Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died today.

And I am sad.

When I heard the report that he had been taken to the hospital, I prayed for him...for his healing and that he would know God if he didn't already know him. A short time later, I learned that he had passed away.

The King of Pop, gone.

My heart hurt.

I watched TV...saw the fans gather...heard the statements of those who knew and worked with him...listened as people spoke of how Michael had inspired them in one way or another.

I know Michael has had some difficult times. I haven't always agreed with some of his life choices...but neither am I perfect; I'm sure that God hasn't always been happy with the choices I have made. Jesus said, "...let those who have never sinned throw the first stones."

My hands are empty.



As I listened to the tributes pouring in, I couldn't help but wonder if he knew...

...in his latter days, did he know that people thought he was a genius in the music world? Did he know that his peers respected him and his work? Did he know that he had inspired many? Did he know how much people still enjoyed his music? Did he know so many loved and cared for him?

Or did he live and die behind the gates of his home without knowing the tender thoughts others had of him?


I hope he knew.



Is there anyone you need to talk to today? Anyone you need to let know that you think they are special...that they have touched your life in some wonderful way? Anyone you need to say "Good job" or "I love you" to?

We don't know how long we and our loved ones have on earth. Give your flowers today. Encourage, embrace, compliment, and show your love now.

You have the power to brighten someone's life by the things you say and do.

Reach out and bless someone today.


"Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up."
Proverbs 12:25

"So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."
1 Th. 5:11

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Always There

I'm so glad that God is always there for us. He's been there for me through many things but most recently through pain (broken bone = ouch!), uncertain economy (know many who will be without jobs in a month and that makes me sad), and feeling like I failed at...(personal, but God knows!) He's there through everything and that is so comforting to me!

He'll be there for you, too, if you ask Him to be!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

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Natasha Richardson

Three thousand miles away there is a family grieving--hurting--in pain. Two young boys struggle to make sense out of what, at first, seemed to be a simple fall that claimed their mother's life. A husband wonders how he will go on without his beloved wife. A mother plays the memories of times spent with her daughter over and over again in her mind and is numb inside realizing they will never share new memories or mother/daughter kisses again. A sister aches inside to think she will no longer be able to confide in or laugh with her sister.

Father,
Comfort the family members who grieve as well as all those who know and love Natasha. Let Your strength and power sustain them through the incredibly difficult days ahead. Let them feel Your love and Your presence....and let them also feel the love and prayers of those, both near and far, who seek to comfort them. Touch each one with the hope of heaven though their hearts are now so heavy.

As humans, we don't always know why things happen as they do, but we know that You love us and are able to bring us through even the most devastating of circumstances.

In the midst of their deep pain, please bring peace and comfort to all of her family members and friends...

...And may the memory of the love she had for each one always live inside of them and warm their hearts forever.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.



As you're reading this, maybe you're going through a difficult time, too. Please know that God is able to work in any circumstance you face when you reach for Him. We don't always understand everything that happens, but God is able to help us through all the difficult and devastating times that come our way.

If you're hurting, call on Him now.

He loves you so very much.



"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
1 Pet. 5:7

"....I have loved you with an everlasting love..."
Jer. 31:3

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Yet Will I Praise Him

"Yet will I praise Him," I thought as I walked north toward the mountains.

I suppose, to some, it would seem a strange thing to think as I walked to find a pay phone so I could call Triple A to come tow my car away. My car had died at an intersection and when I returned, a tire was also flat.

"Yet will I praise Him."

That was a summer I needed that verse a lot. I didn't have much money so car repairs were not really in my budget. My car was towed to a friend's house so her relative could work on it for me to try to keep the repairs costs to a minimum. While it was parked there, it was towed away and I had to pay a fine because she forgot to move it from a no parking zone during street cleaning while I was away on vacation.

"Yet will I praise Him."

A short time later the tags were stolen off of my car and I had to get new ones.




And it was also the summer I found out my mother had cancer.


"Yet will I praise Him."




God knew I would need that verse and He put it in my mind at the exact time I needed it. Life can be hard sometimes. We don't always understand why certain things happen.

