Paralyzed or Empowered? There is a story in the Old Testament, Genesis 27, about Lot and his family. Lot was living in Sodom and in the vicinity of Gomorrah, two very wicked cities. Two angels, disguised as men, were sent by God to visit Lot. You need to read this story to get all the details, but suffice it to say, there was evil in that day that is comparable to what happens in our world today. The angels gave an instruction to Lot and his family to leave Sodom quickly. God was going to destroy both Sodom and Gomorrah because of their evil deeds. The angels told Lot to escape with his family for their lives to be saved. But they also and gave a further instruction, "Do not look behind you, or you will be destroyed." Lot and his family safely left Sodom and God rained brimstone and fire on both cities. Everything and everyone Lot and his family left behind were destroyed. Perhaps because she was curious, perhaps because all of her belongings were there, perhaps because she wanted to see what the destruction had done, Lot's wife looked back. She did exactly what she was told not to do. What happed to her? Scripture tells us that she became a pillar of salt, forever paralyzed. One day, while traveling from Houston back to Athens with one of my daughters, I had the opportunity to share this story with her. She had just moved back to Texas. The last 3 years had been rather troublesome and she was starting her life anew. She was making changes in her surroundings, moving herself back home and back to a relationship with God. She had a fresh perspective and desired to move forward. Events of the last few years weighed heavily on her mind and I could sense she was still very troubled. After I told her this story, I was able to connect the dots for her by showing her that when we look back at our past, the experiences can paralyze us. Those emotions can cripple us so that we never leave that place. There is no way to move forward if we are constantly looking back. What is in the past can make us the person we are today, if we let it go and give it to God. We need to forgive where forgiveness is needed. We need to choose carefully the people with whom we will surround ourselves. We need to ask God to heal our hurts, mend our heart, and guide our path. I had never thought of the story of Lot's wife relating to my life or the life of anyone in my family. Those who know me and my struggles in the last 12 years will understand how what happened to me and my children could absolutely paralyze all of us. I am so thankful that I was a follower of Christ when I walked through those valleys. With God on my side, I have been able to leave the past in the past and move forward into the ministry into which He called me. This is not about me being a strong woman. No, this is about me being strong in faith. For I know that God wants the absolute best for me. Things have not always worked the way I would have wanted, but through everything I see God's hand leading and directing. Faith does not grow without testing. Scripture tells us that faith is more precious than gold, but it will be tested for a purpose. 1 Peter 1:6-7, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come to that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." I thank Him for my storms because in Him I found strength beyond myself. Praise, glory and honor to Him alone! Be blessed today. God is on your side! Candy

