Benefits

“[A Psalm of David.] Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:”Psalm 103:1-2 NKJV 

Everyone is talking about the economy today.  We see our country and our world spinning out of control in spending, debt rising, values on homes dropping. . . . it goes on and on. 

 As our young people graduate High School and University, they are wondering where they will find a job and what benefit packages they will have.  It seems the cushy perks of the past generation may be gone; the 401K's, the generous salaries, the health insurance and retirements being cut to the bone or disappearing altogether.

 I found this as the 'verse of the day' on Biblegateway, and it was so appropriate.

In this day many find the words of Jesus difficult to follow. I see some who think  his teaching is about making life here on earth easy and trouble-free, they look for the benefits of following Him like they do their job search.  So, it is encouraging to find this verse that states:  ". . . .forget not all His benefits:"  One benefit is the peace He gives in the midst of storms.  He does not promise we will have no storms, just His peace, comfort, and mercy as we pass through them.  I hope you will think of these words today, as you continue on this uncertain journey towards your everlasting home.

Morning Song

 My soul still remembers



And sinks within me.


 This I recall to my mind,


Therefore I have hope.


 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,


Because His compassions fail not.


 They are new every morning;


Great is Your faithfulness.


 “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,


“ Therefore I hope in Him!”   Lamentations 3:20-24

This passage is such a comfort to me this morning!  I have been feeling overwhelmed by the events unfolding in my life.  Many things have simply thrown me on my knees, imploring God for relief and comfort.  What a joy to rediscover this beautiful passage.  I am reminded that my faith in God is not hopeless.  He will have compassion on me.  In His mercy He will not let me be overtaken by the circumstances not within my control.  There is hope that in His merciful compassion I will find the sweet relief.

It occurs to me that others have faced as much and far worse.  Paul and Silas were able to sing through the night while in chains.  Surely I can remember and sing a song of praise and joy to my Maker?

Psalm 77:5-6 says it well (they are God's words, after all!):

I have considered the days of old,



The years of ancient times.


I call to remembrance my song in the night;


I meditate within my heart,


And my spirit makes diligent search.


This 'remembrance of things past is what we should do in times of trouble;  look to God's word for wisdom and guidance.  Diligently search where we know to find the best advice! 
 
May you be guided to His counsel and wisdom.  Often I have found just the words and tender comfort I needed.  Thank you dear Lord, for your inexpressable gift of salvation, and of gift of the Spirit who dwells within each believer!

Fruit of Good Works

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.  ~  Philippians 4:17-18

Paul was thankful for the Philippian's help, time and again.  But it wasn't simply the monetary help they gave him that he wanted.  He was thankful for their growth and maturity in their faith.  He knew that *they* were benefiting from sharing with him.  It is in serving others that we find our true path as we travel towards home.  God isn't interested in making us rich, or famous, or successful in business.  He wants us to learn to put others first, for the sake of the gospel.  In sharing, once and again, the Philippian Christians were learning obedience and trust.  They were learning to look upward and seek benefits for their eternal home.

Sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom yields spiritual fruit that cannot be bought or borrowed.  Christian virtues are patiently learned (not earned) by living a life that seeks the good for others.  It is not self-centered.  

May God bless you today with eyes that look outward.  Do something small, unnoticed for someone else today.  And be thankful.  

Hugs!

Every Day Is Thanksgiving!

 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7


With God, every day is Thanksgiving Day!  At the heart of every faithful Christian life lies a thankful heart.  Without it, we cannot hope to stay faithful!  When we fail to be grateful for our daily blessings, we become despondent, cynical and weary.  We tire of the daily grind of life.  But when we practice the simple act of thankfulness, we allow God the avenue to comfort and soothe us. He keeps us from the onset of despair and hopelessness that might otherwise overcome us.  Let us always remember as we travel towards home:


Blessed be the Lord,
     Who daily loads us with benefits,
         The God of our salvation!
                  Psalm 68:19

"Sometimes the load is heavy and sometimes the road is long; and sometimes Lord this heart of mine is not so very strong.  But Thy will be done, Lord.   Thy will be done."

