Star-fish

      There is a fixation by humans to keep their bodies looking young. The reality is that one out of every one dies! You have a 100% chance of dying. But the good news is that if you believe in Jesus Christ this outward tent of human flesh is simply a vessel for His Holy Spirit. We are to respect our bodies as they are one with Christ. But we are to worship Christ, not our bodies.      The world would have us fixated on superficial things such as fat, winkles, age spots, and the like; but with Christ in our lives, we will one day be called home, whether after our death or at the Rapture of the Church. When the trumpet sounds these out-of-date models of human flesh will be traded in for glorious bodies!      Don't get distracted by the sparkle, glitz, hype of the world or Satan the deceiver, you must be "born again" to receive an eternal heavenly body one day. The way is simple…trust Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, your Lord and Savior,...

      At our women's Bible study this week, the comment was made that, "All I can do is pray." So often we see prayer as a last resort, rather than a preemptive attack. Why are we not seizing the initiative to act in faith by prayer before the problems arise? If the enemy gains a foothold before you've gotten your "boots on the ground" in the morning, pray that God will come into your situation and clearly define the battle lines. Let Him who is able fight your battles; you are call only to stand firm.      As the battle for souls is wagged about us each day, if all we can do is pray, that's better than anything we can do, because prayer is the language of the Holy Spirit. He can intervene when we are without words, weak, and unable to tear the blankets from our bodies to rise. Prayer, it's not the least we can do, it's the most we can do and we should be doing it "without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16  Rejoice always,  17  p...

     Recently, I was concerned about making a particular step into my future for fear of rejection. Quietly in my mind, I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of the rejection Jesus Christ endured for my eternal salvation. Christ's rejection began with His own father almost not marrying his mother due to her pregnancy with him, then his brothers did not believe He was the Messiah, the people from His home town rejected Him, the leaders of His religious community rejected Him, one of His own apostles sold Him out to the enemy and finally His Father God turned His back on Him as He died on the cross carrying the sins of the world upon His back.      Rejection…I don't have a clue, nor will I ever in my lifetime endure that level of rejection, so it's time to step out and trust that the One that went before me knows what I'm going through and made a way for me to go through it without fear. My fear should only be the respect and awe that I have for the trinity: God...

      Our neighbors went on vacation in their large recreational vehicle last month, only to have their fully gassed-up generator fall off their RV and drag behind them down the freeway. He told us a trucker flagged him down to let him know of this dangerous situation.  His wife mentioned a "Christian" couple stopped, helped them get the generator off the vehicle and then took it to their shop and welded it back on without accepting any compensation for their time or effort.      He came to our door a day or so later and noted, "After what happened, I know there is a God." My husband talked to him about the Word and God's mercy.      This scenario reminded me of my questions before becoming a Christian and also my need to be saved out of shear disaster before I was willing to trust in God. I thank the Lord for the "Christian" couple willing to get involved in the lives of two strangers as they generated seeds that God will continue to ...

     On Wednesday, a childhood friend came to visit. We spent the day going to different sites in our town and had a wonderful picnic in a desert regional park. Our husbands joined us and we spent the day reminiscing and enjoying good food and lots of laughs.      The next day, I received a text from my friend that she had lost her 14K gold hoop earring and asked that we look for it. My husband and I got out the flashlights and scoured the truck. Then looked house over. No earring. Then the Lord gave me a picture of our day's events; I say "the Lord" because the picture was of something insignificant and wouldn't have been memorable for any other reason then He was helping me find that which was lost.      The picture was of my girlfriend pulling her hair back into a ponytail while be were at the park. I assumed that she must have pulled out her earring while performing the task. I told my husband the vision, he was game to go look. We had...

      We rarely get rain in the desert, but this year we have hit record highs. I've heard it said that Jesus smells like the fresh air after a rain. Of course, this isn't biblical, just emotional. The Word does tell us that Jesus is the "living water" and as such He can bring refreshment for a lifetime lived with Him. I encourage you today to seek the One who can renew your soul and fill you up with the Holy Spirit that will quench any thirst and sooth a dry, desert time in your life.      Ask Jesus Christ to come in to your life, fill you to the brim with His Holy Spirit, repent of your sins, request that He forgive you and cleanse you of your sins, and make you a new man or woman who is "white as snow." John 7:38  New Living Translation Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"

      An article I read tonight indicated that our bodies perceive stress and respond with hormones to deal with it even if the stress is being endured by friends, family members, and even TV characters! It noted we are over-stressing our thyroid, adrenal glands, and liver by this type of stress. Of course, many of the remedies are ones we so often hear about such as: eat healthy foods, exercise, and reduce stress.       One study indicated that those that prayed while walking had higher percentages of positive hormones produced that led to increased metabolism, weight loss, and feelings of calm.     A radio announcer noted the other day, "We have a choice. We can worry or we can trust God. We can't do both." God tells us not to worry. He reminds us not to focus on what evil people are doing. He knew both types of stress would cause us ill mental and physical health, but more importantly poor spiritual health. He wants us to trust Him. If we focu...

     My friend, Helen, sent me this scripture recently and reminded me to pray for the victims that ISIS are beheading. Although, I've read the scripture before, it had not had the impact on me as it did when I read it in light of these current events.       The other issue that came to mind in this scripture was the "mark on their foreheads or their hands." This mark is what end times citizens will have to use to buy or sell anything! Christians are called NOT TO TAKE THE MARK. We don't know now what that mark may look like, but it will be adhered to, injected in, tattooed on or in some other permanent manner put on a person's forehead or hand. If you accept the Mark of the Beast, you are rejecting God.       You may lose your head for refusing the mark, but you will "reign[ed] with Christ a thousand years." Sound crazy now? Maybe, but with the concerns over identity theft and daily news about hackers getting into bank accounts...