Step Forward

Do you like adventures? Wanna go somewhere no one has ever been before? You can....for free!

No one has ever been in 2008 before...and you're going there....soon!!

A whole new year ahead....a chance to start again....a time to change direction or set a firmer resolve to continue the direction you're already going.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the past...thinking of regrets we have...things we would have or even should have done differently....that we forget to look expectantly to the future.

I like what Anne Shirley said in the movie Anne of Green Gables...."Tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes."

The new year is fresh with no mistakes, too. Oh, it's inevitable that mistakes will be made...but trust that God will bring you through those just as He always has. Let go of things in the past that hold you back and step into the new year with joyful anticipation at what lies ahead. Look with new eyes at those around you....love more, dream more, serve more, pray more, be thankful more, and follow God more.

Abandon yourself to God.

I love that phrase! When I looked up the word abandon, I found that one of the definitions is: to give oneself completely to

Give yourself completely to God this coming year.

There's no greater adventure...no greater fulfillment.

No greater way to live.



Try it...you'll see!



"...Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to Him..." Rom. 12:1

Comfort and Joy

It wasn't a song I sang often or even particularly enjoyed, but I found myself singing it....after all, it was the song that the little Christmas tree I bought that night was playing.

"God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray..."

I sang and when I got to the chorus, my heart flooded with emotion...

"O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy."

Comfort and joy was, indeed, what God had given me that year. Comfort and joy after a long, difficult time....comfort and joy straight from God's heart to mine.

I love that song now. It's a reminder to me that God heals...that He knows what each of us is going through every second of every day...and that He cares enough to comfort us and bring us joy again after sorrow. I also realized I had never really listened carefully to the song until that time....I found that it so beautifully tells about the birth of Jesus and of His power in our lives.

Today "joy" is one of the sweetest words I know. God returned to me the joy I had earlier only after I had walked a very difficult path....the way He did it was quite remarkable...using people and circumstances I never could have imagined....weaving even those I didn't know into my life to touch me in a way only God could have planned.

And I want you to know that He is able to comfort you, too, and bring joy to you again. Whatever sorrow you're going through....whatever you've faced in the past little while...God is able to bring comfort and joy to your heart again. There is nothing too hard for Him. Nothing too far from His touch.

And He loves you so very much.

It may all come suddenly or God may choose to heal you a little bit at a time as He did me.

But no matter what, know this...

God sees you....He knows who you are....He loves you deeply and completely....and He will never leave you.

Never.

Just ask Him to be in your life and He will.



May God fill your heart with comfort and joy this Christmas season....and may you know His presence always in your life.

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:9-11

A Ride Away...

I only clicked on the news story to read about weather related problems in the northwest....

but I found the story of someone's life...

and death.

***************************************************************

The article I was reading told about the weather and then near the bottom it listed a couple of weather related fatalities. One was a dancer from New York City.

Since my heart is so often in New York these days, I was drawn to the story. As I looked on the Internet, I found out more about the accident and about the woman who had died...and I sadly thought it a strange coincidence that her credits listed her as being in a movie I had watched earlier that evening.

The pileup happened in New Jersey....a winter's night....an icy road.....several cars. A moment in time...lives forever changed. Initially, right after the accident, all four of the people in the car were ok. They got out of the automobile for a few minutes and just as they were going to get back in, aware of the danger of standing outside, a car slammed into two of the dancers. The woman died at the scene. Her husband, who she had been married to for only a few months, was in critical condition. The other two people with them, also dancers, dodged out of the way and ended up with only bruises.

I couldn't help reading additional news stories about them. The woman who died was well thought of.....kind....took new dancers under her wing and mentored them. She didn't have to do that. She could have used her time for her own gain....could have focused on herself with little thought of the others around her....but she chose to reach out....chose to love rather than compete with the other dancers.

I had a difficult time sleeping that night. I couldn't help thinking about how fragile life is....how it can end at any second....couldn't help considering what I've been doing with my own life...and wondering about steps ahead.

We only get one life. A limited number of days to do the things God wants us to accomplish. I want to live well...want to please my Father....want to hear the words, "Well done, faithful servant," when I leave the earth.

Each of us needs to consider how we're living our lives.

After all, we're all just a ride....a heartbeat....a breath.....away from eternity.

And I have to ask....do you know God? Do you know that He loves you and sent Jesus to die for your sins? Do you know that when you believe in Him and ask Him to forgive your sins you have eternal life? Do you know you are loved with an unconditional love? It's all there...love, acceptance, forgiveness, eternal life, strength for living today....and so much more I can't even say it all...it's all there...if you accept it.

I pray you accept it.