These words by Joyce Eiler come back to me often when I'm in the midst of a struggle.  Singing the words to this song (the ones I remember) help me to remember that it isn't the struggle that matters, but whether I keep my eyes on the prize.  It is so easy to sink into despair, or anger, or even begin to blame others for my troubles.  But in the end it's just me and God, working through and walking together.  Well, mostly God.  In fact, I am so weak and weary, that I must admit, it's all God! :o) Just to illustrate, can you imagine anyone looking at a Monet painting and saying, "Well, that paint sure made the artist look good!" The creator of the artwork gets the glory, not the canvas or the paint.  Okay, I'm laughing now, but when I started I was crying.

You see, life just isn't easy most days.  There are temptations and trials all along the road. There are steep hills to climb and deep, dangerous rivers to ford.  But I choose to believe God.  He said He would never leave me nor forsake me.  Now, I have the choice to step away from Him.  But He hasn't changed.  There were times I chose to turn my back and live my life my way.  Those are not happy memories.

But in the time since I made the commitment to stick close to His side, to choose His way over mine, there have been sad times, but there is always the contentment of knowing He is  preparing me a home in heaven, but also living inside of me, daily guiding my steps.  The very nearness of God is comforting.  Knowing He has promised that He will never let me suffer longer than necessary comforts as well.

I leave you with these two scriptures:
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”


I Peter 5:10
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

My dear husband has been preaching on Life In the Valley. I guess he did not realize how much we would need those sermons ourselves! God is incredible and His design of the scriptures to meet our every need is beyond description. How often I have cried on Saturday night, only to sit Sunday morning in awe at how He speaks to me from His word, just what I needed; words of comfort and admonition.

^{I Corinthians 6: 18-20}

^{"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."}

Flee is to run away from. But how often do we flirt with temptation and sin? We put ourselves in the way of temptation and then pray, "God don't let me give in!" I remember years ago a young lady in our youth group telling us about attending a drinking party and praying, "God don't let me take a drink." Seems obvious, doesn't it?

We must flee from the very appearance of evil. That means to run far away from what would tempt us to do wrong. We should not even go where we know we might stumble and fall.

What excuses do we give for doing such things in our walk in the valley?

Do we justify our thoughts or actions? Do we ignore the warning signs we are on the wrong path? Do we shut the door on those who might help us?

This passage speaks specifically of sexual immorality, but do we realize that our own tongue sets the whole process in motion? Are we careful to guard our thoughts and words each day? Rarely do we set out to be immoral or sinful, but we let the false brightness lure us ever closer to the deadly flames of sin and death, until we are so caught, we think we cannot get loose.

But thank God for His inexpressible gift of life in Christ! He can forgive the worst sinner and make them clean again, but only if we are willing to do so according to His word. . . .we cannot choose the terms of our redemption.

"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:13-14

"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." James 1:18 It is not any effort on our part that saves us, but entirely God's doing. We must ask for it and receive it, humbly acknowledging our dependence entirely on Him. What a wonderful relief that is! And what joy to know He provides such an entrance to salvation. As it is written in Acts 2:38, "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

May your day be filled with the joy of this wonderful gift!

Remember

So many are posting today, I will keep this short. But today is a day we will never forget. It does not matter where you were that day, or what you were doing. Everything stopped when those planes hit the twin towers. Hearts stopped beating, minds froze in horror and disbelief, hands hung helplessly at sides, and then so many fantastic things happened. People said, Not me! I will do something. They rescued, they comforted, they fought back; fears and tears and smoke and hate cannot stop us from doing what God wants from us.

As Christians, we know that there is Evil at work in this world. We long for a better place, but until it is our turn to journey to heaven, our journey here is littered with pain and suffering. We do not despair or hang our hands in uselessness. We have work to do and despite the opposition of the Enemy, we work on, not despairing.

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed- 2 Cor. 4:7-9

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

So remember those who are gone and the families and friends who grieve today, but do so with hope and courage that God will be glorified if we let our light shine on our journey home.

More On Love and Legalism (and maybe a little on the Imitation of Christ as well.)

While I do not want to give the idea that we are 'throwing out' the checklist, actually It never was there. It is a misconception of what God demands of us. Yes, call it 'demand', or 'require' but the choice of what to do for our salvation is not up to us. He never asked our opinion, or what made us 'happy' or 'comfortable' as some of the words I hear thrown about.

