Trials of This Life

The Good News Today Is...I am back. After battling with a tooth I ended up triumphant - at least for this battle, yet I think there is a whole war going on in my mouth. It has been a trial to be sure, and I think I am only part way through. However I found this wonderful prayer that says it all.

Father God, Today I am afraid. I look around me at this world that is changing so fast and I feel lost like a small boat in the midst of a storm. I am not built to weather the battering waves or the howling wind. So I wait now in your presence. You spoke the oceans and the four winds into being. You threw the stars in the sky and separated the sea from dry land. You took the hand of Peter who was sinking into the depths of the water and walked him to safety. I choose now to fix my eyes on you and not on the storm. I settle my heart on your love and not on the current that threatens to pull me under. Thank you that you are my firm anchor even through the darkest night, Amen

Source: Written by Sheila Walsh author of "Let it Go"

There is nothing our Father can not handle if we fix our eyes upon Him!

Family Together Again

The Good News Today Is...soon my family will be together for the holidays. My son comes home from college tonight and my daughter will arrive next week-end. I am looking forward to having them here. Sometimes life gets a little crazy when they are all around - but it's a good kind of crazy. I am thankful that my children will all be able to be together with us for Christmas. There are so many that can't travel to be with their families, or soldiers that are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan that can't come home - I am very blessed to have my family near me. I pray for all of those that will be alone on Christmas Day, may they realize the Spirit of Christ is always with them and they are never truly alone. I pray for those missing their family on Christmas Day, may they find a way to celebrate Christ's birth that is new and meaningful to them. The holidays are not always happy for everyone, I pray for those who find them difficult, may they find peace within their suffering. Once again, I give thanks for the family I have and that I will be able to share the holidays with.

Merry Christmas

The Good News Today Is...we can make a difference. This week I am taking into serious consideration an e-mail I received that begs for a call to action. Instead of complaining that stores and public services only say, "Happy Holidays," take every opportunity to wish all that you meet a "Merry Christmas." Instead of complaining that nativity scenes and religious decorations are prohibited from public places, put a nativity scene up at your house to declare you believe. Instead of complaining about the decisions at the White House to remove all signs of Christ from their Christmas, write them a letter telling them you are praying for them, and then really PRAY for them. Actions speak louder than words and if our actions are geared toward putting Christ back into Christmas, we will make a difference. Somewhere around 80% of the U.S. professes Christianity to some degree. Don't let the actions of the 20% ruin what we believe in! Say Merry Christmas to everyone you meet.

What Should We Do?

The Good News Today Is...we all know what to do. "What should we do then? the crowd asked." (Luke 3:10) John the baptist didn't hesitate - he told the crowd to share with those who have none, to be fair when they are dealing with others, and to be content with all you have. In this way God will sift us and find us worthy. It really isn't so hard to do what you are meant to do. The first thing I would suggest you do is to stop listening to the television advertisements that try to convince you how much more you need to be happy, and open your eyes and ears to those around you. Those who are truly happy are not those who have the most toys - really they aren't. If you wish to find fulfillment and happiness take John's advice. It will be the best Christmas gift you ever give yourself.

Inspiration

The Good News Today Is...inspiration is just around the corner. I have been researching how some of the great hymns and praise music have been written. In almost every case, the most popular and the most sung music was written on a whim of inspiration (from the Holy Spirit I would say!) Many times I have read how the words and the music flowed from the heart. Over and over I have read; "the words came quickly to me", "awakened from sleep the melody came to me", "the inspiration came to me one day". I love to read these stories because I'm certainly not led to write great music or great words, so it fascinates me that people have such profound experiences that cause them to write these beautiful songs for us to sing. When we are singing in church or anywhere, these wonderful hymns and praise songs, we should be mindful of the words and the wonderful melodies. When we sing them from the heart we are engaging in a special worship of our Lord and Savior. Inspiration could be just around the corner for us if we are listening for it!

Opportunity

The Good News Today Is...each day is an opportunity. Today it is raining and there is a chill in the air. I would rather snuggle back into bed and read a good book all day long, but I am committed to a job. I need to get myself going and live up to the commitment I have made. Today I have an opportunity to share God's amazing love and grace with someone I will encounter. If I stayed in bed, that opportunity would go by and I would miss that chance. Each day we meet people at work, in the store, on the street who are starving for love and affection. Today you have an opportunity to fill that void. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to make the most of your opportunities during the day so that you may end your day knowing that you have missed nothing. Today is a good day!

Worship

The Good News Today Is...we were created to worship God!

Hanging of the Greens

The Good News Today Is...we have so many reminders of why Christ is the center of Christmas. As anyone who has been to a traditional Hanging of the Greens service knows, the decorations we place in our homes and our churches are all reminders that Jesus truly is the reason for the season. The Tannenbaum is a symbol of peace and eternal life. A Christian Christmas Tree, represents the Cross on which hung the light of the world, who, when He died, completed His union in love with His church. The Cross reunited earth and sky, God and humanity in love. The lights of the tree represent Jesus, the light of the world; the ornaments represent us, the fruits - the offspring of the union between Jesus and His church. And thus did the Tannenbaum become the Christian Christmas tree. To see more Christian Christmas traditions visit the website of Moore's Chapel where they explain the significance of our traditional decorations in the light of the church.

Peace, Joy and Love

The Good News Today Is...advent is upon us. Advent is an anticipation of a coming. Christmas is coming - when we celebrate the advent of the baby Jesus. Advent also reminds us to anticipate the return of Jesus to reign on earth and bring us peace, joy and love. What wonderful gifts! I think we should start practicing right now so that we can fit in when this all takes place. In fact I think that's what we are supposed to learn to do during our time on this earth. Practicing peace, joy and love midst this crazy world we live in is not an easy task. It only takes one person to start it though and then it catches on - it might as well be me (or you!)

Thanks To Our God

The Good News Today Is...my family made it safely to visit for Thanksgiving. It is wonderful to be surrounded by family and friends during the holiday week. I am thankful to be able to sit and reminisce while sharing good food and drink. It is a time of refreshing and a time for giving thanks to our God in heaven for the mercy and grace that has been given to us. Make sure when you count your blessings and give thanks for them, you are giving thanks to God and not just that you are feeling thankful in general that you have been so blessed. Our praise is to be to the one who gives all to us. May the glory and honor be His.

Put God First

The Good News Today Is...even though I think I have more to do than I can possibly accomplish, I don't need to be filled with anxiety. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God." (Phl 4:6). I was tempted this morning to skip my morning time entry and to rush about to finish getting ready for company. I needed to remind myself that my company is coming to see me and not my house. I will get enough done so that my house is presentable, but if I skip my time with the Lord, I will be a wreck, and truly my house would not be that much cleaner. Priorities are important and God should always remain #1. He is to be exulted above all. This is the way to get through life without having a nervous breakdown...make God be first in your life. Everything else will fall into place.

Earthly Battles

The Good News Today Is...the battle belongs to the Lord. When we have troubles that seem overwhelming, when we have illnesses that are painful, when we seem to be in a place of deep darkness - the battle belongs to the Lord. There are those who are not able to see this truth and we need to stand in the gap and pray for them. Pray for deliverance, pray for protection, pray for discernment, and lift the battle up to the Lord. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil" (Eph 6:12) We can't stand up to these things without God to help us stand firm. Don't try to fight in your own power, but give it over to God to use His power. That is how these battles are won.

