sin what he calls it. (To "confess" literally means to "say the same" thing about it as God does!) Incredibly, God does more than forgive us. He also cleanses us. We're made new, fresh, pure, and holy once again! That is more than being faithful and just; that's being downright gracious.

My Prayer...

I do not have the words, Father, to express my appreciation for your gracious forgiveness and cleansing of me. I am deeply sorry for my weakness, my stumbling, and my rebellion. I deeply regret disappointing you. Thank you for welcoming me back into your presence and reminding me that I am your beloved child. Please empower me to grow past my failures and to mature more fully into the holiness of your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

http://www.verseoftheday.com/

I pray this will help in the battle of FORGIVENESS!!!

   

 Good evening, I pray your Monday was a good one, It has been a a beautiful day here, gotta love the fall weather and the beautiful colors that seem to be bursting with orange, red and yellow! It is DWTS Monday and I must say what I have seen thus far has not been to impressive,,,,I have yet to see my JR dance tonight so am eager for that!
       Tonight, I would like to talk again about FORGIVENESS,  it would seem that I am not the only one who struggles with it! Like I said earlier, when I find myself holding anger and angst in my heart I think of Christ on that cross and yes I become ashamed, ashamed that I am holding something in my heart that he died for, he forgives me each time I ask him, he and our Father in Heaven know my every thought and they forgive me, who am I to hold on to it? We need to LET IT GO. Ask God for his strength, ask him to come to your aid and to take it out of your heart and dissolve it! It takes a much bigger person to forgive than it does to hold on! Below I am inserting a wonderful message on dealing with forgiveness, I pray it will give you hope if you cannot seem to get rid of the negative!  I ask that you join me in prayer this night for forgiveness to be planted like a seed in the garden and that knowledge of watering and nurturing is given you so that it becomes a fruitful part of your heart! Please pray with me for those suffering illness, depression, rehabilitation, darkness, negativity, addiction, for the unborn babies, for those who are struggling financially and for all of those who will receive word this week of things not pleasing to them. God is good all the time, allow him into your heart and live as he is willing you to live! God bless you with love in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Forgiveness

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. - Matthew 6:12, 14-15

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. - Mark 11:25

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. - Matthew 18:21-22

Jesus [on the cross] said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:12-13

A Proper Response When You Are Wronged

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you. - Proverbs 20:22

Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me; I'll pay that man back for what he did." - Proverbs 24:29

"`Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." - Leviticus 19:18

"It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." - Deuteronomy 32:35

But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. - Genesis 50:19-20

""But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:27-31, 35-36

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans12:9-21

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. - 1 Peter 3:8-9

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. - Romans 12:14-18

We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. - 1 Corinthians 4:12-13

Jesus Christ

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him [Christ] the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. - Isaiah 53:6-7

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. - 1 Peter 2:21-23

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:8-9

     

How do you forgive?

   

 Happy Monday morning to all! It is a gorgeous day here in Utah, 48 degrees a titch of breeze, sunshine lighting up everything in it path, and the most beautiful blue skie I have ever seen, the clouds have no from this morning they are streaked all across the sky as if they cannot decide which way they would like to go! Our forecasted high is 51 today to not waiver much the entire week! Getting us on line for Halloween...I don't remember one that was not frigidly cold and damp!
     This morning as I was closing my prayer ( oh and I am back on track with my posting times...finally!) I sat in silence, my head back my eyes looking toward heaven when I began to think about the bible study I shared with Wayde yesterday, it is amazing to me how two people can perceive things so differently, I seeing where he was coming from and he seeing from what direction I come...but both seeing things so differently! We were discussing The Lord's Prayer message that I posted yesterday morning and began to talk about forgiveness... his idea of forgiveness was much different than mine, I have been hurt in life, really hurt but have never held a grudge, I have pulled myself away from the ones who have hurt me, allowed my wounded heart to heal and then have thrown myself back into the race because I always think of Christ there on the cross looking down at the multitude of people who were delighted to see him hang there, he looked down at the very ones who had spit, hit, cursed, laughed and mocked him and asked Heavenly Father to forgive them for they knew not what they were doing! I feel ashamed when I get so angry that I feel I will never be able to forgive, I pray for a cleansing within my soul and then I begin the repair of the relationship! Wayde on the other hand is totally different, although he forgives from his soul, he lets the hurt and anger go and totally forgives, he chooses not to make repairs, he holds no ill will against the person but chooses not to have communication with them or to allow them the chance to hurt him again! He really holds to this for people who hurt me, the ones who have wronged me he has no desire to be friends with...he also has a hard time understanding how I can endure the hurt, ask for forgiveness for myself and the person and then continue to allow them into my day to day life. I don't think either of us are right or wrong, the forgiveness is there and honestly heart felt, we just attack the "down the road" differently! YOUR THOUGHTS????
     I pray today that you have forgiveness in your heart for those who have wronged you, that you are able to honestly forgive and place it all in the hands of our Father in Heaven. I think if you hold on to anger and hurt, if you hold to negative that God has an awfully hard time trying to place blessings where there is no room. Let go of the negative, free your heart from clutter so that there is room for the wonderfully beautiful things God has in store for you! May this day be a day filled with joy and laughter for you! Love in Christ to all!

