My anticipation is greater than the arrival of my reality. The imagery drawn in my thoughts are sweeter than my current state of affairs. My longings are filled with sweet cravings and satisfaction; these quickly fade as a parchment being met by a flame. A pretty box wrapped in beautiful paper, decorated with delicate ribbons and bows, excitement fills me as I gently untie the bows and carefully peel back the paper, when at last I slowly open the box…it reveals nothing, it is empty. An empty box, I am bewildered and disappointed, my eyes no longer can hold the tears quickly multiplying, tears begin to form and rush down my cheek as if it were raging rapids. All of a sudden, the tears stop and the flood gates close. Calmness returns as if nothing had even happened and all things resume, the thoughts of longing are quickly filed and perfectly tucked away. Knowing they will return again and this cycle will again be activated and after a short battle of wills is exhausted, a war I know I will lose and yet I continue to fight. My hope is that someday this cycle of fear, shame, and disappointment will be extinguished by truth and clarity with an honest sincere reality.

Perhaps what I seek can’t be found in the box at all, could I be the gift? Am I the pretty paper and delicate bows and ribbons? Just perhaps the contents I can choose and place them in the box myself, gathering treasures that are all of my choosing~

~C.A.Robinson
June 09, 2017
2:25pm

Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Matthew 10:29-31 “What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Psalm 139:2-4 “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.”

~Blessings and Peace~

 

Most of us have either met or know of someone trying to be somebody. The girl or boy who tries really hard to be liked by others and to be invited and included to do things. They most likely try to please others, even mimic behaviors and to develop the same hobbies and interests of those they want to like them.  I, for one think there’s more to these stories than meets the eye. All too often people feel left out or they feel invisible and even worse ridiculed when they are noticed.  Most notably for no other reason than being different. All humans have the capacity to be cruel and vicious as well as the capacity to love and show kindness.  In the cases of cruelty,  it truly has more to do with the accusers inadequacies than of the accused. Those individuals who always find faults in others rarely ever recognize the truth staring back at them in a mirror or hear the cruelty in their words in their own ears. Just because people are different doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them. I’m not sure why it is we assume people are the way they are simply by choice. Sometimes life doesn’t give you choices! Sometimes things happen to us for no other reason than people want to hurt one another. When treating others with negativity because of their circumstances only proves that we have no compassion or desire to see others succeed in life. How one reacts and moves forward when faced with these obstacles is the choice we need to concentrate on. Life is not fair and no one ever said it would be. Ancestry and genetics along with social, environmental and economical challenges all play a role in our development and growth from childhood to adolescents to youth into adulthood. If there’s a single thing I’ve learned in life so far it is this…”Just because someone tells you something is true, does not mean it is true!” If someone says you’re not pretty, this only means that the person saying it has limited abilities to recognize pretty, we are all pretty/beautiful in ways that only a few will ever truly be able to see. Here’s a truth I know and believe with all my heart, we are all created by God with each of us having our own purpose and that God loves us unconditionally.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

I know that my words will not change things for anyone struggling or those wanting to made a difference in the world or in just a single person and I am completely OK with that because I know that God holds the power and truth and He is the one I want you to believe in and to trust in, He promises to always be with you~ALWAYS! Hebrews 13:5 “…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
~Blessings and Peace~