Righteous, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Spirit

Hello again. I'm back! I've missed writing my blogs because they keep me focused on what I need in my life. One of the Bible Studies I wrote several years ago was entitled "Disregard the Distractions by Focusing on the Father." I have allowed too many distractions to blur my focus lately. Of course, I know I am powerless to remove them on my own, so I have spent time in prayer this morning addressing those and asking the Lord to remove them for me. He is always faithful and He always hears my prayers. One thing He reminded me of just this morning is that His nature is not that of a magician who with a wave His hand pulls a rabbit out of a hat and suddenly everything is rosey. As Christians we have a responsibility to live our lives as He has instructed us in His Word. The simple act of obedience will change our lives. I teach a ladies' Bible Study on Wednesday evenings at my church. This summer we have studied righteousness, peace and joy. Also, how to hear the voice of God. As a teacher, I feel these studies are probably more for me than anyone who attends the study. A researcher by nature, I dig deep into the Word for each study topic and God, without fail, always shows me someting I never knew before. That's the special joy of Scripture. It meets you where you are. An example for me recently is found in Romans 14: 17-19 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." For some background on this Scripture, Paul speaking to believers in Rome about not giving such a a hard time to other believers who choose not to eat certain meats or because they esteemed one day more sacred than another. He was telling them not to pass judgment on each other. In this instance the Scripture could be interpreted to mean righteousness being respect to God by obedience to His teachings, peace being respect of others, and joy being respect to ourselves, that joy coming from the Holy Spirit who resides within us. Hopefully others will see and understand that this joy is not something we ourselves automatically have, but is gained only through the Holy Sprit. This is what the Lord has impressed upon me. In order for me to have joy, I must first have righteousness. If I have righteousness, I will have peace. If I have peace, that leads to joy. One does not exist without the other. It is like a cycle that repeats and repeats in the life of a Believer. Let me expound. First of all, when I accepted Christ as my Savior as a child of 9, I was made righteous in God's eyes. When Jesus died on the cross he shed his blood and became a sacrifice for my sins, past, present, and future. Because Jesus paid the price for my unrighteousness, when God sees me I am spotless and righteous before Him. When I arrive in heaven if God would ask who I was, Jesus would say, "This one's with me." Therefore, from the moment of my salvation I have been made righteous. Salvation is a free gift from God, BUT, there are things I need to do to as a Christian. I need to be obedient to the Word. By doing so righteousness becomes a lifestyle. God does not expect us to be perfect. No one is perfect. We are going to sin. That is a given. But as Christians, we should be striving to live every day in obedience to God. Are we going to fail? Yes, we will. But we can't just live our lives like the rest of the world and expect to reap peace and joy because there are consequences to sin and to disobedience. Just as you would discipline your child for not obeying you, God disciplines us. Just as your child will suffer consequences for disobedience to his parent, we also suffer consequences when we disobey our Father. In Romans 6 the question is "Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?" In other words, since Jesus died for all my sins and by grace I have been saved, can't I just live any way I want to? Why would you want to? Of course, you can do what you want, but your life will not be peaceful or joyful. Remember, sin is fun – but only for a season. Let me share with you some Scriptures that tell us what living a righteous life will mean: "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy." Hebrews 1:9 "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." Psalm 97:11 "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22 "For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Psalm 5:12 Scripture also tells us in James 5:16, "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man/woman is powerful and effective." Do you want your prayers to be powerful – effective? Lead a righteous lifestyle. Determine to be obedient to God in all things. I know it is not always easy to lead a totally righteous lifestyle. We live in a tainted world where television commercials would have made my daddy blush if he were still here on earth. Our movies, sitcoms, entertainment are full of immoral acts. Sexual immorality is seen by the world as the norm. Still, the bottom line is that we all have a choice how we live our lives. Unrighteousness does not encompass only the type of sins that are obvious. Many times there is some area of our life that we don't perceive as sin. That's when the Holy Spirit begins to convict through circumstances. I will give you an example from my own life. The Lord recently convicted me of the sin of gossip. I repeated something to 2 people that I learned later was not true. I had to go back to the people to whom I had repeated the falsehood and apologize. How embarrassing is that? Embarrassed as I was, I knew I had to set the record straight. Also, I doubt I will be repeating things I have not first verified. Even then, perhaps I have no business sharing some things. Right? Ephesians 4 tells us to live a life worthy of our calling. If you are a Chrisitian, God has called you. Every day when we wake up we decide what we will do that day, what we will expose our minds to, what thoughts we will entertain. We have to purposefully set out each day to die to self and commit that day to live for God in every single thing we do. And if we do that, the payback is greater than any sacrifice we think we are making. Look at Isaiah 32:17-18. "The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest." When there is more than one person in a home it is hard at times to maintain peace. If you have raised or are raising children you may understand this more than others. God tells us that if we are living righteously we will have quietness and confidence, not just for today, but forever. Our homes will be peaceful, secure (safe), and places of undisturbed rest. That tells me that I will be able to sleep because I won't have a guilty conscious. Is your home a war zone where strife abounds? Better do a peace check-up. Just one person not striving to live a righteous lifestyle can make a home anything but peaceful and undisturbed. Sinfulness invites an unwanted guest, Satan. And with Satan come chaos and strife. We can also learn from David's words in Psalm 4:8 that God and God alone gives us safety to sleep in peace." "I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety." And now for one of my favorite Scripture - Psalm 85:8-13. I love, love, love this passage. "I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints – but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps." God will speak peace to his people through the Holy Spirit. Peace is only spoken to those who turn from sin. Let them not return to folly – folly is sin. Backsliding is folly. When we return to sin we are backsliding. God's salvation is near those who fear him. This does not mean those who are afraid of God, but those who revere him, love him, show him honor and glory. My favorite verse is 10, "love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." I think of the old song lyrics "love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage; you can't have one without the other." When you love someone you are faithful to them, aren't you? Those two elements go together. A kiss is an outward expression of love and affection. We kiss someone we love – our sweetheart – our children – our parents. There is a direct relationship between righteousness and peace as we have already seen, so this verse just as plainly as can be shows us you can't have one without the other. They are joined, one being the result of the other. One not existing without the other. If you want peace and joy, you must be born again. If you want that peace and joy to continue in your life, you must be obedient to God's instructions. Here's the formula: righteousness=peace=joy! Have a blessed day in the Lord. I love you, but God loves you much, much more!

