SMELL THESE ROSES!

LIVE A LIFE FILLED WITH LOVE, FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. HE LOVED US AND OFFERED HIMSELF AS A SACRIFICE FOR US, A PLEASING AROMA TO GOD.

EPHESIANS 5:2

          Two of my beautiful friends sent me these roses today....what I noticed about them was their smell....it was sooooo sweet and fragrant not to mention how colorful and lovely they are!! As we are in the Lent season...I challenge all of us to follow the example of Christ, and live a life filled with LOVE....show someone love anonymously this month....do something for someone else and don't let them know it's you. You'll know who needs a little pick me upper....a little lift....God will put someone in your path who is hurting...who is alone...who needs a listening ear. Call you mom or dad and say hello more than once a week this month...play with your dog a little more this week...sit a little longer with your kids and just listen....spend a little more time in prayer with Jesus....send a text to an old friend that has been on your mind for some time but didn't have the time to say hi. As we sacrifice the biggest commodity in our lives which is TIME....we leave something fragrant behind....this thing called LOVE...which pleases our heavenly father above.

Things to Think About:

The Greatest of These is Love...

MAY I PRAY? JESUS, help us to love someone more this week. Put your love in our hearts and help us to see through your eyes...IN JESUS NAME....AMEN

EVEN JESUS DID IT....

When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him. 

John 8:28-29

          Wow.....even Jesus the TRIUNE God didn't do things on his own. He checked in with His Father...spent time is prayer...in solitude to pray and seek direction. We hear the cliche...."pray about it..." But this cliche really is important because even Jesus needed to. If Jesus needed to...then we definitely need to...I chuckle....but then I pause and hope I will never steer too far from HIS COUNCIL and in the quietness of being alone with my maker and thanking Him, praising Him, asking for forgiveness, and guidance in my choices all the days of my life.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

WHY did Jesus think communication was so important?

MAY I PRAY? JESUS, THANK YOU! For another year of life as I celebrate my birthday. I ask that you will continue to guide my path and pave that road ahead of me to take. I pray your holy spirit make it clear for me to hear which way I go. Guide me and help me obey. In Jesus name, Amen.

Skiing in Fog....

     

Your Word Is A Lamp to My Feet and a Light for My Path.

Psalm 119:105

          Have you ever skied in total fog? Or imagine this....being in an airplane with no visibility....you look outside the window and see white....you look out the other window and see more white....you can't see. Well, today I was skiing and I couldn't see anything except the skies my boots were in. The visibility was so poor that all I could see was....nothing. I'd squint my eyes hoping to see the boundaries of the trail....nothing.....I had to ski in small increments to make sure I was on the trail. The fog was so thick it was like skiing with my eyes closed. My family and friends started beeping each other so that we could tell where everyone was by the sound of their beeps. We continued on for about thirty minutes until we could see something that looked like a house in the distance. We continued on and reached the "house" which was really a huge boulder. After some deliberation of everyone in our party we managed to make out some stakes in the snow with bright orange tape on the tips. We found our way.....

          Sometimes we lose our way. But God promises us that no temptation is too great that He hasn't provided a way out (I Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes our up is really down and vice versa....we all go through bumpy patches in our life or seasons in our life where wherever we look we see fog. We try to listen to the advice of others but that still appears foggy......what do we do? How did you know I was going to say that? We turn to the Lord even in the blankness of what we see or hear. We turn to the Word and read and pray and listen to the voice of the Lord. We also go to trusted friends and ask for help....God uses so many things to help us....our friends, our family, professionals, doctors, teachers, pastors....we weren't meant to do life alone. 

          

 Things to Think About:

The Word is A Lamp Upon My Feet That I Might not Sin Against Thee.

May I Pray? Father, I don't know which way is up or down. Help me! Lead me! Show me which way to go....Change me.....Amen.

Between a Rock and A Hard Place....

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

       

         
          Am in France skiing.....I have never seen such pointy mountain peaks so close....it is beautiful! Going up a ski lift, I notice why a "valley" is called a valley. It is sandwiched in between two enormous mountains! A little town is tucked away between the valley....and there is basically very little hope if there were ever an avalanche....if you get the picture....as I take in the awesomeness of the mountains created by God, the verse Psalm 23:4 comes to mind. As King David writes that he walks through the valley of the shadow of death, he will fear no evil because God is with him and this brings him comfort.
          I can see why King David uses the phrase valley when he describes the ominous situation he is in...he must have felt death looming over him as he makes reference to the valley. The little town below is shadowed by the breathtaking yet freakishly large mountains. I can't help but think....wow, this is the kind of God we serve....a God who can with His very breath protect you and comfort you even when one is "stuck" between a rock and a hard place like death. I write this to encourage us all that God can deliver us from "stuck" places. He can work miracles and bring life where danger lurks and seems imminent.