God longs for you to believe in His Son...longs to welcome you into His family....longs to have you in heaven with Him when you die.

Will you ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life...your Savior?

Will you do it now?

......There are no guarantees you will have tomorrow.


*******************************************************

If you already know God, please pray for Julio, the husband of the woman who died. (And for all the friends and family members who are hurting during this difficult time.) He suffered a broken leg in the accident. The doctors are hopeful he will dance again someday, but there is much physical healing that needs to take place for him to be able to do that.

...And he is mourning the death of his wife.

...a tragedy so deep it's difficult to comprehend. I know, though, that God is able to bring Julio through it....is able to comfort and take the broken pieces of his life...and the broken pieces of our own lives....and make something new and beautiful out of it all...in His time.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
Ps. 34:18

"To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory." Isaiah. 61:3

Family Resemblance

I love looking at families and seeing how they're alike. Sometimes they all have the same hair color...or the same smile....one child may have dad's eyes and another may gesture just like her mother when she speaks. Sometimes people are so much alike that others can look at them and say, "Oh, I can tell he's a 'Smith' or she certainly acts like a 'Rogers'." It's interesting and fun to me to see the characteristics families share with one another

Last night I stopped to pick up a take-out order at a restaurant. As I looked around the room, I noticed two men sitting side by side. They looked similar to one another. I watched them as they talked....studied their faces....several of their features were alike. I concluded that they must be family....brothers, perhaps.

And it made me start thinking about the family of God. There are characteristics and attributes that should mark each of us as members of His family. Jesus was loving, kind, and compassionate. He took time to speak with those who were sick or had been cast out by society. He fed those who were hungry and taught those around Him about God. He was honest, fair, and humble. He always reached out to others.

As members of God's family, we should be living the same way Jesus did. It should be apparent to others by our actions that we are part of His family.


How about you?

When others look at your life can they say, "Oh, I can tell she's a Christian."?

Do you live your life the way Jesus did? Are you doing the things you should be doing as a member of God's family?


.....Can others see the family resemblance in you?



"Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ...."
Eph. 5:2

The Adventure

I had gone out to dinner with friends. After we finished, they headed home. I wasn't tired so I decided to go to the city.

I asked God to take me on an adventure....and He did.

***********************************************************

I was driving, with no real destination in mind, when I saw bright lights. As I got closer, I realized they were lights from a football field. I fondly remember my high school football-watching-marching-band-playing days so I decided to go investigate. As I drove by, I noticed the band lined up on the side of the field and I couldn't resist watching and listening to them so I parked my car and went in. I decided to sit on the home team's side, but after I climbed to the top of the stadium to stand (because the seats were all wet), I realized I was on the visitor's side. "Wrong side," I thought. But I wasn't going to climb back down and walk to the other side so I just stayed there. The band was on the field and I watched and smiled....but again thought, "Wrong side," because the band was mostly facing the home team's side, which made the music a little difficult to hear, and I, of course, was on the visitor's side. After the home team's band played, the band from the visitor's team played, too. A double treat!!

Halftime was over and the game started again. I decided to stay for just a few minutes. The visitor's team wasn't doing so well. Their score was 0. The home team had 20 or 30 something. (Ok...I admit I'm not good at remembering scores!! But the home team was definitely outscoring the visitor's team!) I started praying for the visiting team...that they would get a touchdown....anything...I didn't want them to go home without any points on the board. I looked around the visitor's side. Only a few people were really paying attention to the game. I noticed an older man watching with a serious, almost pained look on his face. I wondered if he was some boy's father....watching and wondering what to say to his son after the game. What do you say to someone whose team has lost a game by so very much? The people on the visitor's side continued to talk and visit....and I kept praying....for a touchdown....and that the clock would move faster! I wanted to see the game, but I also wanted to leave and I couldn't decide which I wanted more. Well, the 3rd quarter came and went....and I was still there. I looked around and prayed for the people...that they would know Jesus...that He would be with them. As I stood there, I asked God, "Does it make a difference that I'm here....does it make a difference that I'm praying for people at this game?" I realized that if I truly believed in prayer, which I whole-heartedly do, that it did make a difference that I was there and praying. I thought maybe that was my adventure, my reason that I had ended up at that game that night. Maybe someone there needed prayer.

The clock seemed to move faster in the 4th quarter...and I was glad! I thought about leaving with only a few minutes to go....but, thankfully, I stayed to the end because that's when God really showed me the reason I was there. I kept watching....and praying. With about 2 and a half minutes to go, the visitors were very close to making a touchdown. Excitement grew within me. "Please, God, let them make a touchdown! Let there be rejoicing on this side of the field!" A few plays later, the visitor's side exploded in joy!! They made a touchdown and even earned an extra point afterwards!! The score was 49 to 7. I saw some of the players from the visitor's team smiling and that made me smile. I felt happy for them that they had something to celebrate. Now the visitor's side was alive! People clapped and cheered and actually watched the game.