forgive me, lord

-- By Dorothy Womack

Forgive me, Lord, when I overlook ---
The beauty of a sunset
The beauty in a human soul
The beauty all around me.

Forgive me, Lord, when I don't appreciate ---
The goodness which You show me
The goodness found in others
The goodness of Your world itself.

Forgive me, Lord, when I ignore ---
The signals that You send me
The signs and wonders that You show me
The life in Christ I have.

Forgive me, Lord, when I depend ---
Upon myself instead of You
Upon others instead of Christ
Upon opinions instead of Spirit.

Forgive me, Lord, when I hide in fear ---
From those You choose to love me
From those You send to help me
From those who come in Your Name.

Let me recognize in everything ---
Your Hand at work through human hands
Your Love at work through human hearts
Your Will at work through human deeds.

Lord, as I go forward in the life You have for me
Let me always remember that FORGIVENESS is the key
To unlock all the prison doors, and set the captives free
And help me to do likewise - As You have forgiven me.

©1999 Dorothy Womack

     

I need to do work internally to be a better example externally???

   

Good morning and happy, happy, Tuesday:) I first would like to thank those who took time to offer your heartfelt congrats about the news of me becoming a "Mimi" the wishes are so appreciated and really touched my heart:)
     This morning in prayer as I sat in my quiet place, as my prayers for you and yours were coming to an end I then asked God if I could bend his ear for a moment longer as it was brought to my attention yesterday that I complain a lot, when it was put to me yesterday, my first instinct was to lash out but I did not...I let it absorb into my mind and I really sat and thought about the words. As they came from someone I respect whole heartedly I really thought about it...I then said to this certain someone, "well I do have a lot of aches and pains in my body!" trying to compensate for what I was hearing. Then this was put to me..." I know your body hurts and I know you have a lot of sickness in your body, you do not really complain about that. in that... that is not the issue !, You complain about life, about the way people "don't get it" about how others are living their lives etc...!" I had to absorb this even deeper as I had no idea I was doing this....I like to think that I am for the most part, upbeat, happy, patient, understanding, accepting...etc..., after I sat and pondered this issue, I see where I have much room for improvement! I "do" complain a lot, I do get so frustrated when people continue to do what they are doing and time and again fall down, when all they have to do is ask God to help them.! I felt embarrassed, I felt ashamed, and I felt sad! SO, today I have awakened with a new light bulb in the socket and am ready to stop complaining! I must realize that I  cannot change others... this is my first course of action, even if I can see that the road they are on is not a good road, I cannot change the direction they are going, All I can do is stick to my own direction and be a good example, if they chose not to turn around and get back on course I have to let them continue on, all I can do is pray for them! ( note to self, pray for them and leave them in God's hands) I feel sad in knowing that the person that brought this to light for me has had to endure my "complaining" much and I pray that I can be rid of this negative trait and allow a more positive me to be seen. Sometimes the truth hurts, but I am so thankful there is truth! My first response was to throw out an excuse for why I complain as I do....there is no excuse except for the fact that I think everyone should be on the same road and driving in the right direction...I am so very thankful that this comment was made to me, sometimes we all need a reality check, we all need to clean our  mirrors so that we can see our flaws more clearly! I love this person more today than I did yesterday for being honest with me!
      I began this morning in prayer as I said, and then went to my scriptures and googled "leading by example" WOW, there are many, many, many bible verses regarding this subject! Much to many for me to post...I read through them and chose a few that really touched my heart! If you can, take time today to follow the link below and see if there is room in your life to apply some of them! EYE OPENER I say  to you...