A Good Example

I have noticed that watching television in mixed company equals embarrassment. Situation comedies are crude, sexual and downright distasteful at times. Not only the shows, but the content of the commercials is at times shocking. The Whoopie Goldberg commercial for a bladder incontinence product is in extremely poor taste, just to mention one. Are the companies who advertise seriously that crude, or are they just trying to “fit in” with the worldview? I watch very little prime time television because of the inappropriate content. Because I have a full time job and attend college full time, I just don’t have time to sit and watch TV. I missed a week from work recently due to illness and found myself watching television most of the day. Do people really live like they are portrayed on The Maury Show? Is sexual immorality really as prevalent as it appears? Are there really women who can name up to 10 people who might be the father of their child? Do families really sue each other over small financial matters as I saw on Judge Judy? Soap operas are crazier than ever. They have the same characters as when I was in junior high. Is it entertaining to see the same person get married 8 times? Promiscuity, infidelity, lies, cheating are all part of the story lines that intrigue watchers and pull them back week after week. The entire premise of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette makes no sense. You can’t pick 25 random people and put them with someone for weeks and expect two of them to fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. It is insane and is just another show that promotes sexual immorality. I cannot imagine how any man or woman would want to consider a marriage relationship with someone who is kissing numerous other people to “see if there is that spark.” I think it is safe to say that these shows are based on the thrill of the moment.

My pastor once said, “What you will tolerate today you will accept tomorrow.” Indeed this is a true statement. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s when we did not even utter the word “pregnant.” To say that word was being too familiar and personal. Instead, we would substitute “PG” or “in a family way.” In those years no one would have been allowed to talk about the subjects that are common ground today, not only on television and in movies, but in discussions among both genders. There is nothing sacred or shameful; anything seems to be fair game for a discussion. Christians think nothing of going to an “R” rated movie. Here’s a good measure about what you should watch. Would you mind watching it with your pastor? Would you mind watching it with Jesus? Ouch!

I don’t intend in this blog to address sexual sin or in appropriate conversation, but to address how Christians have allowed their lives and homes to be inundated with the world’s standards and have failed to stand up for the principles taught by Jesus Christ. It is not always easy to follow the straight and narrow road, but it is always the best path to take. One thing I do know – Christians must be vigilant about living out their lives for others by example. Maybe you think no one notices you; I can assure you that you are noticed by others. I have often heard, “you may be the only Bible someone may ever read.” What an awesome responsibility we have to reflect the life of Christ to those around us. A friend’s son once told his Mom he was tired of having to be a good example to others because his father was in the ministry. He just wanted to be a regular kid. She lovingly let him know that he was an example whether he wanted to be one or not. It was up to him what type of example he would be – good or bad.

