Turn to God!

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Today’s Reading: Matthew 17:22-23

Scripture says the disciples were filled with grief after Jesus told them about his eventual death. After reading it over and over I began to think about how I handle difficult circumstances and I too am filled with much grief at times and sometimes question why things had to happen a certain way. However, with every trial that I have faced, even when I don’t completely understand the why of it, I always grow in Christ through it. Always! Why do I grow and others seem to turn away from God during tragedy? I believe that through great trial there is only 2 ways to go---one either goes to God or away from him. I think the ones that grow in Christ do so because in times of trial they turn to God for the answers---they seek God because they recognize that they have no answer within themselves. Others grow colder toward God because usually they blame him and do not look to him for the answers---they turn away from God and seek answers elsewhere. The disciples felt great grief even before their trial actually took place. Why? I think because they did not fully understand God’s plan. With all that they went through watching their close friend and the savior of the world suffer and die, they too grew in Christ through it all. Just look at what the disciples did after Jesus left them---they where the first ones to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death and life, which was a trial itself, is what makes the difference for us all. It is only out of great suffering that we can be a part of that great love that we call Jesus Christ. Knowing that we will grow closer to God doesn’t always make a trial less hurtful or less heartbreaking, but just knowing God gives us that hope that it will all work out for his glory and that our faith will deepen with each trial.

Where Does Our Help Come From?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are conformed by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

My heart aches and my prayers go out to all the people in the areas that were ravaged by all the tornados yesterday. I have watched the news in disbelief at the tremendous amount of destruction that these tornados caused and continue to be saddened each time the death toll rises. While I do not always understand why things happen, I do understand that God is in complete control of each and every situation and that we just have to trust God in everything, good and bad.

I also know that out of this tragedy will come great triumph. It is strange how things work, but I have heard it said many times that it is out of great tragedy that the human spirit becomes great. Personally I think it not simply the human spirit, but the spirit of God within us that shines a little brighter during these dark times. After all, isn’t it in the darkest times that we need the light the most? Even in the darkest of times, God promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us---we have to never let go of this promise. At a time like this I can not help but think of the scripture in Psalm 121, ‘I lift my eyes to the hills---where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ While I don’t always have the right words to say, I do know where to find the words that we all need in every situation and that is in the Word of God.

Fear nor, for I am with you;

Be no dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

FAITH!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 17:14-21

You know I am beginning to think that there is something to this ‘faith’ thing. Seriously, how many times does Jesus have to punctuate how important faith is? He seems to be frustrated with his disciples at this point. They have been following him for a while now, he has been teaching them how to live, they have witnessed many miracles, yet they still lack faith. Sound familiar? Well it does to me! I have been following Jesus, he has been teaching me, and I have witnessed miracles, yet my faith fluctuates regularly and sometimes completely collapses. Why? I do love God and I do want to follow the path that he sets before me, so why do I slip? It seems that I am on a roll and doing so well, but then something happens that frustrates me and I find myself saying I just don’t know. Really, ‘I just don’t know?’---yes I do, I know very well what the answer is---the answer is Jesus. So why, why do I do this? It’s not that I don’t believe that God can do anything, I know that he can. I tell you what it is, it is my lack of faith, but my faith becomes lacking when I let go of those promises, when I step out of his will, even if it’s only for a few seconds. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t find time to fall down on my face and worship my God. My faith becomes lacking when I get too busy to listen to what he is telling me. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t read and study his word. My faith becomes lacking when I don’t seek him with everything that I have in me. Is it possible for my faith to always be at the prime level faith can be at? Not during my life here on earth, but as long as I acknowledge my weaknesses, as long as I humble myself, as long as I strive to build my faith through Christ, it will grow and become stronger. My faith may never become perfected on this earth, but as long as it deepens each day then I am doing the will of my Father. Let us be reminded that Jesus told us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, then we can move a mountain and that nothing will be impossible for us (vs.20)!

I do also want to say that our faith is not just about us and our walk with Christ, it is about all the people that cross our path as well. The faith that you show will speak volumes to others and possibly strengthen their faith as well. I have witnessed the faith that some of my friends have in Christ while going through terrible circumstances and because of this my faith has deepened. There is nothing like seeing the face of Jesus in the middle of a difficult trial. We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ and our faith in him should be witness to that, our faith should be strengthened by the faith of our brothers and sisters and their faith should deepen by our faith as well.

The Voice!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 17:1-13

As I read through this chapter I began to realize something today. The disciples were on a journey as well and at this moment Peter, James, and John moved to another level. Along this journey they had been growing spiritually and learning more about who Jesus was and what their purpose was through him. He had been leading and guiding them through this process and now God had revealed himself to them in such a powerful and moving way. Is this not like our journey? The closer we grow to God, the more we follow Jesus, the more he will reveal himself to us. I have to say sometimes I am like Peter, in the middle of a God experience I get in a hurry trying to put everything together myself and I don’t simply just enjoy the presence of our Lord. I really believe that sometimes he wants us to do nothing but enjoy being in his presence, besides he cannot reveal himself or speak a word to us when we are trying to lead the way.

When the voice of God spoke he said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Notice the last part---’Listen to him!’ Anything God says is important, but when he tells us to listen to Jesus, he is saying I have sent you a way, a guide, just listen to what he tells you, follow him and he will never lead you astray! Sometimes I feel like I know the right way, I know what Jesus would do, but I stop listening, I get too busy and too caught up in the things around me and don’t also stand still and listen to the words of Jesus. I hear the words, I read the words, but I don’t always absorb them into all that I do. I so want to do what I am called to do, but many times I take my eyes off Jesus and when I do my flesh jumps right in their to lead the way. I do not want to be like the ‘teachers of the law’ I want to be more than a person who just knows the words in the Bible, I want to live the words of the Bible, I want the Word of God to live and grow within the depths of my soul. There were so many prophecies in the old testament that validated who Jesus was, prophecies that these teachers knew well, yet they missed the presence of Jesus, they missed the Messiah that they had been waiting for. Even with John the Baptist being the forerunner of Christ and announcing his coming, they missed it. I don’t want to miss it---I don’t want to miss the voice of my Savior calling out to me.

What Good?