If God Ruled on Earth

The Good News Today Is...God will rule in the end. Enjoy this excerpt from www.the journeysofjesus.net: (Click to read the whole article.)

In its simplest terms, the kingdom of God that Jesus announced and embodied is what life would be like on earth, here and now, if God were king and the rulers of this world were not (Borg, Crossan). Imagine if God ruled the nations, and not Obama, Medvedev, Kim Jong-il, Mugabe, or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Every aspect of personal and communal life would experience a radical reversal. The political, economic, and social subversions would be almost endless—peace-making instead of war mongering, liberation not exploitation, sacrifice rather than subjugation, mercy not vengeance, care for the vulnerable instead of privileges for the powerful, generosity instead of greed, humility rather than hubris, embrace rather than exclusion, etc. The ancient Hebrews had a marvelous word for this, shalom,or human well-being.

Shalom - have a peaceful day!

Jesus a King

The Good News Today Is...Jesus was not politically correct. Jesus was a king with no earthly kingdom - how politically incorrect is that? It was difficult for Pilate to give Jesus over to be crucified because he had not technically done anything wrong. Yet being politically incorrect has its downside. Pilate followed the lead of the crowd and gave into the mob that was following the incitement of the Pharisees. As Christians we should not become politically correct just to pacify the multitudes. It is a time to stand on the truth and not cave into becoming politically correct. This means we are to believe the Word and live by the Word, while feeling compassion for those who are caught up in the world of political correctness. They are the prisoners. They are the deceived. May God have mercy on them.

Thanks For Everything

The Good News Today Is...the season of Thanksgiving is coming upon us. It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a little over a week away. One of my facebook friends posted a challenge to post what you are thankful for every single day in November. I have to admit I didn't take this challenge, but I certainly am being blessed by reading what others are posting. Each day we should begin by reminding ourselves what we are thankful for - whether it is Thanksgiving or not. I was thinking that I should buy some post it notes and stick one on my kitchen cabinet door every morning with what I am thankful for that day. That way I can keep my notes as a reminder - right where I can see them every day. I think that if I kept the whole month's notes I would have a messy kitchen cabinet door that was truly inspiring! If I buy the bright colored post-it notes it would be a burst of thanks. Hmmm....I just might try it. We all need reminding that we are blessed in so many ways. It makes our glass half full for the day instead of half empty. Give thanks to your creator and redeemer for God is good - all the time!

The Lord Reigns

The Good News Today Is...although man has tried to stop the spread of the Gospel it has survived 2000 years and is still going strong. Crucifying Jesus, burning bibles, condemning churches - it's all been done, and is still being done in some places in the world. Yet the Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice! When Jesus told Pilate that he was a king, but his kingdom was not of this world, he was essentially saying that no matter what you do to me, my kingdom will survive. There is nothing on earth that can be done to destroy the kingdom of God. Our God has placed his kingdom within our hearts. It is there no matter the circumstances in life, no matter what our government does, no matter what happens at work, no matter what happens in our families. Things of man may fade away, but God will reign forever. Amen.

Thanks Giving

The Good News Today Is...we have so much to be thankful for.



Enjoy the skit guys! They are a lot of fun!

God is Not Far Away

The Good News Today Is..."God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:27) We are supposed to seek Him. We are supposed to reach out for Him. We are supposed to find Him. This verse came to me as I have been writing my paper seeking commissioning from the American Baptist Churches of Maine. My paper asks me to explain my understanding of the theology of God, The Holy Spirit, Jesus, the bible, baptism, the Lord's Supper, salvation, etc. While writing this paper I have had to seek deeper than I have had to in the past. We can know what all of these things mean on the surface, but when asked what they mean to us personally, we have to look inside ourselves and discern what is really there. It has been a great exercise and I wish I had done this earlier in my life. When we seek, when we reach out, we do find Him, He is not far.

Thank You Veterans

The Good News Today Is...the veterans will be remembered. Thank you to all who have served our country to promote the freedoms we have. Thank you for allowing this to be a country where I have the right to believe in God and publicly worship. Thank you for your willingness to put your life on the line to protect what is right and true and good. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Spritually Awake

The Good News Today Is...I read a new phrase today; spiritually awake. Ah - I really like that. Most of us walk around in a spiritual fog day after day, possibly rousing ourselves to be awake for the one hour on Sunday that we attend church. (Well at least some of you stay awake in church!) Spiritually awake suggests that even in our crazy, fast paced lives, God is able to use us to work out his purpose in us and to use us to help others to do the same. As Eugene Peterson puts it - we should, "be reminded that none of us is the leading character in the story of our life." He continues that we are "not being led to see God in our stories but to see our stories in God's." That's being spiritually awake right there! Additionally we should remember this; "You have heard it said, 'God is in my heart,' but you really should say, 'I am in the heart of God.'" I am grateful for the people who publish these fine tidbits on line so that I can be reminded to awaken spiritually and live my life within God's story. There is no place I would rather be than right in the center of God's heart - feeling utterly, completely loved and knowing His unending grace.

Spiritual Challenges

The Good News Today Is...the Word always challenges us. Reading the bible is an exercise in spiritual fitness. It is very much like exercising the body. We resist getting started, we find it hard to do regularly, and it can cause pain as we grow in understanding. That is how I felt when I read the lectionary scriptures for this week. "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains." (Mark 13:7-8) These are tough words and when I stretch my spiritual being into studying them, it hurts. Wrapping myself around such thoughts tests my faith and my understanding of the word. Yet spiritual exercise also cleanses me and refreshes me - even though it is hard. Pushing forward is the only way to have a spiritual break through - exercise your spiritual being and grow stronger in Christ. The rewards are awesome!

Resting

The Good News Today Is..."Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."(Mark 6:31) There is a time for quiet and rest and I am taking a few days off to go to a quiet place. I will return to regular posting next week - all rested up!

Give It Away

The Good News Today Is...God blesses giving. Some of you may not know this because you never give anything, or you only give out of a sense of duty. God blesses the giver with the willing heart. The giver who gives not looking for anything in return. If you believe that God has given you all that you have, then you should be willing to give at least some of what you have back to the ministries that promote God's Word and glorify His name. If you don't give, you won't have any way to receive and your life will become stale. Nothing in, nothing out, no change, no value. Give of your time, your money and of your free will. Accept the newness and freshness in your life that your giving makes room for. You will be more fulfilled than you ever expected. Try it you'll like it!

Basic Training

The Good News Today Is...we need to get back to the basics. Preparing for Sunday this has been the overall theme for me. I found this in my wonderings on the internet. I hope it has the same effect on you as it did on me:

This means we need to recognize God as:

• Our Source - Our derivation and reason for being.
• Our Force - Our dynamic for life and means of living.
• Our Course - Our direction and destination for where we ought to be going.

BACK TO THE BASICS!!!!!

The Great Commandment

The Good News Today Is...Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your strength and your mind. This is the greatest commandment. When the love of God is in your heart you are able to see the goodness in life, and in every person. Love your neighbor as yourself...ugh do I have to? Well if you love God with all your heart, then you will see your neighbor through the eyes of God and you will love them for the person God intended them to be. Even if they haven't lived up to that potential yet, and perhaps they never will, love them because God created them and has a plan for their life as much as he has a plan for yours.

Rejoice

The Good News Today Is...it's Wednesday. Ok - so I don't know what is so good about that, but I do know this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. There are those days when I truly have to remind myself of this, over and over throughout the day. Today feels like it might be one of those days. I just want to crawl back into bed and get under my covers for awhile. BUT....today God has something special for me. He has something special for me every day, I just don't always open up my eyes enough to see it. Today I will! I will remember this is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice in it. The alternative is too depressing! Rejoice! Rejoice! Again I Say Rejoice!