       1 Timothy 4:12...Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity....

1 Peter 5:3...Not domineering over those in charge, but being examples of the flock...

Galatians 6:1...brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him  in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

http://www.openbible.info/topics/lead_by_example

I love each of you and pray that if a person come to you to point out a negative you are participating in, that you will recognize it as constructive and you will ponder the action and ask our Father in Heaven what you can do internally to be a better example externally! May this day be filled with answers to prayers, may you feel the love of God in all that you do, may your light shine brightly so that someone in the darkness may find their way! God is love, he is amazing and he is yours if only you allow it! Peace be with you! 

     

Call to prayer, please come and pray with us! Bless you for your time!!!

  

 Well another day is coming to a close and what a rewarding day it has been, God guided me this morning into something that I did not even realize was weighing heavy on my heart, after following his lead I was able to overcome something that was not right in my heart. This evening I feel renewed and I feel so at peace in my heart! Thank you Heavenly Father for pointing out to me the need to release!
      Tonight I come to you and ask that you will pray with me, that you will take moments to pray for peace on earth, to pray for our soldier who are on the war front to ensure safety for us, for our government that is in such need of putting God back into the equation, when we leave God out, how can we overcome, how can we grow and flourish, just like a flower bed, when we take nurturing and care we get an overgrowth of weeds which eventually kill off even the most beautiful flowers. Pray with me for the broken hearted, for the terminally ill, for the ones who suffer depression, for those who are dealing with health issues, for those who have lost their way, Father I come to you tonight in plea for each of us, for we all suffer some form of problem we all need you Father, we need to you hold us when we are scared, we need for you to carry us when we are weak, we need you to direct us when we have lost our way, we need for you to deliver us when you call us home, we need for you to continue to love us. I ask these favors in the beautiful name of our Savior jesus Christ, amen and amen again. I love you Lord and so appreciate all the blessings you shower me with, I vow to live each day seeking only your favor and refuse to hold anger in my heart ever again. Thank you so much for the lesson today and thank you for pointing out to me where I was lacking and what I needed to do to correct it.
    
In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord gave us a moving example (as depicted in this painting above) how we can offer up our anxieties to God while trusting in His will. Knowing full well, and dreading, all the pain He was about to endure within a matter of hours he said “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt 26:39)



In prayer we can ask God to give us that kind of grace and strength to trust that He indeed will bring us out of the valley of the shadow of death, stronger and in better shape to reflect His glory and assure our place in Heaven with Him than we were before.
As He showed us so strikingly with His resurrection, evil doesn’t get the last word with the Word made flesh, as St. John called Jesus in his Gospel (John 1:14)!


Don’t be afraid to pray to God for relief of your burdens. If relief is not in sight, ask Him for the graces you need to endure in these troubled times. Remember as well to keep your eyes on the prize: heaven, where “God will wipe way every tear…and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Rev 21:4).


Also, feel free to ask for prayers for yourself or others. (and tell your friends about it as well!)

Can you forgive, really forgive and move forward?

Colossians 3:13, Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

     Good morning and a happy Thursday to each of you, we had a splendid day yesterday, our high was 83 the breeze was constant, the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue beautiful, what a blessing to behold in the last days of July, today looks to be much like yesterday! We are at 68 degrees right now and I am loving every minute of it, sitting out this morning chatting with our Father in heaven and singing praises to him for all that he does for us! He is AMAZING!!!!
     In prayer this morning I asked God what he needed from me today, what avenue I needed to take to be best in serving him, who I needed to talk with, what I needed to say, how I could best please him. As I was praying over the request I received this morning, continuing to pray over the request I received this week, a person who has really hurt me kept coming into my thoughts. I allowed this person to wear me down, to really allow me to be angry and hold that anger, to really make me feel sick inside to think of just the name! I was so hurt by the actions and deeds done, I was so disappointed and hurt, hurt, hurt by the lack of honesty and the back stabbing that took place. I walked away and vowed never to look back, I took anger with me as I walked and to this day I have never been able to feel anything but loathing when I hear the name or see the face. As I continued on in prayer and the image continued to be in my mind I realized that I have some unfinished business to do, I realized that I cannot sit here and speak of unconditional love, that I cannot sit here and continue to speak the words that I feel in prayer as long as I am holding on to something so not pleasing to our Father in Heaven. I changed my direction in mid prayer and began to pray for me, for God to forgive me for holding on to anger, for holding on to something that my heart does no longer want to hold on to. I prayed for this person, I asked God to give me the ability to make contact and to let the anger go, let the hurt vanish and be who I need to be, a person filled with love and only love. I have pulled many weeds from my garden over the course of my life, but have never not prayed for them, I have had to walk away from people who would cause me hurt but always prayed that our Father in Heaven would help them to right themselves, I choose the people that I wish to spend time with, people who love themselves, love others and above all love God. Today I am going to take the hint that God is giving me, physically make peace with this person, wish them well in their endeavors, and release the evil that is dwelling in me. I am going to ask God to forgive me for holding on to satan's lead and I am going to know that I have learned yet another lesson in life, even though we walk away, we turn from those that hurt us we still must forgive them and ask God to bless them, then and only then have we progressed in that area, if you walk away but continue to hold the anger.....you will continue to have anger in your heart...our hearts need to be clean and pure. Give those that do hurt you over to God, give the anger, the disappointment, he pain over to him and let your hearts be clean. God bless each of you with strength, with power, with knowledge but most of all with love this day:) In Jesus' name...amen and amen again!

My eye is on the prize:)

 

   

  Monday, Monday....oh the aches and pains, the weary minds, the curse of the dreaded Monday....question??? If we did not have Monday, how would we get to our desired destination...the weekend???? There is a "vehicle" to every destination, there is a road that leads to every ending place, there are hurdles, some really high hurdles,we must jump to get were we want to be, brick walls, mountains, pot holes, but we must keep our eyes on the prize, are we willing to face the woes of the journey to "make it"???
     There is a prize at the end of all things we face in life, even death is a prize. When God sends our spirit here to gain an earthly body, he does it with the knowledge that this perfect, unscarred, whole, Christian, spirit will face adversity in every turn once they are delivered. He has written our book of life, is satisfied that our spirit is ready to make the earthly journey and hopeful that our spirit will be strong enough to battle the evil doings of satan. Some might say that he "sets us up for failure" as evil walks the earth, is around every corner, is lurking just one step away waiting for us to join his hands. God has to see how we will honor him, he has to know that we are strong enough to cling to his word and his promises. He has to see if we are weak, one of my favorite expressions is " God don't want junk" He has to know that the lessons we learned in the spirit world were strong enough to carry us through the evil world. He has made it pretty easy to get through the high tides, the slippery mountains, the solid brick walls, the waist high hurdles... he has provided us a way to have "do overs" and "second chances"....through his sacrifice of our brother, Jesus Christ. He has made it virtually impossible to fail, yet we continue to, we time and again choose to venture down the wrong path. I have traveled some dark, mold infested, thorn ridden, smelly paths...I have been there...done that, drinking, drugs, sex, lies, attempted suicide, given completely up, don't give a dang about anything. You name it and I have done it, am I ashamed??? YES, am I continuing to wallow in the pits of hell???NO. In the last and final hours of what I thought were my destiny, I fell on my knees and gave it all over to God, I raised my hands to the Lord and completely gave it all to him. It took many years for me to "get it" and still I fall short and have to fall on my knees each day, I continue to think some days that it would just be easier to follow satan, his way looks simple, his way looks pain free, his way looks "fun" his way is very enticing...God's way seems very difficult at times, his way means, "cramming for the test to make the grade" his way means laboring with intense pain to win the prize, his way means living in a way that is chastised by many, with name calling, with stone throwing, with having to pick ourselves up and keep moving forward. I made a decision years ago to face the evils in my life and to cast them out, I made the decision that no matter how difficult my trials are here, that I would stand firm and follow the righteous one. When I look at what is offered in the end, it really does not seem that unfair, when I look at having ever lasting life, at living with the ones I love forever in paradise, at never feeling pain again, at only crying tears of joy, at listening to celestial music, at walking beside Jesus Christ and sitting in the presence of our Father in Heaven, the resistance does not seem that big a feat! Not one of us here on earth is perfect, we will fall short many times during the day, but he has covered us on that one, if we come to and ask forgiveness through Jesus Christ it is promised! I pray today if you are feeling lost, if you are thinking it is too difficult, if you are playing with the idea that the evil way is the easier, if you are down and out, if you seem to be getting hit from all sides and feel hopeless, that you will accept our Father in heaven into your life, that you will join me in prayer and allow him to "take the wheel" that you will consider all that you have done to this point as mere lessons of life and that you will turn your head toward the "son" and allow him to warm your heart, to heal your spirt, to cleanse your soul and fill you with the knowledge that the way may seem long, that you may become weary, that you may stumble but with him you will never fall. He loves us so very much, and as I do each morning, I am extending my hand out to him as a child does its father in the knowledge that he will hold on to it tightly so that I do not become lost in the shuffle:) Love in Christ, don't ever give up. Keep your eye on the prize and look forward to paradise:) 

HE KNOWS!!!

     Many times in my life I have taken a step back from God, I have gotten myself into situations that I did not feel worthy of his love, of his presence and honestly I did not want him to be mad at me for the choices I was making, SO...I did not bow in prayer, I did not listen to his quiet still voice, I turned my back thinking he could not see! Always, something would happen, and I would turn around and start calling upon him again, until the next time that I decided that I needed to hide from him because of my actions. 
     When I honestly discovered that he knew everything I was doing, when I realized that even with my back to him, he could read my heart, when I chose the "wrong" instead of the "right" and tried to hide it from him...OH HE KNEW! When I recoiled back into my broken spirit, when I put on my "tough stuff" mask, when I thought I knew better than he did, what was good for me....HE KNEW. Then when I crumbled and felt there was no way to progress, I would fall down and turn to him, HE KNEW, so many times, I mean MANY TIMES, I did this, I called upon him only in times of need, when the going was good I seemed to forget where I had come from and forget who was the provider and always, I am here to tell you always...the gettin good got bad, then boom, back to him I would run!!!! 
     As I sit here this morning, reflecting on the "used to be" I am ashamed at my insolence, at my bull headed, high handed, self imposed...insolence!! Yet in all that I was doing, he still loved me, no matter how much I did wrong, how many mistakes I made, how far away I turned, he was there, and he still loved me! I think the common mindset is that if we do bad things, if we make stupid choices, if we mess up really bad that he will not be there... but I found that the further I tried to get from him, the faster he moved toward me. You know..we all make mistakes, it is how we learn to make good choices, if we did not do things wrong we would have no need to be here as there would be nothing for us to learn. The biggie is, when we make a mistake, we have to realize that it is the "wrong way" and figure out what we are going to do to change it, once we figure out what needs to be done, we ask God for forgiveness and we move forward! I think this is what took me the longest to learn, this has been my bain, my albatross, my ball and chain. I beat myself up for so many years always looking back at my sins, always reliving the stupid things I had done, always taking back what I had given to God and yet...he still loves me! 
Today I have no regrets, I know that I had to go through all that I have gone through to be me, I had to make bad choices to have a bigger more compassionate heart, I had to live with my back turned to him so that I had understanding for those who are turned and need help, I had to be there, have the feelings that I had, so that I can have empathy for those who are hurting and in need of kindness and understanding. I will not say I am proud of the things  I did but I will say that I thank God each and every morning for never turning his back on me, that I praise him for giving me a chance to spread my wings, for allowing me to make my own choices, I love him for giving me a chance to repent of my wrongdoings and know in my heart that he forgives me...The is nothing...NOTHING that cannot be forgiven, there is no sin either to small or to large that he does not forgive us of if we ask with true intent and make peace with it in our hearts. 
     Today if you are swimming in the sea of turmoil, if you have your back turned, if you think that you know best, if the waves continue to crash on you and push you under...try turning around and asking for help, try swimming toward our Father in heaven and telling him that you need his hand, I promise when you are ready to quit hiding behind your bull headedness and you run toward him, he will be there because HE KNOWS....May this be the first day of your life, may you reach out your hand and know there is one waiting to pull you safely in, may you realize that we are here to learn and without mistakes we have nothing to learn. God bless you with renewal today, may you not be scared to trust in him and follow him because he is the only one who knows the true answers, he has written the book and no matter where you run, you cannot hide because He KNOWS, Love in Christ to all:)

A NEW DAY!!