I’ve not only heard this phrase many times in my life but have actually uttered the words myself. As I mature more and gain more life experiences the truth I have discovered is this…change is singular, one person at a time and the domino effect can take place but if that one first person never steps forward we remain stuck and even worse the chaos around us grows. Hate can be changed by a single kind act, followed by another and so on; hunger can be stopped by feeding one person in need followed by another person doing so by your example; our phobias keep us from seeing others as we are…human-beings with needs, wants and desires. Now, with all that being said I am not so naive to believe everyone believes or sees the world so simplistic, our world (yes WORLD) not any specific place or country holds the monopoly on “bad things.” I also don’t have any magic wand to instantly make everything and everyone better, what I can do is pray, I can be a means to an end by being an example of love, acceptance and respect; I can hold my tongue when someone offends me or cuts me off-thinking what if they are just having a bad day or just received some terrible news; I can let a car merge onto the interstate even when I’m rushed, courtesy…none of us know with any accuracy what another individual is going through at any given time. What I am saying is…actions reap reactions. It’s not cool to be rude and one can address such behavior without being rude in return. If someone is rude, the emotional response most get is not how “rude” someone is being, rather it is pain, painful, hurt feelings, feeling less than a person then asking ourselves “what is wrong with me, why don’t people like me” it becomes an infliction we think is deserved, it is internalized and that is total “B#LL$hit” that my not be the most “Christian” word to be used but it is definitely “DUNG!” One lesson in life I have experienced is that when someone is putting me down or me putting them down it has more to do with the person speaking than the one receiving. We, humans as a whole don’t do a very good job at taking responsibility for our own “gunk” a word I often use in describing unpleasant things going on in my life. I also use that word to describe things that were not my fault and the responsibility is not mine to take and find healthy ways to dispose the “gunk” as it is not mine to own. And I am learning that I have some responsibility in how long I let the gunk continue in my life. To be fair, some individuals do exceptional with their emotions and I applaud them and they probably were raised by individuals who nurtured their emotions, not all of us have had this advantage and some of us feel blessed for the adversity and challenges in life because those life lessons would not have been as beneficial if given under any other circumstances. Life is a series of experiences, we find things we like and some we don’t…which is nether right or wrong; good or bad. There’s so many choices in the world and we need to find what fits for each of us. For all of us that are believers and trust in God, we are all uniquely created and have a purpose. That in itself is shouting diversity. The word diversity is derived from the word “diverse” meaning (differing from one another) and diversity means (the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc…). I cannot speak for anyone but myself and my experience of the use of the word “Diverse or Diversity” it is used to separate instead of bringing things or people together. Diversity is not merely a race issue, or a LGBTQ issue (my apologies if I left anyone out of the acronym. I did consult Google. With that being said it is also not a stage for religious beliefs. I’m a Christian, I don’t hate other religions that are different from mine, it’s not my place, it is God’s! Why can’t we just respect one another and agree to disagree. I say that with one clarifying statement, all life is sacred. The church I attend has another church directly across the street, I am do not feel oppressed or angry that some choose to attend that church versus mine, people need community and have different needs to grow spiritually, even more than that people need to feel wanted, appreciated, respected and loved, LOVED above all! I recently read that churches across the nation are showing signs of decline in attendance for a vast array of reasons, they all seem to be valid and right at the time, myself included. There’s just not enough time get all the things done that need to be done every week, job responsibilities, children activities, family responsibilities, the yard work, and the list can go on and on. All these things are just things; eternal life is what’s important, where we are going to spend eternity and I for one, want to be in Heaven. I honestly believe that none of my accomplishments here in earth will mean anything compared to being in the very presence of God! I do; however, believe that being good and kind to one another here on earth is a trait that God wants us to excel in and to teach it to all the generations to come. It’s easy to hate; it’s convenient to dismiss; it’s easy to turn away from pain and poverty … It takes work, dedication, bravery, stamina and selflessness to rise above and change things one person at a time, one day at a time, one simple act of kindness and love at a time. One of my favorite bible verses is Esther 4:14 “…Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created…”. When we encounter people who are different from us or believe differently the two things that will absolutely made a difference is to first pray for them, secondly, love them by example and living the life you say you have and want. Actions! Prayer is the most powerful asset we have here on earth, God wants to hear from us everyday, every hour of each day. God loves us and misses us when we forget to include Him in our lives.

Psalm 139:13-14 “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 “The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 29:11: “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.”