The Bible is the Word for ME!

The Good News Today Is...I am starting a new bible study. Studying the word of God is an amazing thing. Studying the bible gives us an opportunity to learn about history, faith, truth, and about ourselves. I truly believe that when we study the word of God and seek the message that God has for us in His word, our lives change. They become enriched, full and meaningful. The most exciting thing about studying God's word is that we get out of it exactly what we need from it. In other words we can study a passage at one stage in our life and learn what we need at that moment. Some time later we can revisit the same passage and learn a new lesson that fits in with what we need to know at that time. It truly is a living word. A word written for our benefit that we might become an enriched loving people of God. Dust your bible off and read it every day. You won't be disappointed!

Change for The Better

The Good News Today Is...people do change. I love this story posted at Preaching Today:

Australia is the only country in the world to have a picture of a convicted forger on its currency. Francis Greenway came to Australia--as many early settlers did--as a convict. He had been convicted in England of forgery. Once in Australia, he changed his life. He began to use his hidden skills as an architect. Some of the most beautiful buildings in Sydney, Australia, were designed by him; and they put his picture on the Australian 10 dollar bill. They believed he had changed.

Jesus always believed that people could change. He also helped them to change, just as He will help you to change

We Are Forgiven

The Good News Today Is...we are forgiven. Enjoy the music!

Right Here, Right Now

The Good News Today Is...we have an approachable living God. Think about that. We have a God that we can approach with anything. We can approach God asking for mercy - like blind Bartimaeus. We can approach God asking for glory - like James and John wanting to sit one on His right side and one on His left side. We can approach God offering ourselves as His servant. Whatever we approach God with, He is there. We may not like what we hear - like the rich young man who was told he must give all of his wealth to the poor and follow Jesus, but we have a God we can approach with anything. He knows us, He loves us, He cares what happens to us, and He will always guide us in the way that is best for us. God is right here, right now, approach Him with all the cares in your heart and accept His healing grace.

Show Me The Way

The Good News Today Is...we have a God who will take care of us and answer us in our times of trouble. To answer us, we must remember to ask. God says we have not because we ask not. When we really want what God wants for us, and we ask for it, He will answer.

"Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." (Pslam 143:7-8)

Show me the way - for to you I lift up my soul. Amen.

More Books

The Good News Today Is...I found more thought provoking book titles. Sometimes I read the titles of Christian books and just imagine the lessons inside. I never have enough time to read all of them to see what the author actually wrote about, but if the title gets me thinking - then at least I am looking deeper inside. Here are a few I found today:

Living in Confidence in a Chaotic World
The Choice
Radical Gratitude
Wild at Heart
Prayers That Rout Demons
Angels on Assignment
Interview With the Devil
Don't Stop Laughing

Now I have some things to keep my mind occupied today. I can imagine what is included in these books that would be a message God would want to share with me. I believe I shall ask Him.....

Walk Humbly

The Good News Today Is...we know what God wants us to do. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8) The problem is to figure out how to do it. We do not always act justly, we do not always love mercy, and we have no clue how to walk humbly with God. It's not that we can't do these things, it's that we are stubborn about letting go of our system of justice, making sure every one gets what they deserve (good or bad). Just remember when you hear yourself exclaiming, "It's not fair," perhaps it is time to do a little soul searching. These words should trigger you to stop thinking about the way the world thinks of things and walk with God. It might not be fair in our way of thinking, but God has a plan. Maybe you need to walk humbly with God and ask Him what is going on - I think the answer will surprise you.

Choose Obedience

The Good News Today Is...I have been reminded to choose obedience. Today's daily devotional at Christianity Today was a reminder that often we spend way more time choosing what we want to do with our life, than asking God what it is we should do with our life. I believe we don't ask because then we would feel guilty if we didn't obey. It is easier to get up every day and work on our to-do list than it is to be led to visit someone in the hospital and not be able to finish our list. If we don't think about what God might want us to do, we don't have to make a choice, and then we don't have to feel guilty. Read the devotional by clicking here - it will make you think a bit.

Strength Beyond Normal

The Good News Today Is...we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. As I continue to read about being a good servant I have to repeat over and over to myself that I don't have to do it alone. As I ask myself if I can drink of the same cup as Jesus and follow the same baptism as Jesus - I have yet to convince myself I can do it. One of the things about being a minister of the gospel is wondering if you will have the fortitude to stand up to persecution should you face it. I think I can - I hope I can - I'm scared I wouldn't! We are so blessed in this country to truly not have to worry about persecution. So far we are still free to practice the religion of our choice freely without retribution. I pray that it remains so forever that I might not have to drink the cup and follow in the baptism. Yet - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Great Service

The Good News Today Is...we are meant to be servants. Not slaves. Not to live in bondage. We are meant to serve out of a heart of love for our family and community. Mothers do this almost automatically for their families. Jesus wants us to do this for everyone we meet. "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." (Mark 10:43-44) This lesson is so hard for most of us. We equate power and glory with being the leader - being the most important - the first. Jesus equates power and glory with being a servant. A heart of servitude and humbleness will go further in the kingdom of God than any plans we have here on earth to be great in the eyes of man.

Praying for Others

The Good News Today Is...someone, somewhere is praying for you. You may not feel it, you may not know it, but it is really happening. This was a lesson taught to me by a pastor of my youth. You see there are people praying for others all the time, every day. "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:18.) There are great prayer warriors out there that live the verse of Ephesians 6:18 and they continue to pray for you and for me - for the saved and for the unsaved. They understand the power of prayer and they don't need to know you to pray for you. Isn't that just about the best news you've had in a long time? Someone is praying for you! You didn't have to ask for them to do that, you didn't have to tell them you needed those prayers...they are just praying for you because that is what they do. So forget about some of the things that have been worrying you lately and wrap yourself up in the knowledge that prayers are being said for you this very moment. Amen.

Bless You

The Good News Today Is...from an e-card sent to me:

LOOK UP
Look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near. Luke 21:28

LOVE ABUNDANTLY
Have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart 1Peter 1:22

HOPE ALWAYS
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

AND PRAISE GOD
Rejoice in the Lord you who are righteous and praise His holy name. Psalms 97:12

WISHING YOU A BLESSED DAY!

Pray Today

The Good News Today Is...prayer can keep you sane. Well - it keeps me sane anyway. I pray every time I can get a word in edgewise. In other words when I'm not so busy I can't think to pray. That means I have times during the day when I pray that are fairly odd. Like when I'm in the shower. No one can call me on the phone, no one comes in the bathroom (usually), and my brain is given a break from the demands of being wife, mother, accountant, pastor - all the different hats I find myself wearing. I am alone with God (yup, in the shower). I can pray uninterrupted and quietly. I also use my time driving to pray, I don't have the radio on, I don't think about what I need to do when I get where I'm going, I talk to God instead. These are the moments that I can talk to God and listen to the still small voice. I don't think God cares where we are when we pray, just that we do pray. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16) Did you read that? The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Why wouldn't we pray? Wherever we can, whenever we can. Prayer is powerful!

