e"I've got good news and bad news." Don't you just hate to hear that?!
                                                      YAY!!!     oh, bummer....
What if I told you that some people who hear the good news of Jesus Christ actually think it's the bad news? When most of us hear the Good News, we are saying "YAY, that's GREAT news!" and we cannot wait to share it. But sometimes when someone hears this message for the first time, even if they were raised "in church," it can sound like anything but good.

We all get mixed messages from media, from family and from friends regarding death, heaven and hell. I grew up most of my life believing in God, believing that Jesus was crucified, died and was resurrected, but also believing that if I was a generally good girl, I would go to heaven. I could see my dad and grandparents and meet the big guy with the flowing robes and long white beard. (God, not the winter warlock!)

Daily decisions, activities and habits are much less stressful and require less discernment when we adopt the "I'm basically a good person" , "I didn't kill anyone" theology. Forging our own path with our own desires and visions usually starts out amazingly well, but without God directing our journey, we fall victim to worldly selfishness. While we may gain wealth here, we do not secure a heavenly future.
So, here is a condensed version of the Good News....
God created man. Man sinned against God. God required sacrifices be made at an altar to appease Him so that they were forgiven. The Old Testament spoke of a Savior, one who would be the ultimate and final sacrifice, who would save his people. God sent Him, Jesus Christ, to walk among us, to die a painful death by crucifixion, and to be resurrected. It was all God's plan to save us. It IS good news. He loves us that much!

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

So when you hear this good news and it sounds like judgmental bad news, I pray that these truths will change your mind....

1-God takes us as we are, where we are. We don't need to clean up and make ourselves presentable first. He does that. We just say yes to His invitation.
2-We are all dying, not passing away. DYING! It is unpleasant but you can't sugar coat it. So, making a decision to follow Jesus and have a heavenly eternity, for me is just about the only thing going. It's just smart!
3-We have hope in Jesus and can take that hope to others. We've all been broken and damaged, but Jesus is the great physician. Let Him heal you and then offer that same hope to everyone you meet. 
4- We all have a God shaped hole in our hearts.As soon as we put Him in the center of EVERYTHING, where he belongs, life becomes worth living. Not easy, but worth it.
Father, I pray that whoever stumbles across this post today is compelled to call out to you, to ask you into their heart and to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Father, fill them with your Holy Spirit and guide them to a Bible believing church.Thank you for the gift of life,now and forever. AMEN

In studying the two great commandments that God has clearly given us in Matthew 22:36-40, I am convicted to address the areas of unforgiveness in my life.(AGAIN!) How can I love someone when I hang on to rage and resentment?  I am sure I have written about this before but, this is a recurring stumbling block for me in my Christian walk.  Bitterness and grudges have no place in a person’s life. Harboring animosity toward another stands to eclipse the light of Jesus. Our goal should be to let our light shine, His light. Feelings like resentment and anger prevent others from seeing His radiance in us. So what do we do?

Forgiving someone does not mean you must return to the same relationship with them. In fact, in some cases it would be a bad idea. It simply means that you recognize we are all sinners, and we are all broken in one way or another. Forgiving someone requires a humble and gracious attitude. Forgiveness frees us to love the person in a different capacity, a love that may involve prayer and empathy instead of daily interaction. The chains of unforgiveness are heavy and serve no purpose. With prayer and acknowledgement of our own sinful nature we can break the chains. Allow God to work in the other person’s life. Lose the desire to prove that you are right, they were wrong, and that your anger is justified. You may be right. You may have been deeply hurt and damaged by another. But the sooner you run to Jesus for validation instead of winning in your own mind, the faster you will regain peace.

God tells us in Colossians 3:13 that we must forgive if we are to be forgiven. We somehow feel entitled to hold on to grudges, but when we really know Jesus, the path to forgiveness is pretty smooth and straightforward. He makes a way for us to be freed from the bondage of unforgiveness. He promises an eternity with him in heaven when we do not deserve it. How much less have others sinned against us and yet we hang on. Jesus paid it all. That means He died for their sins, too. So when they repent, they are just like us. No worse and no better a Christian. And of course their repentance is not something we can accomplish. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to prompt a person to come to Christ. We can only plant the seeds and pray. How many seeds are we planting while we hang out in the mire of unforgiveness? Not many.

Do yourself a favor and let it go. Release that hold you have, send the burden on its way and be free.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:12-17

I will be heeding my own advice today ;).

Thank you Jesus, that while I was still a sinner, you died for me. Help me to give grace to those who have wronged me and to love them as you love me. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

If you think this post is about weight loss, you don’t know me! I am a food lover, and although I try to eat healthy and stay active, I am so not about having a bikini body. As I approach the big 5 0, I have much bigger fish to fry. (MMM, that actually just made me hungry!)

No, the fat I am thinking about today is all of the excess and waste in my household. As I have posted before, my husband is locked out of his job of 29 years. Big changes going on here. We’ve been together for over 10 of those years, and have grown accustomed to some luxuries along the way. K cups, take-out, brand names, camping trips…the list goes on. However, we are learning valuable and teachable life lessons as a family. As we approach each day, we are more and more aware of the things we can live without. I’ve decided to journal our transformation. I am compiling two lists. One for the things we miss doing/buying and the other for the things we are learning. When I choose to look at these things together, it’s really enlightening and turns worry into gratitude.

I am absolutely thankful for the ability to be a stay at home mom. His job has allowed that. I would be lying if I said I am not praying that this can still be a reality for our family. I love being here to put my kids on the bus and have a snack and dinner ready when they get home. I love that I can have dinner on the table for my husband after a day’s work. But the long and the short of it is, we just don’t know what the future holds. I do know, however, who holds our future. God is allowing this. He is ordaining our situation for our good and His glory.

I am honestly amazed at the things surrounding me every day that I take for granted. The sheer amount of office supplies in my drawers, toiletries in my cupboards and toys that I daily trip over are all proof that we are rich by the world’s standards. So I will not be complaining. I am trying to enjoy the ride. I am encouraging my kids to look at this as an adventure. I refuse to let them be worried about our future here. Our eternal future is all that really matters, and that is secure in Jesus Christ.

In the meantime, I am thankful for Aldi, thrift stores and visiting family members at mealtime! Ha ha. Oh, and the fact that many items on the "honey do" list are getting accomplished!

Thank You, God for your provision which is way more than I deserve, and way more than we need. May we never forget to be grateful for your loving care, for all good things come from you. AMEN