~Blessings and Peace~

Greetings: Honestly friends, I have struggled with writing my thoughts and experiences regarding right and wrong for well over a week. I continue to search for insights as I view topics on YouTube, books and personal conversations and I still feel at a loss to share my thoughts. Nevertheless, I will try. I have truly tried to look beyond just my personal experiences with this subject of right and wrong, it is with much anguish I have come to this conclusion that right and wrong is not as simple as black and white or concrete and abstract thinking and processing. Each of us develops a system within ourselves that defines our moral character, our sense of right and wrong. Our skill sets are connected to a degree with our social, economic and developmental spaces we occupy in this world. People who live on strict low incomes versus people who have an endless supply of finances will grossly differ on what is a priority, need versus wants. Let me be clear neither group should be ashamed of their place on the financial spectrum, each person is just in different circumstances. From a personal perspective, I struggled with my own sense of moral character code because it differed from that of my parents. Not that I felt mine were right and theirs was wrong, they were/are just different. There can be several reasons why they can differ: time changes things “generational”; new data and new information; lack of knowledge or exposure…I am sure there’s other reasons as well, these were just the ones that rang true for me. I have labor many years thinking there must be something wrong with me because my moral compass was not an exact copy of my parents. The answer, simple when I allowed myself to see that I am not a clone of my parents, I contain traits and characteristics from both my mom and dad; and that my life experiences are all my own and they will help to mold and develop my ideas of the world and what is right and wrong for me. Embracing our own individuality as a created being from our parents and ultimately from God, we are so incredibly unique that even if you’re an identical twin you are still different and uniquely one of a kind. I also believe and embrace the idea that as we grow and expand our understanding of the world our moral compass can and should constantly be making adjustments to more fully live into the purpose of who God has called us to be. A valuable lesson I’ve learned is this, I do not have to agree with all or any of your “right and wrong” list in order to love you. God calls us to love one another, I am a work in progress just like you. I hope the videos I have included are helpful as well as the song choices. I am not perfect, I’m just trying to do the best I can each day with the knowledge I have at the moment and I seek to learn new things each and every day. We all owe it to ourselves to be as authentic as possible while respecting others at the same time. We all have more in common than we realize, let’s capitalize on those things and the things we differ on will seem less frightening. We are all human-beings, requiring food, water, shelter, clothing and air to breathe…we all deserve respect and common decency. May we all find the answers we are seeking and maturity to accept the answers and compassion with everyone we meet. May God bless you and keep you forevermore. Amen.

Romans 3:19-26 “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”

Psalm 106:6-15 “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert. He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them. The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived. Then they believed his promises and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his plan to unfold. In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wilderness they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease among them.”
C.S.Lewis quote:
“These, then, are the two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in” (p. 8)…of Mere Christianity.

~Blessings and Peace~

After a day filled with love, laughter, deep conversations and time spent with friends and confidants, I found myself feeling very alone at the end of the day, sitting in the dark in my empty home. In the past, I might have allowed this emptiness to overwhelm me and spiral into a depressive state; however, this time was different. I did not let the emotions of the moment dictate and lead to hopelessness; I sat with the feelings of being alone and discovered truths beyond the usual guilt’s of past relationships. As I sat there in the dark, taking in long breaths with purposeful exhales I let my feelings bubble up and flow out and over me, it felt very much like standing in a spring shower letting the raindrops fall upon my face and slowly trickle down my cheeks and drip from my chin. Then, all of a sudden I realized I had tears gently falling from my eyes. It felt good, as if a burden was being lifted and I felt light. The moments that followed were points of truth and clarity, I was alone and perhaps a few feelings of loneliness but I was certain as too what I yearned for…a familiar touch that only my mom could fill, I was not bitter knowing that she was no longer an option since she’s been with Jesus for nearly five years now, no I just felt blessed that I knew and had experienced that kind of love. I cherish the fact I’m always going to be my moms baby. My mom taught me several great lessons about life but the one that I’m most thankful for tonight is, self-love not selfish love but the love and care she taught me as an attitude towards myself. My mom was a strong and confident woman, tough and stern with a huge loving heart. I experienced a truth through this clarifying moment and that truth is I am lonely at times but disparity does not win, most importantly is the fact I am never truly alone, my God is always with me, plus my mom loves me and lives on in my memories. I am grateful for the lessons she taught me and that she will always be a part of me. So, as I continued sitting in the dark on this warm spring night, I prayer to God and ask him to embrace me like my mom used to and to make His presence known and to give me rest. Amen! I woke a few hours later, to a gentle spring rain and the aroma of freshly mown grass and I felt “loved.”

