Star-fish

     We had our windows washed today. I knew they were dirty, but now that they are clean, the view is so much clearer! It made me think about our daily lives. We pick up dust and dirt from being in this world. Our view gets dimmer and less clear about what is and isn't sin. But when we get on our knees and pray for forgiveness and cleansing of our sins, spend time in the Word of God (Bible), and pray for clarity with other Christian believers, we get a clearer view of who God is and what He wants us to be doing for Him.      Those people who do not have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of the Most High God have what the Bible calls "scales" on their eyes due to unbelief. So if you are thinking, "What is wrong with this person? Can't they see what they are doing is wrong?" The simple answer regarding one who is not saved is "no." No, they do not "know better" because their only conscience comes from flesh and blood. They can't see cl...

     My husband and I have been considering doing a kitchen makeover, so we called about estimates and went to a large retailer in such items as cabinets, flooring, and counter tops. After listing our wishes, the sales associate quickly made finishing touches to her computer layout of our "new" kitchen. It looked terrific! So I asked, "What do you estimate the cost would be at this point?" She noted a hefty amount and I couldn't even bring myself to glance over at my husband. We thanked her and walked out of the store in silence. When we got home and walked into our kitchen, I said, "This looks pretty good to me!" My husband laughed knowingly. We both knew that was not a price we were willing to pay.      As Christians, God has done a "makeover" in our lives, and the cost to us was priceless, yet at the sometime free. Jesus Christ paid the price through leaving heaven, becoming a flesh and blood man, living in rejection, homelessness, and ev...

     Please pray with me for our music pastor's daughter who is in labor currently with a baby the doctors know will need heart surgery upon his birth. Pray for mom and baby to be kept in the Hands of God during the delivery and the surgery. We were given candles to light when she went into labor so our candle is burning for them and their family members to have peace, safety, and joy in this celebration of life. Luke 18: 15   People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.   16  But Jesus called the children to him and said,  “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.   17  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child  will never enter it.” I wanted to write a follow up to this post. God is mightily answering prayers for baby Teddy. He is now home af...

     We are in our last week of the Beth Moore study,  Children of the Day . As I read this section it  reminded me that God goes before me and fights for me against the acts of the devil. I've typed a few excerpts here from page 206 of the workbook. I hope you find them encouraging as you struggle with your own daily battles. At times we may wonder if the oppression we're sensing is a figment of our imaginations or if our feelings of warfare are just forms of religious psychosis… From Eugene Peterson's translation of Eph. 6:10-13: God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepa...

      What do we do when others won't listen to common sense, experience, or heed our warnings? I believe some people are good at taking advice and others must wrangle around in the mud to eventually achieve clarity. Some people, not unlike myself, can't get things the easy way. They must endure, what I call 2X4 moments, where they get hit upside the head a few times in order to change direction.       When we don't go with God's direction whether through people giving us advice or praying; we get to hit a wall because that's the only way God can get our attention. I'd like to say it gets better with age, but only maturity in Christ Jesus will change such behavior.      Unfortunately, those around one who won't listen reap the fruit of their unwillingness to listen. At which point, we need to step back and realize that they must own their behavior. We are not to blame.  I don't mean to sound harsh, but I give this advice from e...

      I laughed as I read a Facebook post of an actual police report that looked like it was written by a child. It was supposedly an Officer Peach and he wrote, "I chase. I bite. Bad man. Taste good. Good dog. Good Peach." The description said that Officer Peach was a canine officer and the department insisted on getting a report from him so his handler wrote the report as noted above and inked a paw print on the signature line.       Of course, in reality, we don't know what our dogs are thinking, but I felt God gave me an insight about this relationship between wo(man) and dog the other day. As I sat on the patio drinking my coffee, my dog jumped up and sat next to me on the padded bench. I was praying to God about how to best be in relationship with Him and a picture came to mind.       I looked over at my dog and realized she doesn't know me. What she knows is that I feed her, provide her with shelter, offer her safety and co...

     One of the office retailers has ads that infer all you have to do is push a button and all your office problems will be taken card of, noting, "That was easy!" We like the idea that life could be that simple. That one push of a button and problems are resolved. Of course, those of us planted in reality know that life is not that easy.       Although the most important decision of our lives is one that we have made much more complicated than it needs to be. What is that area? Going to heaven when we die. Simply put, the decision to accept Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior is easy, but again, made complicated by human baggage and over thinking.       A friend's grandmother is ill and over 100 years old. She's struggling with pain due to a recent fall. I believe due to her past "religious" experiences, accepting that Christ died for her sins so that she could one day join Him in God's sin-free zone, heaven, has been faught wit...