And it made me wonder....how many times do we sit back, involved in our own lives, not really encouraging those who need it while they're down? Do we also wait, like the people in the visitor's stand, until some worthy accomplishment comes along for someone and then get interested and give our encouragement to him or her? Wouldn't it be helpful to also give encouragement when they're down, when they're trying to find their way, when they're scrambling to make a touchdown in life instead of just waiting until the goal has already been made?

As I continued to watch the team members celebrate, one young man on the sidelines caught my eye. He was hugging the other players.....a high school boy hugging other players openly and with such love. I couldn't help watching him. He hugged several players and bent down to hug someone sitting on a bench...it even looked like he leaned over and kissed the top of his helmet! He went up to some of the men on the field....perhaps some of the coaches...and extended his hand for a handshake. I was so taken with the mature way in which he carried himself and his openness in showing how much he cared for people. Tears filled my eyes as I watched....and learned. As a Christian, shouldn't I be that open in showing love and affection to others? Shouldn't people know I'm a Christian by my love, just as the song says? I didn't know whether that young man was a Christian or not....I wanted to talk to him and ask him if he was. I imagined the conversation going something like this:

"Hey, Number 25! Good game out there! Are you a Christian?"

"Thanks! Yes, I am!"

"It shows!"

And our Christian love for others should "show" too, whether we're hugging someone or helping someone carry a bunch of packages or just sitting quietly with someone at the hospital.

I didn't actually have a chance to talk to Number 25....still don't know whether he is a Christian or not, but God used him and the others things that happened at the football game that night to teach me several things. Don't be so caught up in your own life that you forget to look around for others who need you....Encourage others when they're down, don't wait until they accomplish something wonderful before you lavish praise and encouragement on them....Let your love for others show....openly and uninhibitedly.

It was only as I was driving home that I realized I was not on the "wrong side" of the field at all. God had me exactly where He wanted me to be so that I could see the things I saw that night and learn the lessons He wanted me to learn.

He's so good that way!!

It Only Takes a Little

I was recently reading the story in the Bible about Jesus feeding five thousand people. There was a great crowd gathered that had been following Jesus. When He asked the disciples about feeding them, one of the disciples told Jesus that a boy in the crowd had five loaves of bread and two fish. Soon after that, you read that Jesus gave thanks and passed out the bread and fish to the people. They even had leftovers!

I started thinking about the boy in the story...the one who had the bread and the fish. It doesn't say that the boy wanted to keep the bread and fish for himself...it doesn't say that he didn't want to share what he had with others...it doesn't say that the child whined and complained about giving up his food....the Bible doesn't really say anything about the boy other than that he was the one who had the bread and fish. But we know that he gave it to be used because Jesus gave thanks to God for it and the disciples passed the food out to the people. And it got me thinking....the boy was willing to give the little he had....willing to let it be used....and Jesus was able to multiply it into so much more.

So it is with us....we may feel we only have a little to give....a little time, a little money, a little encouragement....we may feel that the way we serve at church or in another place is only a little job....but in Jesus' hands it can become so much more....our "little" can be a big blessing to so many.

So today....if you feel like you only have a little to give....give willingly and joyfully...because through your "little", God can bless many!

"Serve the Lord with gladness..." Psalm 100:2

Just Ask

Don't you love movies?! I do! I looked at some old movies and CDs last night at the store...browsing for something to buy. I smiled as I saw CDs of music that I used to love (If I said the names, I bet you'd smile, too...they were very popular once upon a time!) I saw movies from yesteryear displayed in bargain bins. (I bet you'd know the movies, too, if I wrote their titles!) These CDs and movies that had once brought top dollar were now discounted because love for them has waned. They're not deemed as valuable as they once were...thrown in the bargain bins to whoever would like to claim them for a discount price.

I'm so glad God's love for us doesn't wane like our love for music and movies. God's love for us remains strong....unchanging....we are always valuable to Him. We're never thrown into the "bargain bin" as if we're not as "wanted" as another.....we're never cast aside by God. We are precious to Him.

How ever you're feeling today...whatever you're going through....know that God loves you! He cares about every circumstance you're going through and every detail of your life.

He will be there for you if you ask Him to be.

Anytime.

Night or day.
Good times or bad.
Top of the world or down in the dumps.


He will be there for you always.....

....you just have to ask.


"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"....and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20