He is the great Creator. He made us. He *knows* us inside out. He knows the very thought and intents of our hearts (please read Hebrews 4:11-13 in context of course.) Who better to set the standard? Yes, it guides us. The struggle is not really in understanding this, so much as letting go of preconceived ideas that are 'extra-Biblical'. True understanding comes from God alone, and that through our study of His word, the only source of truth. In the beginning of Hebrews, the writer, inspired by God, tells us that at one time, He spoke to the fathers through the prophets, but today through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2.) And the only accurate record of Him is in the Holy Scriptures. It is through a thorough and diligent study of this record that we will truly know Him.

In looking deeply, diligently, into the word of God, we begin to know and understand Him. (Refer once again to Hebrews 4:11.) Interestingly, the scholarly word for this diligent study of scripture, exegesis, means to lead or guide out of (the word.) Simply put, we do not set the set the standard by which we approach our Maker. He has done that for us. We need only become familiar with it by daily walking 'in the light, as he is in the light.' (I John 1:7) If we want to imitate Christ, in truth, we must be diligent, persistent, and patient in our pursuit of knowing Him.

I guess this is a little about both love and legalism AND the imitation of Christ. How can we best imitate someone without spending much time listening to their words and thoughts? Ultimately, that can only happen through God's word.

May your pursuit of Christ be in truth and complete abandon of self and worldliness. Someone once said that a famous artist was asked how he carved out such a life-like lion. His response was, "Simply cut away everything that is not the lion." Like that artist, let us cut away all that is not Christ-like as we become daily more and more like the image of Him.

On the Imitation of Christ

Several years back, I noticed on the Plaza in Kansas City a Thomas Kinkade gallery. I was excited to think that one day I might walk into that gallery and view an authentic work by this artist. Imagine my disappointment to find there were only digital reproductions. The curator assured me I would not be able to tell the difference. They started with good canvases and paints and were able to duplicate the very brush-strokes of the artist in such a way that these imitations looked exactly like the original art work.

In the Christian's walk, our life must so duplicate the Master's that it is an exact replica of His original work. Just as in the world of art, we must start with quality materials, so every brush stroke must look like His. This is done by complete obedience to His will and commands. We must not think we will even be close to the original by putting in our own ideas in the same way that if the workers who reproduce Kinkade's work were to inject their own artistic ideas. They would ultimately be identified as fakes and thrown out.

Then let your life so imitate the Saviour's that you are an exact replica of Him. Become imitators of Christ. In the next few weeks I hope to share some ways in which we can do this.

(The above picture is borrowed from: http://tinyurl.com/43wjklz)

True Love or Legalism?

Sometimes in my Christian walk, I am accused of being legalistic or dogmatic, meaning the accuser thinks I am just checking off a 'to-do' list of how to get to heaven. I remind myself (and them, if they listen long enough) that as we keep God's commandments (the perfect law of liberty, as it states in James 1:25) we do so according to God's stipulations, not our own. It is not a card-punch system, as if to say, Well that is out of the way for today! But it is a life-style. God is able to change the heart when we come to Him in truth, and we do His will out of love for Him and to share that precious story with the lost. Many times I've been accused of being unloving in that, or legalistic, as if we are able to define these words by our own standards. Although it hurts, especially when coming from someone I care deeply about, I remind myself that God sets the standards. If someone perceives my quoting scripture or sharing what God requires for salvation, is that loving or unloving? If I tell someone who wants to jump off a bridge what the consequences of that jump are, do I care? Do I show love? I think you get my point. Sometimes the other person might not like what I say, but that does not change the love behind the words. I try as I bring up my own children to impress on them that initial perception is not always a reliable guide. We must look beyond that initial perception to the truth and intent of those words or actions. In other words, It is up to us to respond with thoughtful deliberation, not impulse.

Remember that God is the great Creator, it is He who has made us (Psalm 100:3) and He who sets the guidelines of our salvation through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38; James 4:12; 1 John 2:3) I hope and pray today that we will all consider the truth of God's word and draw closer to Him as we become more like Him each day, loving in truth.

Today we visited at two nursing homes in town. It is always a pleasure, because, no matter how we sound, someone claps, or at least thanks us for coming. They are not applauding our beautiful singing. They just love having us come, sing songs they remember and maybe share an encouraging word, a pat on the back or hold their hand for a moment. The cookies are an added treat, but I think even without them they would love our visits.

