Sad times in the City...

Today 9 employees lost their jobs here in my town, USA. Around 24 employees lost their jobs within the last two years. This is very difficult for these men and women especially the recent ones with the holidays very near. With this post I ask you to pray for our town and these employees who are now facing hard times. Pray for their families and pray that they will find employment quickly. Pray for the leaders of our community that God will give them wisdom. I will not go into the details here but people are hurting and need a touch from God.

Would you give 1 minute to pray for this need? I appreciate you and want to thank you for reading my blog.

God bless you and yours...

"No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5

Trick or Treat...

The purpose of this post is not to get into a theological debate on whether or not "Trick or Treating" is evil. I'm sure you have an opinion but you will have to go to another blog if that's your intent. The idea that I want to talk about is giving and receiving. Give me some candy or I'll be mad and toilet paper your house. Should we give just to avoid making someone mad resulting in a negative outcome? Or do we give expecting something in return? Our society is centered on a mindset of whatever I give, should guarantee a good return for my investment (gift) in the end. "I'm not going to give them a gift this year for Christmas because they did not get me anything last year!!" "They only spent $20.00 on me for my birthday so I'm not going to buy them that $30.00 item that I know they want." What is wrong with people? When did we become so self-centered or selfish?

More than likely we have all felt this way at sometime in our life. Hopefully it was when you where a child and not yesterday. When I am able to give it leaves a warm feeling in my heart. Lord help me to give to others without expecting anything in return. The best way to get into that habit and way of thinking is to give to people when they least expect it. A month before their birthday (and then again on their birthday) for example.

Pray that the Lord will show us that is act of giving is better that the receipt of a gift. Who knows better about giving than our Lord who gave his all for us. Do we sometimes "Trick or Treat" with God? "God if you give me what I want I will serve you more; if you don't then I will pout and be mad." We have nothing to bargain with when it comes to God. He owns everything and he can do anything. God wants our love and he wants you to share the gifts he's given you. Let's start giving...

14.4 minutes...

Elvis Presley was the King of Rock -N- Roll. He had the world in his hands. He was born in 1935, sold over one billion records, was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards (won 3) and made 33 successful films. He died in 1977, he was 42.

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. He was born in 1917 and was assassinated in 1963, he was 46.

Both of these men reached the goals they had made for themselves. They worked hard to succeed and gave up much in the process. Life often opens doors for us but is it always best to walk through those doors. I know neither Elvis or President Kennedy believed they would die at such an early age. Both men sacrificed things that were important to them for what they felt was success. Their lives were filled with times of despair and anguish. We all suffer at times in our lives as well but the question becomes what is priority in our life. Is career the most important aspect or is it our health or our family. Do we put God first and if so what does that mean to us. I would say most people do not put God first in their lives. If you believe in tithing (giving 10% to God) do you only tithe your money? I have problems with this Old Testament law as I have spoken about before on this blog. If you do believe in tithing then what about your time; do you then give 10% of your time to God? Is going to church the answer? It helps but doesn't your true ministry to others and the Lord begin when you walk outside those church doors.

OK, back to Elvis and Kennedy. When they stand before God, it will not matter that they were a famous singer or the President. What will matter is, were they right with God. I do not know if they were ready to meet their savior or not. Only God knows this. Did they do as much as possible to win people to the Lord that were lost? Only God will judge this.

Peggy Ann Donovan was my mother. She was 27 when she died. She was a righteous woman and served the Lord with all of her heart. Because of her I serve the Lord today.

Do you give God your best effort in serving him or is it 10% or even 1%? 1% of your day is 14.4 minutes. Think about it... 14.4 minutes a day focused on God; I challenge you to start with 1% and see where God leads you.

God bless you!

The 2008 Presidential Election...

McCain/ Palin? Obama/ Biden? Who are you going to vote for (don't tell me)? Life is all about choices and this year a historic election is rapidly approaching. Do you make your decision based on personal values, the state of the economy, the war in Iraq, the life of unborn babies or something else. Do you listen to the rederic of campaign commercials, the content of debates or the history of the candidate and his ability to lead. I am so tired of the negative campaigning and I'm begining to wonder if there is an honest political person left in our country. How can some candidates who disagreed so adamately against the two current contenders now speak of how great of a president they would make. I see through this hypocracy but apparently some do not. This is a very important election. Pray for wisdom and really examine the person you support. Time will tell if the people have made a grave mistake in 2008.

