John 14:6

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

It really amazes me that people assume if you are good, you automatically get a ticket to heaven. There are several examples in the Bible that proves otherwise and there are going to be quite a few astounded people standing outside the pearly gates wondering what went wrong.

The only unforgivable sin is denying Jesus and turning your back on God. God can and does forgive every offence we have ever done, no matter how bad, if we just ask him to. God is ready to give all of us his grace. No sin is too big except for denial.

One of my best friend's grandfather is about to die. He is a wonderful man, full of kindness and love, but he is an unbeliever. He wants to believe, but he thinks that it is too late for him. He is denying God at the end of his life for fear. It is not to late for this sweet man and it pains my friend's heart to think that he will never enter God's glory due to a stubborn heart. The truth is that it is never too late. God did not say that I am the way, the truth, and the light only if you are young. No. The invitation is open at all stages and stations of life. God will welcome you with open arms if you just ask him to.

Think of the children

Jesus loved the children. He wanted them to come to him even after his disciples had told them to go away. The Bible also tells us to care for widows and orphans. I often think of the children in this world who have no home. Many in Africa have been stolen from their families and sold into sex slavery or have been brainwashed by an army that would have them destroy their own parents. In many Asian countries baby girls are abandoned simply for being the wrong gender. Babies are aborted in this country just because they might have special needs. We as a people, as human beings, need to start speaking out against these crimes against humanity. We need to help these children as God called us to. We can send financial support, educate, and even adopt these children into loving homes where they can come to know the Lord, a father who will never abandon them and will love them always.
Pray for the children who have no home, no family, no one to say "I love you" to them at night and start thinking about what you can do to help. Imagine a world where everyone felt love. Wouldn't it be a better place?

Finding the Time

I had gotten half way through the day today and I realized that I really hadn't taken any time to really pray. I tried this morning while waiting for all of the children to wake up, but kept falling asleep. Life just always seems so busy, and, unfortunately, our time with God seems to be the first thing to go.

If you find yourself like me, just stop whatever you are doing and take a moment to say a small prayer. It can even be the one Jesus taught us to say:

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed by your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

That simple prayer acknowledges who God is and asks Him to watch over us in all that we do. I also try to take the time to pray over meals. One, to thank God that he has provided us with the food, and two, to teach my children the importance of prayer.

I am also trying to keep an ongoing dialogue with God. Who said that prayer had to be a formal thing? I kind of like to think that God likes for us to talk to Him as we would our mother, father, or best friend. Prayer is all about building that relationship with our creator. Hopefully I can improve it with time.

Matthew 6:34

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

I really struggle with that verse. Part of the reason is because I'm a bit of a control freak. I like to know who, what, when, where, and why immediately so that I can plan. Another reason is because I fear the future more that I should. I should be confidant that God will always lead me to the right path, but I have my doubts. I also fear my children's future. The world has become a liberal, scary place. Family values are not as important as they were even 10 years ago and it seems as though the enemy is bent on taking us down. The economy, terrorism, and an administration that has very little value for the most innocent of lives (the proposed reversal of the conscious rule) scares me. This season of Lent I'm going to try to have faith and pray that our country is headed down the right path. Though I might not agree with him on most issues, I need to pray for our president. That God's ultimate will might be done through him. I need not worry about tomorrow, because God is the one in charge despite what some humans may think. Tomorrow will be ok.

In the Words of a Child

Every night we sit down to dinner as a family and ask our son to say the blessing. In his cute, three-year-old voice he says "God great, God good, thank you food Amen." Now he does not fully understand why we pray and I'm not even sure he understands the concept of God and Jesus just yet. After all, just a few months ago he went down the halls of our church yelling "Oh Jesus!" to anyone passing by. The important thing is that we are laying the foundation. Imagine if you said every day God is great and God is good. His little prayer at dinner time reminds us each time of how wonderful God is to us and all of the many blessings we have in our lives. We should wake up every morning thanking God for being great and good to us. Amen.

Psalm 119:05

Psalm 119:105
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

When ever I hear that verse, I think of the song. It's words ring true for our lives. Without the word of God we live in darkness, but when we follow the Word of God our path in life is lit with the brilliant light that can only come from Jesus. That's not to say that we wont experience periods of darkness, but every time we are in a low, that is when we need to be on our knees praying and spending time in the word in order to hear God's voice. I really believe that God speaks to us through the Bible. It is our instruction book, our guide, our light that shines in the darkness of the world. In it we will have no fear knowing that God is with us to the end of our earthly life and beyond.

Psalm 139

Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.

This has to be one of my favorite Bible passages. As a mother to three children, I love knowing that God was with me as he made my children.