~Blessings and Peace~

Admittedly, I had to read this devotional a few times as well as the reference book used by Lewis and still I was missing something. It wasn’t until I went to see a movie that my thoughts found common ground and understanding. The movie was not for reference material but God often shows us truth in the most amazing ways. The movie was “Enough” starring Christian Comedian Chonda Pierce. I had ask my friends from my church to go with me and three of them joined me for a wonderful experience. I encourage you to check her out on YouTube or FB! I knew before seeing the movie that Chonda had experienced some major issues in her life and she wanted to share what God has and is doing in her life. She spoke about grief, depression, death, family, friends, children, and loss to name a few…all these things culminating to never feeling she was “enough.” It wasn’t until I arrived home after the movie and I began my evening devotions and writing when i saw a connection from the movie to my writing about this devotional that says, “In Love, He Claims All.” Please bear with me especially if I just completely got you lost by connecting “Enough” and “God Claiming All in Love.” I instantly saw these words in my mind “competition” and “selfishness” a kind of a tug-a-war between God and Myself. Not a proud moment at all, I had not even noticed that, that was even happening. I certainly wasn’t trying to be in a tug-a-war with God, if anything I thought I was arm wrestling the devil. I.was thinking I’m helping God, I’m trying to do my part but in reality all I was doing was keeping pieces of myself from God. God wants all of me (and you). How stupid of me to think that God needs any help, let alone my help. God’s plans for me and you are not even remotely close to anything you or I could imagine. By giving ourselves completely to God, no holding back opens life up to experiences that are beyond our wildest dreams. When we give ourselves to Christ the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This may not be the best analogy but try to see if it works for you…you’re at a restaurant and you ask for a glass of cold water with ice, the waitress looks around and the table next to you has a glass half filled with ice and something, she grabs it, fills it with ice water from a pitcher and hands it to you…”. None of us would accept this…this is precisely what happens when we don’t give all of ourselves to God, God wants to make us new, all of the old out and filled with His Holy and perfect love. He doesn’t take away who you are, He removes all the “gunk” that keeps us from receiving all the blessings God has for us and being completely the person He created us to be. “Out with the old, in with the new!” Remember and trust in the promises of God, He will always be with you. Matthew 28:20 “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Life will sometimes be difficult and God will be with you. The Bible tells us in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And in Matthew 7:13-14 we read, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  Lewis’s words at the end of the devotional are very powerful, “For he claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him.” Lewis also quotes John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.” Full surrender to God or not at all. God loves you and is waiting with open arms, just ask Him to fill you with His love. Thank you for reading this blog entry and my prayer is that God will bless you in a special way today and that you will feel His presence in your life. ~Peace~

Luke 9:21-26 “Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Psalm 86:1-7 “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, Lord; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.”~Blessings and Peace~

References:
Preparing for Easter by C.S.Lewis
The Weight of Glory by C.S.Lewis

First of all, I want to share with you why I’ve been silent. My heart has been heavy, even troubled a little I guess. I have also suffered some writers block. With all that being said, I am still unsure what it is that I need to share but I’m listening to my soul and trusting in God’s Will. It has not been a lack of material to help me write but rather my own stubbornness and fear of the unknown, because I’ve read books, watched videos and currently my head is spinning. I actually feel like a character in Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters” having an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, debating right and wrong; all the while, my head continues spinning. I decided today to take a fresh look at the devotional and re-read the chapter called “Hell.” The realization that “hell” is more than a word one uses without regard of thought or realism. It is REAL! It is a place and will unfortunately be a reality for some. Hell is as real as Heaven and should not be tossed into the imaginary world that some try to convince us of. The truth is not one of us deserves Heaven but indeed deserve Hell; the lie we receive from the world is we are “deserving.” With God, deserving isn’t even a word He uses; however, He does use words such as, “loved, chosen, created” to describe each of us. He knew from the moment we were created that we would be sinful, He loved us in spite of that fact. That fact alone is why Jesus willingly gave himself as a sacrifice, He took all the sins of the world upon himself at Calvary and died for us all. Yes, we don’t deserve saving, God loves us and wanted us to be with Him throughout eternity and dying on the cross was the only way. This may seem as if I’m trying to scare you, maybe even myself if that’s what it takes to believe. But, I’m not a preacher and I’m not trying to send a message of “hell-fire and brimstone” I am a person, created by God, with a conscious that is restless, a voice that needs to speak, and a heart that cares. I am scared of Hell, but my belief in God is not out of fear for Hell, rather it is a belief and faith in something/someone bigger than myself. I believe in what the Bible says and I am ashamed that I fall short daily of doing all that I should. Pain is part of being human, I have experienced pain and have felt the joys of its place in my life. God does not pour pain down upon us simply because He could, God uses painful experiences that happen in life to show us His redeeming love. There’s a plan and purpose for all things, we may not know them all or even begin to understand them but we can place our trust in God because He cares for us. I have experienced some horrific events in my life, some I didn’t think I would survive but here I am all because of God. Losing my mother was the most painful and heart wrenching experience I’ve ever had, it’s been almost 5 years and there’s not a day I don’t think about her, wanting to call her, share a story with her, to hear her laugh, see her smile, feel her hugs…this is all purely selfishness on my part. God used this painful experience to remind me just how blessed I was to have such a loving and caring mother, there’s an endless list of lessons and values I got from my mom and she lives on in my heart. She deserves her eternal rest with God, I know that she is in God’s care now. Pain, as Lewis describes, “We can ignore even pleasure. But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Thank you for your continued support of reading my blog, my prayer is that God uses this space for His purposes, I am grateful to be able to share God with all of you and to remind all of us that we are loved by God! ~Peace

