Father, Rain Down Grace on Me!

I’ve noticed lately that when I pray I tend to repeat the same few phrases over and over, in each of my prayers. For example, when speaking to God I tend to ask, “Lord, won’t you lead me down the paths you want me to go”. 

Another favorite request is: “Lend me your strength and determination.” But the one catchphrase I seem to use, in my prayers, more than any other is this one: “Father, please rain down your Grace on me”.

I wondered, what does it mean to ask for God’s Grace?

Let’s look at what the word Grace actually means.

One definition of Grace, in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is: The free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. I read on in the dictionary: Simple elegance or refinement of movement. 

  

“She moved through the water with effortless grace”. 

Synonyms: elegance, poise, gracefulness and finesse.

That certainly explains why I need to ask for God’s Grace. 

In my walk with him—being an imperfect being—I find myself to be anything but elegant, poised or graceful. I am in constant need of his unmerited favor. 

Recently, while out shopping I found myself in line at the cash register behind a young woman whose appearance was a little out of my own personal comfort zone; she made me feel awkward and uncomfortable. 

I’m just being honest.

She wore her hair in a bright, neon yellow Mohawk. She had piercings covering both ears—from top to bottom. She also had metal in her nose, her lip, her eyebrow and chin (ouch!). Her entire body (what was visible—which was a lot) was a canvas of tattoo ink. Her skirt BARELY covered her rear-end and her heels were so high the sole of her foot was as high as my knee!

I found myself judging her, I made the assumption that she was a “bad girl” and I wondered how horrible her childhood must have been to make her feel the need to “act out” in this manner. 

I was mentally clucking my tongue and feeling sorry for her poor family as she was being served by the cashier. At the end of their transaction she said to the young lady behind the counter, “God bless! I hope you have a great day, sister!” The cashier responded in kind and as the Mohawked, tattooed young lady walked away she called out to all of us, “God is so good, isn’t he? I know he’s been good to me!”

How small did I feel? So small I wanted to crawl into the nearest ant hole and pull the hole in after me!

How dare I assume that because someone doesn’t look like me they should be considered “bad” or “odd”! Who am I to set the standard? Why should there be a standard at all?

Each of us is beautiful to God—despite our outward appearance, despite our sinful natures and despite our own standardized morality. He doesn’t love us because we fit into a mold labeled “righteous”. He loves of for who we are—even though we’re impractical, impulsive, impatient and imperfect. Thank God!

Whoever you are faced with this week remember to accept them for who they are, not who you think they are or who you think they should be. Each of us is a child of God--even those who may not recognize it or know it. He loves us all...let's try to remember to love each other!

 

Lord, rain down Grace on me today!

Attitude of Gratitude

Numbers 11:4-6

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. ⁶ But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”

Have you ever thought about how hard it really is, SOMETIMES, to be grateful?

You wouldn’t think that would be the case, however, ungratefulness is often times our first response to the things we are given. I remember when I was a child; my sister and I were gifted little stuffed bunnies to celebrate the Easter holiday. They were adorable. However, my bunny was blue and my sister’s was purple and all I could think about was how much I wanted hers over my own. Other than their color the bunnies were identical. Why couldn’t I be happy with what I had?

For the same reason, I suppose, the Jews could not be happy with what they had. The Good Lord had gifted them with Manna from heaven. It was sweet, like honey, and filled their bellies when there was nothing else on hand. Every day it appeared miraculously with no effort on their part. They did not have to plow the ground, or plant to sow; they did not have to harvest or transform anything. All they had to do was gather it from the ground and eat of it. But were they grateful? Well, maybe in the beginning. But, it didn’t take long for them to lose that grateful attitude. Soon they became tired of the “same old thing”. They began to wish and beg for more. What’s worse, they began to grieve for their old lives as slaves to Egypt! “At least there we were taken care of!”

Holy Cow!
Have you lost your gratefulness? Have you become immune to the blessings you have because of God? Have you forgotten all He’s ever done for you?
Perhaps today would be a good day to be reminded that you are a child of God and as a result of His mercies you have been blessed beyond measure. Take a moment to list ALL of the gifts you’ve received from God and thank Him for each one. He loves you with all of His heart. A “Thank You” is all He asks for in return.

Thank you Father for your many blessings, some are big and some are small. Each is manna from heaven. We are grateful for your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give God the Glory

Genesis 11:4

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

Those who built the tower of Babel were good at their job…and they knew it. Architecture, masonry, carpentry, these men were the best. They wanted to be known for it. “Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower, so we may make a name for ourselves,” they said. These were men who wanted to be famous.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Is there?

Of course not; however, their mistake came when they refused to acknowledge God’s hand in their work. They wanted all the glory. Let US build a tower. Let US reach the heavens. Let US make a name for  OURSELVES…

Their hubris knew no bounds. So, they were humbled.

God has a way of humbling us as well.

For a while, I led a monthly ladies Bible study here in Las Vegas. The women who attended were always so sweetly complimentary of the job I had done. I tried with all my heart to remember to give the glory to God. “He told me what to say”, “He led me to the right scriptures”, “This was God’s doing.”

However, one month, after a very successful meeting during which many were moved to powerful prayer and one dear sister rededicated her life to God I was feeling very…Babel-ish. As my friends hugged me and whispered sweet compliments in my ears I reveled in their adoration. “Angie, you are such a good Bible study leader”, “You are so wonderful. You’ve changed my life”, “I can’t imagine a better leader”.

Not once did I remind them I was nothing without God.

I left the church that evening with my arms thrown wide shouting, “I’m the queen of the world.”

I had a flat tire on the way home from work. I could not reach my husband by phone. In my attempt to change the tire on my own I broke six nails and a shoe heel. And, as cliché as it might sound…it began to rain on me as I worked. MY whole evening was ruined.

I’m not saying God flattened my tire or broke my heel, but both blowouts certainly served a purpose in humbling me.

We must never forget that every good thing comes from God. We must never forget to give Him the glory in our lives. We must never forget that it’s okay to be famous but only when we acknowledge how we got there with sincerity and humble gratitude.

If you have not acknowledged God’s grace in your life today…now’s the time to do so. 

Father I pray you will accept my humble gratitude for your work in my life. I am blessed in so many different ways because of your mercy on me. I want to acknowledge in my heart and in public that you are the source from which all blessings flow. You are God. Amen.

God doesn't have to love us...

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4 ESV) 

God does not have to be kind to us. 

He does not have to bless us. 
He does not have to love us.

Think about that.

HE IS GOD! 

He is Jehovah Hashopet—the Lord Judge of the Universe! 

The most powerful being…ever…He could squash us like bugs, if He so chose. He could enslave us all and force us to do His bidding. He could mold us and make us into tiny brainless automatons, living the lives He wants us to lead with no say in the matter—like Barbie dolls and Toy Soldiers—going where He wants us to go, saying what He wants us to say. He has that kind of power!

Yes, I know that sounds like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. However, if God were a different kind of god our lives could be poles apart from where they are now.

Our God, though, despite His overwhelming power—or maybe because of it—is a kind and loving God. He has the power to judge us and make us pay for our crimes, yet He is instead loving and forgiving. He is patient and merciful. He allows us to make our own mistakes; and, He works with us, helping us, to learn from them and move forward.

Paul tells us, in the above passage, that we should be grateful for that loving kindness. He reminds us that we should feel such thankfulness for the Lord’s patience and understanding that we want to live repentant lives. Because of His gift of forgiveness we should doing our utmost to live in such a way as to please Him, always.

Instead we are forever taking steps backward, moving in the wrong direction, living lives of sinful selfishness—acting like spoiled brats.

I am just as guilty as anyone. I am self-centered, jealous, angry, vengeful and often just plain rotten. I am often shamed by my own behavior. How much more so is HE ashamed of me?

Today, I will be meditating on God’s kindness and transversely, my own selfishness. I would ask you to do the same. Ask yourself this question: Am I taking God’s loving kindness for granted? If the answer is yes…it’s time to make a change.

Give to Get

For if you forgive others their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ~Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)

The central core of my personal faith boils down to one simple concept: Jesus Christ is my Savior. The salvation of my soul is accomplished through His forgiveness of my sins, a gift He provides even though I do not deserve it.

How important is it then, that I in turn should offer forgiveness…not because others have earned it or deserve it, but because I myself did not earn it or deserve either and yet received it....even though?

Forgiveness is tantamount to my eternity. How important is it to yours?

The Bottom Line is simple: Forgive to be forgiven.

Thank you, Father, for your Forgiveness. I don't deserve it, but you give it anyway. I pray you will empower me to do the same for those who have hurt me, angered me, filled me with resentment. The gift of my forgiveness is not for them...it is for me. To cleanse my heart and my soul. Yet, I pray too that your forgiveness, my forgiveness, will change them too. I pray they will feel your presence in their lives and move closer to you. I pray these things in the confidence of knowing you listen and will answer. Amen

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Psalm 22:30-31

³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
    future generations will be told about the Lord. ³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,
    declaring to a people yet unborn:
    He has done it!

Every year at Easter Janie’s mother made a ham for dinner. Every year Janie watched her lop off both ends of the ham before putting it in the pan to roast. 

When she became a wife and mother, Janie too, made ham for Easter dinner. One year as her daughter watched her making the Easter feast, Janie chopped off both ends of the ham and threw them away before putting the ham in the roasting pan. Janie’s daughter asked her why she did this. Janie replied, “Gee I don’t really know. It’s just something my mother always did.” 

Janie’s daughter was curious. So, when her grandmother came to dinner that evening she asked, “Grandma, why have you always cut both ends off of every ham you’ve ever baked?” Grandma chuckled and replied, “I always had a pretty small roasting pan and none of the hams I ever bought would fit in it if I didn’t chop off the ends”.

All those years of watching mom prepare the ham had ingrained in Janie the idea that she had to cut off the ends of the ham…even though she didn’t really know why. 

Children learn from their parents. As they grow they emulate what they see their parents doing. Whether it’s chopping ham or reading the Bible; washing their hands before dinner or praying.

 

Teach them to worship the Lord! Teach them to praise Him! Teach them to live in His Word! Teach them to love Him! Teach them to share His good news and the Glory of God!

Teach them to do all of these things by doing all of these things…

Children are our mirrors. What are they reflecting of you?

We are sometimes foolish

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 
~1 Corinthians 1:18 NSRV

My friend Samantha recently confided in me that her feelings had been bruised by the actions of a friend. The friend had “hidden” Sam’s Facebook posts from her own page. In other words, she had made it so that nothing Sam posted could be seen by her. When the friend let this slip to Sam, she was offended. She asked, “Why did you do that? I thought we were friends… What could I have been posting that was awful enough for you to feel the need to block me?” The friend replied, “I just didn’t like your overall message.”

So, what was Sam’s “overall message”?
Many of her postings on Facebook have to do with Christianity. She talks about the love of Christ, Salvation through Him, and Christian living. Apparently, this overall theme is offensive to her friend.

For some, the message that God exists and is the Salvation for our souls is a foolish one--to some people. They don’t believe. Their unbelief will lead to their sorrow

For those of us who do believe, the Good News of Christ Jesus is a powerful anchor we cling to in the storm. It is God’s power; it is our power. For me, the knowledge that God is the keeper of my soul does more than anchor me…it sets me free!

Father, I pray for those who read this message today. Let them be sheltered from the foolishness of unbelievers. Fill them with your power and set them free in your love. I pray in the confidence you gave when you said, “ask and it will be given to you.” Amen

Let God Out Of The Box!

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
~John 10:10

Though Jesus spoke Aramaic as a rule, when he spoke the word “abundantly”—in this passage—he used the Greek word perissón meaning SUPER ABUNDANT, Overflowing to a fault, Superflous to the point of silliness, MORE THAN COULD EVER BE ENOUGH.

Think of the word “abundantly” as being italicized and in thick dark bold ink in Jesus’ thought bubble.

We can probably all agree that Jesus was speaking of our afterlife, our eternal heavenly life with him in Paradise.

However, I can’t help but believe that he also meant to include our earthly existence as well.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t believe for a minute that he was promising every believer a six-figure income, a Maserati or life of ease and comfort. In fact, what he does promise us is the exact opposite when he says, 34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Jesus knew that just being His follower (while here on earth) would bring us trouble, pain, misery and more. As long as we believe in Him we will be fighting against the forces of evil—now doesn’t that sound all superhero-ish?!

Yet, to live a life not lived abundantly—full of joy—is to live a life not worthy of God!

He tells us to be joyful in our every circumstance. That’s not easy, I know! It’s hard to face our hostile work environments, or late mortgage payments, or sick parents, dying marriages and loneliness with joy. No one knows that better than I. However, if we can’t find a way to see and experience hope in God while we’re in that arena with our troubles we won’t survive the battle. And when I say “we”, I mean our happiness, our spirits our very selves!
Every time we face our obstacles with anything less than HOPE in HIM…we lose a little bit more of us…and a whole lot of Him.

Blocking God from helping us, keeping Him from filling us with Joy every time we’re faced with trouble … lessens Him in our eyes. We make Him smaller and smaller in our reality. And when we keep Him from working in our lives we cage Him in a box with the word “god” written on it--with a little "g". We make Him less our GOD and more a god….an idol, something to worship only when things are going good. We create for ourselves something to take out of the box and praise only at choir practice and Bible study, only on Sundays, only when others are around.

When we make Him less than who he is in our hearts, we’re only hurting ourselves.

Our God is GOD! He isn’t trapped by our reality. His is all powerful, all knowing, all consuming and yet, He is also compassionate, kind and caring. He is not rude. He would never insert Himself into our lives without invitation. When we shut the door in His face…he’s kind enough not to knock it down. And so, with our pride, our stubbornness and stupidity…we lock Him out, we cage Him.

Not only do we lessen who He is in our hearts…we tear ourselves down as well. Without hope in Him, without the peace that passes all understanding, without joy in Christ, we become sullen, sad, fading carbon copies of who we are in God’s Grace.

Several years ago—as I lived in the shadow-land of that joyless, hopeless wasteland—a friend said to me, “You’re just not yourself”. I wasn’t. I wasn’t myself, the person God intended me to be. I was sad and depressed and full of anger and turmoil.

Oh, I tried to hide it. I tried to make myself smile and laugh and be who everyone expected me to be…but, they could see through my charade. They could tell my heart was empty. With God caged inside my hidden “god” box…I was so much less than I could be.

There is no way to face your demons and not be frightened, stressed and angry. I won’t lie to you and say there is. Yet, with GOD as your shield and sword…you can’t be defeated. With joy in your heart, with happiness and hope in Him there is no loss you can not bear. Let GOD out of the cage you’ve placed Him in. Give Him permission to enter into your reality and be the GOD He is!

·         Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

·         James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

·         Nehemiah 8:10b

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Transformation

 
John 5:6

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

The father of a dear friend is suffering the end stages of Congenital Heart Failure. Having gone through this exact thing with my own mother-in-law (nearly 12 years ago), I know what my friend is going through. It’s heart breaking and emotionally devastating to watch a loved one suffer so.

My friend’s father has been installed in a hospice situation where he will, most likely, remain until the end of his days. His wife, his friends, his family including his children—my friend—are destroyed by what they know is the coming end.

Yet, even in this tragedy there is still joy and hope!

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

—Philippians 3:20-21

Believers in Christ, the Children of God, can have hope in the promise that we will be transformed! Our bodies, these wonderful but weak and finite vehicles our souls walk around in every day, will one day be changed by the savior—transformed into something magnificent and so marvelous our minds cannot yet comprehend it—and we will be like Him! What’s more? Our new selves will be in the presence of the glory of the Lord!

My joy in that eventuality is beyond measure.

Although the pain and anguish one feels at the loss of a truly treasured and admired loved one is devastating. It is important to remember … although they are going where we cannot follow—FOR NOW—we will one day see them again and when we do they will be existing in pure joy! They will be happier than we have ever seen them! They will be more beautiful—healthier, stronger, bolder and so much more—than we can ever imagine here on earth. 

While their “transformation” in the here and now is a terrible thing to witness it is but a passage to something so much more…something beautiful.

I am hurting for my friend as she hurts for her father. Yet, both of us know there is joy and hope in Jesus.

If you are facing a similar loss I pray for you as I pray for her…

Father, I praise your heart and the comfort and peace that can be found within. While I repent of any and all of those things I’ve done this day to hurt your heart, I know you forgive me for you have said, “…for whosoever believes in him shall have everlasting life.” I ask today for comfort for my friend, her father and all those they both love and I pray for others who may be facing this or a similar situation. Change is sometimes terrifying…especially when it involves loss. Help them all to remember that THIS change is leading to something extraordinary. Comfort them and calm them and give them surcease—an end to their sorrow—and fill their hearts with joy instead, as they realize where this journey will end. I yield this situation to you, Oh Lord, and pray in the name of Jesus, our Returning Savior. Amen.

Is it really a GOOD Friday?

1 Peter 2:24 ESV
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 

Easter is coming soon. With it comes Good Friday.

There was a time when I did not understand why we call this day--the anniversary of our Lord's suffering and death--GOOD Friday.

It is a term that calls to mind (at least for me) the oxymora of contradiction. How can bitter be sweet? How can hell be holy? How can fresh be frozen? And, how can this day... a day of sorrow and shame, and pain and death be good?

I used to mourn, each year, on this day; wrapping myself in an invisible shroud of sorrow whilst mentally scourging myself because of my sins. I'd carry that tonnage of guilt and disgrace in an emotional basket of glass for all the world to see, crying out in despair: "Look at the things I've done of which I need to be ashamed! Jesus died for me! He suffered for me! And I can't stop sinning! I'm covered in the blood of Jesus because I'm a horrible person!"

Like Lady Macbeth I found there was no amount of soap I could employ to clean me of my regret.

Good Friday was never good for me.

Then, one day a few years back, as I was leaving the line at Albertson's with my handful of change and a plastic bag of sundries the cashier said to me, "It's Good Friday! Have a good day!" I shrugged and muttered, "What's good about it? He died because of me!"

"I KNOW!" she cried out happily with a grin on her face that split her head from ear to ear. "Isn't it wonderful?! He died for us! For you and for me! He died to pay our way into heaven. We're on the short list honey! Isn't that great!?" 

I stared at her ...almost with contempt. "I'm not sure that's reason for celebration. The point is, He died--He suffered and died a horrible death--and I might as well have been the one to flick the whip and hammer the nails."

Without skipping a beat or dropping a fraction of her smile she replied, "And he forgives you anyway! This is the day to celebrate ...not His suffering, not His shame, not even His death. Today is the day to celebrate His GOOD offering to save your eternity. Don't sully it with mourning. Celebrate it with joy!"

I stood there, staring at her, my mouth agape...I glanced at the people in line behind me--expecting them to be as appalled as I was at her glibness. Instead, each of them...the older woman with her granny glasses and two small grand-kids each holding a box of cereal, the businessman in his suit palming his orange juice, and the young man with dreadlocks holding bunches of bananas..each of them was smiling and nodding in agreement. 

The young man at the back of the line spoke, "Yeah Sis...think of it this way. Jesus was like a quarter on a string. Death pushed him into the slot of the game...and God yanked him right back out again. Do you know what I mean?"

I nodded in agreement although in truth I had no idea what he was talking about...and yet....I did. Somewhere deep inside of me I did. I looked at each of them...strangers who loved me and I loved them right back. Suddenly, my gloominess began to drift away. 

It WAS a Good Friday.

I can never erase the things Jesus had to suffer for me. Every day of my life--not just at Easter or Christmas--I will work to make myself worthy of that sacrifice. But I will no long mourn on Good Friday. I will celebrate His choice to put me...ME...on the short list, to save my eternity! I am His. And, ...He is mine.

It will be a Good Friday.

Joy Joy Joy Down In My Heart

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  

Recently I've been experiencing a pretty agonizing flare. A flare is an increase in symptoms by double or more what I'm used to dealing with. 

All RA patients experience flares.  

I was speaking with a friend just a day or so ago and she said, "The good news is when this flare is over you'll go back to being pain free and your life can get back to normal."   

I hated to bust her bubble (and mine) but the reality is I will never be pain free again...not in this life time.  I have a debilitating, on-going, life altering disease.  Living a life of pain IS my normal.  

So what?!  

Listen, all of us deal with something.  

My mother says, "We each have a bag of rocks we have to tote around."  

My bag is RA. Yours may be Cancer or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Eczema or a cheating spouse or a messy house or the heartbreak of Psoriasis... 

Heck, your bag of rocks might even be a bag of rocks... who knows?  

What I do know is this: Life goes on and I go right along with it. I have to; the alternative is to give up and die, and I'm not ready for that yet.  

I've got a pretty wonderful--albeit stressful, wild, crazy, outlandish, weirdly remarkable--life. I like it like that. I don't have any time to feel sorry for myself or sit around moaning and groaning and complaining... well, I usually do make a little time for complaining... after all, I'm human. BUT, I don't make a career out of it. I can't. There's a big old happy life going on around me and I can't afford to miss it. 

Look, I'm not lecturing or trying to sound like something I'm not. I'm no Pollyanna. However, despite my circumstances I'm pretty happy with my life. 

Why do I tell you all this, you may be wondering, because I don't want anyone to think that I'm sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Nor do I want others feeling sorry for me.  

That same friend, whom I mentioned above, also said in an email today, "I just feel so bad for you. You're trapped in that house living a miserable life."  

I don't know where she got that idea...but I am neither trapped nor miserable.  I'm living large and loving it...

Storing Up Treasure

Matthew 6:19-21
New International Version (NIV)
Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A few nights ago, I was thinking about the things I wish I'd learned earlier in life. I was surprised by how long the list grew to be.

For instance, I created a whole page of notes on money issues alone. 

However, it really all boils down to just a few basic strategies:

1. Never spend more than you have...or hope to make before the statements come due each month.
   
   
2. Unlike diamonds, credit is not a girl's best friend. Keep your relationship friendly and polite but never let it get the best of you... otherwise you'll be dealing with it forever!
3. And lastly, Ben Franklin once said, "A penny saved is a penny earned."  I never really understood that sage piece of advice until I found myself counting pennies, literally, to buy a loaf of bread to feed my family during a really hard time. Save your money.  The folding kind is best, tucked safely away in an interest bearing account. But, the copper kind, saved in a tin can, can really save your buns, too!

However, while saving your money and being wise with your accounts is a great piece of advice, there is one more tidbit I'd love to share with you. 


Store up your treasures in heaven and you will never be poor.

Jesus spoke not of saving our money or raising our credit limits but of storing up our treasures in heaven. What does that mean?

It means balancing our lives with more good than evil. It means growing our relationship with Him through study and worship. It means investing our time in others. It means giving all we have to Him.

He is the wisest investment of all.

Life is not fair!

James 1:2-4 ESV

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The game of checkers is fair--as long as you're not playing with a cheat. Chess is a pretty fair game, too--as long as you and your opponent are equally matched (or very nearly so).  

But life... life is not fair.  There are no "as long as" statements that make any part of life fair, ever.

There will always be someone richer, prettier, thinner; there will always be someone who drives a bigger /better car; there will always be someone taller, stronger, more macho; there will always be someone who is a better cook, a better mother, a better wife, a better employer, employee, co-worker, or friend.  There will always be someone better off than you.

There will always be choices to regret, wrong paths to walk down and history to repeat. 

There will always be illness. There will always be tragedy. There will always be loss. There will always be death.  

AND...so, there will always be one standard by which we all must live--Life is not fair.  

Get over it.

Live it anyway. Take your lumps. Make  your mistakes. Live with your choices. Make your own history! Smile at those who are better than you at ...whatever they're better at... and know, deep inside that somewhere out there, there is someone better than they are... at something.  

Life is not fair. So what? 

Jesus is fair. God is fair. He loves us all equally and mercifully. Jesus loves us even though we're impractical, impulsive, impatient and imperfect. God loves us in good time and bad. He loves us in illness and health. He loves us when we're down and out. God loves us when life is not fair.

There is nothing that can compare with that!

Jesus Loves Me

Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Don't you wish we knew things long before we needed to know them?  

For example, no one knows how humiliating it is to discover they've been to three stores, the hair dresser's and Kentucky Fried chicken with the seam blown out of the back of their pants... until the pants come off to go in the hamper.  

No one knows how hard it is to lose a friend until they do.  

No one knows how tough it really is to live with a broken heart ...until their heart has been broken. 

The Bible tells us that we grow wiser if we walk with the wise. In other words... we can learn from the experience of others.

In that spirit, let me share with you something I've learned along the way...

Not everyone you meet is going to like you.  

So what?  

I can't tell you how much time I've wasted wondering why "So-and-So" didn't like me; why this one or that one didn't cozy up to me like a warm blanket on a cold night.   

I've made myself sick worrying about the why's and the what-did-I-do's. I've agonized over the should haves, the could haves and the would haves. I've made an idiot out of myself trying way too hard to force those people who don't like me...to like me.

And what I learned--way too late--was the harder I tried the less they liked me. So why try? 

There are plenty of people in this world who do like me, who think I'm great, who think I'm funny, interesting and even cool.  

And if the number of people who feel that way about me never rises above a single digit... So what?

The only person whom I NEED to love me is Jesus...well, Jesus and my mother. And, they do. So I'm set!