God's Love, Mercy and Grace...

Grace is defined as: "freely given, unmerited favor and love of God". God shows His mercy by forgiving us of our sins but it is by His grace that this is accomplished. God who is perfect paid the ultimate sacrifice (Christ's death) making a way (the only way) for us to have eternal life with Him. He did this freely, with His unmerited (we do not deserve it) favor showing His love for us. His love for us is unconditional. We can do nothing that can make us deserving of His love, mercy and grace. He loves us in spite of the mess we have made of our lives. Let's look at love, mercy and grace a little further.

1. Love: God loved/loves us so much He was willing to die for us. He proved His love through His painful, slow torture and eventual death taking our place on the cross. We crucify Christ over and over by our rebellion and rejection of this great love.

2. Mercy: God shows his mercy by being willing to forgive us (when we ask) regardless of what we have done. Not only does He forgive us, He also forgets the transgression (sin) and throws it into the sea to never be remembered again. If we ask God to forgive us in the morning and then ask Him (again) to forgive us in the evening... for the same sin... He says: forgive what sin? God took care of it (the sin) the first time we asked.

3. Grace: this is something we do not deserve and can not earn. It's freely given when we ask for it. God's grace may protect us from the outcome (or result) of our sin or wrongdoing. Also, God can heal the guilt feelings we have because of our sin and then speak to the heart of those we've sinned against giving them the strength to forgive us (when we ask). If your sin remains hidden from the world, it is because of God's grace. Sin can and often does destroy lives. God's grace prevents this from happening. Grace is a gift from God to us but we must ask for it. If we do ask He will give it freely. NOTE: This is just one example of God's grace. Also, it is important to understand that not all sin goes unnoticed by the world around us. If you sin against society you will have to answer for your sin. But, even if you are convicted of a crime, God's grace will still be there. The most important thing about grace is in it's relationship to eternity; total forgiveness of your sin by God almighty! If God forgives and then forgets the sin, nothing else really matters!

Take a moment and thank the Lord for His wonderful love, mercy and grace.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4,5

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Losing weight, gaining frustration...

I have been trying to lose some weight for a few months now. After changing my eating habits I lost 23 lbs. Great right? No... I plateaued at 23 lbs and then quickly gained 10 lb back (grrrrrr). Now I've lost 5 of those 10 lbs. and the remaining 5 has been a struggle to lose again. My problem is, I hate to exercise! So I've tried to pick up my activity around the house to help burn some of those hated calories. I eat cereal 2 meals a day and a regular meal either lunch or dinner. Starving myself helps me to lose weight but it's no fun because I LOVE food.

Oh well, you can see I'm frustrated. Below are the 10 rules of weight loss from Military.com (I am going to try this). If you have any ideas for me, I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment below... Thanks!

The 10 Rules of Weight Loss

by Runner's World

Nancy Clark

Nutritionist Nancy Clark shares 10 tips all runners should know if they want to drop some pounds.

1. To lose 10 pounds of body fat a year, you need to eat 100 calories less per day. Cutting too many calories from your daily intake will sap your energy level and increase your hunger, making you more susceptible to splurging on high-calorie foods.

2. Don't skip breakfast. Eat within two hours of waking.

3. In fact, eat more breakfast than you think you should. Trade in some of your dinner calories for more calories at breakfast.

4. Don't allow yourself to get hungry. Eat at least every four hours, and split a meal in half to make sure you properly fuel up pre- and postrun. For example, eat part of your breakfast before your morning run (a banana) and the rest of your breakfast afterward (a bagel with peanut butter).

5. Eat at least three kinds of food each meal from these four categories: breads, cereals, and grains; fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy and soy; and lean meats, fish, and nuts. Breads, cereals, and grains should be the foundation of each meal, with protein as an accompaniment.

6. Shoot for a gradual loss of body fat. You're more likely to put the weight back on (and more) if you drop weight too quickly.

7. Liquid calories add up fast and can lead to weight gain. Minimize the amount of sodas, juices, store-bought smoothies, sports drinks, coffee drinks, and alcohol you consume.