Life is so precious because God takes the time to make sure that each of us is made for a purpose. Sometimes a baby might not be perfect in the eyes of the world, but he or she is still a wonderful part of God's creation. I should know. My younger son has Down Syndrome. God was with him when he was made in my womb just as He was there for my other two children and the one baby who is with Him now that I have yet to meet as a result of an ectopic pregnancy. My little boy is the light of my life, and though I wish he didn't have some of the challenges he has and must face in the future, I know that God is going to work through him and bring blessings to all who meet him.

Whenever you are facing your own challenges and you are feeling unloved or unimportant know that God loved you enough to create you. He has been there for you from the very beginning of your existence and He will continue to be there for you always.

Reflections on John 3:16

It is one of the first Bible verses that I learned. For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son that who so ever believes in him shall not parish but have eternal life.
As a child I really did not grasp the true meaning of this beautiful verse. Matter of fact, I really did not understand it until I had children of my own. I love my babies more than my own life and I just don't think I could ever do what God did for us. I could not send any one of my three angels to a place that I knew was going to be filled with hardship, suffering, and ultimately a horrible, painful death. God knew exactly what he was doing, and because he loved us so much, he gave us Jesus. I am so thankful for that gift because I know it is one that I would never be strong enough to give.
Because of this beautiful sacrifice, so much of my fear has been erased. I do not need to fear my own death or the death of beloved family members. John 3:16 gives us the hope of eternal life. What we are in now is just one small part of our existence. There is more for us to do once we leave our bodies and this Earth. We will not parish or pass away. Eternity awaits us and it will be a beautiful thing to behold.

It Is Hard Being a Woman

We are doing a Beth Moore Bible study on Esther. I have really come to admire her more that ever as I have learned some of the history behind this extraordinary woman of God. I always pictured her as a young woman of 18 to 20, but she was probably only 13 or 14 when she was taken from her home to try to please the king. How many 13 year olds do you know who would have been able to keep their heads in such a situation? Esther gained the favor of all those who were in the position to help her become queen. I imagine this included having the qualities of a true woman of God and not submitting to the petty things that even today's woman struggles with.

Part of this study encourages us to look within ourselves and accept ourselves for who we are. To often we waste time comparing ourselves to other women. We find that we dress to impress others than dressing to be comfortable to ourselves. Why? What does it matter? God loves us for who we are and there is no need to try to out do our fellow sisters in Christ. The Bible says that beauty is fleeting and that is true. We were not designed to stay young forever. We will age, and looks will fade, but the inner beauty that we find within ourselves will shine forever.

In the Beginning.....

I am always frustrated when I hear about schools teaching about evolution, but totally ignoring any other view, especially creationism. Many scientists are now debunking Darwin's theory and some are even pointing to evidence of a creation type story to explain our existence. You can get into the whole debate as to if God really created the earth an all of its creatures in six, 24 hour days or not (remember he rested on the seventh), but the important thing is that God did create. He is still creating. Every human being on this Earth was created by God in his image. God's hand will be in every beautiful flower that is about to bloom and in the fruit that will be growing on the tree in my back yard. The beginning continues on to today. Even though creation is not what it was originally, it is a beautiful thing and we need to remember to thank God every day for all of the blessings of creation.

Sitting in Ashes

Tonight we went to our church's Ash Wednesday service. As usual, it was very moving to me. Our sermon was on how at different points in our lives, we might find ourselves sitting in ashes. This can be caused by several bad events piling on top of each other. While we are sitting in this pile of ashes, we don't always see God working for us. All we see is the bad and we are left wondering if something good will ever come of it. Everything in this crazy life happens for a reason... even the bad things. We must have faith that God will bring us up from our despair and one day we will see the reason behind the pain.
Our minister used several different examples of how people have come out of their pile of ashes. He told the story of a man who owned a chicken business by the highway. One day the all mighty interstate was built and his business dwindled as more cars took to the new infrastructure. All he had left from his life was a social security check and the poor, old man considered turning to a life of crime. Instead, he took that social security check, some of his famous fried chicken and founded something that we know as KFC today. Its hard to imagine Colonel Sanders as a criminal.
He also told the story of Hannah. Her life was a plie of ashes as she had no son. One day God answered her prayer and gave her Samuel, who she gave back to Him. All of her suffering through infertility led to one of the greatest man of God in the Old Testiment, but she was unable to see this while she was suffering.
On Ash Wednesday, we need to remember that God does have a plan. There may be several difficult things going on in your life right now, but we as weak humans, cannot always see the bigh picture and the plans that God has for us. Do not lose faith. Spend this time of lent in prayer and seeking Him. All will be revealed in due time.