2 Peter 2:4-22 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

Psalm 55:15-19 “Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them. As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.”

~Blessings and Peace~
References:
Preparing for Easter by C.S.Lewis
The Problem of Pain by C.S.Lewis
The C.S.Lewis Encyclopedia by Colin Duriez
The Problem of Pain-Video start at 2:56:00 for Chapter 8 “Hell”

The reference for today’s devotional is from “God in the Dock-The Trouble with “X”” by C.S.Lewis. He explains that when all external factors are taken into account regarding happiness it all depends on the character of the other person whether it be a spouse, mate, family member, coworker, boss, landlord, cashier, pharmacist, physician, banker, etc…and then knowing you can’t nor have the power to alter the character of others. It is, or rather it seems easy to point out the flaws in the character of others, all the while ignoring and denying any and all faults of our own. The more we pursue to be more like God, imitating the character of God, we will recognize the pitfalls of judging the character of others because we are in the pursuit of being Christlike. Everyone you meet is fighting their own battles that we may never see, extend grace and mercy to them just as God gives both freely to you. Even in our darkest days we can be lifted up by God’s Everlasting love.
Jude 1:21-24 “…keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ”

Psalm 25:8-11 “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant. For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.”

~Blessings and Peace~

C.S.Lewis has often been referred to as the reluctant convert, I found a video that I throughly enjoyed and my hope is that you find it helpful and hopeful. I found moments in the video that resembled my own feelings and found comfort in knowing I am not alone. I currently find myself several days behind in my devotional study “Preparing for Easter” yet I find that God’s timing is always right. What better timing than that of the day after Jesus’s crucifixion and the day before He rises from grave to declare the Magnificence of the risen Savior. In my previous blog I spoke of my own conversion moment and here today I am reading and writing of the conversion of C.S.Lewis but more importantly that Jesus died and rose again for you, me and everyone…all are welcome! If you have felt the reluctance to trust in God to save you, be still and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and take that leap of Faith, give your life to Jesus and celebrate being in the family of God for now and for eternity.

Here’s a quote of C..S.Lewis, “…whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words “compelle intrare,” compel them to come in, have been so abused be wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.”

Isaiah 55:8-13 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”

Psalm 19:7-14 “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

~Blessings and Peace~

In the reading for today Lewis recalls the moment of his conversion and details of encountering the Spirit of God. Reading his story brought memories of my own moment of realization that I needed and wanted to personal relationship with Jesus. I was blessed with parents I could share this need and desire with, after talking with my mom, she called the pastor at our school, I was attending Grace Christian Academy at that time. Pastor Max Paddock had us drive right over. I spent 30 minutes or so with Pastor Max, asking questions and answering questions and then I prayed and ask God to be my personal Lord and Savior and to forgive me of all my sins. At that moment I knew life would never be the same again.

Ephesians 4:7-13 “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Psalm 19:1-6 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; 8, nothing is deprived of its warmth.”

~Blessings and Peace~
I was saved on September 6, 1979 at 10:10pm
I was baptized on February 28, 1982
These are two pivotal moments in my life, I thank God for placing individuals into my life at just the right time for His plans to prosper. Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

*Please forgive my absence as of late, I had some medical concerns but hopefully back on track, May the Lord Bless You and Keep You Forevermore! Amen!