Maine and Same Sex Marriage

The Good News Today Is....so far Maine still hasn't passed a same-sex marriage law. The legislature is trying to get a bill through, for the second time. Even though the people of Maine overwhelmingly voted against same sex marriage just a few years ago. Marriage is not just a legal contract, but a contract between God and man. I can't find anywhere in the bible that alludes to the idea that God wants a contract for a marriage between two women or two men. If gay couples believe they need a law to give them "equal rights", then they should pursue that, not a legal marriage contract for same sex relationships. God wants marriage honored by all and the marriage bed to remain pure. (Heb 13:4) Marriage by definition is between a man and a woman, please help keep it that way. Make sure you vote when you have the opportunity.

Jesus Hears Your Prayers

If You Feel As Tho

by Tanya Staggs

If you feel as tho there’s nothing left
and all your hope is gone,
just remember you still have A Friend
that you can always count on.

If you feel as tho you’re all alone
and noone else is there
to listen to your troubles-
just try whispering a prayer.

If you feel as tho you’ve taken
all you possibly can stand,
just know that He’s there waiting
for you to reach up and take His hand.

If you feel as tho your heart’s breaking,
that your life is falling apart,
and you don’t know where to turn,
just turn to Him, He’ll heal your heart.

If you feel as tho your life’s over,
that things in no way could get worse,
and you feel like giving up, please don’t.
Just try talking to Him first.

Creation or Children?

The Good News Today Is...I am a child of God. For the second time this week (and it's only Monday) I have been reminded that we are all God's creation but we are not all God's children. Why this has been expressed to me on two different occasions, in two different ways, I don't know. It was expressed in exactly the same words though both times, so my ears picked it right up and I'm spreading it around. I'm repeating it here - we are all God's creation but we are not all God's children. The bible says you will know God's children because they will live in accordance to God's will as revealed. The rest of humanity lives in the flesh, living by the ways of the world. All of us have an opportunity to become God's children if we want to. When we do we are asked to give up the ways of the world and follow the ways of God. A very small price to pay for our salvation.

A Little Action Please

The Good News Today Is...."Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand, put a little love in your heart." And the world WILL be a better place. It's simple, it's free, and yes you can do it! It has to start somewhere, with at least one person, so that might as well be you. "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and with truth." 1John 3:18. What you do for others and how you help them truly is a reflection of how much you love them. Spread your love around today!

Practice Makes Perfect

The Good News Today Is...as we come to know Jesus better we are less inclined to sin, and if we slip we are more inclined to ask for forgiveness and be forgiven right away. It's not easy being human and fighting temptations, but the closer we are to Jesus, the easier it gets. Jesus is always right there and the more we know him the more we see him. We are so in tune with communications media these days, that sometimes we miss the communication with Christ that will lead us away from all of our temptations. Next time you are tempted stop and listen, maybe there is a bird singing, or the phone will start ringing, or someone will come to the door - and it will interrupt whatever it is you were about to do that you knew you shouldn't do. That's Jesus way of communicating with us, he's not going to text you on your cell phone and say "idk y u would do that." He's not going to e-mail you and explain all of the pitfalls of sinning. Yet Jesus is right by your side and if you look for the communication from him, you will find it. If you miss the message and fall into temptation, fall to your knees and ask forgiveness. Soon you will realize that it is much easier to skip the temptation in the first place than to have to humble yourself to ask for forgiveness over and over. It really does get easier with practice...and with Jesus.

Heartfelt is the Key

The Good News Today Is..."I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 104:33. I love to sing - especially to the Lord, because if I go off key he just doesn't care. It is the same with everything we do, God sees the heart of the matter and loves us and what we do because of the heart we have. So if the sound of my voice isn't perfect when I sing, but my heart is full of praise - it is a joyful noise to the Lord. If the words aren't quite what is written, but my heart is singing love songs to the Lord - it is praise. If I can't heal the sick today, but I bring chicken soup to my neighbor with sincere wishes they recover, it is a blessing. Whatever you sing or do, do it with the right heart and all will be well.

WHEN is a Wonderful Word

The Good News Today Is...."when he appears, we shall be like him" 1John 3:2. Let me say that again when he appears, we shall be like him. Did you hear that? WHEN HE APPEARS. Not if he appears, not maybe he will appear....WHEN he appears. Jesus is coming again - will you see him when he appears?

