God said No,

God Said NO!

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

Psalm 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it.

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one
another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

You are loved.

When you can't sleep at night
When you feel all alone
When you can't get comfortable in your place and time
When the world seems to be coming down around you

Know that you are loved

Loved by me
Loved your family
Loved by the Lord

Life is not all we want it to be. Happiness isn't in getting something new. Happiness is in knowing that what you have is good. Never perfect, but good.

"Take what the defense gives you." - Madden 2006

Next time you want that warm feeling, think about people who really love you before you fake it with booze. The ones who love you will hold you, and carry you through. Love is not romance, or excitement, or fun, it is caring about someone even in the most difficult times, and being there to help them through.

All those other things may come, and when they do, you are lucky. Until then, be happy in what you have, and knowing who loves you.

Phillipians 4:13 "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (NIV)

-Footprints-

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many Scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life, there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?"

The Lord Replied, "The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."

My thought of the day: Unconditional love is the only true kind. True love has no conditions.

Jesus Christ - Immanuel - God with Us (Share his love)

When you really love someone, you feel what they feel. When they are happy, you feel true joy in your love's happiness. When they are angry, you growl about them being wronged. When they are sad, hurt, in deep pain, your heart cries with them. You love a few people, your family, your closest friends, maybe a significant other. God loves everyone. Just imagine feeling that connected, that tied to every feeling of over 6 billion people.

Imagine the heart-wrenching fear, anger, sadness and loss of the events on Sept 11, 2001. Imagine feeling that for every single victim, and every single one of their families. Imagine the heartache of a family when a marriage fails. Think of the victims of rape, robbery, and murder. God feels all the hurt, fear, and pain.

Then think of the little joys. The transplant that came from a generous organ donor. The smile of the old lady who had someone to carry her groceries. Two people in love, marrying, and joining two families. God feels the joy, the happiness, and the comfort.

God feels all of this. From your happiest moment to your saddest, he is there with you. He feels what you feel. He smiles with you, laughs with you, and he cries with you. God is with you every minute, and knows everything you go through, from rush hour traffic, to a lonely night at home on your computer.

Why not then tell him everything? Why not take your cares and concerns all to the only one who can understand every single one of them? God will always be there with you, whether you believe that he is or not. Have faith in him, because he has faith in you. In good times and bad, he walks with you, carries you, keeps you.

Never feel alone when you cry, know that God cries with you, and that he has given you all the strength you will ever need to pull through.

from Matthew 28:20 "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

P.S. While we remember that God is with us in all things, feeling all pain and joy in the world, let's try to make a little more joy in someone's life. Make someone smile, so God can smile too.

The Sabbath

What does Sunday mean to you? Do you rest on Sundays? Do you watch football? Do you do housework? Do you go to church?

Many people do all of these things, but Sundays, at least in the U.S. are losing their importance. I appreciate my Sundays now more than ever. I try to go to church on most of them, but just having them at all means something. I have had to work on Sundays for most of my time in Omaha, since March of 2003. I finally have them off again, and it makes me very happy.

The Sabbath, traditionally on Saturday, is observed on Sunday by Christians, due to the grace given us from the Resurrection of Christ on a Sunday. The Sabbath, Saturday, the seventh day, as still observed by those of the Jewish faith since the time of Moses, is to be a day of rest.

The day of rest is not to force us to stop working, it's not to prohibit us from feeding ourselves, or stopping us from finishing our work. God gave the Israelites this day for their good. For family, worship, rejuvenation. Time to catch up and get out from under the rigors and responsibilities of the week.

So many people begin marginalizing their Sabbath. Some think it can be put to better use than worship. Church on Sunday is a chore. You have to get out of bed early, get the kids dressed, drive halfway across town, and then sit in the rock hard pews for a sermon that will most assuredly work sleep upon you better than any of your Unisom tabs.

We have become so spoiled with the gift God has given us, that we don't even realize it's significance. That football game you watch on Sunday...God gave us the football, and a day to relax and watch/play it on. God gave us the time to spend with our families, after the busy weeks we have in work, school, etc. He gives us a day to catch up in our own homes, and with our own families.

How hard can it be show joy, and go worship him on Sunday morning? Maybe not every Sunday, but most. And when you don't make it to worship, take the time to stop and acknowledge the Lord for the gift he has given you. Keep one day a week, any day, for what it was meant for. Spend time with your family, and remember why you are there. Remember the work God did creating the world...and then passing his day of rest on to you.

If you keep your day of rest, and appreciate what you have been given, you can say you did the coolest thing ever done on the Sunday...I spent my Sunday in the presence of my Lord and Savior...he was at the ballgame too!

Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

Mark 2:23-28 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?"
He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions."
Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Grand Opening!

Welcome to the grand opening of my Blogspot. This Blogspot is not really mine I guess. As opposed to my personal blogs, this one is dedicated solely to my faith in Jesus Christ. It is my hope that what I write here will impact people's lives and bring them closer to The Savior.