8. Eat closer to the earth, enjoying fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Minimize the amount of processed foods you eat; they tend to offer less fiber and are less satiating.

9. If you can't resist fast food, ask for nutritional information before you make your choices (or check in advance via restaurant Web sites). Avoid any menu items with the words "fried," "crispy," and "special sauce," which are guaranteed to be high calorie.

10. Remember that the calories in the energy bars, sports drinks, and gels you consume during a run add up, even though you're running. Consume them only as needed.

Don't blame Eve...

If Eve had not eaten the forbidden fruit we would live in perfect harmony and in a perfect place... right? I don't think so! If eve had not given into temptation I believe that eventually Adam or one of her children or grandchildren would have. Why do we think that Eve failed so bad when we fail (sin) everyday? Why are we so quick to judge others when we ourselves are just as guilty? Our "forbidden fruit" may taste different or it may be a different color but you know what? It's still forbidden!

But what about Adam? If he had stayed single and not acted so lonely, maybe God would have NOT created that greedy fruit loving gal named Eve. Well, I think Mr. Adam would have sinned all by himself. It was just a matter of time. Satan would have tempted him another way. Besides he gave into Eve's request to eat the fruit way too easy. Don't blame Eve, Fred or Steve; obey God and be accountable for your own mistakes, failures and sins.

Now... if you see someone else make a mistake, avoid falling into the hole they have dug. Pray for them and use this example of their failure as an opportunity to change negative areas in your own life. Always be honest with yourself and admit you are a sinner. Christ will forgive you and will help you fight any temptation.

The Bible says: "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Fear...

What if you could do anything you wanted to do? I have often thought about his. It's not just the money that keeps me from doing certain things, it is often the fear... the fear of failing or the fear of a negative outcome. Fear prevents many good and bad things from happening. We may choose not to do something because we are afraid and then later find out that our hesitation has saved our life. Fear of reprisal can sometimes keep us from making bad decisions. So fear is not always a bad thing as it is often a compass that governs or directs our actions.

Now, what if God has told you to do something? You must trust him and then move forward. He will replace the fear with his peace.

Frustration...

As I get older I find myself getting frustrated much more easily. I do not like this new trait of mine and wonder if soon I will be chasing children out of my yard and calling everyone under the age of 30 a whippersnapper. I know part of my frustration is caused by my 15 year struggle with migraines. I have a hard time relaxing when I'm in pain so much.

With this post I am reaching out for help. Please pray for me that God will heal me and also please share ways you have learned to take things in stride. I deal with a lot of stressful situations and have been doing so for the almost 30 years of my public safety career. In doing my job I have learned to cope with difficult situations. Those situations are not a problem for me, it's the day to day pressures that are a part of living in an imperfect world that tend to get me irritated.

Thank you...

What did you do with my Mother?

We were at church and my Mother started feeling bad. I was 5 years old and I remember this day as if it were yesterday. My dad took my mom to the hospital. My brother (7 years old), my sister (9 years old) and I went with my aunt. Later we arrived the hospital and were greeted by our pastor. He said she is gone. I thought about what he said. We drove away and saw my dad crying on the hospital steps. My next recollection is in the funeral home. My dad and I went into the viewing room. There was a casket. We approached it and inside was a female with blonde hair (my mom had dark, almost black hair). I asked why did they dye her hair? Later... where did they take my mom? She was gone...

Life is short. My Mother was there one moment and then gone the next. She was 27 years old. I use to think I would die before I turned 27. I thought it would happen, but it didn't. Even though God is not finished with me yet, there is no guarantee for tomorrow. We should live our lives as if today is our last. If we knew that we would die tomorrow, what would we do differently today? I bet we would at the very least make sure we are right with the Lord and we would spend the last hours with our family. Money would not be important to us, nor would be our "stuff".

I think we need to re-evaluate what is important to us. God and our family should be number 1. As a wise person once said... "there are many tomorrows but only one today". But, what if there was no tomorrow... did you waste today?

I'm sorry I failed you...