We all need to have regular check-ups. We go to the doctor to have our bodies examined and our blood tested. Once when my mother was in the emergency room the nurse prepared to draw her blood for testing. When my daughter, Krystin, grimaced at the thought, the nurse made a profound statement, “The blood is so important because it tells all about you.” I have never forgotten her words because they are so true. Our blood can reveal illness, infection, or abnormalities. It can also show that we are in good health. I am a Christian, so the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary tells all about who I am. I am bought with a price by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He shed his blood and died for me so that I may have eternal life and be adopted into the family of God. The blood of Jesus tells who I am. In both cases we have to allow the blood to speak. We have to give permission for our blood to be drawn at the doctor’s office. We have to accept the gift of salvation or the blood means nothing to us and tells nothing about us. To accept this gift is to become a Christian, a believer in Christ, His disciple.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Are you overdue for a spiritual check-up? Here are some questions to ponder about your life. The Holy Spirit will let you know if you need to change your thinking, your priorities, your attitude.

•Do you watch, read or listen to things you should not?
•Are the things of the world more important to you than God or His Word?
•Are you too busy for prayer and Bible study? What are your priorities?
•What is your attitude toward sin in your own life?
•Do you seek worldly wealth and fame instead of seeking first the Kingdom of God?
•If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

If you call yourself a Christian, you are to be an example of Christ to the world. That example starts in your own home. Take a stand on what you allow to enter your home through the airways on your television, radio, computer, cell phone. Live in the light instead of darkness. Be a shining example of what the Lord has done in your life. Whether you like it or not, you are an example. Choose to be a good one. The world is watching.

“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. “ John 3:21

Love to all in His Name!
Candy

The Opportunity of Interruption

We can plan out our days with tasks we want to accomplish, with activities we want to do, or we can plan a free day with nothing on our agenda. But planning does not guarantee the day will play out as we intended. Interruptions come out of the blue at times and we must adjust our schedule to tend to an urgent situation. It happens to all of us, more often than we would like, but it happens. Most of us would rather not have interruptions. They represent obstacles to our ultimate goals.

Sometimes interruptions to our schedule are a welcome thing. Receiving a call with good news about the birth of a child, an engagement, a promotion, raise, or a wonderful job offer can interrupt your day. These are what I would call “welcome interruptions.” I would not be upset with anyone for interrupting my “schedule” to deliver that kind of news. But too often the interruption is an aggravation and something you can do without. Just when you are engrossed in a project that requires 100% of your concentration, a crying child may require you to drop everything to give her attention. It could be an adult child upset about a relationship that has ended, needing your support and guidance or a friend who has lost his job. Whatever the reason for interruptions to our days, we can learn to handle them in an appropriate manner. To not do so may cause unnecessary stress and none of us needs that.

Let’s look at the life of the greatest man who ever lived, Jesus Christ. With Jesus there were no real interruptions. Some things may have seemed like interruptions but they were actually opportunities to display His Father’s great power and love. Interruptions never slowed Jesus down or changed his purpose. When He was approached to heal Jairus’ daughter he was interrupted by a woman who touched the hem of his garment. She, through her faith, was instantaneously healed, but Jairus received news that his daughter had died. Jesus could have healed her illness, but instead He raised her from the dead, a much greater miracle. Then Jesus simply continued the work he had come to do: restoring the lost, healing the sick, glorifying His Father. To Jesus, interruptions represented people and people were His purpose. Do you realize that even death is only an interruption; it is not the end of life, but a transition to the afterlife.

One evening recently my granddaughter Paisley was having problems going to sleep. I was busy working on college work, trying to concentrate, and trying to meet a deadline. I could hear her crying in the other room. Her Mommy was growing weary and had used every method she knew to try to coax this child to rest. She grew quiet and I thought to myself that surely she must finally have fallen asleep. After all, it was 11:30 p.m. Within moments of that thought here comes Paisley, grinning from ear to ear, waving her little hand and saying, “Hello, Mimi, hello.” I couldn’t help but smile as she threw her arms up for me to give her a hug. She told me she loved me, gave me a kiss, and went back to her room where she quickly fell asleep. Yes, she interrupts my work, more often than not. But, she needed her Mimi’s attention for just a couple of minutes so that she felt secure and loved. After she left I thanked God that I have the opportunity to see her grow daily and to be the recipient of her love. How I wish I could be as close to all my grandchildren, especially those who do not live near me. Paisley reminded me that I can get too intense into my studies at times and even Mimi needs a break for a hug and kiss.

