YOLO is incorrect

I think this is another reason why I absolutely HATE the term YOLO with a passion b/c we DON'T only live once.

In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31)...have you noticed that the rich man has no name? That's b/c where he ended up...there was no need for a name b/c he will be forever aware of everything that goes on but forever separated from everything and everyone for eternity. Where he's at...he will never be known by anyone ever again. He has his memories, he has his awareness of his surroundings, he knows the hopelessness of the situation and the only thing he wants more than a drink of water is to save his five brothers. But HE HAS NO NAME! Why is that so important?

Because he doesn't need one.

Nobody will ever speak it again. There is no reprieve, no visitors, no hope and no need for a name. To all intents and purposes, he is dead, although eternally aware of it. Eternal, conscious, perpetual, lonely torment, dead forever, yet alive, remembering that one time when he could have escaped the torment. W.O.W.
That is what awaits the mailman, or the guy next to you, or your friends or relatives of whom we say, "I'll talk to him when the time is right" or when he says, "I'll think about it. Maybe tomorrow."
Then God says, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." (Luke 12:20)

I know many people who don't believe in heaven, hell, an afterlife or eternity. Just b/c you don't believe doesn't mean it's not true. I would rather believe in God and find out that He doesn't exist than not believe in Him and find out that that He does...

The Altar Call

If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me ... - Matthew 10:38 (MSG)

The following quotes really say it all so perfectly, I don't need to add anything...

"The invitation system…encourages people to make a response that “settles things” and, through subsequent counseling, to never doubt that decision. Anyone who is involved in personal evangelism can share countless examples of persons who, though presently living in gross sin, will nonetheless tell the evangelist that they are fine because they “made a decision for Christ” a certain number of years ago. They have never had any change in their life; they have no interest in the church, the Bible, or even God. But they have made their “decision.” Can we not see how dangerous such a system is to the souls of men?"
- Jim Ehrhard ...

"No one is ever saved "as a result" of an altar call. We are saved only as a result of the gospel… We don't want them to think that in order to be saved they must walk an aisle. No! We want them to know that if they look to Christ even while they are seated they will be saved. And so we must tell them that. We must make the message very plain that they must go to Christ, and to go to Him requires no physical movement whatever only a look of the soul… This is too important a matter to erect needless obstacles or distractions. They must be directed not to a geographical location in a building. They must be directed to Christ. Only Christ can lead people home, to heaven"
- Fred G. Zaspel

You can fool some people...

For man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart...

It's so easy to fool others when all they can see is the surface, but God sees and knows our innermost thoughts, desires, intentions, plans...you name it. He knows when we plan to cheat someone financially...or cheat ON someone, lie about something, drink too much and get behind the wheel, put a TV show or your nights out or even your next fix, above the welfare and safety of your child(ren) and your duty to them as their parent to not check out and to be present.

You can have a beautiful facade of the perfect life, being the perfect person/parent/spouse, etc.

But it's what goes on behind and within the four walls of your life that God sees.

Those hurts, disappointments, struggles, past/current/(and/or) self abuse you try to hide from others, cheats, lies, crimes you don't think anyone else knows about...that keep you awake at night...that make you fearful that anyone should ever find out about...yeah...those things.

God sees them all. He knows them. He knows the REAL you. You can't hide from Him and you can't hide them from Him.

So if you think nobody knows who you really are...the one you are trying so hard to hide from everyone else...you're wrong. God knows. God sees. God hears and listens. That should scare some of you and comfort others. God loves you just as you are...but He loves you far too much to keep you that way.

Fear WHAT?

Have you ever had that time in your life when you feel like you are on the verge on a momentous personal breakthrough that could change everything about your life?

Yeah, that’s what I’m feeling right now sitting here at my J-O-B. That there is...something...hovering just out of the scope of my peripheral. It’s right there. Much like the word on the tip of your tongue when you know it but can’t come up with it.

It’s exciting and frustrating all at the same time. It’s sitting perched on the edge of your seat and waiting in anticipa...............tion.

It’s feeling nervous and a tiny bit scared because you aren’t sure you can handle what’s coming or about to happen, even though you want it so much!