It was a typical day at the fire station. The claxton sounded and I boarded the fire engine and off we went, lights flashing and sirens blasting. On arrival we found a two story apartment building with smoke bellowing from it. My mission was, go to the second floor and complete a search for people. With a charged (filled with water) hose line my fire company started up the stairs. I was either in front or second as we approached the second floor. A baby crib was at the top of the stairs. Then it happened, something that firefighters never want to happen, the hose went limp. We lost our supply of water. The smoke was thick but I could see the crib on the stair landing, I grabbed it and told my men to go back down the stairs (later realized the crib was empty). You never want to go into a burning structure without your lifeline (a charged hose). As my head cleared the level of the second floor and I was half-way down the stairs the roof collapsed and blocked the second floor landing. When we got back outside, the fire engine pump operator was noticeably upset and started apologizing to me for losing water. I said, hey don't apologize, if you had not lost water causing our fire hose to go limp we would have not backed out and would have more than likely been killed when the roof collapsed.

He felt like he had failed us but God used him to save us.

Remember God is in control. We will never know how many times he has saved us from harmsway. Trust him, he has not and will not ever fail you!

Saint Patrick's Day...

As one of the earliest Christian missionaries traveling abroad to spread the Christian faith, Saint Patrick is important because he serves as a testament to the overall missionary legacy of the Church. His example afforded later Christian missionaries the opportunity to assess the best methods to employ when confronting pagan groups abroad. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Saint Patrick’s missionary efforts in Ireland was that he transcended the boundary between Church hierarchy and prominent Church Fathers in terms of the viability of missionary pursuits. Saint Patrick proved that any Christian could live out the Scriptural commandment to spread the word of God while “exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens." Patrick’s example would inspire later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years. (Wikipedia)

March 17, 2009 is Saint Patrick's Day. What does this day mean to you? Is it a day to celebrate a mans life or is it just an opportunity to party and wear green? There is nothing wrong with in my case remembering my heritage or wearing my favorite color green. But, I think so many times we celebrate holidays with fun being our primary focus.

Christmas = Gifts
Easter = Candy and the bunny
Saint Patrick's Day = Drinking and the color green

I guess I'm saying this to tell you something you should already know. Before you party take time to reflect on the true meaning of each holiday. As Christians, Christ should always be our main focus.

My encounter with demons...

Can the dead come back and visit as ghosts? I believe the answer to that question is no. Once you die your spirit does not roam the earth looking for people to scare. So what about those encounters with the spooky images and noises some people refer to as ghosts? I believe there are two types of supernatural beings that are present on the earth. Evil spirits and/or demons and good spirits (not really a spirit) called angels. The Bible says one third of the angels were cast out of heaven with Satan. So those angels are around doing the devil's evil deeds.

When I was around 18 years old I had a scary and unusual experience. I was singing and playing the guitar in a Christian coffee house. The owner of the establishment asked me if I would pray with him for a young man who had come into the house. He said the young man thought he was demon possessed. I had recently seen the movie " the Exorcist" so fear swept over me. I reluctantly said yes. I put down my guitar and the three of us went upstairs to a room used for prayer. After I had been praying for a short time, I opened my eyes and looked at the young man. I could not believe my eyes. I saw two figures above his head laughing and dancing. Above them was what I can only describe as a very evil presence. The two figures started reaching for me. I was scared, shocked and doubted what I had seen; I closed my eyes and continued praying. After we were done praying the young man left and I started to tell the man that was with me what I saw. He stopped me and said he had something to tell me. He said he saw two figures above the young man and before they could reach over and touch me a dove landed on my head, opened his wings and they disappeared. I was beside myself. I explained what I saw and that his story validated mine. I believe the dove represented the Holy Spirit's protection on my life. I have had some other demonic type experiences but what happened at the coffee house years ago on that particular day tops them all. You may say that you find his very hard to believe and if you do I don't blame you because I doubted it myself. It took someone else seeing what I saw to make a believer out of me.

I believe there are spiritual battles occurring all the time, we just can't see them. I am thankful that God's Holy Spirit protected me that day and continues to do so. We do not need to fear demons or Satan. Demons fear the very name of Jesus. Let Christ fight your battles and you will live a victorious life.