I am learning to enjoy the interruptions for what they are – personally designed encounters from God to make His ways known. Perhaps your next interruption will be an opportunity for you to share the love of God with someone who has no idea what God’s love is. After all, there are no coincidences in life because God is in control.

“Lord, turn every interruption into an opportunity to share your love. Forgive me for my impatience and at times confusing my priorities. Enjoying you means enjoying every day as a gift from you.”

(This blog contains excerpts from 40 Days in God's Presence: A Devotional Encounter by Rebecca Barlow Jordan, Copyright 2006. For more information you can visit: www.twbookmark.com/christian.)

Three Gifts From God

A present is beautifully wrapped. It is given to you freely. You can do whatever you want with the present. You can accept it, open it and use it. You can refuse to accept it, ignore it and to you it does not exist. You can accept it, not open it and put it on a shelf where it remains day after day after day, untouched, unused. When does the present become a gift? I believe it is when it is accepted by the recipient. A gift is something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone.

A gift is usually a pleasant thing to receive and we thank the giver immediately. I guess the only time a gift is not appreciated is if it is atrocious, like a statue of a dragon with a clock in its belly, or an ugly candy dish or velvet Elvis portrait. I think those are called “regifting.” Or perhaps you are given a pet and you really do not want the responsibility of house training, obedience training, or cleaning up messes this gift may leave for you. Those gifts may be something we would rather not possess and at times we have to graciously determine how to handle the generosity of the giver without hurting feelings.

Often when I receive a gift I am surprised. Unless it is a birthday party or Christmas morning, the receipt of a gift can be unexpected. Gifts make us feel loved and appreciated. It is a good feeling that we have been remembered by the giver and that they thought enough of us to select what they felt would be a perfect gift. I want to talk today about the most perfect gifts we can ever receive. Those gifts are from God because He loves us and wants us to have the very best. We can trust that He will give us what we need in order to become the person He created us to be.

The first gift is that of salvation. Before the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, in order to atone for one’s sins, an offering of a perfect sacrifice must be made, an animal without defect or blemish. God provided Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. The blood He shed on Calvary was for the forgiveness of all of mankind’s sins – past, present, and future. Animal blood sacrifices had to be made over and over again and did not remove sin, but only covered it. When we accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven and removed from us as far as the east is from the west. Not only are our sins forgiven, we are given an eternal life with God in heaven once our time on earth is over. Because the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all unrighteousness, we are able to stand before God.

In addition to the gift of salvation, God has blessed us with our Counselor, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us power -

• Power to Know: help us understand the Bible’s teachings about God and Jesus Christ.
• Power to Do: perform the will of God and share the truth with others.
• Power to Survive: help us resist the evil power of Satan and his demons.

The Holy Spirit indwells us from the moment we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. Daily as we lift our prayers to God, we must ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. The greatest need of the born again Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are under the control of the Holy Spirit, we will always glorify Jesus Christ. He will be exalted in our speech and in our behavior. The apostle Paul issued an imperative command when he wrote, “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). It is our duty and responsibility to be under the constant influence and control of the Spirit of God.

Because the Christian life is a supernatural life, the only way to live it is by means of supernatural power. God must empower us to live with His power. He brings us to life, and then He indwells us and enables us to live His kind of life. When we obey His command, He gives us His presence without limit. The filling of the Holy Spirit is His enabling. It is from this divine enabling that God the Spirit produces in us love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, self-control, etc. He produces in us the likeness of Jesus Christ. Are you “under the influence?” Are you plugged in to your “power source?” What characterizes your life?

