All Or None

In the book of Acts when Paul was a prisoner on the ship that ran into a storm and the ship was in danger of sinking, the Lord gave instructions that no one was to bail out. It was all to be saved or none! I have often given much thought to what that represents and I see a parallel in how we are expected to respond in this time of uncertainty.

During economic hardship for friends and family who are clearly struggling for financial balance and sometimes even survival, we have to rethink who we are. Do we react in fear and hold onto what we have or do we see with real vision? Isn’t it time to realize all of us are in the same boat? It shouldn’t be about the “haves and the have nots” but it should be about meeting someone else’s need if you have it. I know that doesn’t agree with the world’s point of view but how does one change the world but one act of kindness at a time? For all the greed, corruption, selfishness and unrighteousness seen, if you look close enough you will also see those breaking through to an eternal plan. The one that says to love others as yourself.

I keep remembering the sinking ship and have determined I must give my all to help others, without such thinking none of my life matters.


Matt 22:39b …”You shall love your neighbor as yourself”

Do Not Grow Weary In Doing Good

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I keep photographs and names pinned to a corkboard in my office. When I am wondering where to take my thoughts, these serve as a reminder to me to be ever vigilant for prayers. I don’t always know what someone is going through but I know my Father does. For myself, on any given day I can have a multitude of blessings so it lifts my heart to share what I have been given with those I love and care about. Even in those moments I feel void of blessings, this is the time I give even more.

Gal 6:9  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

You Won’t Relent

You won’t relent
Until You have it all
My heart is Yours

I’ll set You as a seal upon my heart
As a seal upon my arm
For there is love that is as strong as death
Jealousy demanding as the grave
And many waters cannot quench this love

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one

Lyrics by Misty Edwards, You Won’t Relent

Changing History

“Ceasar tried to change men by changing institutions. Christ changed institutions by changing men.” Historian Will Durant

Live Eternal or well….die.

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My heavenly Father teaches me something which goes completely against society thinking. He teaches me that in my weakness I will be made strong. He teaches me not to rely on myself or my abilities.

Can we be blunt here? I live in a world where even the slightest weakness is like a fresh wound bleeding in the wilderness, every carnivore within miles can smell a kill. Now picture yourself pouring out your life source and still you keep steady on your path rather than bolt to the nearest shelter for safety and bandaging. Only the most suicidal mindset can stay the course wouldn’t you say?

Yep, welcome to the kingdom’s truth. It’s all about a death isn’t it? Either you die to self or you plain die to hope and the promise of eternity. Sounds kind of scary in our own English but when we really take the time to understand it’s rather simple. Believe in Christ enough to accept Him as savior and live a life eternal or well,…..die.

Rom 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Rom 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raiseed him from the dead, you will be saved

Will You Come To The Banquet?

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I ask questions only each of you can answer for yourself. Are you panicking? What is your daily food? Are you picking up the newspapers and stuffing yourselves on fear and frenzy? Are you clicking back and forth between channels of news searching for the most “devastating” report to be found?

My next question to you, “have you found your fear?” If so, what have you accomplished? The world is always going to feed to you what is best for demoralization of our hope. So when is it time to read further? And where do you turn for such hope? Never live in ignorance for what’s going on in the world but let these be markers to you for what is coming. Without being doomsayers, let’s speak of truth. The countdown is at hand and your time for choosing is before you.

Search deep in your heart and if there is even an inkling of curiosity that Jesus is for real, than recognize this call home and answer the knock. There will come a day when the door to this wedding banquet will be closed and those who declined the invitation will remain outside. Imagine missing out on the party of all parties to be everlasting? Why would you gamble your life betting in the opposite direction? What is the alternative….death eternal?

The Story of the Dinner Party (Luke 14:15-24) The Message Bible

That triggered a response from one of the guests: “How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God’s kingdom!” Jesus followed up. “Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’

“Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, ‘I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.’

“Another said, ‘I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.’

“And yet another said, ‘I just got married and need to get home to my wife.’

“The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, ‘Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.’

“The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded- and there’s still room.’

“The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'”

Responsible For Our Words

Rudyard Kipling’s famous quote, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

What we speak matters. We can either use our words for good or evil. Understanding the power in words is to understand our need to be responsible with them. I myself am drawn to the ultimate word and what it truly means.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

Bring Down The Walls

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My oh my, do you feel the battle? Yeah baby it’s on for sure! Got your gear on and your feet steadied? Time to bring down the walls! Every wall we have ever constructed for our sense of false security in money, houses, jobs, ourselves and independence needs to come down.

We need to rebuild upon the foundation meant to last forever.

1 Cor 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Put My Arms Around You

A song caught my ear yesterday because of its sound. I have always been drawn to the minor keys since they seem to cry out to something deeper in me than I can understand or even express. I had played it several times in a row while driving home and this morning when I left for work, again I was drawn to play it a few more times. It wasn’t until I was miles from home before a single sentence of what words were being sung hit me. “I can’t change the way you feel, but I can put my arms around you.”
These words hit my heart deeply. I think about the sea of people that surround us daily and how some of them are suffering such anguish. I may not have the instant answers to a problem but I certainly have compassion to understand what causes us great pain. In those moments I desire great wisdom to just hug someone when words just won’t do.

Wanting To Be A Better Person

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My husband and I just shared our 12th anniversary together and wow has it just zipped by. It amazes me at how much I like being married. I am giggling out loud because had you heard me a few years before I met my perspective husband, marriage was the last thing on my mind. I was a true believer of “independence” since no one could let me down but me, myself and I.

I didn’t really have a close walk with my heavenly Father either. I merely believed Him to exist and lived in fear I’d miss out on a fun life if I had to follow those rules I’d heard about here and there called the “10 commandments”.

My husband never preached at me nor did he really speak much about his deep faith in our early years together. No, he was much more subtle. He loved me “no matter” and unconditionally. I used to tell people, “he makes me want to be a better person.” I had no idea why.

Now as I look back at our years together I am so intrigued by the wise way my heavenly Father drew me to Him. It was to send a man without a bible in his hand but complete and total love in his heart. My husband’s non-hypocritical walk with the Lord has always been simple. Treat everyone with respect, love people even when you don’t want to and help those in need even if they don’t deserve it. These actions were what finally made me realize it wasn’t the man who made me want to be a better person, it was Jesus in the man.

Ecc 4:19 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work