It’s the barely suppressed tears that you have no clue why they’re there or why you want to cry and if it’s a cry of happiness and excitement or just a slight touch of fear.

I said it in December on my Instagram page, but I truly feel that 2013 is MY year. This is the year of my breakthrough and of significant change for me personally and for my family. I just don’t know exactly what it is or when.

Am I ready? I’m not sure.

I’m not entirely positive I can handle this anomalous...something...that is headed my way. But I’m ready to try. I want this so much that I’m willing to push that fear aside and go deeper and be more bold. Punch fear in the face, kick it out the door, do what’s uncomfortable in order to get what I want.


The time is now. Everything I am being faced with...like literally encountering on a daily basis...entails getting rid of fear. And for me...that’s scary. I think I’ve been so comfortable in my own fear that it’s become a real part of me for 30 plus years and that’s no longer acceptable to me because it has affected my life, and not in positive ways.

But it is life changing when you have incredible friends walking beside you and who believe in you more than you believe in yourself and then their belief in you starts to rub off on yourself. And the Bible says "Fear NOT" 365 times. One for every day of the year. HELLO?!?!?!

I CAN do this...whatever IT is. I can and I WILL. Whoooooooooo...that was actually hard for me to type.

But I am determined.

I am decided.

I’m feeling a little nauseated.

Shedding a few tears.

Breathing deep.

Determinedly ready to move forward and change my future, and that of my children. In 3...2...1...

Walking with God

My joy, my peace, my happiness in life is parallel with my walk with Christ. I've noticed that when I am not at peace, when I can't find joy, when I'm not happy in life...that's when I am wandering away from God instead of walking closer to Him. When I value the things of this world more than God's Word.

Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes as a warning to those who think they can be satisfied with what the world has to offer. Solomon had tried it all. He had taken of all the pleasures the world had to offer. He could speak with experience. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Nothing under the sun offers any permanent profit. True contentment is found in God alone.

In the end, the wise man is he who fears God and keeps His commandments..."Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it be good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

*Fear of God means to be in awe of Him and show reverence to Him.

Beatles Wisdom

The wisdom of the Beatles, as it were. Boiling down and cutting away everything else these words get to the heart of the matter. And in the end, the love you TAKE is equal to the love you MAKE...love, to love, to give love, to be loved, to receive love...most people would argue that it is not correct to say that the love you receive is equal to the love you give, but in reality...young children who love unconditionally and unreservedly, notwithstanding, it really is about the kindnesses you give to others. To truly love someone, you give of yourself without expecting anything in return. The measure of feeling you receive when you are loved back is one of the most beautiful and pure of emotions in this world.

Someone who doesn't give love out and doesn't receive love in return is a miserable soul. For it is by the giving and receiving of love that we learn to be more open with others, more willing to share of ourselves and our possessions. Someone who has all the riches of the world but does not have love is the poorest person indeed. 

Love with the wrong person can be like poison to your heart. Oh, but love with the right person, whether for a short time or forever, is exhilarating, freeing...opening your eyes to a world of possibilities. And you discover that you can do anything when you have that love. At that moment in time...all you need is love. Love is what makes the proverbial world go 'round. Those who find it are blessed. Those who squander it, foolish.

Love, whether love for a significant other, child(ren), parent, family and/or friend is meant to be treasured, cherished, nurtured and treated with great care. Give and you shall receive. Make and take. Without strings or conditions or hesitation. In my life I loved you more... 

Even the Bible agrees..."but the greatest of these is LOVE". (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Procrastination is the very devil...literally

Guilty as charged here. In fact I recognize this in me just recently, to my shame. The devil will always whisper in your ear "not now, you still have time..." Especially after a powerful sermon where the Holy Spirit has touched you to walk towards the altar. Or when you're trying to make serious decisions like live healthier, get serious about God or quit an addiction. Whatever your decision is, always shut down that negative voice that tells you "not now, you still have time.." Do it NOW! B/C the devil realizes that if he can get you to stall long enough that there will end up NOT being a later to do it in. Procrastination is not of God. Sadly, it is my biggest struggle. But God is helping me with that and to stop giving the devil a foothold in that area of my life.

What's in a movie?

“As you wish”... 