Today’s Reading:  Matthew 16:13-28

Who do you say Jesus is?  Is he the Christ, the son of the living God to you?  If you only know this because someone told you who he is, then that is not enough.  Jesus told Peter that he knew that he was the Christ because it was revealed to him by his Father in heaven and not revealed to him by man (vs.17).  We can depend on no one to reveal Jesus to us, we can learn his story through listening to others, but we have to dig a bit deeper and allow God to reveal his son to us.  Then the story shifts and the Bible tells us from that time on, with this understanding of who he is, he began to explain to his disciples what the future would hold for him.  As I read on I can completely understand Peter’s response to what Jesus had just told them.  He loved Jesus and of course he would not want something to happen to him, but Jesus’ response was to rebuke Peter.  In fact, Jesus said to get behind me Satan and that this kind of talk was a stumbling block to God’s plan.  Wasn’t Peter’s reaction normal, I would do the same thing for my friend, after all, isn’t it just natural to want to protect those we love?  So what was Jesus telling them?  He was telling them and telling us that it is not up to us to decide on what should take place, it is not our responsibility to fix things to how we think they should be.  God’s plan is greater than ours, we know very little and he knows everything.  Peter didn’t want Jesus to be killed, but if Peter had gotten his way where would we be now?  Satan was even trying to work his way into this moment in order to alter God’s plan.  This is why it is so important to move ourselves and our ideas out of the way and just seek God’s will---no matter what his will is best and seeking it is the only way that we will become who we are truly suppose to be.

Beginning in verse 24 Jesus explains what he means a little further.  You know quite honestly as much as we want to believe that this is our life and we make our own plans---it is truly not our life.  We can either choose to let God lead us or to lead ourselves.  When we choose to follow Jesus that means we give up our life and we accept the plans that he has for us, whether we understand them or not.  When we choose to lead our own life we give up the plans that God has for us, we give up all the blessings that await us, and we could possibly give up our way to heaven.  It may seem difficult to give up what we want for ourselves, but when we do, when we truly allow Jesus to lead us then we will go further than we ever thought we could go.  We will be blessed beyond measure and we will be filled with a joy that is indescribable.  Like I have said before, as a follower of Christ our life will not be easy---Satan will be after us, but when I think about this I look at the suffering that Jesus had to endure---why should I deserve a better life than my Savior?  Jesus tells us that whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (vs.25).  The bottom line is we will not find the life that we were created to have unless we let go of the life that we think we should have.  In closing I leave you with the words that sum everything up, the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (vs.26)

With Much Love and Prayers!

So Excited!

Today's Reading:  John 20 & 21

I hope that you all had a wonderfully blessed Easter! I enjoyed spending my day with my beautiful family, realizing once again just how blessed I truly am!

I woke this morning thinking about what it would have been like to have been there when Jesus rose from the dead. What a day! I can only imagine the excitement of his disciples, his family, and his friends upon not only hearing the news, but seeing the resurrected King face to face. What a roller coaster of emotions these people have experienced over the past 3 days. I thought about how their hearts must have ached during Jesus’ trial and eventual death upon the cross, how terribly sad everyone must have been. I thought about them comforting each other and wondering what to do now. Then it happened---their Savior was alive---truly alive and well! He had accomplished what he was sent for, he had made the way for us all!

Thinking about all this, I decided to skip ahead a bit with my scripture reading by reading chapters 20 and 21 in the book of John. What a joyous time for Jesus’ followers! Don’t you know that all of these people where just bursting with an excitement that they had never felt before. Jesus stayed with them for a while and continued to teach them about what they were to do. After reading this I could not help but think about this excitement all day today---shouldn’t we be this excited as well. Shouldn’t I wake up on Easter morning bursting with this same excitement because Jesus not only died on that cross, but he rose again, and he did this for me! Really when I think about it, shouldn’t we be this excited everyday? Jesus did all this so that you and I would have a way to Heaven. I just can’t put into words the excitement that I feel in my soul---no matter my circumstances here on earth, I have a way to Heaven and that is enough---that is all I need to know to survive this world!

One thing that really stood out to me while reading these chapters was when Jesus asked John do you love me 3 times. When John told him yes each time, Jesus responded by telling him to feed my sheep. In simpler terms (really my terms) I think Jesus is telling all of us if you love me, if you truly love me, tell others about me!

Today is 1 month since I started this blog and I cannot even begin to tell you how I have grown and even changed through this tool. It makes me so much more accountable to my Bible study. In fact, I have realized that in the past that my “Bible study” was really just scripture reading many times and not a study, but now I feel like I am really studying his word. I am really digging into it and discovering so much more than I ever have. God has opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart to a new light and I am so excited by it. The one thing that I want anyone to know that reads this or any other post is that you need to read the scripture that goes with each post. I love God with all my heart and I know from many of your responses that some of the posts have touched you, but I am only human and these are just my thoughts with the guidance of God leading me through his word. Nothing else can touch you and speak to you like the word of God, so while I love to write and I love to hear your responses, the most important thing is that you read his word and seek him and what he is trying to tell you.

With Much Love & Blessings in Jesus Name!

Trust in the Truth

Today’s Reading: Matthew 16:1-12

Here we go again with all this doubt. These disciples are now discussing how they forgot to take bread with them on the boat and are now wondering what to do. Really? These same disciples that just witnessed Jesus feeding over 5000 people and they are wondering about bread for themselves? With their forgetfulness Jesus is once again teaching them something more. He is trying to say the least of your worries should be forgetting bread---I am trying to tell you to be careful about what you hear. He compares the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees to that of yeast. When I think of yeast, I think of two things, fungus and growth. What ever we read or listen to filtrates our minds, the more we hear something the more it is ingrained within our mind and heart. That is why it is extremely important to read and hear the right things. However, the only way we will know the truth, the only way that we will be able to discern the truth of what we hear is by knowing God’s Word. The Pharisees and Sadducees wanted a miraculous sign from Jesus, but would they have even been satisfied with one? I don’t think so, but what Jesus is saying is you have to believe me for who I am. Jesus does not have to prove who he is to anyone. Just like the Sadducees and Pharisees, there are people today that teach the wrong message and so many times we are like the disciples we don’t see the real picture. So many times I am concerned about things that are really irrelevant to my walk with Christ and because of this I sometimes miss the message that Jesus is trying to show me. The devil does work in mysterious ways and will try his best to get you focused on anything but Jesus. He knows his tricks won’t work if we have our mind set on Jesus, so he will use anything in our life to make us turn our eyes away. I know that I keep saying this but we have to understand that Satan will use anything, it may seem like something harmless, it doesn’t have to be anything bad---it doesn’t matter to him, anything and everything that will get our mind off Christ will work for him. We have to put our trust in Jesus, he is called our Savior for a reason---he is the one and only that will save us from hell. He is the truth, the way, and in whom I put all my trust!

He Just Loves You!

Before I get started with the scripture reading, I just have to give a praise report. God has just been blessing me so abundantly over the last week and I wanted everyone to know. The blessings have not been material, but spiritual blessings. It is hard to explain, but I feel such an excitement and joy in my spirit that it is hard to contain. I feel like God is opening my eyes to a new level, that I am seeing beyond my circumstances. He is showing me what true joy really is. With this said I also want you to know that this week work was stressful, our pool pump quit, my grandmother had to be taken to the hospital, and my air conditioner unit at home quit. However, God is greater than anything else, he will remain when everything else fails, and he is my one and only savior!

Now for Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:29-39

Funny thing…just last week a friend was talking about this particular story and saying how she was so bewildered that the disciples asked Jesus how are we going to feed all these people after they had just witnessed all the miraculous healings that he had performed on these people. Think about it, you are following Jesus and you see him heal the cripple, make the blind to see, grant speech to the mute, and cast out demons, yet you question whether he is capable of providing a meal for these people. After we talked, I, of course, began to think about it and once again was shaking my head in disbelief at the lack of faith the disciples had---then it happened, just as it always does, Jesus spoke. Are they really that different than you? Haven’t you witnessed miracles? Hasn’t God performed great things in your life? Hasn’t God answered the prayers of your heart, the ones that were unspoken? Hasn’t God stood you back on solid ground? Hasn’t God comforted you when you thought there was no hope? Yes, he has done all these things for me. I know from my own experience what he can do, yet how many times have I doubted? How many times have I questioned? How many times did I let my faith slip away? The disciples’ roles, I believe, also tell a story, a story of people like you and I. They show that no matter how much you love Jesus, we are still human and we will fail him, but that is when grace and mercy come into play. That is why God sent Jesus, he sent him for us---so that we can accomplish the task of living our life here on earth because without Jesus, without his life, death, and resurrection there would be no chance for us. Jesus is our chance, our opportunity to live this life the way it was meant to be lived---for him! With all the miracles that occurred on that mountainside, feeding over 5000 people was not only a miracle, but I think Jesus’ way of saying I love you so much that I not only want to heal you, but I want to meet your basic needs as well. I don’t want you to leave hungry, I want you to be well nourished and blessed through this miracle. I think about both of my grandmothers, they always want you to leave their house full and happy, why? Because it brings them joy to see you happy, to see all your needs met---and they do this just because they love you. So no matter your need, no matter your circumstance, know that Jesus just loves you and he wants to take care of you---the only stipulation---you have to let him!

He Saw More

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:21-28

Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (vs.27) This is the same woman that the disciples were just telling Jesus to send away, because she kept crying out after them. I think that they probably misinterpreted her cry, I think it was probably directed more at Jesus than them. They saw her as a nuisance, a hindrance as they were going about their day, but Jesus saw more. He saw a woman humbly bowing before her King and seeking an answer to her problem from her Savior, our Savior! She did not care about anything else at this moment except finding her answer in Jesus---he not only saw more in her, but she saw more in him as well. She knew who he was and what he could do for her! I shake my head at these disciples and some of their reactions, but I also recognize that so many times I act just like them. I look at people with worldly eyes instead of the eyes of Christ. And as hard as it is to admit, I do sometimes judge people---I think if they would just get it together than they wouldn’t be in such a mess. I am working on this, and while I can only speak for myself, I do think that most of us are guilty of jumping to conclusions about people. What right do I have to judge anyone? I have no idea what some people have went through that makes them who they are---and I can only find out about them by being a friend and loving them. Just like this woman, Jesus wants us to cry out to him, he wants us to lay at his feet, and he wants us to give him our problems and trust that he will take care of them. We have to be like Jesus and see more in people---we have to look beyond the outside---we have to look with the eyes of Jesus.

Out of the Mouth...

Today’s Reading: Matthew 15:1-20

I just love how Jesus addresses the disciples each time they ask him to explain a parable. It is almost like he is saying come on now, this is not difficult to understand, this is common sense when you think about it. I think so many times we believe that following Jesus is the hard way, when it really is the easiest way. Now I am not saying that it will be smooth sailing and that we won’t face many trials because, just to be frank, we will, but when we follow Jesus our reactions to those trials and situations are different than others. When we place all our dependence upon Christ and allow him to lead our life than we can not only enjoy the blessings that he freely gives to us all, but we can also hand over our worries and problems to him. Who else would do that for you? Who else would take everything bad that happens to you and put it on themselves? Who else will cast all your sin away for you to never think about again? No one, but Jesus. When a trial comes our way we can have confidence in our Savior, we can have confidence in knowing that even when trials seem unbearable, Jesus will never leave us.

In these scriptures Jesus, once again is trying to make a powerful point. We should never forget that whether we think a tradition is good or bad, it is still a man-made command. I don’t think that Jesus was saying there was something wrong with washing your hands before you ate, but he was saying is that really so important. When a rule or tradition stands in the way of putting God first then it is wrong. Sadly, I think there are many in the world and even in the church today that honor Jesus with their lips but not with their hearts. Is it really the unclean food that makes us impure? No, certainly not. What a point Jesus---what goes in the mouth will eventually leave the body, but what the mouth speaks you can’t always get rid of. I think about all the things that have been said that caused hurt and pain to others. I think about the lack of love that is shown through the words that people use. I think about the people that were turned off by Christians because of words spoken. When I begin to think about it, doesn’t ever sin begin with speaking it in some way? Just think about that. Our words are what make us unclean, not our unwashed hands. Jesus even says that out of the heart does these words come, words that lead to evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

This makes me really evaluate what I say. Am I turning people on to Jesus or off to Jesus with my words?

He is Jesus!