The third gift I will cover in this blog is the gift of The Word. Through the inspiration of God, His Word has been with His people for generations. The Bible is a treasure of knowledge and instruction that covers historical events and direction for living the Christian life. Scripture tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Why did God give us the Bible?

• So we can know who He is. Psalm 100:3
• So we can know that He is the One and only true God. Jeremiah 10:10
• So we can know His words are always true. Psalm 119:42, Psalm 119:74
• So we can learn about people from the past. Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:6
• So we can understand we are sinners. Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20
• So we can know that Jesus is God and the son of God. 1 John 5:5, John 1:1
• To show us we need a Savior. Acts 4:12, 2 Corinthians 5:21
• So we can know how to live. Proverbs 8:33, Psalm 86:11

These three gifts are for anyone who will accept them. God does not expect you to perform certain works before you qualify to receive these gifts; He is offering them to you. All you have to do is accept these gifts and they are eternally yours and can never be taken from you. Even if you have no physical Bible, just as many countries in the world strictly forbid Bible ownership, you can commit the Scriptures to memory and still have the presence of His Word in your life.
So, have you received these gifts God has offered? Are you allowing the gifts to make a difference in your life? Or are the gifts in a box on the shelf, untouched and unused? My prayer for you is that you open each gift, use it, and thank the Father for loving you so much that He gave these gifts without conditions attached and not requiring you to work for them. God bless you as you are realizing, either for the first time or as a reminder, just how much God loves YOU!

Candy

I AM SO LOVED THIS VALENTINE'S DAY!

As St. Valentine’s Day rapidly approaches, you may feel depressed that you do not have someone special in your life to call your Valentine. Being single for the last 11 years, I usually make every effort to disregard anything that reminds me of the fact that I am not involved in a romantic relationship. To receive no card, flowers, candy or gift on Valentine’s Day is just as disappointing as not receiving any Christmas or birthday presents. As I drove down Red Bluff toward Johnson Space Center on my way to work one day last week, the thought occurred to me that I was feeling sorry for myself a tad. Why did I have to be by myself in these the last years of my life? Why, oh why couldn’t I fall madly in love with a handsome millionaire who would whisk me off my feet and tell me to quit working so I could spend all my time on my college education and writing my book. In my spare time I could travel, speak and sing, etc., etc., etc. I was having a little pity party. Unfortunately, the RSVP for such an event was quickly responded to by Satan himself. He is the only one who looks forward to attending. None of my family or friends wants to be there. Oh, they may show up for a bit, but will quickly find an excuse to leave. You know what I mean. Thankfully, I am a Christian and know the truth, but sometimes I just have to bellyache a little bit. Isn’t it strange that something we understand and know will totally disappear from our thoughts when circumstances cloud our vision and we find our focus out of whack? God is faithful and his forgiveness is never ending. It didn’t take but a split second for me to regain my senses as the Holy Spirit brought to my mind back to the truth and away from what the enemy had me thinking about.

Do you experience God's love or do you sometimes think you are all alone in the world? I imagine there are many more people who are an island unto themselves than we can even imagine; people who have no extended family who don’t celebrate any festivities or holidays. Actually, we are never alone. There is always the presence of One who gave us life, our Heavenly Father. If you have ever had these thoughts, you are not the only one. Multitudes of people have similar thoughts. This was also true in the first century when Paul, who was probably the greatest missionary who ever lived, prayed that the Ephesians would deeply know God's love.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:16-21).

Jesus offers each of us a walk with God and a fullness of life that is not possible without him. Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and offer of eternal life is the greatest manifestation of God's love for you. John 3:16 is the first Bible verse I memorized as a child. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
If you have been struggling with the concept, or even if you have never thought about how much God loves you, make it a goal that between now and February 14 to do some research and take to heart how much God loves you. Here are some Bible verses to get you started. If you do not have access to a Bible, just e-mail me at candy_jones_jc@yahoo.com and I will get one for you. Seriously, I would be honored to supply you with a copy of the greatest book ever written that will encourage you to be all God created you to be. Read the following verses slowly and prayerfully, and ask God to make them real to you. He will because He sees your heart and knows your intent.