God's Beauty

The Good News Today Is...we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Twice this morning as I was reading my e-mail I came across this fact. Once was while reading a post on facebook from a young lady I know in medical school. They apparently are studying the kidney right now and as she is learning the intricacies of the working of the organs in the human body, it is renewing her faith that God is the creator. The other time I came across this was in a daily devotional that I have e-mailed to me. Today the reminder was not to compare ourselves with others because we are made by God, with His purpose in mind, just exactly the way he needs us. This is a little bit of a harder lesson...I want to be 30 pounds skinnier and 20 years younger...hmmm, what's up with that? Somehow I think getting these two messages within a couple of minutes of each other doesn't seem to be a coincidence. "For I am God's beautiful masterpiece. He has created me anew in Christ Jesus, so I can do the good things He planned for me long ago." (Ephesians 2:10.) As the saying goes, God doesn't make mistakes - I am beautiful in His eyes and He does have plans for me....and the same goes for you!

Do The Word

The Good News Today Is..."I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward." (Mark 9:41)

I ran across this from Proverbs 31 Daily Devotions:

I went onto our balcony to see if I could get a glimpse of him, wondering what he might be doing. As I scanned the pool area, I caught sight of a homeless man sitting on the side of the road leading to the public beach entrance. I remembered passing him the day before as he was sleeping in the grass. Today, however, he was sitting with his legs crossed, coffee in hand, talking to someone. I leaned a little further over the edge of the balcony and my heart skipped as I realized it was my husband. The two of them were sitting on rocks, drinking cups of coffee, engaged in conversation.

Sometimes we forget to put into practice the things we know we should do. Thankfully there are those who are doers of the word. I pray to be among them!

Living Simply

The Good News Today Is...God is our Jehovah Jirah - our provider. There is a lot of hype about living simply these days, yet I wonder if we as Americans can even comprehend what that means. Living simply and depending on God our provider. Hmmm - I can see where I have problems with that thought. We have an abundance of possessions and things in our lives that get in our way of living simply. Even when we try to reduce the possessions and things in our lives we have too much intellectual input, too many obligations, our appointment books are full, our lives are busy, and we love it! That's a real problem. If we are always doing and having, how can we meet Jehovah Jirah? If we never give God the trust to be our provider, we will never have a provider in God. That means we will never truly experience living simply.

Never is Always

The Good News Today Is...

God is with you when you are happy, when you are troubled, when you are wealthy, when you are poor, when you are feeling wonderful, when you are sick, when you are with friends and family, when you are alone, God is always there.

Questions That Lead to More Questions

The Good News Today Is...answering a question with a question helps us to think of the true answer. "Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife? (Mark 10:2) The Pharisees question Jesus. Jesus answers, "What did Moses command you?" (Mark 10:3) From here Jesus turns the conversation away from the legality of divorce and turns it to the promise of marriage. He gets us to reflect on the true intentions of what God really wants from his people. He wants covenant relationships where people honor each other and live in love and peace. If we were able to live our lives in true covenant relationship, the way God intended, the way it is promised to be in heaven, then the question of divorce is irrelevant. That's the true answer, divorce should be an irrelevant subject if we are all living according to God's plan. We still have a long long way to go to get there, but knowing the intention will help us to see the way. The intention is beautiful - we should focus on that and try to live in love and peace.

Still Small Voice

The Good News Today Is...the Holy Spirit is the still small voice. As I was reading an article about how to hear from God when we are in a crisis, I came across this line; "When you look for the spectacular, you're liable to miss the supernatural that is right in front of you all along." Sometimes we want a dramatic response from God so that we know we are doing the right thing. We want a visible sign, an in your face event that will be so evident we can't miss is. A windstorm, thunderstorm, an accident, something that screams at us to stop or to go ahead when we are in a crisis. Sometimes that happens, but more often it is in the quiet, when we put aside the crisis and we start to listen, when we stop whining and we start praying. Then our minds and our lives settle down enough so we can hear that still small voice that is always there. That still small voice that is waiting patiently to guide us. That still small voice that is the Holy Spirit of God, who we often overlook because we need the spectacular. The still small voice, the supernatural Spirit who loves us. Quiet yourself, pray, listen.

Forgive our Debtors

The Good News Today Is...forgiveness is as easy as the sand blowing away in the wind. Thanks to the unknown author...

Two friends were walking through the desert.
During some point of the journey,
they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything,
wrote in the sand: "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis,
where they decided to take a bath.

The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started
drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning he wrote on a stone:
"Today my best friend saved my life."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him;
"After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone, why?"

The friend replied, "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand,
where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does
something good for us, we must engrave it in stone, where no wind can ever
erase it."

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and carve your benefits in the stone.

The King - Do You Know Him?

The Good News Today Is...

Inside the Circle

The Good News Today Is...we are offered living water. The Samaritan women at the well was offered the living water by Jesus, even though the disciples would have excluded her. She was a Gentile, unclean, unbelieving - yet Jesus offered her the living water that would have her thirst no more. Where we would exclude Jesus would include.

"He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in."
(Edwin Markham)

We must learn to draw a bigger, more inclusive circle. The goal is that all should thirst no more, not just the ones inside our small circles.

You Can't Take it With You

The Good News Today Is...you can't take it with you. You can't take your money to the grave, which may make some people crazy, but for me that is freedom. That makes me not take money too seriously. I like to have enough money to pay for my necessities, and then if there is any leftover I do like a few treats now and then. I typically don't worry about money though. It doesn't do me any good sitting in the bank. I like to use my money to help others and so I guess I will never be "rich". However, I am very wealthy. I have a wealth of love, a wealth of great family, a wealth of happiness. I am so blessed.

Our God Saves

The Good News Today Is...Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death. (Psalm 68:20) This is the word of God for the people of God. All of the people of God. We cannot choose who is saved. We cannot control who is saved. Our God is a God who saves - and the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. God sees the big picture and God sees our hearts. Our God is a God who Saves!

Good Habits

The Good News Today Is...we know the habits we should have to maintain a life of faith. They are praying, reading the word of God, having an accountability partner or group, and living a life of service. These are the things that will keep us living a life that is free of sin and full of righteousness. These are the things that will help us to live a life as Jesus did. If we take a misstep, then God's grace will cover us, so long as we are trying to live life in the ways we have been given. The alternative is to live in sin and die in sin, then we will end up in eternal judgment. If we end up in judgment there is no turning back, no "Back to the Future" to save us. We get only this one life to get it right. We don't have to be perfect, just practicing the good habits we have been instructed to with a good heart is all we need to do. This may seem like a mundane life, but I'm sure we won't like the alternative afterlife we are subject to if we choose to live a life of sin now.

Attitude of Servitude

The Good News Today Is...having a heart of service is as easy as opening your ears and your eyes to really listen to what those around you are in need of and then helping them out. OK - well maybe the easy part is opening your ears and eyes, the service part and helping them out might be a bit harder, but the rewards are awesome. Sometimes it is the person right in front of us that Jesus would have us help and serve. I believe everyone in our lives are there for a purpose. The best neighbors and the worst neighbors come into our lives and we should greet them both with an attitude befitting of Jesus. We are meant to be beacons of light for all of those we encounter. A heart of service may mean that we are to serve at a local food shelf or the like. It might also mean just being there for our friends, families and neighbors in their times of need. Whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do in service do it gladly and do it with love. Today would be a good day to ask the Spirit for opportunities to practice having a serving heart,then open your eyes and ears and respond in love. It is the way we should live our lives and God will give us the grace we need to do it!

