do you?

     In light of all the recent natural disasters, I have had many people ask me "Do you think the world is going to end next year?" I find it amazing, that there are so many movies, books and etc based on the notion that 2012 will be the end of the world, but not just that, the fact that the reason we will know it is the end of the world, is marked with such aforementioned calamities ( which are clearly discussed in the Bible).  I am always amazed at how the world rejects God, but bases so many things on the Bible and on Godly things; only to twist and turn them and take God out of them.

     That also made me think that most people, whether saved believing christians or not, do believe that the world will end one day. When I stop to think about it, two things come to mind. #1. is a sense of urgency, an acknowledgment that there isn't much time. The hour is coming, the harvest if full, but the workers are few! #2. is a sense of relief and comfort. To know that we will be reunited w/ our Lord and Savior. To know that we will be called home to live in eternal glory with our Father God, doesn't scare me, it inspires and excites me!

     Today, I want to remind us to pray for those around us who's lives we can touch. To reach out to those lost, hurting souls that need a savior! You don't have all the time in the world, and today could be the day that God can use you to lead them to salvation, to help them have a relationship with Jesus Christ! Also, pray for Japan and the devastating loss they have suffered, pray for healing and strength for their nation. Pray for Libya and the Muslim community and the un rest in the Middle East, I could go on and on! There are so many lost, hurting people, and we usually don't even think of them, don't ever pray for them.

     I pray that God will open our hearts, open our minds, and help us to look outside of ourselves. To look to others, to see those God has placed in our lives and on our hearts, and to reach out to them, to love them, and to pray for them.

     May you all be blessed today, May you have the courage and strength from the Lord to reach out to His beloved people, to be Jesus with skin on, to share His love and His light.

Memories

Do you remember what you were worrying about this time a year ago? No? On the other hand, do you remember that awesome night you hung out with friends and talked about God and really shared and listened to each other? Of course!

Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying? Matthew 6:27

Lately, I know that I"ve been worrying about a lot of things. Silly things that I can't change or do anything about, things that wont' matter a year from now, a month from now, and even if they did, there's nothing that "worrying" would do about it to help it. So why do I sap myself of the joy of today, why do I take away all the blessings and promise of today?

Jesus promised me life and life more abundantly! Today, accept the promise of Christ! Live in His light and in His word! Be blessed today. Take all your worries, all you cares, and offer them unto Jesus. Let Him take on the burdens and you will then be free to love others, to bless others, to speak life and joy into others. Take the focus off of yourself and focus on Christ!

Go make a memory today! Don't wait...we aren't promised tomorrow! Live today like it's your last :)

I want

Psalm 97:11-12 - "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name." 

Isaiah 35:10 - "And the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."

Isaiah 55:12 - "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." 

John 16:22 - "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy."   

Today, I was thinking...what is it that I want? I want to finish school, I want to help people, I want to be successful, I want...and then it hit me...this is all what "I" want...which is fine...but are these really what I want? Why do I want these things? And like a ton of bricks it hit me...I want to be like Jesus. When it's all I, I, I...I lose track of what matters. I focus on me, I lose sight of what's important. What I really want, is to be like Jesus. Why do I want to finish school? Why do I want to help people? Why so I want to be successful? If I just want these things to better myself or to glorify myself...I will fail every time. But...if I can see my life in Him and through Him. See my purposes through His purposes, I will succeed, I will be all I want and more...when I'm like Jesus.

Don't forget that you are made in the image of your Father God. Don't get caught up in this world, for it's passing and fleeting, and all these things will fade away, but the things of God will stand forever. 

Unto you

God's really been speaking to me lately, usually at the strangest of times. I was recently telling a friend about some of the dreams and visions that God's been laying upon my heart. I told her how some of these things sounds so big, so out there...that I can't even fathom ever doing them. She reminded me that is how God works, He gives us these crazy big dreams, and leaves it up to us to trust Him, let Him work it out, and leaves it to us to step out in faith and believe that He can and will do it.

I was reading about the Israelites crossing the Jordan and instead of being at it's usual 100 feet wide...it was at flood stage and over 1 mile wide! But...God gave the command and Joshua told the priests to take the Ark of the Covenant first and begin to walk into the river!

and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest), 16the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.~ Joshua 3:15-17

How many times had God called upon us to do something radical, something that doesn't make sense, something that seems impossible? I pray that we may trust God today, that we may lose ourselves in Him, for He is the only one that matters! I pray that God will call upon us again, and that we may answer, Yes Lord, and go do the impossible through Him!

I remembered this song today...and I can't stop listening to it. Thought I'd share. Love you all.