Today there are concerns about money....jobs....the economy. People are divorced from spouses they once loved....friends hurt us at times....illness comes to those we know and care for deeply,.

But through it all, God is there. Comforting us. Loving us. Never losing sight of us though at times we may feel alone. The Bible says that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Be encouraged--Jesus is praying for you.

Take heart. You are loved. Deeply and unconditionally.

And whether now is a time of little or plenty--of joy or of heartache--God is with you.


"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls--
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet.
And He will make me walk on my high hills."
Hab. 3:17-19


"Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God,
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."
Ps. 42:11

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Someone's at the Door!

I was working at my computer when I heard a knock at the door. I didn't make a move. I'm one of those people who screen calls....and I don't answer the door unless I'm expecting someone. The knocking continued and still I didn't get up from my computer. Finally, though, I heard my name being called. That did it. I got up and answered the door. I knew the person on the other side knew me and it was safe to open the door.

There's someone knocking at your door and he knows your name. In fact, he knows everything about you. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. It's safe for you to open the door to Him. He loves you and wants the best for you. All you have to do is invite Him to come into your life.

Maybe you already know God. You've been friends with Him for a long time. What situation in your life do you need to invite Him to come into? He longs to help you in everything you're going through.

He's knocking now...

And calling your name...



Won't you open the door?



"Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends." Rev. 3:20

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Trust

You don't know
How much God is protecting you
How His tender hands
Embrace your life

You are unaware
Of the grace that is around you
Of love that keeps on loving
Though you don't acknowledge it

I know you breathe the air
Believing it is there
But your eyes do not bear witness
To its sweet existence

And yet you choose to not believe
in Christ unless you see Him
with your eyes

You trust in lesser things
Than the reality of the King
Are you sure the path you're walking
is all there is?
Are you sure this earthly life
is all there is?






If you're not sure about God, ask Him to make
Himself known to you. He loves you. He wants
you to know Him.


God helped Thomas with his doubts.


He will help you with yours.



"Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!' 'My Lord and my God!' Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, 'You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway.'" John 20:27-29

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Find Somebody

"Find somebody to help and help them."

Those words went through my mind several times as I walked the streets of New York. I wasn't sure if it was just something that popped in my head or if it was really God telling me to find somebody to help....but I thought about the words as I traveled around the city sight-seeing and taking in shows. I looked around all day long and I didn't see anyone who needed help....until I was walking back to the hotel after seeing a Broadway show. Standing on the sidewalk, suitcase in hand, stood a woman crying. "She looks like she could use some help," I thought...and I decided I would stop and talk to her. It wasn't until I got a little closer that I saw she was on the phone. I didn't want to disturb her phone call....so I reluctantly walked on. As I crossed the street to head to my hotel, the words went through my mind once again. "Find somebody to help and help them." How could I just walk away from someone who so obviously needed help....especially when the thought of helping someone had been going through my mind all day long? I turned around and headed back across the street.

"Excuse me," I said. "Could I help you?" The woman looked at me and gave a half smile. "No. I just missed my train and now I have to stay here until 3:00 a.m." I thought a moment and asked, "If I gave you a little money, would you be able to take a cab and make it to where you could get an earlier train?" The woman smiled a little more and said, "No, that's the first train out." We talked a little longer and then I went on my way. But I felt like I hadn't helped her at all...hadn't done what I had set out to do. The woman was still stuck in the city for several hours.

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at Starbucks. As I waited for my hot chocolate, I turned to look out the window....and there was the woman walking by, talking on the phone again. But this time she wasn't crying. She looked like anyone else in the city just walking down the street toward her destination.

By seeing her in that very short moment that she walked by, God showed me that we don't always know how we've affected another person. I thought I had failed in helping her. When I walked away from her, I felt I hadn't helped at all. but she did seem like she was feeling better when I saw her as she walked by the window...

Maybe you've tried to help someone, too, and you feel you've failed. Keep doing all you can do and let God do the rest. You may not see an outward change...you may never know on this side of heaven how your words or your kindness helped another.

But keep doing good to all those you meet.

And trust God to touch the hearts and lives of all those you try to help.

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