No Questions Asked~

Luke 23 contains the details of Jesus' crucifixion, and we learn in verse 32 that two other men, who were criminals, were also going to be crucified. Verse 39 says one of the them "hurled insults at Jesus." Verses 40-42, however, paint a different picture of the other criminal.

He says, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But Jesus has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

These two men represent the two types of people in our world today - those who want nothing to do with Christ and those who realize their great need for Him. (I have something in common with the criminal who needed Jesus, and I hope you do too.)

Nevertheless, verse 43 is what makes Christ so awesome, so great, so wonderful, so selfless..."Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise."

So simple, really. No harsh words about a crime-filled life. No judgment, no condemnation, no criticism. The criminal genuinely wanted to be forgiven, and Jesus gave it. No questions asked.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Today we unite our voice with that forgiven criminal and say, "Remember us!" We look forward to being with You in Paradise. In the meantime, thank You that You are with us each step of the way on planet earth. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

I Need a Personal Resurrection~

Easter Sunday is a little over two weeks away, and Resurrection is on my mind.  Powerful synonyms include, comeback, rebirth, return to life, renewal, restoration, and rebound.  Of course, the greatest comeback of all time was Christ's, and His Resurrection teaches us that just because death has occurred, it doesn’t mean it’s over. 

Eternally speaking, if we physically die, it’s the beginning of a glorious existence in heaven.  

But what are the implications of the resurrection while we live on earth? 

According to Ephesians 1:19-20 "The immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of God’s power which He exerted when He raised Christ from death,” is “in and for us who believe.”

That same mind-blowing power that resurrected Christ is IN us and FOR us to resurrect any dead areas of our lives. 

This is profound, people.  It’s not too late, and it’s not over.  God is willing to exert His power for us. 

Think about something you have given up on. 

“I’ll never get married.”

“I’ll never have children.”

“I’ll never get out of debt.”

“I’ll never have peace.”

“I’ll never get along with my spouse.”

“I’ll never enjoy the work I do.”

"I'll never have faith."

"I'll never feel better."

"My kid/s will never get their act together."

"Depression will always get the better of me." 

Let’s stop saying never.  The immeasurable, unlimited, surpassing greatness of God’s power CAN RESURRECT ANYTHING. 

There is one condition, however, and it is that this power is reserved for those who believe.  Are you having difficulty believing?  Take heart!  Ephesians 1:18 tells us that prayer is the key. We can pray that "the eyes of our heart be enlightened to know the hope to which He has called us."

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I long for do overs and new beginnings -- especially in this area (____________________).  I need a personal resurrection,  and right now as I struggle to fully comprehend the exceeding greatness of Your power for me and in me, I pray that You would enlighten my eyes to believe You with my whole heart.  You raised Christ to give me eternal life, but You also exert Your power to raise up hopeless areas of my life.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

What Makes You Happy?

Romans 12:12 “Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.”

Tuesday greetings~

What makes you happy?  I used to say that I was happiest when my chickies were in the nest.  My definition has broadened, however, because they both flew the coop.  What makes me happy now is when they visit, stay for dinner, turn off their electronic devices, make eye contact, and say stuff.

I am also happy when it’s me and Jorge and reruns of 1960s sitcoms to keep us company.  Plus, I am happy when I chat with a friend, have a cold glass of milk in front of me, am cuddling with a baby, or am holding the latest and greatest spy novel in my hands. Lately, petting my Hershey Pie is at the top of the list!

But what about when troubles come?  Can we be happy then?  Can we have joy when we do not feel well, or one of our kids is in trouble? When we are surrounded by problem after problem after problem?

The answer is yes.  It is possible to smile and laugh in the middle of all the madness, but only when we base our happiness on our hope in Christ.

If my happiness were based on my money, where would I be if I lost it all?

If my happiness were based on being young, I would have been in trouble a while back.

Let's face it: Babies grow up, relationships come and go, and perfect health does not last forever. 

But Jesus, well, He is a constant we can rely on! When we base our happiness on our hope in Christ, nothing - NOT ONE THING - can take it away.  We are all hoping for peace, health, perfect love, and the promise of Revelation 21:4 where "there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain."  And these are precisely the amazing blessings that will be ours soon enough. 

We still have to live this life to get to the eternal one, so God reminds us in the verses above that when things get tough, even unbearable, we can be happy by proactively making sure that our hope is in Christ; He is One who will turn everything we have hoped for into a reality.  In the meantime, maintaining the habit of prayer keeps our focus where it should be.

  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us so much hope.  No matter what is going on, help us to always keep our eyes on You and all the amazing blessings that are headed our way.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Praise is a Good Thing~

"Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
    Hallelujah!" Psalm 150:6

I am pleased to report that my precious Hershey Pie is a Christian dog.  That's right! Every time he enters his crate -- of his own free will, I might add -- I put on praise and worship music and Hershey settles right down.  It soothes his doggy soul, and he rests peacefully while I am away.

