What are you Thankful for?

As I sit in the stillness of the morning, I began to pray for things, I want and need or feel like I need.

I didn't just pray for myself but I did ask God for a lot.

It wasn't until I began thanking him that I got peace. I got peace through worship with Him, through fellowship with Abba, father.

Many people I know are going through hard times right now, and it may be hard to find that thankful heart, but I want to ask you to reach deep down and find it because thankfulness and a heart of gratitude will change your attitude.

We get so overwhelmed by this world, this short life that is but a mist.  Have you ever thought about the insignificance of your life?  Probably not because we are so busy trying to make it significant. We strive to leave a legacy, a "name for ourselves", leave our mark on this world that we don't even realize how truly insignificant we are.

Some of us live in a state of depression because we lost something dear to us or someone,  all the while,  life is ticking by and God has something he wants you to do if you can come to terms with how short life really is for any of us. If you remember the story of Elisha and how he longed for Elijah to be there - he depended on him, yet he had to do ministry and life alone - God had something for Elisha to do that was very important and it did not involve Elijah.  Have you come to your Jordan alone and it's hard to be thankful?

Again, I want to ask you to dig down deep within your soul and think about this fleeting life and ask yourself, ask God, "what is it you want me to do ?"

I challenge you to start with a heart of Thanksgiving and see the amazing things he will show you.

I want to ask you to look at life from the perspective of how short it is, how little time we have here on earth but the weightier issue is eternity. We will be in eternity for much longer than this short life, what are you doing for eternity?

So as you go through this Thanksgiving Holiday, be thankful for this wonderful short life, but be cognizant of eternity even more so.  If you want to leave a mark on this current life, bless someone.  Be a help, encourage others, be the change you want in this world.

Life is fragile

As I prepare this morning to attend a funeral later today of a student, I cannot help but think on the fragility of life.
Death will often make us think on these things, the why, the what ifs and many times we question God.
Today I want to talk about life. I want to talk about how insignificant we actually are and how eternity is significant.
If you knew today was your last, would you tell someone about Jesus Christ's love?

We put so much emphasis on this life, the here the now, but there is something so much bigger and better awaiting those who believe.
Life is but a vapor and then gone..... but we have so much trouble with death.
I know right now if I lost someone I love, I would have trouble with it.  I know it's because we love so deeply, we are so encompassed with the world and 'our own world' that nothing need shake it or life is bad.  I would be like Elisha when he realized he was alone in this world without Elijah. (2Kings 2:12). I would be broken, and selfishly wanting "my" person back. All the while not thinking about how much bigger eternity is than my here and now, than this life that is like a mist or vapor then gone(James 4:14).

When you think on the shootings, the kids that are killed in the way of the shooter or the bomber or a shooter that targets kids or the people who were targeted with a car because he could not get a gun... you realize this world is tainted, people are hurting and full of evil, yet you choose to not look up, you choose to not look to a higher power for strength but instead you look for strength within yourself or whatever the narcissistic latest religion/or spirituality fad is.  The world is only getting worse because people are getting further away from God, from his principles his morals, his truth and virtues.
You see years ago even the parents who were dragged to church and then maybe didn't go,  taught their kids morals, respect and virtues, generations go by and this goes lacking.They didn't go to church and now their kids don't go to church or see a need for it and they are working 6-7 days a week because that is what their parents taught them was important and what society tells us is important, and no one is teaching the kids morals, not even the church because someone along the way decided 'church' wasn't important and they don't go. Thus, it becomes generational.

There is a great falling away from what this country was founded on, you say freedom of religion yes, but that freedom was to worship God the one and only how they wanted. Not spirituality, not self, not money, but God.

Here we are as a nation, trying our best to get away from the old way, the old things and we are pushing God out, when we need to desperately hold onto to Him and His word with all we have.

Eternity is the big picture here........... eternity.....
 What are you doing for eternity? How are you preparing? How are you living? Who are you telling about eternity? Who are you telling about God, so that you, they, whomever,  gets the chance to live eternal?
 Because, in the end, eternity is what matters not this fleeting life that is way too short.
So.....

.. As I prepare to go to a funeral today of a student, I realize how fragile life is but also how small it is.... eternity is the big picture..

Living Free, Yet On Guard

In the lot I have been given, there is an amazing amount of freedom I feel. I know God's word and am constantly learning more. I live a free life and for that I am grateful. I live free in God's word thanks to a Savior and for that I am grateful as well.

In the same lot I am given, I live on guard, on guard for what's next, what person or group will have a problem with something I said or my husband said, trying my best to stay politically correct, yet also living free sounds kinda ironic right? Well we are to care about others, and that matter of the heart will make you want to love others and not hurt...so I don't live just by the truth that I know,  but I also live by grace and because I know God, our Lord and Savior, I have the amazing ability to extend that grace to others that I come in contact with, hence,  we are a light in a world of darkness.  I wear thick skin but practice life with a delicate, loving heart. Although, at times,  I feel like I am being pummeled by a rushing river.  I feel like a stone floating against waves, rocks and debris, then God extends his loving arms and an amazing amount of grace to guide me, to comfort me, to heal me.

In my devotion, I was reading in 2Peter 3 today and this scripture stood out to me: 

"Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen," (2 Pet. 3:17-18).

Here we are reminded to be on "guard" and to "grow". 

Growth

This requires some effort on our part - just like anything, it's a constant reciprocal feat that we all must strive for. Not salvation, but the relationship aspect, the freedom, the peace, the hope, it all comes from growth.  Salvation,  is a one time stop you get it and you have it, but the growth is what I speak of, it is a constant process. Growth is hearing God's word, studying God's word and applying it to your life daily. 

Guard

This requires effort too, guard your heart, guard your mind, guard what you have, be alert, be on alert. Satan is a lion seeking who he may devour(1Peter 5:8), so be ready. In order to be able to do that though- one must grow in God's word, then you can put on the whole armor and be able to stand. Don't be carried away, don't allow yourself to fall just because you were not on guard, or because you were lazy. Be strong in God !! 

He has given us everything we need, no, we are not perfect, but knowing that doesn't give us excuse either. Living free doesn't mean you get grace without truth, it means you cling to your heavenly father with all you got. You grow, you glow, and you can do this with God's help. You don't want to go back,  because you have seen the other side, you have seen what sin and hurt, and pain looks like without God,  and you never want to go back to that. So you live on guard, you live in His word, in His shadow, and when  you want to look down, you guard your heart and you look up.