This time, we had our 2 eldest grandson's with us and that was the best. These older people who may not see many but their elder companions at the home, see these little faces and want to talk to them, to hold their hands. The boys were good to shake hands, say thank you for all the compliments and the four year old even helped to pass out treats.

Most of those greetings brought smiles. But I saw a few sad faces, looks of rememberance of their days when their own children and grandchildren were small, and the knowledge that they now might not come around much was on my mind.

One lady shared this with me, "When they are young, they step on your toes. When they are old, they step on your heart."

It is hard to go, sometimes, to visit with those I do not really know, to listen to them talk about others I don't know.

Then I remember that one day I, too, will be old. I may be somewhere I don't want to be. Who will come to see me? Who will listen to my oft' told stories? I would like to think that I do what I can today, and plant the seeds of serving in my children and grandchildren. I hope that they will learn the lesson of true Christian living. I hope they will live by the example that was set before them. There is a Latin phrase I like, "Princeps Exemplar;" lead by example. I hope that is the inheritance I leave for my children.

Thank you for taking time to read today!

Recently, a friend told me of watching her son parachute to the earth from 10,000 feet. She proudly described his perfect landing. Even after 34 jumps, it was only the second time he had been able to land on his feet. I do not know a lot about skydiving, but I do know I've never had an urge to jump from a plane. As I listened to her, a thought came to me that perhaps seems like a 'no brainer.' But if he wanted his parachute to open, he must pull on the chord. Then as I read on the subject, I found out there is a safety feature on modern parachutes so that if the diver does not open his chute by a certain altitude it opens automatically. That's not very technical I know, and if I were more adventurous I'd actually try this to see how it works. Think I'll just take the experts word on this.

Some people believe our spiritual life is like this parachute. All they must do is say 'I believe' and their spiritual 'parachute' opens. You know, if I miss something essential in opening it, God being the wonderful Being He is, will cause it to 'open' on it's own. Uh, I hate to burst anyone's bubble but it really does not work like that. Something more is required of us. I know, I hear you thinking, there she goes, telling me about all the rules, etc. . .

I'm used to being called legalistic, dogmatic, or whatever the current term is. But the fact is this: God, the Creator, and Author of our faith wrote the book. He set the law of gravity in place and also governs our relationship with Him. Just as the skydiver must obey the rules of nature and gravity to have a successful jump, we must obey God to have a successful 'landing' in eternity. It is only by recognizing and accepting His guidelines do we have the relationship with Him we desire. We cannot make the rules to suit ourselves. We must submit willingly to the ones He has already established.

In the kingdom of God, there are no automatic chute deployments. Here is to more happy landings!

Reasons as Christian Women to Be Cheerful and Joyful

Thank you to June Smith for giving me permission to share this post with you.

Christ Is With Us
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. Matthew 14:27

This text is about a time when Jesus' disciples were out on in the middle of the sea and the waves were tossing them about and the wind was blowing. Sometimes our lives are like that, we are being tossed about by some trial or difficult time and the winds seem to be blowing about us. For the disciples, Jesus was near in their time of distress and when he got into the boat with them the sea calmed. In our times of distress are we looking to Jesus and asking him to get on board in our lives then the storms of life come?

"For if God be with us who can be against us?"Romans 8:31 What a cheerful thought that is to know that God is on our side. That is a thought that should fill us with joy. David, a small boy with a sling, had God on His side and for that reason he had confidence to go up against a mighty giant named Goliath. We have our Goliath's that we must defeat but with God on our side we can be confident and joyful.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

So often, as we travel this road of life, we think of the future. This was brought home the other morning as news of a new blood test that will predict our longevity by measuring the tips of our chromosomes. I do not understand how it works, but claims are this little part of our chromosome, the telomere, gives the genetic information on how long we might live. How this will be used to enrich our lives remains to be seen.

Man has used other means over the years to predict life-span. When we took out life insurance years ago, the company used our lifestyle, medical history and family history to do the same thing. I remember reading the chart our insurance man printed with interest. Who wouldn't want to know when they will die? Isn't that a consuming question for many?

