february 14th, 2012

Valentine's Day

It's valentines day as everyone knows. I hope that everyone has had a great Valentines day too!

It is crazy how there is onlyuuu one day out of the year to show the love of your life that you love him or her. It should be every day, even if it is a simple saying "I love you." It means more than you know. It reminds me that valentines day is somewhat similar to Christmas. We show our love for the Lord on Christmas or only on Sundays. Is this right to do so? I don't think so.

Let's remind each and every person that we love that they are special. It shouldn't take a holiday for us to be loving to one another.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother an hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." - Ephesians 5:31

Two shall become one flesh, it doesn't say two fleshes. Stick together and love one another, support, care, and be patient with each other.

This is good advice:

"Know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man doe not produce the righteousness that God requires." - James 1:19-20

This can be great advice in numerous situations including times in arguments with your spouse and/or boyfriend or girlfriend.

Remember to love each other all throughout the year, not just one day.

And... To the ones without lovers, you will find your special someone. God will send your special someone when he believes the time is right. Stand strong, and never settle for your temporary wants. Your time is coming, no worries.

As I has told myself numerous times:

"Being single doesn't mean you're not wanted... It means that you're strong enough to wait for what's ahead."

Happy Valentines Day! :)

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

february 6th, 2012

The Temptation of Jesus Christ

A lot of people believe that they should earn everything that they get, but that doesn't mean that you have to technically earn your way to heaven. Keep in mind that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, so that we would be forgiven of our sins.

"Greater love has no more than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." 

John 15:13

It is by grace alone. Our Father repeatedly forgives us, even though, we constantly fail him. The devil will tempt you, not the Lord. None of us are perfect, not you, nor me, or anyone. We were born sinners. Jesus did everything that God wanted him to, and he didn't do anything that God didn't want him to do. He was perfect, and he was a true Son of God. 

We don't earn our way into heaven, and I constantly hear people talk about doing all these different and wonderful things just to be able to say "I know where I'm going." Truth is, people... none.. I mean none of us know where we are going. It is not up to you, me, or anyone... other than the Lord above to decide whether you will enter the gates of heaven or not. Yes, the Lord wants us to live our lives in his name and for Him, follow his commandments, and live a life making good decisions. I'm not saying at all that we shouldn't try to be wonderful children of God just because we don't "earn" our way into heaven. 

"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." 

Luke 4:12

The Lord doesn't "test" you per say. The devil does time and time again, and so does our sinful hearts. We are tempted to do bad things, but it is on our own that we should make the right decision. God wants us to learn different things every day, He doesn't put us to the test... it's the devil. Don't believe that He is testing our faith. We shouldn't worship the devil, but our God above shall we worship and glorify his name. Forever and ever more. 

"You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve."

Luke 4:8

"And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time." 

Luke 4:1-2,13

Remember, beat the temptation coming from the devil. The Lord above has faith in each and every one of us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

january 22nd, 2012

Running from God

I tend to sometimes only talk to God when I need him, or I need his forgiveness. Do some of you do that too? It's as if I am running from him, or as if I think I don't need him when the going is good. I need, you need, and we all need his presence at all times. We all run at some point, but one of my resolutions for not just this year, but the many more to come... is to not run from God, but towards him. 

We sometimes don't believe that others deserve to have God's grace, and that is an awful thing to believe. God is a God of second chances.. or numerous chances. We all make a mistake over at least once at some point or another. We all get the occasional thought of "I can't stand her/him... I wish God would just lay it on them!," is that the kind of thoughts we should be thinking? No. Of course not. We all lose our way sometimes, and sometimes it takes mistakes to realize that we do need our Lord during the good and the bad times. We need his loving presence around us all the time. We should be welcoming our fellow sinners that surround us all, and help one another in ways that one cannot by themselves. 

Remember this.... Judging others does not define one, but defines yourself.

So, are you going to run away from our Father... or towards him? It's your choice.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

december 25th, 2011

Merry Christmas Everyone!

"For Unto Us a Child Is Born!"

For Better or For Worse

When you are at a wedding, you hear vows of course. 

"For better or for worse..

In sickness and in health...

Richer or for poorer..."

The sad part is... majority of the couples across the world are only in it for the better. The couples don't stick through the worse... or the difficult times. When you marry someone, you are making a lifelong covenant in front of the Lord and other witnesses. Divorce is a normal thing these days, and I don't look down on anyone that is divorced... your business is not mine. You must love the Lord and trust in him... ask him before you marry to make you a good husband/wife and ask upon his name to give you both the strength to make it through a life together as one. 

Ask yourself this... Do you love God? Do you love the one person that has sent his one and only Son to die for our sins on the cross when none of us deserved it? Do you love the one that gave you life? Yes, God has some high standards.. and that pushes some people away. All of us at some point try to believe, "Oh, I'm not a bad person. I care for people." God considers hatred to be murder, and lust to be adultery. You can't love someone because you can't give someone something you don't have. You can't truly love your spouse or loved one until you realize what love truly is. You love your spouse whether they deserve it or not. You love everyone whether they deserve it or not... God loves all of us even though we don't deserve it. We have rejected him over and over again, we've spat in his face, and pushed him away. I strongly believe that you can't love someone without loving the Lord first. 

"You shall have no other gods before me." - First Commandment

This is all between you and the Lord. Are you going to continue to reject him? Can't we all see that we need his forgiveness and his love? 