We would be wise to fill our atmosphere with Christian music as well, and Psalm 147 gives us over 15 reasons why "It is a good thing to sing praise to our God."

Here are just a few:

He rebuilds

He heals

He has limitless strength

He puts the fallen on their feet again

He blesses our children

He makes our homes secure

He launches His promises earthward

When we praise Him, when we put our focus on Him and His greatness, and three mighty things happen.  First, we forget about our troubles. Secondly, our faith is strengthened to believe in His power, and thirdly, "we get God's attention" (verse 11).

Imagine that -- God's attention on us and our hopes, dreams, families, fears, businesses, concerns...AMEN!

Put on some praise music today and get ready to receive all the promises He is launching your way!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We praise Your mighty name today.  It is a good thing to sing to You for You are worthy to receive it.  We look to You as the Source of our joy, peace, protection, provision, and hope.  Fill us with Your presence and thank You that every living thing, including our beloved pets, are commanded to praise You! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

*All Bible verses are from The Message version

RSVP

Tuesday greetings from sunny and beautiful South Florida!

It's been four years since I was busy preparing for Hormone's wedding, and three since Rachel's. (How can this be? Time has flown by!) And one of the details that I stressed over more than others were the RSVPs, which is an acronym for the lovely French phrase: Répondez S'il Vous Plaît - Reply, If You Please. In order to have the right amount of food, decorations, table settings, etc...it was important to know how many guests were attending.  

Including an RSVP is an elegant way of asking someone to either accept or decline your invitation, and in my case all I asked for was a simple email reply. Our Lord also has an RSVP - it's the Bible.

Verse after verse after verse is an invitation to secure eternal life, have peace, enjoy life, find guidance, be filled with joy, overflow with hope and healing... EVERYTHING we could possibly ever need or want has been provided graciously and abundantly by Christ.  The only thing left for us to do is respond.  Will we?

Will we say, "YES!" to the King of Kings and Lord of lords?  

I could not force anyone to attend my kids' weddings; they had to come of their own free will.  We must do the same with Christ.  The invitation has been issued for whoever wants it; we just have to RSVP.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We respond to Your goodness today and accept You into our lives.  We thank You for doing so much for us because we need You every single day.  We are grateful for your generosity and love.  Today we especially respond to Your invitation to provide peace. You said that when we pray Your peace would guard our hearts.  We receive it! In Jesus' name, AMEN. 

A Lamp Unto My Feet~

Greetings in the name of our Mighty Lord,

My son, Hormone, has a way of making me feel slightly disorganized because every once in a while he will make certain comments like, "Yah yah...I know you have a picture of me as a kid with my best friend dressed in camouflage at his spend the night party when we were 10, but I haven't seen that picture in 15 years..."

Hormone can shut it because I recently started organizing all the pictures I took before the digital age! Not only did I find that precious picture and text it to him IMMEDIATELY, but I also came across the first picture I ever took of me and my family's feet -- just our feet.  Miss Rayray was two months old, and Hormone was three.  Who doesn't love little baby stinky feet?  And the very first thing I thought of when I saw this pic was not that I should have found the time for a pedicure even if was the frazzled mother of two, but rather a verse in the Bible that has proven true in the 25+ years since that picture was taken.

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

God's Word shines brightly into our lives when we let it.  When we open its pages and avail ourselves of all it has to offer, we will head in the right direction.  When we pray it over our children they will get back on the right track. When we guard it in our hearts it helps us make wise decisions.  Reading it will lift our spirits and nourish our souls. 

When I opened the dark dank closet where all my pictures were stored in boxes, I dared not do so without a flashlight.  Last time I did that a nice dead humongous three-inch Godzilla lizard was waiting for me in the shadows.  LESSON LEARNED.  

Likewise, we all need a good light to see where to direct our feet.   

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word that guides us, teaches us, keeps us on blessed paths, and revitalizes us when we are weary.  Give us a hunger and thirst for Your Word so that we will always travel a well-lit path. In Jesus' name, AMEN

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet...

Hormone all the way on the right...

Mighty Man of God~

Tuesday greetings,

On February 10th Ingrid Williams, 44 year-old wife of Monty Williams, who is the associate head coach of the Oklahoma Thunder basketball team, died after a car crash the previous day.  She left behind five children and an adoring husband who is also a MIGHTY MAN of God. His seven and a half minute eulogy will profoundly bless your life.  Take the time to listen to it today by clicking on the link below, and then thank God for the glorious future that awaits us all.

Blessings to you and yours,

http://youtu.be/SXIz14VuQik