But if we look at God's word, we see that we have no idea what will happen tomorrow. We do not know the future or how long our life will be. James 4:14 says, "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." I have lived long enough to see those who live clean, hardworking lives and are taken by cancer or a car accident. I have seen those who live long lives who did everything to shorten it, by way of misuse of their body. We just cannot control all aspects, and those we can may or may not help us to live longer.

I do see that a life lived for God, whether long or short, enriches others. An unselfish, godly person makes life better not just for himself, for she is not centered on self. Whether it is long or short, a life lived for God gives joy to others. And the best part is that a life lived in joyful obedience to Christ, whether long or short, has eternity in heaven as reward. I can think of nothing better.

There is a poem, a part of which reads, "Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." (C.T. Studd) May we live our lives guided by what will last in truth, not for our own recognition or glory, but for God's kingdom.

Final Destination

We received a sad phone call last night. Our dear friend Winston went home to be with his God. It is sad for his family, who loved and cherished him, and his friends. But what a victory! He was faithful in his Christian walk and he knew where he was going. We have great comfort in that knowledge. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Psalm 116:14

I can only imagine his homecoming. When our eldest son returned from Iraq his first time, we were there to meet his bus as they came home. What joy to see his feet touch American soil! What comfort too be able to hug and hold him, touch his face, hold his hand. If a human parent feels this way, how much more our God, as He sees His faithful child step across the threshold of heaven.

So, although we grieve our loss for a time, we are comforted with these words from I Thessalonians 4:13 and 14.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those

who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will

bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus."

We are thankful for the life lived, how blessed our own lives are from the quiet faithfulness of Winston, but our sorrow is soothed by the words of our Heavenly Father, who knows what comfort and encouragement we need as we travel towards home.

God Walks Among Us

“I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

that you should not be their slaves;
I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.”

Lev. 26:12-13

This passage brought to mind a book I read years ago in which the writer urged us to live in constant communion with God. This writer helped me see my relationship with God in a new light. It is not to be relegated to set times, but practiced in a daily walk; one that needs my absolute attention moment by moment. It is a joyful, thankful journey alongside Him. It was a turning point in my already strong commitment to live a life dedicated to my God and Savior.

If we have obeyed His word, God frees us, not from the land of Egypt, but from slavery to sin. Live in joyful gratitude for the wonderful gift and the promise of eternal life. He walks alongside us each step of the way to our eternal home.

All Ears. . . No Action or Becoming a Whole Person

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25

In reading and meditating on James 1 this morning, it occurred to me how we must look to God. So often we go around, with missing or underdeveloped body parts. You know, like ears without hands and feet in the proper place, or way too small or much too big? You may be asking what I'm talking about? Well, stay with me here while I take the analogy one step further. Have you ever been to a carnival and stepped into the Fun House? The mirrors are all warped every which way and your image is out of proportion? Tall and lean becomes short and spread? Or your normally comfortably round tummy is carved into a tiny waist so small a grape would have trouble making it through?

Maybe that is how we look to God as we are traveling this road to our forever home. Like carnival caricatures of the real person we are to be. Our ears are huge. After all, we love to read the word, spending much time in Bible classes and individual meditation. But when the time comes to actually practice what it is telling us to do, we can't quite find the time or the effort. Our under-developed feet and hands aren't willing or able to do what we *know* we should. But we are happy to memorize the words and play the part. James wrote this all down and I guess you've read it, maybe more than once. We are like those who look into the mirror, see our faces, and then walk away, only to forget who we really are; all ears! We think we are speeding down the highway of life, at full-throttle, when we are actually dragging ourselves along, crippled and misshapen, unable to even do the minimum speed limit. We become speed bumps instead, blocking the normal progress of others.

So, my challenge to *me* and you if you choose to accept it, is to spend just as much time studying and contemplating the Holy scriptures, and then practicing those wonderful words of cheer, comfort, and joy.

"Take the name of Jesus with you, . . . . . " (nods to Lydia O. Baxter who wrote those beautiful words in 1870!)

The Violinist

So many times we complain about tension and stress in our lives. If we could just have some peace, we could accomplish something. But consider the violin. It is tension and stress which make such beautiful music from this instrument. Without the proper tension, the strings are not able to 'sing' as they do under the skilled hands of the musician.