Today’s Reading: Matthew 14:22-36

Jesus sent his disciples on ahead of him while he went to pray. Is Jesus pushing you to go on ahead and do something? Even when he is pushing us in the direction that we should go, he never leaves us. Even when we might feel alone, he is always there and I can attest to that. A few years ago I went through a difficult time in my life and I no longer sensed the presence of God in my life. I won’t go into much detail, but it was definitely an attack of Satan and my spirit was very much oppressed during this battle. I so desperately longed to hear that sweet voice of Jesus whisper in my ear, but it never came. I continued to pray and eventually begin to beg God to hold on to me because I was no longer able to hold on to Him. I felt myself slipping away, but I can tell you that God never let go of me. He was right there all along, even when I didn’t feel him there. This was truly a turning point in my life and as I read these scriptures in Matthew it brings back a flood of emotions. I was in the middle of a storm and did not recognize Jesus walking towards me. I took my eyes off of Christ, it was only but for a moment, but that moment changed me. Just like Peter, I was afraid to step out of that boat, the storm that surrounded me seemed too strong, too overpowering, but once I took that first step and heard Jesus say ‘you are going to be ok’---I knew I was. From that moment on I was not who I had been, I just thought I knew God before, since that day he has opened my eyes to things I would have never dreamed. He has set me on a path that I never knew was there. Just like the disciples I begin to worship and praise Jesus when he stepped back into the boat with me.

As I read the last few scriptures of this chapter about the people that brought their sick and begged Jesus to just let them touch the edge of his cloak, I think about desperation. Am I this desperate for Jesus? Does he want me to be desperate for him? I think he does. These people knew without a doubt who he was and what he could do. They were to a point of desperation, they wanted the sick healed and they knew that power that flowed from this man they called Jesus. I think of not only their desperation for a touch, but their faith in what Jesus could do. They didn’t ask him to lay hands on them, they didn’t even ask him to pray for them, they just asked if they could touch the edge of his cloak. Maybe I am not desperate enough, maybe I want too much, maybe I try too hard to discover what Jesus has for me. He is Jesus and I am me---there is no comparison! He knows everything and I know nothing without him. I can’t question when he puts me in the boat and says go ahead. I can’t question whether he is there or not. I can’t not be desperate for him. Sometimes, we simply need to just step out of the boat and as we step out know that he is right there to lead the way. We can not take our eyes off of Jesus, he will lead us in the direction that we are to go. Again, I don’t think I can say this enough----He is who he says he is and he can do what he says he can do----He is Jesus and I am nothing without him!

Our Friend!

Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Matthew 14:1-21

Friendship---that is what I think as I read through these scriptures. First of all John the Baptist is being a true friend to Herod because he is being honest with him about what he is doing, regardless if Herod wants to hear the truth or not. If John didn’t care about Herod he certainly would not have risked his life to be brutally honest with him. What other reason would John have for telling Herod not to be messing around with his sister-in-law? What do I think? I think John had enough of God in him that he saw past the bad in Herod and was concerned for his soul---he wanted him to change his ways, there is no other explanation. John was truly loving his enemies!

Next I see John’s disciples true friendship come out when they take John’s body and have a proper burial for him. It says they came and took his body---so when I read the word ‘took’ it sounds like they might have had to sneak around in order to obtain John’s body. They probably were risking their lives as well, however, they did it anyway. Why? Friendship---they were his brothers in Christ and they proved that genuine love through their actions.

After Jesus learned of John’s death scripture tells us that he left to be alone. Jesus’ friend had been murdered and he needed to be alone. Yet here comes the crowds of people to find Jesus. What does Jesus do? He does what any true friend would do, he puts his feelings aside and he listens to the needs of the people around him. In fact, it tells us that he had compassion upon them. Really? Jesus just lost someone close to him and instead of wanting people to feel for him, he had compassion on others. What lessons Jesus teaches us about being that true friend to others, about putting others needs above our own.

He not only heals these people, but he performs another miracle for the entire crowd by multiplying fish and bread and feeding the entire group. With all things considered, these people probably would not have starved without the one meal that Jesus provided, yet Jesus once again showed compassion and feed these people. It may have seemed like a huge miracle because of the vast number of people that he feed, but this miracle, in my opinion, was scores of small miracles put together. Jesus cared for these people so much that he meet a simple, basic need for them, it was not a life-threatening need, yet Jesus showed them how much he cared through this miracle. Isn’t that what we do when we do something for someone just because we want them to be happy, for them to feel like someone cares about them. Isn’t that showing Jesus to someone? With all this in mind, we can never forget the best friend that we will ever have and that is Jesus Christ. He is the truest friend that we could ever hope to have. When you can’t talk to anyone else, always know that you can go to Jesus with it. Good, bad, right, or wrong---what ever the need may be, Jesus will listen and if you will listen you will find your answer in him, the Savior of the World!

You Gotta Have Faith!

Matthew 13:47-58

My first thought is one of sadness as I think about the people that will be thrown into a fiery furnace.  I don’t want anyone to have to experience that terrible demise, but I have to remember that we all are free to choose how to live our lives and who or what to serve.  Then I think about all the people that I come in contact with that may not know Jesus, did I show them who he is?  Were they put on my path for me to witness to and am I doing what I am called to do?  I am reminded once again how important it is to tell people about Jesus, to show them his love.  He didn’t save me and call me to just be a good person and think about myself.  He called me to follow him and to do what he has taught me to do through his word.

Earlier we had learned about the importance of faith and how so many times after healing someone, Jesus said that it was your faith that made you whole.  Now we find that a lack of faith will do the complete opposite.  This hurts my heart to read it and I am sure that Jesus’ heart ached as well for these people, his people and their lack of faith.  I can just picture all these people saying who does he think he is, we know him and have always known him, how in the world did he learn all these things, there has got to be something that we don’t know.  I am sure some of these people thought they had it all figured out, however, they just thought they knew who he was and still is!  It even says that they took offense to him.  Really, they took offense to one of their own that was doing all these miraculous works.  They gave him no respect, no honor.  Then in the very last verse it says that he did not do many miracles there.  He had every right to not do anything for these ungrateful people, but it was not because he didn’t love and care for them, it was because of their lack of faith.  These people seemed to be looking on the outside and not deep within.  I know that I have said it before but the bottom line is we have to believe who he says he is and what he says he can do! 

Treasure in Christ

Hebrews 11:24-26

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 13:44-46

As I read through these scriptures all I thought about was the many treasures that are hidden somewhere in and around the earth. I thought about gold, diamonds and other precious stones, pearls, coal, and oil. All of these items are extremely valuable as earthly possessions, however, none of them are easy to obtain and all are naturally created. Doesn’t that make you stop and think that God may be trying to show us something here? How many people have risked their life to obtain one of the items mentioned? How many people sold everything they had to support their decision to go and find one of these hidden treasures? How many people have committed their life to the pursuit of obtaining these treasures? Why did God put all these items in such unique places? Is he trying to show us something once again? Shouldn’t we want God more than all these treasures? Yes! He is saying to us, it is me, God, and I love you, I created all these things that are rare and valuable in this world. I am the one that hide them in places to be discovered. If I am the creator of these things that you think are so valuable, than I must be considered the most valued of all.