Fall...

I love fall. After a hot summer the cooler temperatures are very welcome. The trees with their leaves exploding in a array of splendid color is just beautiful. But, after the leaves are all gone the tree is bare. Could you imagine if your life was exposed (like the tree) for all to see how you really are? You may not be hypocritical but people are not perfect so mistakes and bad judgment calls are made. It is by God's grace and his mercy that we are given chance after chance to improve. Ask God to help you each day and if you make a mistakes learn from them. God loves us and wants us to succeed in our walk with him.

Goodbye for now Misty...

If you follow my blog you will remember a while back I asked you to pray for Misty LeBlanc. Prayers from all over the world went forth on behalf of Misty. Misty peacefully passed away last night. My heart aches for the family especially Darren, her loving and devoted husband. I do not know why with all of the prayers offered that God did not heal Misty. It's not that there was a lack of faith because many truly believed she was going to be healed. I do know that God loves us and wants us to trust him in all things including things we do not understand. Please pray for Darren, his daughter Olivia and the rest of the family during this very difficult time.

ummm, God is great, God is Good....

"God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food... amen". A simple prayer often taught to children. Now don't get me wrong, children know how to pray with faith, but we are all grown up and are we still praying the same way? God help sister Jones, she is dying, help my children, forgive me for being bad today... amen. Are we really serious with God? Do we wonder why our prayers are not being answered? Maybe, just maybe, our prayers are not coming with a fervency showing we mean business with God almighty. Almost all of the prayers I have prayed, that were answered, were when I was totally focused on my request to a point of desperation. God knows I'm serious and he sees my total dependence on him. It is then that I see God move in my life. God has never failed me. He still answers prayer today but we must seek him in a way that shows what we are praying for, is really important to us.

Storms inside...

Do you walk around with a smile on your face when you feel anything but joy? That's not necessarily bad, forcing a change in your attitude can change your current despair. Do you lack peace in your mind and spirit? Many people do but you must realize that only God can give you true peace. Do your friends think you've got it all together but you know your life is in turmoil? It doesn't matter what they think, it won't change anything. God knows how you feel regardless of how you appear on the outside. Are you tired of playing games? You should be; life is too short to play games with your emotions. Are you a people pleaser regardless of how that effort affects you personally? Pleasing people should not be your goal in life. You must do what you know in your heart is the right and only way to go. You can never please everyone, so don't even try. Do you feel that people you know are not honest with you and talk behind your back? Over ninety percent of times when you see people talking and you think their talking about you, they're not! Why do we worry about things we have no control of? Have you ever fretted over something and the next day you asked yourself, what was the big deal? I have been known to worry and then when I was done worry some more. If you can change the situation for the better then do it. If not turn it over to the Lord.

Sound simple? It is...

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

A simpler time and a season of innocence...

Today I went to Dayton, Ohio to see "Sesame Street Live" with my granddaughter. I watched my granddaughter as she soaked up the excitement of the show watching Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and others. She was in awe of everything going on. She started saying "happy, happy" as she was very happy to be there. As I watched her I realized how I have gotten wrapped up in the worries of the world. If I could only return to a mindset of being able to really enjoy life's pleasures.

I remember also a time when my daughter prayed that her injured arm would be healed. She had no doubt that God could and would heal her. I again in my maturity was caught up with doubt and worry about her having to suffer. The next day her arm was completely healed. Her faith in God allowed her to be healed, regardless of her father's doubt.

The Bible says "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Luke 18:17) This is true for all things we ask of God. Just as my daughter had complete faith that God would heal her, we must do the same. We let "stuff" get in the way of our relationship with the Lord. The more we fill our minds with doubt and trash the less we will receive from him (God).

I guess as we age we because more self-sufficient and less dependent on God. Lord help us to return to the place where we rely and trust you as a child. Help us to enjoy your world and the blessings we have.