The same is true in our lives. If we realize that God is the concertmaster and if He is in control, the tension and stress is part of the plan. He knows what we are capable of under His control. He holds us safely in His hands, tightening the strings to the proper tension so that when He sets the bow to string, we 'sing' under his skilled playing.

God knows we need rest as well, and we can trust Him to provide this at the right time. A beautiful musical composition is not only made of melody, but of the rests in between the notes.

Those help make the melody what it is. And it is only when the Master tightens up the strings, rosens His bow and plays the melody, notes and rests working together, that we are able to accomplish His perfect plan.

Let us learn obedience and thankfulness for these times of tension and rest that God may be glorified. And rest in the knowledge that He loves us and wants what is best for us.

Always traveling towards home.

The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

When he falls he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

Psalm 37:23-24

For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

(2nd verse of F.S. Pierpoint's lyrics)

When we sing this lovely song, we are reminded of the soft grass of summer, swirling gently to the rhythm of the warm breezes. We appreciate our Father's beautiful gift. But what would our appreciation be, if this scene had not been preceded by the bitter, cold of February; the shrieking hurricane and blinding snow which covers the landscape in impassable drifts?

Our Christian life is much the same. We love the gentle moments of love and happy cooperation when minds and hands work as one. But would we long for heaven if that is how it always is? Would our hunger for the reward of rest and peace be so sure if we never found our efforts met with resistance and even hatred? Often the bitter winds of persecution attack our quiet life and drift the way forward with cold resistance.

But we know the path has already been broken before us, the way not so steep, our recovery from falls and spills tended by the tender hand of God.

'Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' ~ Isaiah 41:10

I pray we will enjoy the smooth path, but know that when the rough rocks and steep hills are encountered, God is still there. He knows the way. He went before us on this very path.

Enjoy the journey, no matter the weather! Heaven will be worth it all. C:

Love as Debt

“Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8 NASB

None of us wants to be in debt, yet it is part of life. We have home loans, cars, monthly bills and even student debt. We know we must show responsibility and pay our debts. This scripture speaks of a spiritual debt. God is warning us to ‘watch our spending’ as it were. We are to ‘spend’ our lives wisely. When we put on Christ in baptism, we gave up our own will for His will, which is shown in the example of those who have gone before us. Philippians 3:17 advises, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

What is this pattern? 1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.” This is the example: He gave his very life that we might have life, eternal.

I will leave you with these questions to consider. Can we follow this love? Are we able to give ourselves sacrificially to one another? Is love possible without promise or expectation of return? Can we be indebted in love to one another? Can we be the loving face of Christ to our brothers and sisters and to the world?

Consider the words to this song:

“He paid a debt He did not owe.

I owed a debt I could not pay.

I needed Someone to take my sins away.

I now can sing a brand new song,

‘Amazing Grace!’

Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.”

Words and music by Ellis J. Crum

Travel Opportunity

Have you ever been offered a free trip? Phrases like, "No cost to you," and, "All expenses paid," lure us in for a closer look. Many times we get caught up in the hype. We jump on board without a second thought! Most of the time it is not what it seems. A first-rate trip turns into a nightmare.

We should remember, however, that a guilt trip is one we are not obligated to take, even when we love the one who is offering it. It's not a matter of accepting or rejecting out of hand. I'm also not suggesting denial as a blanket defense. Many times these offers are made for reasons known only to the other person's heart. Only God can see them. My recommendation is that we not blindly accept the guilt without serious self-examination beforehand. Now I realize that sometimes we can put our blinders on and go about our lives with some serious guilt on our souls without ever accepting it. I'm not talking about that. There is a cure and we all must accept responsibility for our own words and actions. We need to review carefully, for we are not always guilty as charged.

We can not, should not, take responsibility for others actions, or lack of them. God knows our hearts better than anyone else. If we consider our thoughts and motives in light of His word and His truth and He does not condemn us, than we need not accept the condemnation of others. No matter how well-intentioned the charge, we can say, "Thank you, but not this trip."

Hearts that love the truth will find it, even on the rocky road of other's good intentions.

So, keep your head up, eyes on Jesus and step confidently forward. If we know our Guide and trust and keep His commands, the end of the road will be worth it all!

"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." 1 John 3:21-22