He is more valuable than anything else that we will ever discover, we have to sell out for him! We must risk this life that we think we must have in order to serve him. We have to give everything away and recognize that we have nothing and are nothing without Jesus! When we find Jesus, we should treat him as the most valued of all treasures. Discovering Jesus is like finding a hidden treasure, secrets are revealed to us through his word and the Holy Spirit, and as we dig deeper we will discover more of him.

What Kind of Seed?

II Corinthians 9:6-8

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Matthew 13:24-43

I know that Jesus explains the parable of the weeds as the world and the evil that is within it, but I started thinking about this parable on a smaller scale.  While Jesus spoke of the world, I began to think about my life and the evil that I encounter, the bad seed that is sown all around me throughout my day.  How do I react to these things that come my way?  Many times I want to do as the servant asked, I want to pull up the weeds that seem to be invading my life, but after reading this several times I began to see things a bit differently.  Maybe it is those weeds that make me stand firmer for Christ and if I try to pull them up and discard them then it will upset my root growth.  The troubles of this world are frustrating and can be extremely disheartening, but I also have to recognize that it is those difficult times that make me not only stronger, but different.  These troubles change me and draw me closer to Christ.  I find myself, when things are going well, praying for God to humble me.  While I don’t enjoy the bumps in the road, I know without a doubt it is during those times that I become closer to God.  It is during those times that my dependence on Jesus becomes greater. 

Am I sowing weeds among the wheat?  I hope not, but if I never ask myself these difficult questions then I am just ignoring the subject when it comes to evaluating my walk with Christ.  We can never get to a point that we think we know everything about God’s Word and we will not falter---it is at that point that we will fall.  I do acknowledge that I mess up regularly, but I know that God forgives me and I do work at being better for all the mistakes that I do make.  As he explains the parable, Jesus leaves no doubt as to what will happen to the weeds and the sowers of those weeds, and I certainly want no part of that, but avoiding hell is not the sole reason that I serve Christ.  As a child I always thought that was the goal---become a Christian and you don’t have to spend eternity in hell, but it is so much more than that.  Serving Christ is what I desire to do because I love him, not because I am trying to avoid anything.  For as long as I can remember my grandmother has always said, people just don’t know what they are missing when they wait until they are close to death to turn to Jesus, they have missed so many wonderful things here on this earth.  Nothing could be truer!  Sure we have a wonderful reward in Heaven, more wonderful than we can even imagine, but look at the opportunities that one might have missed while here on earth.  The blessings missed and the opportunities to witness to someone. 

I want to be the sower who sows seeds that will produce like the mustard seed.  My seed may not be always be large, but it is true and genuine, and when I allow Jesus to shine on it and water it, then it will produce like no other.

What Kind of Sower Are You?

Isaiah 55:9-11

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

　
Matthew 13:1-30

Why does Jesus speak in parables? I have often wondered this and here the disciples ask that question. So I ask, would people believe him if he told them exactly the way it should be without giving them an example to visualize through a parable? The miracles that he performed were not just a magic show, they were the real thing, right in front of their eyes, yet some still didn’t believe him. Isn’t that kind of what Jesus is saying when he says they are seeing, yet they do not see or they are hearing, yet they do not hear? I don’t think Jesus is making it more difficult for us to understand his message by teaching through parables, I think that he is trying to show us how to live through these stories, by example. We may not be capable of understanding it any other way. Some things I think we just have to accept, he is Jesus and I am certain he knows what he is doing.

When it comes to the message about the sower, I think about myself and which I would be. I think that throughout my life I have at one time or another been all of them. I have been the sower who did not understand the message and I allowed it to be ripped from my hands. I never kept it long enough to try to understand it. There was a time when I was receiving a message with my eyes and ears, but not with my heart and therefore it never had a chance to live and grow within my soul. I have definitely been the one who received a message with joy and then when times got difficult I allowed it to slip through my fingers until it was completely gone.  I have also been the one who hears it, but feels so burdened down with worries or so happy with worldly joys that it just sits there and nothing ever becomes of it as well.  I bet you are saying ’worldly joys’, where does she come up with some of this stuff?  What I mean is that sometimes, when our life is going good and everything seems to be working so smoothly that we get away from that oh so important dependence upon God. We don’t desperately seek him in prayer or study his word seeking wisdom and knowledge, we just sometimes get in a mode of thinking that we are doing a pretty good job of taking care of ourselves. Worldly worries or worldly joys can both be just as dangerous, if we allow it, they are both capable of pulling us away from our total dependence upon God. I pray that I will be the like the last sower mentioned, that I will not only hear the word, but I will understand it and apply to my life so that it will grow and multiply. I so want to understand what God is telling me, I want to share with everyone what he shares with me, I so want to be on the path that he has set before me, and I cannot do any of this without reading his Word and seeking his guidance as I read.

I just think that we need to start listening and seeing with our hearts, and not just with our eyes and ears. As I write this I cannot help but think of the song Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath, which basically is asking Jesus to give me your eyes so that I can see what you see. I will leave you with the chorus from this song.

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

Jesus is Miraculous

Ephesians 1:19

What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:38-50

A miraculous sign? Again I say really? What else do they want? Have they not witnessed what Jesus had been doing lately? Maybe it was because he wasn’t boastful about the miracles that he was performing. I think of the miracles that are not recorded in the Word, miracles that they were also witnesses to. So are they really asking for a miraculous sign after all this time? After all these miracles? And what is Jesus’ answer to this proposal----only a wicked and adulterous generation ask for a miraculous sign. Do they not see the miraculous sign standing before them? Do they not sense his greatness? Do they not feel the love that, no doubt, flows from his very being?

When Jesus is in the ‘heart of the earth’ for three days, where is he at? I honestly have never thought about this. I never thought about where Jesus was between the time that he was crucified and rose again. So I have asked a few people what they thought. Some said they thought that he was with God and others say he rested during that time. I don’t know the answer to this, but it has sparked my curiosity enough to pursue this question, I will let you know what I find out.

Jesus is telling them, I am he, I am the one you have been waiting for, I am greater than Jonah, I am greater than Solomon, yet you ask me to perform another miracle just to prove who I am. How dare they, is what I think. Jonah went to a wicked people, told them about God, they turned from their wicked ways and accepted God. I really think Jesus is disgusted by these people that are suppose to be his people. Isn’t this true though, sometimes it is the ones closest to you that you have to prove yourself to. How sad.. Here they are with their Savior standing before them and the can’t even see who he truly is. I know Jesus’ heart hurt for them, for this disbelief that will eventually condemn them to hell.

