Since today is Friday, I couldn’t help think of the abbreviation, TGIF for Thank God It’s Friday. But as I thought about that very popular definition, I realized there was a much better phrase: Thank God I’m Forgiven.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they set the stage for sin to pass down to every one of us. No matter how good we tried to be, we could never attain the perfection that would be needed to enter Heaven. Our fate was eternal condemnation.
Only God was perfect; therefore, any means of perfection had to come from Him. There was and is nothing we could do to save ourselves. We needed a Savior, and that came in the form of Jesus, who is Perfection since He is God in the flesh.
When Jesus died on the cross, He took upon Himself the sins of the world. When we accept His sacrifice for us, and believe He is our Lord and Savior, then our sins our wiped clean. No longer are we condemned to death. We are made free because we have been forgiven, and we now have eternity as our reward.
So as you enjoy your Friday, thank God for it. But also thank Him that through Jesus you can be forgiven, too.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mid-week Reflection
Sometimes we just need to take some time and sit with the Lord and hear what He has to say. We try to go and go and go like the Energizer Bunny, but the trouble is, we are not battery operated. We need renewal on a spiritual level, and that comes from the One who created us.
Make time in your schedule to be still with God. Dive into His Word and see what He has to tell you.
Make time in your schedule to be still with God. Dive into His Word and see what He has to tell you.
"Wait on the LORD;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!"
Psalm 27:14 NKJV
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Days Gone By
Time is flying by. It feels like the kids got out of school just yesterday, yet, glancing at the calendar, it’s almost the middle of August! There are only a few weeks of summer left.
I can remember loving summer when I was a kid and not wanting it ever to end. I didn’t care for the chores I had to do, but I did love the freedom to do all sorts of things after my chores were done: read; watch TV; ride bikes; play with my sisters; or visit the neighbors—anything but do homework.
It’s sad that the kids of this generation don’t have the same imagination as my generation did growing up. Nowadays kids would rather sit and play video or computer games the whole summer than read a good book or create their own adventure. My boys in particular don’t enjoy reading. I couldn’t imagine getting through the summer without reading a dozen or more books.
I cannot get back those days of fun in the sun. But I can try to encourage my children to enjoy their youth while they still have time. One day they, too, will realize that life is fleeting. Hopefully they’ll be able to look back at their summers with fond memories.
I can remember loving summer when I was a kid and not wanting it ever to end. I didn’t care for the chores I had to do, but I did love the freedom to do all sorts of things after my chores were done: read; watch TV; ride bikes; play with my sisters; or visit the neighbors—anything but do homework.
It’s sad that the kids of this generation don’t have the same imagination as my generation did growing up. Nowadays kids would rather sit and play video or computer games the whole summer than read a good book or create their own adventure. My boys in particular don’t enjoy reading. I couldn’t imagine getting through the summer without reading a dozen or more books.
I cannot get back those days of fun in the sun. But I can try to encourage my children to enjoy their youth while they still have time. One day they, too, will realize that life is fleeting. Hopefully they’ll be able to look back at their summers with fond memories.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
It isn't the Heat...
I do not like humid weather. I don’t like the stickiness or the oppressiveness of the air. I don’t like melting when trying to put on make-up, or having to take a few showers a day just to feel comfortable. Thankfully I don’t have to deal a lot with humid weather. Yes, we do get the occasional days here and there where I live, but at least I don’t have to live with it on a constant basis like some who are in the more tropical areas.
Unfortunately we can’t change the weather, no matter what comes up. We don’t have any say on getting a bright, sunny day, or have any influence when we want rain. We have to accept things as they come.
It’s the same with life. We have no control over the circumstances we are confronted with on a daily basis. The problem comes when we feel victimized by our situations; when we have the attitude, “Why me? I can’t get a break!”
If I believe God is God, then I have to believe He interacts in my life. As a Christian I have to realize that nothing I face, whether good or bad, can come to me unless God has allowed it. Once I accept that (and I should accept it with joy), then I must realize that God has His reasons for allowing things to happen. Instead of moaning, “Why me?” I need to ask, “What would you have me learn, Lord?”
It may be something simple as being a good neighbor. Or it may be far more involved as changing a character flaw. Or it could be learning to face a situation that someone later in life will be dealing with as well.
Don’t look at life as being stuck with bad weather. Ask God to help you learn from the “heat” and you may find a refreshing breeze through it all.
Unfortunately we can’t change the weather, no matter what comes up. We don’t have any say on getting a bright, sunny day, or have any influence when we want rain. We have to accept things as they come.
It’s the same with life. We have no control over the circumstances we are confronted with on a daily basis. The problem comes when we feel victimized by our situations; when we have the attitude, “Why me? I can’t get a break!”