Affluenza

The Good News Today Is...I learned a new word while I was studying this weeks scripture. It is "Affluenza". It is probably not in anyone's dictionary but it is an apt and fitting word for one of our society's biggest problems today - "Keeping up with the Jones'". Always having to buy the biggest and the best toys, always thinking you are the smartest, or your kids are the greatest. It is every bit as viral as influenza, and every bit as harmful. The cure for affluenza is to become a person who has a heart of service and accepts the least of the affluent into their arms as part of the family of God. The disease of affluenza is immediately cured and one can return to living a rich and full life as they go about doing their work for the heavenly kingdom. The flip side is to be affected by affluenza and have no desire for the cure. The effects of this are the same as the worst cases of influenza, for the wages of sin is death.

Perspective is Ours

The Good News Today Is...when we need to get a new perspective - it's right there in front of us.

From the www.GoodPreacher.com/blog:

"Today, I realize that my heart is no more holy than the disciples’ hearts. Today, I realize that the problem isn’t in “welcoming” a child, it’s really in seeing the child as possessing the same God-given potential that you see so abundantly in yourself.

We strive and strive, trying to be, and do, and achieve. But by choosing to uplift someone who “contributes” so little to society (at least in the ways that society expects to be contributed to), Jesus reminds us that those pressures are ones we place on ourselves."

No One is Looking

The Good News Today Is..God knows us through and through. It is in the little things in life that we show our true colors. He knows the things we think and the things we do when no one is looking. Remember what Jesus teaches; "He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." (Mark 9:36-37) It is how we treat the least, the children, the homeless, the unimportant of the society, that marks how great we are in the eyes of God. A reminder from Barbara Brown Taylor: "work on [our] own greatness by understanding that it is what [we] do when [we] think no one is looking, with someone who does not count, for no reward, that ushers [us] into the presence of God." We need to show compassion and mercy and grace to others even when no one is watching. It is to become part of who we are. This is how we can draw closer to the God who knows us - because he knows what we do and what we think, even when no one else is looking.

It's Not Fair

The Good News Today Is...it isn't fair. As the disciples were walking down the road arguing among themselves who was the greatest, they could hardly have expected Jesus' answer. "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35) Then he took a small child into his arms and said,"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." (Mark 9:37) Servants and small children shall be first in the kingdom of heaven. It hardly seems fair. We want so much to be rewarded for who we are and what we do, we work so hard at it, yet the last shall be first. Thank goodness we are not placed in line according to what we do, or think, or say. If it was based on fairness we would never deserve the gift of heaven, it can only be the free gift of the eternal savior. So be a child at heart,have a servant's attitude and accept your gift of salvation freely.

Just Say No

The Good News Today Is...we have the authority to say, "Get behind me Satan!" (Mark 8:33) This is what Jesus said to his own apostle Peter when Peter tempted him with becoming a king instead of dying on the cross. Jesus was fully man while fully God. He was subject to every temptation that any man could be subject to, and while the days were counting down for him to go to the cross, Peter was telling him he should be King. What a temptation that must have been. Jesus could have been King, he had enough followers and enough power. Yet without hesitation Jesus looked at Peter and yelled, "Get behind me Satan!" Today we might use the words, "Just say no!" We have the authority to not follow the tempting paths that we see in our lives, but to follow where God wants us to go, picking up our cross along the way. Jesus gave us this authority by going to the cross for us, it was costly, and we should use the gift he paid for!

Mommy or Daddy?

The Good News Today Is...we all have different purposes in life.

Robert Kopp tells about the woman who was walking with her young daughter. The little girl picked up something from the ground and started to put it in her mouth, but the mother told her to throw it away because it was dirty with germs.

"Mommy, how do you know so much?" the girl asked.

"Well, it's on the mommy test," her mother replied. "You have to know all about such things or you don't get to be a mommy."

The daughter thought about it a moment, then replied, "OK, I get it. So if you flunk the test you have to be a daddy."

So I admit I chuckled when I read this. What it brought to mind for me is that when we try to do or be something other than what God has planned for us we fail miserably, or we succeed but we are miserable. God has a perfect plan for our lives and we should be seeking it every day. Some are teachers, some are evangelists, others are prophets. God has a plan bigger than we can imagine.

Open Your Bible and Read

The Good News Today Is...you can still get some things for free. Today's Christian Women website which is an offshoot of Christianity Today, has several free down loadable bible studies. Just visit their website: Christian Bible Studies and check out your options. So many people I talk to think the bible is too complicated for them and they don't understand it. Sometimes you just need a little help to see the practical wisdoms within the good book. These free bible studies will help you get started, because as I have said before - you can't get there if you don't start. The bible is your best resource for expanding your faith and learning about God. Get started reading yours today!

Share the Good News

The Good News Today Is...we can minister anywhere we are. Sometimes we wonder how to share the Good News with people. I have found that the more I become immersed in my faith and the more I live out my faith, people come to me and ask about the Good News. So many people have questions, yet they want to ask them on their terms in their own time. It is a wonderful thing when you get to share the Good News with the one you least expected would want to hear it. People approach me at work, at family gatherings, and anywhere that I go - if I am sensitive and open to listening, eventually they get to the heart of their trouble and ask me to share the Good News with them. I don't have to always be the one to initiate the conversation - I just have to be willing to follow the leading of the Spirit. Be open minded and willing and the chances to share the Good News will come to you. Remember to add prayer for opportunities to share the Good News and then be alert to the Spirit. You will be surprised!

Glory Be

The Good News Today Is...



There are days when you read the news and you can't believe the world has come to such a place as it has. Disease, murder, and natural disasters are reported everywhere. Don't lose sight of the end goal but continue to pray, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!"

Happy Birthday

The Good News Today Is..."He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge" (Prov 14:6) Today is the birthday of my oldest child. Ever since my children were born I have prayed that they will be protected and blessed by God, and grow into godly and God loving adults. In so many ways have my prayers been answered. My oldest is what Dr. Dobson would call strong willed - in fact she could be the child he wrote the book about! Her life has been a mixture of heartache and happiness. I like to say she lives life passionately. God has used her to bring His message to a variety of people that I could never touch because they would not understand my message. Her lifestyle brings her into contact with people I could not connect with in any way. Yet when she or others she knows are faced with challenges, she reminds them that there is a God and He is faithful. God is her refuge. Thank you Father for bringing her to me and allowing me to be her mother.

God Will Make A Way

The Good News Today Is...God will make a way. Read the lyrics from this popular praise song and be reminded that nothing is impossible for God.

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength
For each new day
He will make a way
He will make a way

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade
But His Word will still remain
He will do something new today

Have a blessed day with God today!

Peter was Like Me?

The Good News Today Is...Peter was impetuous and strong willed and much loved by Jesus. Maybe we should read that again. Peter was always questioning why, was strong willed, impetuous AND he was in the inner circle of three apostles that accompanied Jesus even on the most sacred and private missions. Peter was nicknamed the rock - we understand from scripture it was because of his unshakable faith, yet perhaps it was also because of his propensity to be stubborn. (I will not deny you, I will not deny you, I will not deny you...) So, Peter was a questioner, strong willed, impetuous and stubborn - and Jesus loved him. Wow - there is hope for us!

Two Steps Forward

The Good News Today Is...we do grow in our faith. The scene is where Jesus is asking "Who do you think I am?" Finally Peter says, "You are the Christ!" One step forward. Jesus has been with the disciples nearly three years at this point and Peter is finally looking at him with open eyes. Yet Jesus tells him he must not share that news. One step back. Just minutes later, Peter is telling Jesus he has it wrong. He will not die and suffer, he will be their king. Jesus rebukes him, "Get behind me Satan!" Another step back.