When an evil spirit leaves someone it goes to arid places? When I looked up arid in a standard dictionary it said that it was a place of dryness, some synonyms given were: parched, bone-dry, baked, waterless, scorched, infertile, and barren. Doesn’t sound very inviting, huh? The evil spirit goes to arid places seeking rest and does not find it, so it returns, but it doesn’t return alone---it brings seven other spirits even more wicked than itself. This just gives me the creeps. When I read this the first thing that I thought of was addicts of all kinds, no wonder it is so hard to fight an addiction. This makes perfect sense. I have witnessed people stop their addiction for the first time and it go fairly well, all seems to be going great. Then they let their guard down and the next time they try to give it up, it is almost impossible. Without God, it is impossible. No wonder when you here people talk about their addiction, they refer to it as a demon---it is! Don’t want any evil spirits coming in your house? Make sure it is occupied with Jesus---don’t let the evil spirits find your house unoccupied. I have come to realize that I will be filled with something, but I have to make the choice of what I allow to fill me. I have no other choice but to fill myself with Jesus, I have to surround myself with him, his word, his music, everything because I know what will happen if I don’t. I have been there and I do not want to go back.

In the last few verses when Jesus is talking about his mother and brother, I honestly think he is in no way being disrespectful or rude to his mother. First of all, he is Jesus--he is love, he cannot even make himself be mean, especially to his family. I think he, once again, is trying to make a strong point here and as many times as we fail him because we don’t listen, all of his points have to be strong and usually repetitious as well. I think he is showing us that we are just as important to him as his immediate family, he loves me and you just as much as his mother. Wow, what love we have the privilege of receiving when we accept Jesus into our hearts. He loves us all, saint or sinner, but until we accept that love we can never experience the depth of his love. Why should I concern myself with physically seeing a miraculous sign, when the love, grace, and mercy that Jesus bestows upon me is miraculous---the love that Jesus so freely gives to me is miracle enough for me---He is all I need!

Message in a Nutshell

I Peter 4:12-13

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Alright, I will have to admit that I did not know what I was thinking when I said that I wasn't going to make this blog personal. I should have known that I cannot do anything for God and it not be personal. So I say really, really Rosanne, what were you thinking? I should have known that anytime I do something good in the name of Jesus that I will be attacked. Isn't that what Jesus told us, haven't I already talked about that very thing in this blog. I say all this to say that I recognize the antagonist and I refuse to sway from what God has called me to do. I may not be the best writer and I may not interpret scripture with the most in-depth, intellectual intelligence, but I truly love God with all my heart and soul and I know without a doubt that this is what I am suppose to be doing.

Without going into any detail, Satan seems to have let loose on me and everything that I am involved with, but praise God, he has given me the wisdom to recognize who my attacker is. I will also have to admit that I have broke down a few times over the last few days, but my wonderful Savior sent me a message in a nutshell, literally. This afternoon included one of those ‘frustrated with how things were going’ breakdowns, but then I saw it. After going outside to get something I glanced down and saw it, lying on the ground by my flower pot. This nutshell with a perfect heart inside. Funny thing…I have no idea what kind of shell it is and I am not sure where it came from. We have only oak trees and pine trees around our house. Do you think maybe, just maybe, God put that there for me to be reminded of the love that he has for me? I would like to think so. I think if He is capable of creating the sun, moon, and stars, then he is more than capable of leaving me a message in a nutshell.

So I took the picture to share with you and to put in my file as a reminder of how awesome and grand my Father is! He really loves me this much! He will take time to show me his love in ways that only he can show, he will do the same for all of his children, but you have to be looking. Are you looking? I think about how many messages that I may have missed because I wasn’t looking. Honestly, I was so frustrated that I wasn’t looking for a sign from God, but he knew what I needed, so he drew my eyes to that nutshell---there is no other explanation.

Although we know we will face trials, we also have to know and believe God’s promise that he will never leave us or forsake us. We have to know that in the middle of every trial we face, God is right there----sometimes we just have to look!

Romans 4:20-21

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

Gather or Scatter?

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:22-37

After Jesus heals this demon-possessed man who was blind and deaf, the people asked ‘could this be the Son of David?’ Are you serious? These people knew the old testament, they knew the prophecies about a Savior and they are honestly thinking could this be him? I am astonished at the lack of belief that some of these people had, I mean they were there. These people witnessed the miracles, they knew the story of his birth, yet they questioned if this was really the Christ. How is my faith when I compare it to these people? I read this and I think it is so simple, why didn’t they recognize him without question and just believe what he said? I go back to myself---do I always recognize him? Do I always believe what he tells me? Shouldn’t it be that simple for me as well? I hear the Spirit guiding me to do something and then I choose not to do it, aren’t I denying who Jesus is when I don’t obey him? Is that any different than the people that questioned if he was really the Son of David---I think not.

A little further down in this chapter Jesus tells us that we are either with him or against him---there is no in between, there is no straddling the fence, we are either all in or all out. If I claim to be all in, I need to listen to him and do what he says every time. Will I ever be perfect and do everything I am suppose to do perfectly? No, but when I know that God is whispering in my ear and I ignore the voice, then I am against him. To be quite honest this scares me a bit, I do not want to be against him in the least, but that is why I have to wake up everyday and say today Jesus you are first, no matter what falls onto my path today, you will be first. I do not have it within myself to do this, I have to rely on God guiding me and being in control of my life. God’s Word tells us if we are not gathering with Jesus then we are scattering. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the one known as the scatterer. When I think about scattering I think about people that cause strife, or confusion, or chaos among others, and therefore scatters people away from God. You know when I think about this, someone that does all this scattering is doing the work for Satan---even if they don’t realize what they are doing. Scary huh? If I am not doing the work that Jesus has given me to do then I am doing Satan’s work. That sounds harsh, but I see it no other way, there is no other way. We either serve Christ with our heart, mind, and soul, or we don’t serve him at all. He wants all of us, not just a small part.