If I believe God is God, then I have to believe He interacts in my life. As a Christian I have to realize that nothing I face, whether good or bad, can come to me unless God has allowed it. Once I accept that (and I should accept it with joy), then I must realize that God has His reasons for allowing things to happen. Instead of moaning, “Why me?” I need to ask, “What would you have me learn, Lord?”
It may be something simple as being a good neighbor. Or it may be far more involved as changing a character flaw. Or it could be learning to face a situation that someone later in life will be dealing with as well.
Don’t look at life as being stuck with bad weather. Ask God to help you learn from the “heat” and you may find a refreshing breeze through it all.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Image
I can’t believe it. I can’t imagine paying fourteen million dollars just to buy the first publically released pictures of the baby twins of two famous movie stars. I don’t know what’s more foolish: the magazines paying for this “privilege;” or the people who will clamor to buy the magazines to see the photos. I wonder how many will want to save this issue as a collector’s item.
Our priorities in this world have gone crazy. We are consumed by image and popularity instead of character and quality. We get enticed by who’s who and what’s what. I can say this first hand because I’ve attended several of Hollywood’s elite award ceremonies in the past, and I’ve seen how absolutely frenzied some of the fans can get.
Movie stars are just regular people who have been glamorized by publicity agents and paparazzi. They are not extra special. They laugh and cry and eat and sleep just like you and me. The only difference is that more people notice what they do because of the image that has been created about them. Most of the time those images are fabrications, hardly resembling the real person.
What’s the real you? Are you exactly what people see, or have you created a false image about yourself? You may be able to fool those around you, but God sees your heart. He knows who you really are.
Looking to change your image? Ask God to enter into your life and change your heart so He can mold and shape you into the image you were created to be.
Our priorities in this world have gone crazy. We are consumed by image and popularity instead of character and quality. We get enticed by who’s who and what’s what. I can say this first hand because I’ve attended several of Hollywood’s elite award ceremonies in the past, and I’ve seen how absolutely frenzied some of the fans can get.
Movie stars are just regular people who have been glamorized by publicity agents and paparazzi. They are not extra special. They laugh and cry and eat and sleep just like you and me. The only difference is that more people notice what they do because of the image that has been created about them. Most of the time those images are fabrications, hardly resembling the real person.
What’s the real you? Are you exactly what people see, or have you created a false image about yourself? You may be able to fool those around you, but God sees your heart. He knows who you really are.
Looking to change your image? Ask God to enter into your life and change your heart so He can mold and shape you into the image you were created to be.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Weekend Reflection
"Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."
Psalm 92:13-15 NKJ
Friday, August 1, 2008
The Front Porch
I miss the front porch from my middle grade years. It wasn’t a big porch: probably 5’ x 8’ with two steps leading down to the sidewalk. But it was big enough to sit on the top step, lean against the wooden post that supported the roof, enjoy the late afternoon breezes, and wave “Hi” to the neighbors who took late summer walks.
It was the perfect place to sit out a thunder storm, or to watch a rainbow in the sky. It offered enlightenment as I sat and composed my feeble attempts at poetry, and it gave me an alternative reading spot instead of my usual tree in the front yard.
The porch was where I could sit and wait for the mailman, listen for the ice cream truck, or wave for the Helm’s Bakery truck to stop so I could buy some delectable treats. It was a place to read letters or sip a cold glass of lemon-lime Kool Aid, or play jacks with my sister. Basically it was a place to relax, allow my imagination to stir, and to have fun.
I don’t have such a porch anymore. In fact I have more of a dull square by my front door. It’s very uncomfortable and leaves little room for the imagination. One day I hope to have an even bigger porch, perhaps with a nice porch swing. It would be a great place to sit and write.
But I don’t need a little square or rectangle to have fun or be inspired. God gave us abilities that are not limited by location. I can be creative and have fun anywhere and at anytime.
Are you limiting yourself because you don’t have the things that inspire you? Ask God to give you His inspiration.
It was the perfect place to sit out a thunder storm, or to watch a rainbow in the sky. It offered enlightenment as I sat and composed my feeble attempts at poetry, and it gave me an alternative reading spot instead of my usual tree in the front yard.
The porch was where I could sit and wait for the mailman, listen for the ice cream truck, or wave for the Helm’s Bakery truck to stop so I could buy some delectable treats. It was a place to read letters or sip a cold glass of lemon-lime Kool Aid, or play jacks with my sister. Basically it was a place to relax, allow my imagination to stir, and to have fun.
I don’t have such a porch anymore. In fact I have more of a dull square by my front door. It’s very uncomfortable and leaves little room for the imagination. One day I hope to have an even bigger porch, perhaps with a nice porch swing. It would be a great place to sit and write.
But I don’t need a little square or rectangle to have fun or be inspired. God gave us abilities that are not limited by location. I can be creative and have fun anywhere and at anytime.
Are you limiting yourself because you don’t have the things that inspire you? Ask God to give you His inspiration.
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