   Good morning and happy Tuesday, 44 degrees here, a bit breezy and amazingly beautiful skies,  cotton ball clouds are as far as the eyes can see. God, our master painter, has outdone himself this morning, the blue is vibrant and only a color that he could create, the clouds gently moving passed only to be followed by more, it looks as if they have been airbrushed with many different shades of white, really can there be many shades of white? Yes I can see them!!!
   I received a host of prayer requests yesterday, and many different in a sense but alike in many ways, there is just so much woe in us these days, there are so many people out of work, so many working but not making near enough to meet their needs, so many relationship problems, marriages after many years are being dissolved, long term friendships are being broken, cancer is finding its way into our loved ones bodies, into our own bodies, children are running amuck, friends and loved ones are being put into dangerous situations, stresses are taking the place of calm, depression is slowly whittling down faiths, frowns are taking the place of smiles, nay, nay, nay thoughts are at the helm, leaving little or no room for clean thoughts, trust in man-kind has dwindled...in other words...satan is working really hard to destroy what we know is truth, he is barreling in like a tornado himself, trying to destroy each one of us..the closer we get to the end of days...he will be working overtime to ensure that he become victorious in getting us to turn from what we know in our hearts is right and become a follower of darkness! Thank God in all of his holiness that we are given a new day, that we are given a chance to repent from those dark feelings that have been infiltrating our souls, that we are able to ask him to stand strong with us, that we are able to make mistakes and not be damned for all eternity, that we have the ability to bow our heads and through Jesus Christ be forgiven. When he was writing our books he knew what would be our most vulnerable areas, he knew that we would be weak against satan if we did not plant our feet firmly, raise our fists with faith and punch with all that we had, he knew that the struggle would be so very difficult and that we would at times begin to slip into the dark abyss, that is why he gave us the ability to repent, that is why he allows us to pray for forgiveness with true intent, that is why he forgives us. No one is perfect that is alive on earth, no one is without making mistakes having nay nay thoughts, no one is without passing judgement, no one, no one, no one... if they tell you they are...I'm sorry it is not true. As long as we are here on earth we will make mistakes, that is why we have prayer! I am sure if we pray for forgiveness for the same thing day in and day out that our father in heaven will become weary, that he will shake his head in dismay as to how slow we are in getting it right, at how bull headed we are in continuing on in the same direction, but I am sure also, that when we make mistakes, when we know deep in our hearts that we are doing wrong and we ask for forgiveness that he forgives. I am so very thankful each morning when I open my eyes that I am given another day at getting it right, that the things I did wrong yesterday can be gotten through, that I can take the wrong and learn from it, ask God for strength to not do it again and revel in the knowledge that it is forgiven. Let this "NEW DAY" be that for you, don't linger on the wrongs of yesterday, if you owe apology to someone, take the bull by the horns and apologize, if you need forgiveness, hit your knees tell God what you have done and ask for it, if you are carrying a load that you cannot carry any more, ask our Father in Heaven to take it and allow you rest, if you have fallen back on times that you thought you had conquered...ask him to carry you until you can find your feet again. Walking with satan might make you okay today, things that you are achieving today that you know are achieved in a wrong manner  might make it all seem good today, but what does your heart feel, do you know in your heart that you are taking the easy way out, do you know in your heart that the things you are doing are wrong, do you know that this is only a bandaid put on a life threatening wound???? If you do, then maybe, just maybe you need to go to the truth, follow your heart and know that in the end, your "easy" right now will not allow you to walk the golden path when your earthly journey is over. Just know, God is the truth, he is the light, he is the only way to get back to your celestial home...speak to him today through our savior Jesus Christ and allow this "NEW DAY" to be the first of the rest of your life. May this day needs be seen, may what changes needed turn you toward the light and allow you to ask God for the desires in your hearts and then may you rest in the arms of our Father God and allow him to cleanse you. God be with each weary heart that he might take it in his love filled hands and make it clean. Love in Christ my friends!