“How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:7)

“Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.” (Psalm 48:9)

“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86:15)

“Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:26)

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)

**Here is one of my favorites. Can you envision God, the creator of the world and everything in it rejoicing over YOU and singing?? WOW!**

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

“Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

"I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)


“See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.” (1 John 3:1)


I have been blessed with the greatest love I could ever experience. The creator of the universe loves me unconditionally. He is my God, my Savior, my friend, my counselor, my everything. I need no one else in my life because I have Him. If His plan for me is romance and marriage, I will thank Him. If His plan for me is to remain single, I will thank Him. Again quoting Paul, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . ..” Philippians 4:12b. God can be everything to anyone who calls upon His name. He will never leave you or forsake you. If this great God is for you, who could ever be against you? Trust Him today to be your all in all and He will!

New Year's Resolution - Confidence!

It has been several years since I made a New Year’s Resolution. These always sounded good, but I usually ended up breaking my resolve and being disappointed in myself. Thus, if I did not make any resolutions there would be none to break. When reflecting over 2010 and all the negative, hurtful and unpleasant things that cropped up in my life, I made a decision that at the very least I was going to view 2011 differently. Of course, I experienced many good things in 2010, including the birth of 2 grandsons. But, so many serious trials occurred in 2010 that I was viewing the year as one of the worst I have lived through.

At church services on Sunday, January 2, Charles Redmond, pastor, brought a great sermon on being spiritually fit in 2011. That evening, Jon Redmond, associate pastor, brought a wonderful message based on the prayer of Jabez,which can be found in 1Chronicles 4:9-10. It was through listening to these sermons that I came to the realization that I needed to make some changes in my attitude toward strife and troubles. It was time for a change in my prayer life and Bible Study habits. I do a good job petitioning God for the needs of others, but I do not ask God to bless me, to increase my sphere of influence, to place His hand on me, and to keep me from temptation so I don’t hurt myself or others nearly often enough. It is not a selfish thing to pray for yourself, not at all. If your motives are pure and you truly desire God to be actively involved in your life, He will do as he did with Jabez - He will grant your requests.

The Christian faith involves trust. I have taught about trust in God for years. I know all the Scriptural applications. It is easy to teach from past experiences and tell others how God came through for me. The hard part is when I find myself smack dab in the middle of a crisis and I begin to feel abandoned, not only by people, but by God. You know what? All Christians need to be reminded what trust in God is and how it affects our lives. We have to stay in the Word daily and memorize Scripture in order to keep our faith, trust and confidence in God strong. Satan would have me believe that I am a failure in God’s eyes and nothing could be further from the truth. I am a work in progress. To exercise my trust in God, I have found that I must have confidence in who He is and what He has promised to do.

I John 5:14, 15 says “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us: And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” I am memorizing this Scripture and will repeat it daily this year. I don't know about you, but I need this reminder of God hearing and answering our prayers as an encouragement to keep on keeping on.

God cares for us and wants us to have great confidence in Him. He gives power to those that wait upon Him. When we wait upon Him with confidence we will have great joy and happiness rather than the alternative of wringing our hands with worry. We need to keep a watch on our heart and soul so as to not allow unbelief, selfish pride, and foolishness to overcome us. Another biggie to watch out for is fear. I find that there are times I do not step up and do something because I am fearful. God wants us to know that if we try to do things in our own strength, we will fail. It is only when we have our hearts and desires fully set on God that we can go through the trial knowing God will see us through to victory.

God will walk with us through all difficulties; He will renew our strength. We will run the race and not become weary. We will mount up as eagles and go forth strong and confident in all things. Great is your confidence when it is in Him you trust. When going through a trial, we must remember that it is a test of our faith, trust and confidence in God. Don’t fail the test. Remember that it is in our weakness that He is strong.

Have a great 2011 walking with God every day.

Candy