Some days are like that for us. We take one faith step forward and two steps backward. Just remember that Peter, even after this denied Jesus three times on the journey to the cross, yet Peter is recognized as the founding father of the church. We all have times in our life when our faith journey is rocky. Remember to keep your eyes set on the goal and to continue on even though we may stumble occasionally. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, get on your knees and ask forgiveness and start over on the right track.

The original saying was two steps forward, one step back. We have allowed the Satan in our life to convince us that we take one step forward and two steps back. Push Satan behind and travel on making sure and steady progress. If once in awhile you slip backwards a step, be certain you are still moving forward overall. Your faith will see you through.

Bucket List

The Good News Today Is...God wants us to succeed. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jer 29:11) Recently my husband made a "bucket list." He was dismayed when I said I might burn it. He misunderstood and thought that I didn't want him to succeed. That isn't true, but more than success I want his happiness and contentment in this life. I am a glass half full person and he is a glass half empty person. I would make a list of all my blessings and find joy in every one. He has made a list of everything he doesn't have and while right now it encourages him to achieve some of the goals on that list, I know that eventually he will become disillusioned with his list and start becoming depressed because he is not ever going to get everything he wants or do everything he wants. I pray that he will come to know that if he seeks God's plans for his life that he will find everything he ever wanted. It may not be what was on his bucket list, but he will be more than happy and he will be content. Each one of us has a special purpose and plan in God's eyes. He wants us to prosper and have hope for our future. He wants us to have faith in Him to supply that.

Passionate Preaching

The Good News Today Is....they do start young.

This video has been viewed going on 2 million times...if only all of us could be so passionate about getting out the word.

Making a Difference

The Good News Today Is...we do make a difference. Sometimes I get discouraged at how many people in the world are mean, miserable and out for themselves. It seems that there is nothing to be done about the downturn and destruction of the human race. Then I remember that every time I smile at someone, do a random act of kindness or simply give someone a hug, I am doing something that God can use. It's not up to me to change the world, it is up to me to bring the message of God's love and be the vessel God can use to show His mercy and grace. God can change the world. The stumbling block most of us face is that we can't see the results and we don't have enough faith to realize that what we have done has made a difference, because God can use it. We want to see the results ourselves, because we want the glory of knowing we were the catalyst to make the difference. Well it just doesn't work that way. God sees the big picture and God gets the glory! That's just another aspect of our faith walk, to trust that the spirit shining through us is getting God's work done, whether we can see the results or not.

Decisions, Decisions!

The Good News Today Is...I have a big decision to make. Big decisions can be fearful for some people, but for me they usually represent opportunity. Without big decisions in our life we can not figure out what is important to us. If God is the center of every big decision, God is what is important to us. If we are the center of every opportunity, then we count ourselves more important than God. When we turn to God for guidance and for divine knowledge of His will for our lives, than the decisions we make have a way of turning out to be amazing adventures with amazing results. The only way to have the best (or what is best for us) is to trust God when we make choices of taking the path on the left or the path on the right.

Moments

The Good News Today Is...I live for the moments. The moments that are like no other moments - the moments that I can be on Holy Ground. They come fleetingly and not too often but they pack an unforgettable punch. These are the moments in our lives when we come face to face with an awesome God. There's no predicting when it will happen. We might be having our morning coffee and all of a sudden - Bam!!! God is present. We might be praying with someone and then like a thief in the night, God shows up. Perhaps we are ministering to someone and out of the blue we are saying words of wisdom that only they could understand - it's God again! Holy Ground is wherever God is meeting us with an undeniable presence and we can tell that it couldn't be anyone but God. It is a time of revelation in our lives, a time of change brought by the Holy Spirit, a time of comfort we needed when no other comforter would suffice. Holy Ground is precious and fleeting. I suspect if we were able to walk on Holy Ground all the time it would lose it's panache and we would lose our awe of a great and mighty God. I am happy to live for the moments.

And the Title Is...

The Good News Today Is...there are people who choose to be Christian authors. I read a lot and today as I was looking through some titles of Christian books I was struck by how much the title of the book can draw me in. Some books just sound great by their title. Sometimes I get encouraged just by reading the titles - I think, "wow, there are others out there that think like me, or have the same problems as me." I'm just going to list a few titles here to see if you like them. These are not books I've read before - just books that intrigue me simply by their title:

Expressions of Comfort and Joy
The Strange Romance
Ragged-Edge Faith and Reckless Generosity
Do Hard Things
When God Winks at You
What in the World is Going On?
The Bait of Satan
The Magnificent Obsession
Bad Girls of the Bible

I could make a list pages and pages long. The titles fascinate me and draw me into wanting to read more books. I'd like to take a moment to pray blessings on all of these authors and thank them for sharing their insights. May God be glorified by their works and may they find contentment and peace in their writing. Thanks for writing!

Worship Him

The Good News Today Is...we have a purpose in life. We are a created being with a purpose to worship our creator. "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."(Rev 14:7). When we get to the end of the times, God will be the foremost in our minds and in hearts as we will be commanded to worship Him. We are to do all that we do for His glory and honor, each and every day as we faithfully await the return of our Savior. As we go forth and follow the footsteps of the Lord and learn to walk in His ways, worship Him. As we pursue the godly goals in our lives, worship Him. When you wake up in the morning and have your coffee, worship Him. For God is great and greatly to be praised!

Huge Goals

The Good News Today Is...God wants us to succeed in the goals He has set for us. This is something that I struggle with almost daily. First I ponder at great length if I understand what the goals He has set for me are. Sometimes they are right in front of my face but they seem so big and daunting that I feel I must be looking at them wrong. I must be thinking of what I want, not what God wants. Then when I'm half convinced that the goals truly are what God has in His plans for me I am overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I can rationalize that if I don't start I can't succeed, you have to be trying to do something to actually get it done. Yet sometimes the goal seems so big, how can God expect me to succeed at that? This is when I go back to my small anecdote from Mother Teresa. Yes she said, I can do nothing with three pennies (all the money she had to her name), but with God and three pennies I can do anything. Then her great ministry was born and succeeded beyond all her dreams. So to get started all you have to do is start, because with God you will succeed

Start Your Day Right

The Good News Today Is...I am reminded of who and whose I am. Reading the Proverbs 21 devotion this morning I read these questions and realized that I had forgotten that I was a child of God.

"Do you realize God wants to do amazing things among you each day? Are we ready each morning to wake up and join the story of God?"

Most days I do not get up and realize that I am about to join the story of God. I get up and think about getting ready for work, packing my lunch and trying not to be late again. I need this reminder to start my day in wonder and awe instead of the routine and boring. God wants to do amazing things among us each day! Are we ready for that?

Signs

The Good News Today Is...God has made many promises. Throughout the bible God has promised many things. I believe we can stand on the promises of God as we continue to prove them to be true in our lives. I've added this interesting video, my comment being - God will come again! We are to live each and every day as if that were going to happen at any moment. Live your life always ready to meet God anytime, anywhere. Don't get to wrapped up in when!

.Encourage One Another

The Good News Today Is...we are meant to encourage one another. Today I am going to recommend another blog to you - Proverbs 31 Ministries Daily Devotions. I read it every day as a bit of encouragement and I often take ideas from this blog and make them into my own encouraging entry on my blog. Today as I was reading the entry about contentment I was so touched by its truth that I just wanted to share it with anyone who reads my blog. When we encourage one another our problems fade into the background and we have a lasting contentment in our lives. Peace be with you this day.