We are definitely recognized by the fruit that we bare and I want to bare and share good fruit with everyone around me. I think this is an inside out thing----what we have deep within us is what will come out, what we put inside our heart, mind, and soul grows within us and changes who we are. We decide what we will allow inside of us, no one can do this for us. What ever we choose to read, watch, or listen to are the things that grow within us, those are the things that we think upon and those are the things that will affect our fruit. Jesus even said, “for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” We have to be choosy about the things that we allow in our lives. I think about the tomato plant that I just planted. If I water it with contaminated water everyday then the tomatoes will not be any good---it would be useless as a tomato plant and eventually it would just wither and die. This plant was meant to be a tomato plant and produce tomatoes, just as we were meant to be a child of God and produce good fruit that gives others a taste of who Jesus is. I have to live as I was meant to live, if not than I will just wither away and die---and what good is that?

With Much Love & Prayers!

Our Hope!

Isaiah 42:1-4

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:1-21

“I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.” (vs. 6)
I really believe that while the church is an extremely important part of the Christian religion, Jesus is telling us not to let man-made rules hold us back from doing what he has called us to do. Don’t let those rules hinder you from doing what you know in your heart to do. While the church is important and rules are good to have, we cannot forget the one that created it all. He is ultimately the one that we will answer to, not man. This is why it is so important to have a personal relationship with Christ, we have to depend on his guidance. We have to be able to know his voice and follow it. We can never begin to understand the depth of love that Jesus has for us and I think that is what he is telling us here. He is saying I want you to know that with everything that was created you are the most important to me, nothing else is as valuable to me as you.

Jesus is such a gentleman, he will never force his way into our lives. We never read about Jesus running up and down the streets telling everyone all that he has done and forcing people to follow him. In fact it is quite the opposite. We find that he tells almost everyone not to go and tell what he has done for them. Why? I think Jesus wants us just to love him, just as he loves us. He doesn’t want us to love him because of what he has done for us, but he wants us to just love him for who he is. Although he asks us everyday to let him in, he never forces his way. He will come into our hearts only if we welcome him in. He will not argue with us, he will only tell us the truth. He will not beg us, he will only show us love.

With this, we can know that we can put all of our hope in him because he is our only hope in this ever-failing world!

With Much Love and Blessings!

Know That You Know!

I John 1:3-5

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in him. 

Today’s Reading: Matthew 11

Was John the Baptist doubting who Jesus was? And poor Thomas has taken the blame all these years for doubting Jesus. I will have to say that John was in prison and had not been witnessing all the things that Jesus had been doing, so maybe he does have a better reason to doubt a bit. My personal opinion is that John knew who Jesus was, but just wanted to verify what he already knew. Regardless of John’s or Thomas’ reasoning behind their doubts, we can never doubt who Jesus is. Although we have never physically walked with or seen Jesus face to face, we have the benefit of the stories in the Bible. With the lessons that we learn from his Word coupled with the spiritual guidance that he gives us daily, we have to know that we know Jesus and who he truly is---there is no other choice!

I think about many people of today when Jesus said, “we played the flute, but you didn’t dance.” Isn’t that what is happening today? Jesus is calling people and they are not listening, he is playing the music that leads to heaven and people are dancing, but they are dancing to a different song. We have to start listening more closely to what Jesus is saying and stop listening to what people are saying. He is our guide and Satan will do what ever it takes to keep us from listening to his song. Just as people talked about John because he did not eat and drink, and Jesus because he did eat and drink, people will talk about us no matter what we do, good or bad, right or wrong. Knowing that I will never please all men and that men will say things about me no matter what I do, I would rather people say things about me because I am living for Christ than not.

I love to read the words of Jesus as he prays to his Father. In this prayer Jesus is saying that God is revealing things to the ones who do not seem very wise to the world, but it is those little children, the ones who acknowledge that they know nothing without God, that they can do nothing without God, those people who fall down on their face and humble themselves before our Lord that he reveals himself to. I find that when I let go of what I think I know and give everything that I have to God is when he speaks to my heart---it is then that I feel like my wisdom deepens, maybe not by worldly standards, but by Godly standards. Verses 28-30 have to be my favorite part of this chapter. Jesus is telling us to just depend on him, give him everything that we have on us, everything that we know, everything that we long for, and he will take it upon him and make it all well for us. I picture Jesus taking all of our junk and changing it into what we need and giving it back to us after he has touched it. He wants to take not just our heavy burdens, but our light ones too, he wants everything. Our rest comes from him. I have found that no matter what I do, I can’t ever get enough done so that I am caught up with things. I have come to accept that my life is not ever going to be less busy, I will never have everything in order, I will never catch up and be ahead for the next day---it just doesn’t work like that and I am finally ok with that. Why? When I finally realized all this, I just gave it all to God and said I can only do what I can do in a day, but what I can do everyday is give everything to God and make sure the first thing that I give him is myself. The next thing I realized is that this is not a once in a lifetime decision, it is truly a daily decision that I have to make everyday and when I don’t, it makes my day miserable, but when I do make that decision to die to myself daily, oh what a better day that becomes. Even when things go wrong, I can still smile, because I know that I know that I know who is really in control of my life and who is trying to cause me trouble. I can smile and say thank you Jesus for the blessings and for the wisdom to not let the troubles of this day make me waiver from the path that you have placed me on.
I know that I know!

With Much Love and Blessings!

Purpose?

Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 10

When I think about Jesus calling his twelve disciples and instructing them on what they were to do, I think about what he has called me to do. It seems he has called me to be many things. He has called me to be a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, and a teacher, but the greatest thing that he has called me to do is to serve him. Am I answering the call? Am I doing all that I was called to do? Is there something else out there that he wants me to do? Without me following his call to service I cannot be the best daughter, wife, mother, sister or teacher that I can be. When I follow him with my whole heart and soul everything else just seems to fall in place, and isn’t that they way it was intended to be?

However, sometimes my life can seem to be so good at times and get so busy that I forget what his instructions were to the disciples and to me---go to the lost sheep. With everything we are in this world, with all that our life involves, we truly only have one purpose on this earth. To live for Jesus and to tell others about him! That is really all that is required of us, the rest is just bonus stuff. What a blessing it has been for me to be a daughter, wife, mother, sister, and teacher to all the people involved in my life, but none of that means anything if I haven’t shown them the Jesus that lives in me. Isn’t verse 8 so true, “freely ye have received; freely give”. When I think about all the blessings in my life, they were all free to me and I am continuously amazed at how much God has truly blessed my life---so going to the lost sheep and giving for God is the very least that I can do.

Jesus is so very honest in this chapter about what the disciples will have to face in order to serve Christ, but that is what makes him so real. He simply tells the truth and stands firm. With all that faces us as we walk this path with our Savior, he tells us not even to give thought for what we are to say, that he will give us the words when we need them. What love he has for us!