These words make my heart beat a little faster and make my mouth curl in a wistful grin. Those words are the epitome of a love that has lived in my mind ever since I first saw the movie “The Princess Pride”. And, once upon a time someone even said to me, “This is true love, do you think this happens every day?” 

No. It doesn’t. 

In 39 years I have truly been IN love only twice in my life. I was blessed to find it twice. Most people don’t even find it once and settle for less than everything. Never settle. I did twice again, with two other very wrong people. Because I was lonely. Because I thought I'd found someone who said all the right words and loved me. But it wasn't a love with God as the foundation of the relationship. I've learned the difference between the right kind of love, the kind as how God defines it and with Him as the foundation, and the wrong kind of love, "love" as the world defines it, without a solid foundation.

Someday I will hear “As you wish” and it will be said to me by MY kind of Westley. But until that day, I will settle for nothing less than the absolute BEST. That one man who is the Westley to my Buttercup. The Boaz to my Ruth. The King Solomon to my Queen of Sheba.  

Why do I love this movie? It has the kind of love that is built on purity and TRUE love...the way God defines and see it. Plus, it is just a terrifically FUN movie for all ages and has something for everyone...  

Westley: As you wish.  

Grandpa: [voiceover] "As you wish" was all he ever said to her.  

Buttercup: Farm boy, fill these with water - please.  

Westley: As you wish.  

Grandpa: [voiceover] That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "As you wish", what he meant was, "I love you." And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.

• Come my love I'll tell you a tale 

Of a boy and girl and their love story 

And how he loved her oh so much 

And all the charms she did possess 

Now this did happen once upon a time 

When things were not so complex 

How he worshipped the ground she walked 

And when he looked in her eyes he became obsessed. 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel 

It's as real as the feelings I feel 

This love was stronger than the powers so dark 

A prince could have within his keeping 

His spells to weave and steal a heart 

Within her breast but only sleeping 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel 

It's as real as the feelings I feel 

He said, "Don't you know I love you oh so much 

And lay my heart at the foot of your dress?" 

She said, "Don't you know that storybook loves 

Always have a happy ending?" 

Then he swooped her up just like in the books 

And on his stallion they rode away 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel 

My love is like a storybook story 

But it's as real as the feelings I feel

You lost your faith? Where did you put it?

Faith...One loses one's faith when one forgets where he put it.

Many claim Christ, but misplace their faith in a religious system, or a particular preacher, or even a particular translation of the Bible. People tend to put the faith in a man of God, and not in the God of man, and when something tragic happens, or that misplaced faith is trampled on because the PERSON that faith was placed in was found to be fallible and a mere human who falls into sin just like everyone else, then faith can be damaged and even bring the believer to the point of loss of faith. That is why we cannot misplace our faith in humans or a thing created by mere, mortal man.

My faith is NOT in a particular version of the Bible, but in its Author, and that is why, when the going gets tough, when things seem to be weighing on me, when the stresses of the day and of life start to beat and batter me down, I remember that God is always faithful to me, has proven Himself in that faithfulness over and over and over again, and I know that He is always with me, always watching out for me and my children, always there to provide, to teach, to guide, to show me how greatly He loves me.

You can have FAITH or you can have fear. The choice is yours. It's what you allow to take the foremost thought in your mind. Faith or fear...which will it be? Faith is of the Lord and fear is of the enemy and the enemy is a liar. God has not created us for or given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but He has given us a spirit of boldness and power and love. To paraphrase parts of Deuteronomy 31:6-8,

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you....Be strong and courageous...The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Be strong.
Be courageous.
Do not be afraid.
God is with you.
He will never leave or forsake you.

Hello? Is this getting through to anyone? Place your faith in the hands of the One who will never let you down and who is not the creator of fear, but instead is the One in whose presence fear flees.

Faith or fear? The choice is yours.

Rock Bottom

Have you ever had God rock you to your core and strip you of everything you thought was good and start to rebuild your foundation more solidly? Absolute BEST thing ever!!!

Hard? Oh, yes. I won't lie. Hard and often painful. 

Worth it? Absolutely!!!

But we won't be able to stand firm without a solid foundation and once you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up. So if that's where you find yourself, start building from the bottom up!! When life knocks you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to start praying...