Enjoy What God Has Created

The Good News Today Is...we are not meant to get stuck in a rut. There are times when my days are the same over and over and over again. Get up, go to work, come home and make dinner, do dishes and laundry, go to bed - then do it all over again the next day. I was at a workshop this past week-end where several questions were posed to us. We were to answer them with a list of twelve answers. The questions went like this: Where are have you been? Where would you like to go? What activities have you done? What activities would you like to do? You get the gist of this. The questions are meant to keep us from getting stuck in a rut and seeing life in a bigger picture than we usually do. There is a whole wide world out there that God has created for us. He is in the east, west, north and south. It would keep us from getting stuck if we made an effort to enjoy the things God has put on earth for us to enjoy, meet the people he has put on earth for us to meet and share his love abundantly and freely.

God is in the Practical

The Good News Today Is...God is in the practical. I found this quote by Evelyn Underhill who wrote The Spiritual Life - "MOST OF OUR CONFLICTS and difficulties come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately instead of realizing them as parts of one whole." I actually laughed out loud when I read this. I am the master at dealing with the practical...without asking God for any help. It is my realm as far as I am concerned. I forget to invite God into the picture with the everyday mundane tasks and problems that I encounter. I take charge and get it done. That has always been my way, to meet life head on and take care of all the little obstacles during the day. I usually have a list of items I need to complete and I just go about getting them done. Notice the "I" word used over and over. There is no room in life for God if everything is all about me and how I take care of life. Today I will try to put God first in the practical and see how that works out for me. You may get some stories later as I recount the day and anything that happens out of the ordinary...stayed tuned.

A Bad Day

The Good News Today Is...God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."(Heb13:5). Thank goodness I can stand on this promise. My day started out on a sour note. First, I got up late...always a bad thing. When I got up this morning I was going to move my laptop from the kitchen table into the back room where I had finally cleaned off the computer desk and gotten it ready to set up to work at. But, because I was running late I didn't get that done and the dog tripped over the power cord and yanked the computer onto the floor, along with my coffee cup. I went into the kitchen to find my laptop sitting upside down on the floor in a puddle of coffee. Ugh!!! My desktop computer was already down due to contracting one of those wonderful viruses that someone with too much time on their hands created. Now, my laptop was in a heap. I carefully lifted it up and the coffee was dripping off from it. I had no inclination that I would have anything left to work with here. Unbelievably the sturdy little thing was still working. The screen is cracked and may fall apart any moment, but I was able to pull of some of the more important files. At least I didn't lose all of the information. Anyway...I've tried not to let this get me down and I will stand on the promise that I am not alone, even in my trials! The hard stuff is easier to swallow when you have someone holding your hand. Thank you Jesus for staying with me and helping me not to feel lost when the whole world seems to be falling apart around me!

Word of God

The Good News Today Is...we have the word of God.

The Giver

The Good News Today Is...we can trust the Giver more than the gifts. We have all been given gifts of the spirit. Some are to be teachers, some are to be encouragers, some to be evangelists...whatever your gift is..don't become too dependent upon it. The gifts we have are meant to be used for the glory of God. We are not to become so wrapped up in the gift and all we think we can accomplish with it, that we forget that we need God every moment of every day. It is through our need of God and our recognition of that, our gifts become truly powerful for His kingdom. Don't worry about trying to use your gift and do everything you can with it. Over volunteering for church functions because you have the gift they need can lead you to burn out. Look to God the Giver of the gift and seek to glorify Him. That's all you have to do, you can trust the Giver to do the rest.

Knowledge Brings Forgiveness

The Good News Today Is...we are able to write our history down. Words of wisdom are passed by mouth generation to generation. Yet it is the ability that we can keep a recorded history that gives us the opportunity to learn from others in the past - not just by chance but by design. Take for instance this quote by Catherine The Great; "The more a man knows, the more he forgives." These profound words ring true and make me think about forgiveness in a new way. So many of our petty grievances are held onto tightly because we do not see the big picture around a situation. We get hung up with the focus on ourselves and our hurts and we cannot find the forgiveness that we know God would have us give. If we step back from our hurt and try to learn what caused the situation, really come to know the whole picture - seeing things from a different perspective, we can find the forgiveness. God forgave our sins in Jesus name, let us do the same for others.

90 Minutes in Heaven

The Good News Today Is...the book 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper was listed on Guideposts top seven books to read this summer. A lot of people read this book to find out just what 90 minutes in heaven is like. While that is interesting, it's not what this book is about. First, I don't think we are supposed to figure out what heaven is like, we are to believe by faith. I'm not sure that one person's recollection of a near death experience even gives us anymore idea about heaven than we ever had. However, in this book, what we learn from is the perseverance and ministry that we see after Don's near death experience. Wracked with pain, wishing he had died, Don Piper rallies to continue his life and use his suffering for the glory of God. Now that's a story! If you haven't read this book yet you're missing out on a great source of encouragement.

Lord or Savior

The Good News Today Is...Jesus is Lord and Savior. We sometimes try to get around this bit of information because we want a Savior but we don't want a Lord. We know we can't earn our way into heaven, we've admitted we're sinners, we need a Savior. Jesus is right there and we want Him (as a Savior). Sometimes, that's as far as it goes. We want to be saved, no strings attached, no duty on our part, just save us and get us into heaven. Wake up people, that is a pipe dream. If we have accepted Jesus into our hearts and He has become our Savior, then He has also become our Lord. We are to serve Him and follow where His footsteps lead us. In fact, if He is our Savior we will have a desire to submit to Him as Lord. It is in this submission to our Lord that we find our true freedom, our true being and our true happiness. The joy of the Lord is our strength!

Are We Any Different?

The Good News Today Is...we are able to grow in our faith.

This from EBulletin:

The crowd retorts with, what must we do to be doing the works of God? There is but one work, according to Jesus, that leads to eternal satisfaction, believing on the one whom God has sent. The work that is necessary is the exercise of faith. They must believe. Then Jesus offers himself not only as the object of belief but as the very Bread of Life. Amazingly this crowd, who only hours before had witnessed Jesus feeding in excess of five thousand people, immediately asks for a sign from him so they can believe him. We may be taken aback at their lack of faith and seeming audacity in asking for a sign when most of the crowd had undoubtedly witnessed a number of signs already. But are our own responses so very different? Do we recognize, appreciate and meditate upon the signs of God’s presence and power in our own daily experience? Do we recognize the sacred in what we so often take for granted as the “common” things of life?

Walk through your day knowing that Jesus is in it and revel at the many miracles you witness at every turn. Make your faith solid in Him and be satisfied.

What I Think I Heard

The Good News Today Is...Christians can communicate...you just have to know the lingo. This published by the Evangelical Press Association-enjoy...I did.

As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church, along with their English-language equivalents:

Christianese: "If it be God's will."
Translation: "I really don't think God is going to answer this one.

Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."
Translation: "I am going to pray for a long, long, long time."

Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."
Translation: "Find someone else."

Christianese: "Fellowship"
Translation: "Organized gluttony."

Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
Translation: "I'm totally clueless."

Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."
Translation: "You may think I'll be there, but I won't."

Christianese: "I don't feel led."
Translation: "Can't make me."

Christianese: "God led me to do something else."
Translation: I slept in instead of going to church.