Things to Think About:

What is something that makes you feel uncomfortable that God wants to stretch you in and grow you in? Example: giving more money to the needy, overcoming public speaking or shyness in public situations, or serving in church, or taking time to spend with your beloveds? Trying a new hobby with the family? Confronting someone that needs to be confronted in love? This is the very place He wants you to be in....STRETCH....GRRRROWW!

MAY I PRAY? Father, give each one of us the courage to overcome. You promise to be with us even in the shadow of the valley of death.....give us confidence to be the mighty warriors you have called us to be! Thank you for the challenge and for your help and for all the people you send us along the way to encourage us! We love you, Lord! In Jesus name, Amen!

Help! I Need A Lighter Load!

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 12: 28-30

Does this mean life will be labour free and super easy after we accept Christ as our Savior? I don’t think so. I think what this means is when we partner with Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, He partners with us and helps us carry all our heavy burdens and responsibilities. The weights become lifted as we no longer are living our own lives and are captain of our own ship. God designed us to need Him and worship Him. He created us to to BE OUR SAVIOR. As we ask Jesus to give our souls rest....He starts directing our hearts towards peace in all areas of our lives: peace in relationships, peace in our home, peace in the logistical things, peace in the chaos of our lives. Peace starts being important, and peace becomes real!!! How awesome is this?! When I was younger, peace was not that important to me because chaos and business was part of being young and alive. As I get older, I crave peace....I want it for my spouse, kids, family members, friends, as well as myself. 

The other part of this verse describes who Jesus is....gentle and humble. As we try to emulate Christ and to be gentle and humble...we come to the startling realization that as Jesus changes us to become more like Him....gentle and humble....our yoke and burdens do slowly become light because He gives us new Christlike characteristics of gentleness and humility. In time....yes...this takes time and is a process....God changes our thinking, and our old selves of self centered thoughts get diluted....God becomes bigger in our lives.... Our thoughts become more like His, and this attitude adjustment creates a new rest in our souls, and our yoke becomes easy and our burdens light when we repent and in return are forgiven by Jesus. Sound too good to be true? Try for yourself...Ask the Lord to be your Savior, repent of the things you cannot change yourself and the very things that get in the way of God working through you....and then just rest in knowing God will show up for you! Just wait and see....the Lord is real!

Things to Think About:

In what areas would you like to see more gentleness and humility in your life today? 

MAY I PRAY? LORD, humble us and give us gentle spirits! You are the Potter, and we are the clay! Come into our hearts and start a new work in our hearts! Change our hearts to become more like you. We realize this is a process and doesn’t happen overnight. Come and do a mighty work in our hearts and change our attitudes to be pleasing to YOU! THANK YOU for what you will do in each of our hearts and lives! In JESUS name, Amen! 

What's Wrong With Being Too Wise?

Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Ecclesiastes 7: 16

Hey, don’t we pray for wisdom? Don’t we want to be wise? We want to grow in the Lord....but what does this verse in Ecclesiastes mean? Solomon was saying be careful of being too wise in your own eyes....a holier than thou attitude which trickles down into our very marrow until we delusion ourselves and think we are better than the guy in the pew right next to us. We lose sensitivity to the physical and spiritual needs of others and want an honorary degree in seminary for knowing so much Bible:) I laugh...but the Bible warns us of this....Warns us against religious conceit or false righteousness. How do we protect ourselves against this? Ask yourself this question....how is my relationship with my wife, husband, mother, father, sister, brother, friend? Stay connected in your local church and serve. Ask God for opportunities to serve in the mission corner he has placed you in: maybe it’s the suburbs of LA, or the inner city of NYC...rolling hills of Kentucky....grassy plains of Missouri...in the poverty of Ethiopia....wherever you are...God is there with you...and you CAN make a difference....RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! Smile and invite the Holy Spirit to lead you! But more importantly...full of love.

Things to Think About:

All men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.

John 13:35

May I Pray? Father, forgive us for our sins! Have mercy on us, and help us to love one another as ourselves! Help us to accept one another as you have created each one of us! Jesus, give us the grace to forgive one another whole heartedly, and help us to see the people you put in front of us through your eyes: eyes of forgiveness and mercy! We ask you put your love in each of our hearts to further your kingdom in all the corners of the world! Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen!