Will I See You There?

Have you ever waited for something wonderful that is just about to happen? Of course you have, if  you are older than 4,[it's a memory thing] you had a birthday that was right around the corner. [ and well, they keep coming round the corner quicker each year] Remember the anticipation? Asking a million times "What is today?", "How many more days till my birthday?" Or what about that wedding day? The excitement built with each passing day, right? [along with the nerves}

What pops into your mind when I say "Heaven"? Is it this statement, "I want to go someday but not particularly today!" How about the words, "I am not sure I want to play a harp all day and do nothing else just yet."

We have just started a study on Heaven. I have got that anticipation, excitement, and sheer joy, just like a 4 year old waiting for her birthday to arrive. The study was so wonderful last night. We were introduced to how much Jesus had to say about Heaven and we are going to learn all the Bible has to tell us on this wonderful place.

Did you know that Heaven is God's Home! He is going to live with His people! Doesn't that make you want to jump up and down and shout? There are so many other wonderful things about Heaven that I would love to share but there isn't enough space here.

We are ALL [that means you and me] going to spend eternity somewhere. Not everyone will enter God's glorious home. Only those that have confessed their sin and accept Jesus as their Savior will be welcome with open arms.

Ephesians 1:7

 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

 

You have a choice to make. One only you can make.

Acts 16:30-31

  “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved

 

Ephesians 2:8-9

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

 

Dogs

I think that the topic of Dogs is more controversial than politics or religion. I think you are either a dog person or you are not.

I fall into the category of trying to be a dog person. We are blessed to live where there is the sweetest HUGE dog. If she were to stand on her rear paws I am sure she would be as tall as me or perhaps even taller. She is part Rottweiler and part Husky, so to go with the big she looks rather intimidating. We moved into a new place and the sign was already there BEWARE OF DOG so it was just left.

To let you know just how intimidating she is, I had a delivery to the house and the dog was outside the lady called from her car, [that was sitting 2 feet from my front porch] to let me know she was at the house but she was pretty sure the dog didn't want her to come out. I told her what I am sure every dog owner says, "she is really friendly, and won't hurt you." However just to reassure her my husband was at the door to call the dog to him and she got out of the car very carefully. Said she saw the sign then she saw the dog and didn't want to take the chance.

I was doing pretty well becoming that dog person until there was a skunk that found the house and decided to make it his own by sharing his "perfume" all around the house, Well, Lela {the dog in question} must have rolled in all the "perfume"  and then decided to come into the house and share her findings. Well, tottering on the line for pro and con it dipped to the con very quickly and I barred her from entering. She looked at me with that sweet face and those hurt eyes as if to ask, "What have I done to you?" I couldn't be swayed. However, I am married to a true dog lover. He allowed the dog to sit there until I went to bed and then he decided he really didn't smell anything so he let her in. [Yep, there is a big difference between a dog person and one that is trying to be a dog person.]

Lela holds no grudges, she is still so excited to see me when I drive in the driveway her whole body is one huge wag. She just wants me to pet her and tell her she is a great dog.

Got me to thinking about we treat each other. Do we snub someone because they don't smell as sweet as the daisies? De we try to ignore those that are in wheelchairs or with a cane, just because we don't know what to say?  What about that woman that is flawlessly beautiful, do we turn away because we are jealousy of her looks? We are all so different and there are so many things that could cause us to glance the other way. Do we get the look, "what have I done to you?" It is so very important to remember what God tells us:

Romans 12:10

 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

I read somewhere this little quote and it has stuck with me.

"Be kind everyone is going through something."

Dog person or not we are all people persons and need to remember to always honor others above ourselves. [still working on becoming a dog person!]

 

Struggling?

Life's a struggle! I'm struggling with . . .  My day was such a struggle to get through!

Have you heard these words lately? Have you said these words lately? Have you secretly told yourself something like the words above lately?

Sometimes feeling like life is a struggle is centered around guilt. Have you been on the guilt merry-go-round. [not sure how merry it is] You are caught off guard by a stray thought. One you thought you had put to rest. You start to dwell on it. [dwell means to live there] As the day wears on so do you, you are wearing out. Your thoughts are consumed by the guilt. You can't seem to let it go or step out of the trap. A trap is exactly what it is.

John 10:10 

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

 

You have been set up by the Thief. He has very carefully laid the trap of guilt and you have fallen into it once again. Seems like a vicious cycle and there is no way out. If feels like quicksand and there is no one to toss you a lifeline to escape. [speaking from first hand experience here]

I have been there until this past Sunday. As I sat in church the message was on guilt. OK ready to bolt from the room. I thought I was handling this and it didn't show on my face, who told? There was a short video with folks putting cardboard titles on themselves. I know you have seen it, words like addict, adultery. I had seen it once before in another setting but somehow my "title" never appeared. {safe, hidden]I settled back feeling safe then on the next board there it was! It hit me with such force the tears slipped out. Have you been there too? Thought I was the only one.

The rest of the message had my attention because I wanted to get off the merry-go-round. You too?

I found out there are two kinds of guilt. Good guilt and bad guilt. I know how can there be good guilt? Well, good guilt is the kind that makes you run to God and confess you messed up. [again] It turns you around and your receive the forgiveness you so desperately need.

Romans 8:1

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

 

Did you catch that word condemnation? That's the merry-go-round word. That's the bad guilt, the kind that says you are no good, you are a . . .  {you fill in the blank}It is the greatest weapon in the enemy camp. The work is all done by you!

 

Jesus loves you. Go back and read that again. It's not just something you try to convince yourself, He really loves you.

Psalm 103:12

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

[Transgression is another word for sin] He absolutely loves you and me. If we take our sins to him, he forgives us and puts them as far as the east is from the west. He gently takes us off the merry-go-round. He cleans us up and whispers, "I love you", "I don't condemn you so don't condemn yourself."

 

Do you know what that is? Freedom, pure and simply. You are free in Christ. There is nothing like it! Get off the merry-go-round and enjoy the freedom only Christ can give!

 

 

 

Special

I just had another birthday. Seems they happen every year, I know right? I really love my birthday. When I was young my family made me feel so special. I got to choose the things I wanted for dinner. My mom made my favorite cake, angel food, and we would have ice cream. There would be a few presents but it was the feeling that I liked, being special,loved!

As I got older I started to appreciate all my mom had done for me. She was a single parent for all but 10 years of my life. My father died when I was 10 so it was just my sister, my mom and I. She worked 2 jobs to support her little family. So instead of wanting to be the one that felt special, and loved I wanted my mom to feel that way so I started a new "tradition" and for each year I was alive I bought her that many roses.

I continued that until her death. It seems that I wanted her to know how much I loved her and appreciated all she had done and given up for me but it made me feel so good inside to just share with her a small piece of my love.

I have been on a journey lately to try and KNOW God. Not just what read. Not just what I try and understand and fail at. I have told myself because I never really knew my father so God is so out there I just don't understand him. I am having trouble trying to relate Him to something I know. I think that is the problem, He is NOT like something I have known.

I am reading the book, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan and he has a way of showing God and his greatness and his love for me that I seem to have missed. God didn't have to create all the wonderfully intricate things he has, but he did. He didn't have to have His Son come and die just so that I could be saved and spend eternity with him, but he did. His love is so vast and wide for me that I am now struggling to just comprehend that kind of love.

Do you feel lonely, unloved, starving to feel special? God loves you so much! If you don't believe me just check out the love letters He has sent to you, in his word. He love YOU. Just take a look around and see the beauty he has created today just so you can enjoy it. Better than that, just spend some time talking with Him.