Monday, June 28, 2010

Good Times

Last night I said goodbye to the earthly life of my mom. She spent years doing what she felt was in her boys best interest. She force marched us to church, whipped us with a fly swatter and couldn't play football worth a toot; but she was there. Mom selflessly would not be hungry when we were short on desert. She would advise us what her gut feeling was telling her, then she would let us go and make our mistakes. She wouldn't take the blame or pay our debts; but she would teach us not to do the same thing twice.

Thanks God for using my mother to shape and mold me and my brothers and sister. Mom was good, life is better, life with moms will always be best. Catch you on the flip side of Jordan Mom!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Texting the Word

Recently I received a text from a friend asking for prayer. I typed back "sure, what's up?" The reply was simply that the person felt far from God. A piece of scripture instantly came to mind. James 4:8 reads "Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you." So I texted this right back to my friend and immediately prayed. Later they let me know how the word had brought them out of despair, and gave them new strength to face the world yet again.

I say this in light of this morning I was having me time and not God time. I was trying to plan my day and do what I wanted and solve all the problems myself. Then out of the blue a friend texted me a piece of scripture. This brought me down and humbled me and opened my eyes.

As we read in John 1, the word was, is, and always will be God's way of speaking to us. I need to listen more often. It is the manual for life. Lets all get into it and follow it.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Are we religious?

James 1: 27 says "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

The widows and orphans were those that no one looked up to. This ties in with the rest of the Gospel that Jesus lived on earth. He spent His time with thieves, liars, tax collectors, children, outcasts of society, the least of those that we see as important in society. Would we really take Jesus seriously in today's world.

We become polluted by the world by believing that the things we have are ok to have and that those richer than us or more powerful than us are the ones that should give the most. Remember that Jesus had nothing financially, yet gave. He was a common laborer, yet spent time teaching the rich and famous, and also touching those that were disgusting in the worlds eyes.

Does the world take us seriously, as we claim to walk as Jesus did? Where do we spend our time and to whom do swipe our cards for?

Re-read that verse and let's open our eyes for what God has for us be.