Verse 27 has got to be one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible because he says basically that what I tell you, you are to share it with others. It used to be very difficult for me to share messages, whether by speaking or through writing, with others, simply because I thought that God was just working on me and no one else would even understand if I told them. I had no confidence when it came to me sharing God with others. I worried about what people would think about what I had to say, not that I was embarrassed for serving Christ, but that I would not share a message that made sense to people. I gradually started sharing some things, and then I came across this scripture and it just all finally made sense to me. Yes, Jesus is working on me, but he does not tell me these things to keep to myself, they are for me, but they are for others as well. I began to think about others that have shared their testimony, their messages, or their music---what if they never shared with others what God gave them? I think about all the times that I have been lifted by a story or song, their sharing changed my life in some way. So now I not only listen to God, I share with others and I cannot tell you how much God has blessed my life through the words that I write. I am continuously amazed at how God works through these words, the words that he gives me.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (vs. 39). For a long time I never fully understood this verse and although I still have much more to learn, I am grasping the meaning more deeply now. It is all about my purpose in life. At one point in my life I had all these dreams of what I wanted to do with my life, where I wanted to go, but then I sold out to Jesus Christ and my dreams changed. Not that I don’t have dreams anymore, but that I recognize my life is not about me, it is about Him. I trust Jesus to guide my steps and to accept where he leads me, whether it be what I wanted or not. Some would say that I am giving up on my dreams, I would say I am not giving them up, but exchanging them for better ones. The life I live can only come to its full potential by giving up what I want and receiving what Christ has for me. I never knew that I could calm my mind through writing until I let go and allowed God to give me the answer to my need. When I put pen to paper (or fingers to the keys) it not only calms me, but I have found a deeper relationship with Christ through writing. I would have never found that on my own---writing was never part of my dream before I allowed Jesus to take over my life, and now I could not imagine my life without writing. He will give you the desires of your heart, even when you don’t know the desires.

Sometimes I can’t seem to put into words exactly what I am feeling and tonight it seems that way. I have prayed all day for God to continue to humble me so that I can be aware of everyone around me and serve them. Well he did just what I asked him to do, but in an unbelievably powerful way and my heart feels as though it will explode from so much gratitude that is filling it. I hope and pray that you can feel this gratitude that I feel for our Father through the words that I put down tonight. I continue to be in awe of the grace, mercy, and love that he has shown and continues to show someone like me.

With Much Love and Blessings!

Follow Me!

Mark 1:17

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Today’s Reading: Matthew 9:9-38

Follow me. Such a simple command, and it is truly all that Jesus is asking us to do. He tells us to follow him and he will take complete care of us. So simple, yet I try to make it so complicated. If we will simply follow Jesus and do what he has asked us to do, everything will work out. He never promised that our life would be easy, in fact, he was quite honest with us about the troubles that we would have to face, remember? I heard this quote the other day (can’t remember who said it): everything will end good for a child of God, so if your life isn’t good right now, then know that it is not the end! ‘Follow Me’ should be Jesus’ slogan, you know like Nike’s ‘Just Do It’---it really is that simple.

Do I have faith like the man whose daughter had died or the woman with the issue of blood? It has always intrigued me how these two stories are intertwined. It begins with the man asking Jesus to come and touch his daughter, who has just died, and then while on his way to the man’s house Jesus is touched by this woman. One woman in a sea of people that Jesus was wading through, one woman who knew that Jesus was her answer. Then the story returns to the man and his daughter, whom Jesus raises from the dead. What did these two stories have in common, of course faith in Christ, but also desperation. The man just lost his daughter, the woman had been fighting a disease for 12 years, but neither gave in to their situation, neither gave up. The world would have told them there was no hope, just accept what you have been dealt, but they both knew a man by the name of Jesus and they knew that he was the answer to their desperation. It was also interesting to me that the man knelt before Jesus with his plea and the woman touched the edge of his cloak, both were on the ground in a humbling position. Both bowing before their King, saying here I am Lord, here is what I need, and I know that you will take care of it. What faith!

I believe that with every action and with every word Jesus is teaching us something. That is why the Bible is so fascinating to me, I can read the same thing many times and get something different out of it each time. I do find it very interesting that after Jesus healed the blind men that he said, “see that no one knows about this”. Why? Why does he perform a miracle and then tell the recipients not to tell anyone? I am not sure, but I think that Jesus is telling us something with his actions. I think he showing us how to be humble, Jesus is showing us that even when a miracle takes place that we are to praise God for it and not necessarily brag about the miracle. He wants us to love him because of who he is, not because of what he can do.

With Much Love & Prayers!

Which is Easier?

I John 2:1-2

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense---Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours buy also for the sins of the whole world.

Today’s Reading: Matthew 9:1-8

Which is easier? To forgive someone’s sins or to heal a person’s physical body? I ask myself, which is greater? I forget sometimes that when Jesus forgave me and saved me, that was the greatest and most miraculous healing that I have had or will ever have. I ask for so much sometimes and quite honestly expect so much without even asking, that I tend to forget that I have already received the greatest gift ever given to man. How can I ask for any more? Jesus loves me, with all my faults, with all my failures, he truly and honestly loves me!

While there is an abundance of physical suffering in this world, it is the spiritual suffering that truly destroys people. I think about all the people that crossed my path today, did I show them Jesus? Did I recognize Jesus in them? Was I too busy to notice if they seemed to be suffering spiritually? Did I really listen to them? I ask these question because when I think about receiving the greatest gift ever, then I think about sharing. When my husband asked me to marry him and put that ring on my finger, I couldn’t wait to show everyone and I did….I showed everyone, those who cared and those who didn’t. You see it didn’t matter if they wanted to see it or not, I was so excited about this gift that I wanted to share it with everyone…no matter the outcome. Should I not be the same way about my salvation? Should I not wake up every morning excited to share what Christ did and continues to do for me?

It easier for Jesus to heal our bodies, but he went a few steps further. He suffered, he died, and he rose again so that he could bring us a new spiritual healing….salvation! He took all this upon himself because he loves us all that much! He simple wants us to be with him, he wanted to make a way for us just to be with him, our Father! What an unbelievably awesome God I serve.

I had intended on covering the entire chapter, but I feel extremely lead to stop at this point. I am sure that these words will also be for someone else, but at this point it seems that God is speaking directly to my heart tonight. Only my God can take the words that I am writing and turn them back to me as words from him…just amazing!

With much love and blessings!