One Year Anniversary

I started this blog on 12/4/2012.  I am very blessed to be able to share God's word and what has been on my heart this past year.  This blog is not inundated with hits due to the volume of traffic that other sites have, but I believe that even if only a few people visit then I claim it as a victory.  It is not the quantity, but the quality. From the ladies I know from my church that read this blog to those of you on the other side of the world that I will never know, you all are special to God and me.  

I am very blessed that you all visit my blog.  The other day I looked at the different countries and just started crying, yes I cry often.  I have lost track of all the countries that have been here, I think it's close to 60 and counting, but I am amazed how many people visit from countries that are not considered Christian.  There are over 190 countries in the world, my goal is to have as many visit as possible.  I am thrilled that people are able to visit since I am not able to go out into the world personally, to be able to reach people on almost every continent is astounding.

I don't know where you are in the counties that I see listed.  I think about how God knows which town you are in, the street you live on, whether you are male or female, young or old, your race, your beliefs; He knows YOU.  Whether or not you know Him, He loves you.  He waits patiently for each and every one of us.  For those who do not have a relationship with Him I pray that you will invite Him in and open your heart to His love.  He saved me from my selfish and destructive life and gave me love that is nowhere else on earth.

Ever since starting this blog I have been under attack from the enemy.  My brother Bryan passed away in September, I have had several medical problems, most notably is my concussion in November.  Any time we are growing and spreading the Good News, we WILL come under attack from the enemy.  Satan does not want us to gain wisdom, nor does he want us to share God with others so they will also gain wisdom and have weapons to fight the enemy.  He wants us to feel that we are all alone, that we have no hope and that we are worthless, being in that place in my past I have no desire to go back to living that way.  If I am to continue to spread God's word then I would not trade that for having the enemy leave me alone.  The end game is far too valuable to let it slip away to an enemy who only wants destruction.

When I see all the countries that visit I pray you will know the following:

• God and His amazing love
• when you open the bible and start reading, it is your map for life
• those who judge you are having any issue with pride, pray for them
• God's peace
• we ALL are imperfect
• you are NEVER alone
• you are accepted just the way you are (ignore judgmental Christians)
• you are welcome into a wonderful large family
• you are valued more than anything else on the planet
• He wants a good life for you
• He is waiting patiently for YOU
• your history can give God praise because it's HIS story to give to others

Christmas

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem since there was a census they had to go to their town to register.  Luke 2:6-7 "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

I have heard it said that there was no way Jesus could have been born in a manager.  I believe in the entire bible and thinking that the bible had it wrong is beyond dangerous.  When everyone was gathering for the census it must have been so crowded in town that there wasn't any room left.  That isn't even the point, this amazing miracle of Jesus' birth in the simplest of places is often overshadowed by the uncertainty of the location.  When you read the story, picture it as written and you will see the significance in the words written so long ago.  Jesus was not brought into this world in a palace as most people probably thought he would have been.  He was brought in to be a servant of God and how appropriate that He came in to the world in an unlikely place.

Luke 2:8-14 "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"

Shepherds were near the bottom of the choice jobs.  Angels came to shepherds in a field, not the religious leaders of the day.  They brought them news for ALL people, not just the Jewish people.  They also brought the news to the least likely in that time period.  How appropriate that God uses the least likely for His work so that we should not boast in our own talents, that we give God the glory for the work He is doing through us.

Matthew 2:1-2 "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

Magi are considered to be wise men, a very fitting description since they saw a star and followed it out of the east.  How did these men know to follow a star?  They saw and followed.  If we choose it can be that easy for us, we see and follow Him.  These men were wealthy and had to have a position of power due to the gifts they brought.  They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh, all highly valuable during that time.

I hope:

• we will be like Mary, caring for the helpless in abounding love
• we will be like Joseph, looking beyond the circumstances
• we will be like the shepherds in the field, lowly yet mighty in the Kingdom
• we will be like the wise men who came from afar to bring a precious gift to someone they did not know, for they knew to follow a star that let them to the King 

I hope that you all will have a wonderful Christmas and remember the real reason we celebrate this holiday, the precious birth of the King.

Quote - Les Brown

"Act the way you want to be and soon you'll be the way you act."

~ Les Brown

Jonah 1:13-16

v. 13-16 "Instead, the men did their best to row back to land.  But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.  Then they cried to the Lord, 'O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life.  Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased.'  Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.  At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him."

God is in control and if there was any doubt we can plainly see it here in Jonah.  God controlled the sea and the fish, not to be harsh, but to guide Jonah to the task he had been given.  The men tried to row back to land and the storm increased.  When we are fighting God the obstacles get bigger and bigger until we finally see that it's not worth it to go up against the God who created everything.  The men thought that if Jonah was thrown overboard that he would surely die in such a violent storm, they could not conceive the thoughts of God or imagine the great thing that was about to happen. These men who believed in pagan gods where showing more compassion than Jonah could muster.  They were turning towards a God who has power in all things.  Sometimes people who don't believe show more concern and compassion than those who believe.  That is a sad situation, but a warning to us that our hearts are not in the right place. These men were concerned for Jonah's life.

I notice something missing from the ship's crew.  Instead of ganging up and getting mad at Jonah they cried out to God.  I think in most situations like this people start to take sides and their defenses go up.  I think God might have been showing Jonah compassion through these men.  They believed in the same God that Jonah was working for, yet excelled at something that Jonah found so difficult to do.

"God is able to use even our mistakes to help others come to know him."  NIV notes

"Your life is God's story being told and His character being displayed."  Priscilla Shirer

Admitting our sins can be so powerful to those that do not believe.  Some see this Christian package with our dog eared bibles, nice clothes, sweet words and these might be some of the most hurting people around you.  Most people do not advertise their heartache, unless they feel safe and hear the stories of others.  We walk around and when asked how we are doing we say fine or OK.  Do not resist God's will for your life, Jonah defended his right to protest God, but I think he must have suffered greatly for this.  We should reach out to others and share the path we have gone down without God and how God has transformed our lives since then.

Jonah was thrown overboard and the sea grew calm.  This must have been a sight to behold.  The darkness cleared away and the sea went back to normal.  When you see a miracle do not hesitate to be in awe of it or you will miss the message hidden within.

If you do not like what you see in Jonah then that is a good thing because that means there is a chance for change.  We can see ourselves as Jonah, even though his situation was completely different from ours, it shows our hearts and really tests our ability to follow God without reservation.

"God bluntly confronted Jonah with the reality of his disobedience, the pettiness of his demand for comfort, and the sinfulness of his blatant disregard for others.  The wonderful character of God that Jonah wanted to withhold from the Ninevites, he himself had been taking for granted.  Fortunately, God will be just as blunt with us.  He will shatter our comfort if that will place us in the best place to meet Him."  NIV notes

Concussion

I have been away due to a concussion.  I just went to the doctor to get a CT scan and I'm praying everything is OK.  My head hurts all the time and sleep is difficult due to my head hurting.  I should be back to posting before the end of the week.  Please pray for a speedy recovery.