It starts with one person. Sharing your story with a single person will reach more people than you can ever imagine. Sharing the Good News of Jesus starts precisely at the place you are at, at this very moment. God uses us in every moment and situation we are in to bring the Word of God to others. In fact, you are able to reach others without ever speaking a word, it’s true! A simple act of bowing your head before eating a meal, closing your eyes prior to (whatever you are doing) shooting a basketball, stepping into the batters box, kicking a football, walking onto a stage, driving a car, flying a plane, or driving a school bus and more. God can use each of us, using the smallest parts of ourselves to bring about great changes in the world, He ask only that we are faithful and to take the first step of faith. I made the biggest and best decision of my life, not simply from hearing a minister preach a sermon or a church building or congregation, not from someone quoting me scripture, no it was through the observation and inclusion into a family of a high school friend. They loved me and included me as if I was an extension of their family. I saw LOVE and more importantly I felt LOVED and I learned that God was the source of it all. I wanted to have what they had, it was hard to describe and harder yet to ask for. It wasn’t a thing, it was more a feeling. I now know it was a yearning to trust and believe in God, I was seeking a personal relationship with God. I was able to see God through their relationships with one another and by how they treated others. I learned early on that God was not about perfection, harmony, trendy homes, cars, or fashion…it was how you treat people. On September 6th, 1979 I had a conversation with my mom about God and she called the Pastor from the Christian School my brother and I attended and at 10:10pm that night I ask Jesus to save me and forgive my sins, to be my Lord and Savior. Since that time I have learned and grown in my faith and I still seek to be the whole person God created me to be. To date, the most valuable lesson I’ve learned about life is this…no two are alike. God created each person with and for a purpose. Our growth charts and levels of achievements are not for comparing ourselves with one another, we are to challenge ourselves daily to be more Christlike than we were the day before. We can’t change yesterday and tomorrow will always be a day away. Live today with all your being. There have been times in my life when I’ve told myself that I’m not good enough, I should have learned that lesson long ago, I should have known better the second time, I…I…I!!! It wasn’t until I allowed myself some grace and forgiveness, the things that I freely give to everyone else in my life, did I truly recognize that I’m O.K., so what if I had relationships not work out, so what if I didn’t get my Masters before I was 35, and all the other lists of things I had placed as a threshold upon myself, God had not made those demands, I did. God loves me with or without my list of “do’s!” I am more fully aware of how to be a better partner in a relationship now, because I know what doesn’t work for me and what does. I have learned the value of having a job I love because of my experiences at jobs I’ve had, jobs I’ve quit, and even jobs I was asked to leave. If I had never experienced those situations I would not know what truly makes me want to go to work every day, it’s more than a means to an end, its joys and challenges, it’s a privilege and an honor and it’s relationships with people. It’s our experiences, good and bad that help us know ourselves and learn life’s lessons that can’t simply be learned from reading a book or even by watching someone else. Embrace your experiences, hold onto your truths and set everything else free. Free yourself of the burdens of carrying regrets, mistakes, and pain, learn from them and then LET THEM GO! I like the person I am, I think today was the first day I’ve said that out loud to myself and believe it with all my being. I said to a friend today, “I’m not here for the taking, for people to pick and choose what they want, I can make choices for myself.” All of this is about relationships with ourselves, with our friends, family, coworkers, the world and most importantly our relationship with God. Reaching the multitudes sounds so overwhelming but trust me it’s not, being true to yourself, being responsible and respecting others can spread more good and positivity than any words could ever hope to. You can change a person’s whole outlook on themselves and life in general simply by smiling and making eye contact, holding a door for someone, saying “thank you” or ” you’re welcome.” Invest in yourself, then share the profits of that with the world.
~Blessings and Peace~
“Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” ~Exodus 4:10-11
“They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” ~Acts 16:31
“…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” ~Romans 10:9

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
~Mark 8:36

Where to begin? We all have stories and struggles as well as triumphs and they are all uniquely our own. Our experiences can be similar but make no mistake no two are exactly the same. Don’t get me wrong we can be empathetic with one another because our emotions have a common denominator, we are human beings created by God and with purpose. Even those individuals that we do not feel or experience a commonality with, we can and should be sympathetic towards their struggles. I am finding that there are so many struggles around me and even if I choose to dismiss them, that does not make them go away. I am learning that I have the power to choose, choose to not get so tied up in knots over things that are out of my control. I may have concerns and even then I can choose whether or not those concerns control me or guide me. Complaining, ranting and raving serves no purpose except to keep me miserable and fighting a battle that I sincerely have no claims to except my personal opinions. If a particular issues bothers me to the point of controlling me and/or separates me from others serves no one. Passions and convictions absolutely have a place in our society and our world and respect should be absolutes, acceptance is not a guaranteed; however, it is fabulously appreciated when extended. There is space for agreeing to disagree and there’s even more room for compromises. Democracy and diplomacy. My fears are that we have not and are not learning from history and the lessons and of horrific outcomes of actions and inactions. I often find it relatively easy to imagine myself in someone else’s place or situation but to actually be their specific circumstances, this serves to me more of a challenge. Why you might be asking…my reactions or recourse is drawn from my own experiences, and although they are and can be similar they are not an exact duplicate of emotions and in some cases are not even comparable to the other persons experiences. We have all said to someone, “I know exactly what you mean!” we probably did it today! I don’t say this pointing fingers, we are all human and we are all predisposed with at least one trait, selfishness. Some people handle this better than others and some feed on it more than others. At times, it seems we have a tendency to see the world and the people around us through our own limited narrow view, as limiting as a child’s viewfinder. We are constantly looking at the same images and are conditioned to see “our truth” and that can be as misguided as fools gold. It’s shiny and gold but holds no value. I once had someone very dear to me tell me that just because someone tells you something is true, does not make it so. The lesson I learned was that we must find some truths on our own and not just take someone else’s words for it. Another great lesson I learned was from a coach while I was as in college and that is this, “practice does not make one perfect.” “Only perfect practice makes one perfect.” If you practiced shooting free throws in front of the designed line and make all the baskets but in the game when you must stand behind the line and always miss, what have you gained? The best lesson learned here is this; there are always rules that must be followed. The reality that I am mind-fully trying to grasp is that not everyone is going to like me, not everyone is going to share my beliefs, not everyone is going to share my political views, not everyone is going to share my economic opinions…and it’s ok. I have several people in my life that I want to like me, respect me and appreciate me but there’s only one that is most valuable. God because all that I am is because of Him, I am not worthy of anything but Jesus loved me so much He died for me. Perspective note to self…this world is temporary, my permanent home is in Heaven with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.
~Blessings and Peace~

Mindful quotes:
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.” ~These words have also been credited to Alice Roosevelt Longworth who was the daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt and a long-time Washington socialite known for adroit remarks.

 

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~