Christianese: "God really helped me with this test."
Translation: "I didn't study but I guessed good, so I'm giving God credit in the hope that He helps me again."

Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"
Translation: "What an airhead!"

Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."
Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"

Christianese: "I'll be praying for you."
Translation: "There's an outside chance I'll remember this conversation later today."

Christianese: "Prayer concerns"
Translation: "Gossip"

Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "
Translation: "I'll be done in another hour or so."

Christianese: "Let us pray"
Translation: "I'm going to pretend to talk to God now, but I'm really preaching at you."

Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."
Translation: "Don't expect me to help you."

Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"
Translation: "Give me all your money."

In Pursuit

The Good News Today Is...we have many ways to pursue God. I found this review of Anne Lotz Graham's Book; Pursuing More of Jesus on the Christianity.com website. It gave me a lot to think about as I go through my day today. It made me realize that I often live and I am comfortable with, leaving Jesus in the background. Here are the bullet points - I think I will post them somewhere I can't ignore them, so I remember Jesus throughout the day.

• Go for the maximum, not the minimum.
• Pursue more of His voice in your ear.
• Pursue more of His tears on your face.
• Pursue more of His praise on your lips.
• Pursue more of His death in your life.
• Pursue more of His dirt on your hands.
• Pursue more of His hope in your grief.
• Pursue more of His fruit in your service.
• Pursue more of His love in your home.
• Pursue more of His courage in your convictions.
• Pursue more of His nearness in your loneliness.
• Pursue more of His answers to your prayers.
• Pursue more of His glory on your knees.

Truly those who seek shall find...those who pursue will be blessed. Have a blessed day!

The Lion and The Lamb

The Good News Today Is...the lion will lay with the lamb....


Ever since I was very young this has fascinated me. Imagine, the mightiest and fiercest laying with those they have hunted and killed, in perfect harmony. So gentle, a small child need not fear being around them. The imagery of the lion and lamb together without conflict is a powerful image today and probably more so in Isaiah's time. Think of this - the prophet proclaiming, "They will neither harm nor destroy on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isa 11:9) Hallelujia!

Persistence

The Good News Today Is...persistence pays off. I just read this daily devotional by Charles Stanley. It was exactly the bit of encouragement I needed for today because I have been feeling a bit burned out lately. Sometimes just reminding myself to do the things I need to do daily to keep on the right track seems to be a burden. Usually I read the word of God and have my quiet prayer time and it all seems so wonderful, but there are those days when it seems like it is burdensome...just another thing to do. Ah - but to be reminded that God blesses those who patiently endure - that is the word that makes me go forth in faith. Thank you God for your encouraging words this day!

What Did You Do With What I Gave You?

The Good News Today Is....we have much. I read a devotional today that asked the question, "How will you respond to God when He asks you the question, 'what did you do with all that I gave you?'" This particular woman who wrote this devotional talked about going to Africa and seeing true poverty, yet true happiness, and the spirit of helping others. She compared it to the United States where we have so much - most of us have a roof over our heads, plenty of food and plenty of toys. What do we do with what God has given us? We have more wealth than any other nation, yet we struggle just to pay our bills. We don't give freely of what we have because we want more stuff and more toys. Most of us have at least a high school education and many of us have a college education, also. What do we do with what God has given us? Do we use our education to accumulate more wealth and buy more toys? How will we explain that to God when we see him? The Good News is that we have much and that means we have much to give. Give freely of your money and of yourself, doing good wherever you can. We would live in a much happier place if each of us thought about having to explain to God what we did with all that He gave us.

Black and White and Color

The Good News Today Is...we can take a few moments....please click here. Enjoy!

De-Baptism

The Good News Today Is... we cannot be "de-baptized." I had never heard of this term before until I read an article in Religion Today. Apparently it isn't all that new of a concept - so I guess my head has just been in the sand. Atheists all over the world are having de-baptizing ceremonies and giving out certificates of de-baptism. They are trying to renounce a decision for baptism that they say their parents made, or they were too young to understand, and now that they've "grown up", they understand that reason is better than religion. Well, too bad for them, God will not turn His back on His children. They can turn their back on God - but He will forever be God the Father to them. Baptism was their acceptance into the family of God. It answered the question "Who's your daddy?" once and for all. They will just have to get over it!

Hell No

The Good News Today is.....we can...

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says~~
"Oh Crap, She's up!"

The Church

The Good News Today Is...we are the church. That was the sermon yesterday and that was the topic of another blog I read this morning. I don't usually forget that people are the church and the building is just the meeting house. The important thing that I do sometimes forget is that God has a building plan and a vision for his people, the church. We are the raw materials God has to work with as He is building the church. In light of that we should try to be the people that God has in mind for the church. We sit on a perfect foundation, the cornerstone Jesus Christ. Even so, we do not build a very sturdy church because we follow our own visions and work our own ways. Learning to follow God's vision for our lives would strengthen the church and then, the meeting house would become a place of true worship.....wonderful!

Friends

The Good News Today Is...we have friends. Sometimes that feels like a good thing and sometimes that feels like a hard thing. Friends often say things to us that no one else would. Sometimes it is out of honesty, sometimes out of jealousy. Friends help us when we're down, sometimes, but sometimes they don't. The thing is, friends are people just like us and they can be the best things in our lives, or they can be the most hurtful things in our lives. Remember poor Job. When his life started to go down the toilet (pardon the expression) his friends became judgmental and tried to get him to turn against God. Yet Job held steadfast. In the end he did not hold a grudge against his friends. "After Job prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10). Are you having issues with a friend, or is life hard on you right now? Give it all to God in prayer. You will be okay.

God's Purpose for My Life

The Good News Today Is...there are those who are willing to share their prayers with us.

Lord, I want to know the woman You had in mind when You created me. I don't want to grow old and never know Your purpose for my life. Show me your dreams for my life so I can offer what You want to give to those around me through my unique desires, personality strengths, spiritual gifts, abilities and experiences. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This is the perfect prayer and I'm glad I found it.

Rebellion

The Good News Today Is...even though we are a rebellious people, we can learn not to rebel against God. I was reading an article written by Charles Stanley about rebellion against God. Of course it is our choice whether we rebel or not, it is the freedom we are allowed. What surprised me in this article was the description of what rebellion against God is. Things like resisting authority figures in our life, refusing God's call on our life, pursuing things that are forbidden morally, pursuing the right things in the wrong way, wanting immediate gratification, not letting go of our past, etc. The list goes on and on. The problem is as I evaluate my life, I can find myself in at least one of these rebellious states...and I didn't even realize that was what I was doing. It is a difficult thing to look at ourselves the way God looks at us and not the way the world looks at us. We need to measure our actions and thoughts in a way that others do not. It is something we need to take seriously everyday- there are consequences for our rebellion. I would rather face the sneers by my peers as I make my choices, than the consequences from God that come from being pressured into acting in worldly ways.

Who Said That?

The Good News Today Is...It is never too late to learn your scriptures. I took a quiz at the Christianity Today site called Who Said That 1. Funny how when you're reading a quote from the bible it sounds so familiar, you know you've read it before, but you just can't remember who said that. I didn't do all that bad, I got 7 out of 10 right. It just seems like I should have known all of them. Taking those little quizzes reminds me that I should spend a little more time reading and learning the scriptures. You never know when you spend a bit of time doing that just how handy the knowledge might be. I mean, other than getting a better score on a quiz, scripture has this way of making us a better person and teaching us to deal with life's little inconsistencies without freaking out. Open your bibles and read today. It will bless you!