Marriage is a beautiful thing... if it's handled correctly. Love one another, treat each other with the same amount of respect, support each others dreams and ambitions, stay faithful and honest, be each others best friend, never give up even through the hard times, and most importantly... you both must love the Lord before anything else in your life. People sometimes get married for the wrong reason, and end up divorcing. Majority of the humans on this Earth are only concerned about "my needs, or my rights." Put that person before yourself, and make sure their needs are met. A marriage can be destroyed just as quick as it was started. Are you willing to let your marriage fall apart? 

Marriage is a sacred institution established by God and one that is mean to last for life... not for just the better times. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

december 4th, 2011

Remember We Have Been Graced

Have you ever had someone tell you that you are blessed? when in reality... you believe you are not so much. We all go through times in our lives that we are depressed, dealing with family issues, addictions, any personal problem.. it gets us down, doesn't it? 

Gabriel came to Mary to announce that she was giving birth to a son, and his name was going to be Jesus. She didn't understand how she was the one who would receive the favor of God. The reasoning that she didn't believe she deserved it was the same was we all would think... we sometimes believe that in order to receive God's grace we have to deserve it, earn it, or be special in some sort of way. We are all special in God's eyes. We are his children. Mary knew that this child was not going to be just any child.

God told Mary that the grace he was giving her was going to be difficult. It will put her in situations that will put her out of her comfort zone, and it will test her faith. He wanted to show everyone through Mary that the individuals that considered themselves weak, insecure, not good enough, unimportant.... that the world will know that God's glory is not dependent on human power but the grace of Lord above. 

We should be God's servants, and use our lives serving him. Of course it will be hard; it never was guaranteed to be easy. We should know we are graced by our Lord.. regardless of the numerous amounts of difficulties we face throughout our lifetime. We are truly blessed because God sent his one and only Son to die for our sins so we could be forgiven.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

Now that Christmas is coming up in a few weeks... are you going to believe that you have been graced by the love of Christ? and NOT because you are tying to earn it, deserve it, or be good enough or special enough to receive his grace? Mary is a perfect example to show that we can get through rough times and still do it because of His grace and love for his friends. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

october 31st, 2011

Never forgotten, Always cherished

Two years ago, a sweet angel had her life taken. I grew up with Abbey in the same neighborhood, and I remember Abbey, Dylan, Katie, and myself riding sleds when it snowed. The energy and outgoing presense she brought to anyone she was around was unbelievable. She was nice to anyone, regardless of whether she knew you or not.

Everyone loses a loved one throughout their lifetime. It's never easy, and I've been told it's just like losing a body part.... you can't get it back, but you learn to live without it. You will still miss it, and wonder what it would be like to have it back. It's never forgotten, and it's always cherished. It's hard to learn to deal with the coping and emptiness without that person. However, the memories are always to be cherished and remembered.

You never know when you can lose a loved one, so treat them right. Respect everyone surrounding you because you never know when their life could be taken. Life is a precious thing that can be destroyed in a matter of a couple of seconds, and then there is nothing you can do to take it back. Live each day with love and grace, never have regrets because it would change who you are today.

I hope to one day touch at least one person's life, or in any way have someone read these posts and inspire them. The loved ones that we have lost are now in the hands of the Lord in his loving gates. They are safe and loved in his protection. That is what reassures me that everything is alright. My grandfather died last year, and I have yet to heal the pain of the loss. He lived his life, and it was his time to pass. I cannot be selfish for wanting to keep him in this world in pain.

Occassionally, I will take a ride over to the cemetery and have some moments with the loved ones I have lost. I talk to them... and tell them I haven't forgotten them and that I love them dearly. I cherish every moment had I got to have with each one of them, and I never will forget them. You will always be loved and missed. But the good Lord has you now, so I know everything... is the way it's supposed to be.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

october 23rd, 2011

I'm Gonna Love You Through It.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it sown way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

The divorce ratings are skyrocketing these days. It makes me sad, and it worries me that when it comes my time to get married I will not have a strong marriage like my mother and father have. I have heard of twenty year marriages go down the drain from adultery. The women that have the strength to get through that kind of tragedy... I admire you in so many ways for your strength and courage for picking your lives up and moving forward and setting a good example for your children. Those men/women that have committed adultery will answer to the Lord above for their wrong doings, and they will soon come to the realization that they have committed one of the Lord's Ten Commandments. 

Treat your spouse with the most utmost respect and love. I was lucky and blessed as a child to grow up with parents that love each other with all their hearts, but what I admire about them the most is they put the Lord before themselves. If you put your life in the Lord's hands and trust in him with your soul, mind, and strength... everything will fall into place in which the Lord intended it to be. 

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." -Ephesians 5:25, 31-33

There is a section in Colossians, that I have read a few times about Christian households:

"Wives submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them." - Colossians 3:18-19

As you have noticed, it repeats the same message throughout the Bible. Women and men in a marriage are supposed to love one another, and not commit adultery, they are supposed to live for the Lord, and follow his ways together. You all make the vows on your wedding day, and you shall stick to the words you have spoken in front of the Lord's alter.

I have to put in a few inspirational words for the loving women/men that support women/men that are in the forces, you are a wonderful tribute to this world. Your strength is outstanding, and all I can possibly tell you to help with the pain... is to pray, pray, oh... and pray. Have faith and hope that the Lord will bring him/her home safe. I want to thank all of the brave men and women for your courage for keeping us safe. You never get thanked enough. God bless you all.

When my day comes to be the bride... I will make sure I know who that man is. As my mother has always told me... "When you find a man that loves the Lord more than anything... you've found him. How can he love you if he doesn't love the Lord?" I have that on replay in my head on a daily basis. My precious day will come in my near future, but in the time being... I will live my life for the Lord and treat my loved ones with the most respect and love I can possibly give them. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.