Questions

The Good News Today Is...we are free to ask questions. Sometimes in our quest for faith there seems to be more questions than answers. Even the apostles had questions - Thomas wanted physical proof that Jesus had risen from the dead. Questions do not mean that we don't believe, it means we are seeking to increase our faith. Thomas was the one apostle that was willing to die for Jesus when Jesus went to raise Lazerus from the tomb. It was risky business for Jesus to go back to the area where he was being prosecuted, but Thomas was willing to stand by his side and take the consequences. Yet Thomas was the one that questioned the resurrection. Jesus was okay with that - he appeared to the group of apostles the second time, allowing Thomas to feel his hands and his side and Thomas believed. It's okay for us to have questions....just don't stop seeking the truthful answers...that is where our faith is built.

The Good News Today Is....spring is in the air!

Artistic Creations by Catherine Deaton Daffodils bloom With upturned faces Dogwoods array Of color amazes God's splendidly drawn Artistic creations Abounding alive For our appreciation Fresh breath of Spring Birds giddily sing Burst forth new season Give joy for good reason The earth is the Lords More than we could afford For our pleasure He arranges Brilliant seasonal changes Let sun and rain fall Remind one and all God's eternal control Natural splendor bestowed.

Success!

The Good News Today Is....I have been planning. Planning for a wedding, planning for a summer garden, planning for work. Planning is something we perfectionists love to do. I have so many things I want to do and make sure they are done right...it takes a lot of planning. Yet everyone knows that no matter how much we plan we run into snafus. I have learned to let it go (somewhat) and not sweat the small stuff - as the saying goes. I still plan, I just don't worry about it coming out my way quite as much as I used to. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Prov 16:3 The trick is to not try to control the definition of success!

The Big Picture

The Good News Today Is....God always knows what's best for us. Sometimes we have an agenda in life and sometimes it seems that nothing goes right and our agenda falls apart. Take a few minutes to breathe and relax instead of getting upset that the planned agenda isn't working like you had planned. Stressing out over a change in agenda will not help anything. Remember that God is omnipotent and sees the whole picture, while we see our tiny agenda. We cannot be sure why things don't go our way, we can only be sure that they will all work out for the best if we hold close to our faith in God. God does truly know what the best course for us is - so the next time things don't go your way, ask God which way they should go....perhaps we will get a glimpse of the big picture and our worries will whittle away to nothing.

Glorify God

The Good News Today Is..."You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." Job 10:12. Even in the throes of despair Job recognized that he was a created by the one true God, the one who watched over his spirit. On a deep level Job understood that he was created for a purpose, just because he did not understand what was happening to him and why it was happening, he knew God created him and there was some underlying meaning to what was going on. Even on our worst days we have nothing to worry about, God is still God our creator. We were not created to suffer - though sometimes we do. We were created to glorify God in all ways. This is the day the Lord has made - be glad and rejoice in it.

Vacation

The Good News Today Is....I am on vacation. Tomorrow we will venture out to a warmer climate to be with friends and family. I will be back in ten days. I may pop in if I find myself on a computer, but mostly I will be resting and staying warm. God Bless...see you after my break!

I Am Not Lost

The Good News Today Is....I am not lost. I do, however, take detours when I am under stress. I find that the words of Paul ring true for me today, as they did for folks back in the early centuries: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Rom 7:15. For me, when I am stressed out by what is going on around me in the world, I bury myself in a good romance novel and ignore absolutely everything else. That is my detour. It is no different than avoiding things through the use of alcohol or drugs, or shopping sprees, or gossip sessions. It is still avoidance and a non-biblical way of dealing with our life here on earth. I don't do it as often as I used to, and when I do it, it is much more short term than it used to be. The point is I still do it - even though I know I shouldn't and even though I know it is counterproductive. The stress is still there to face when I lift my nose from out of the pages of the novel. The short interlude in a world of fantasy does not let me off the hook to deal with life's "stuff". I still have to deal...and usually because I've been ignoring the "stuff", there is more "stuff" added to my already stressful scenario. I do come back around though and face the music, so I truly am not lost, just detoured. I long for the day when the detour is a thing of the past.

My BFF

The Good News Today Is...Jesus is my best friend forever. "But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Prov 18:24b The even better news is that Jesus wants to be your bff, too. He is there, waiting to hold your hand and walk with you every day. He wants to share your troubles and He wants to share your joys. He won't leave you during either...a true bff.

The Truth

John 8:32

Freedom - we all think we have it, but we aren't free. We're bound by the things of the world. We have debt, we have illnesses, we have paranoias, we have overwhelming desires for riches of this world, we have worries, we have self esteem issues.... I could fill a book with all the things we have that keep us from being truly free. We can be free in Christ. It's hard work, but is is SO worth it. Accept Christ and give him your burdens - the truth will set you free.