August 25, 2015
Great Peace
Psalm 119:165
Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.

Why are the 10 Commandments so offensive? Why is Jesus’ life considered an impossible standard? Lots of people readily commit to an exercise program, diet, or exhaustive work hours on the job willingly, diligently, and faithfully. Why not use that kind of energy and enthusiasm for living a life of obedience to God and following Jesus? 

I know runners who get up and run at 4am every single morning even when they wake up and don’t feel like it, even when it’s raining, even when it’s a holiday. People who have decided to be runners never not run. That makes me want to be a Runner for Jesus! I want to wake up every day and have forgiveness, love, grace, submission, and self-control for whenever it is required of me – whether I feel like it or not, whether conditions are favorable, and not take a day off from my commitment either.

Look at the benefits: Great peace. Not stumbling. These benefits are more desirable than rock hard abs from a life committed to diet and exercise or more money in the bank from a life committed to long hours at the office. So, why shouldn’t I make obedience and imitating Jesus my goal? Why shouldn’t I love God’s instructions and carry them out? The peace and direction HE gives is definitely worth it.

Side Note:
Today is my parents’ 52nd Wedding Anniversary! I’ve said this before, but I’m saying it again – I am SO thankful that these beautiful Christians raised us to be Believers from day one. I don’t know any different way to live, and I am so glad. Reaping the benefits of people who love God’s instructions and taught their children to do the same has indeed resulted in great peace. I’m not saying my family has always been perfect, but I am saying my family has always been blessed. There are so many tragedies I have never had to experience or endure compared to  Christians I know who didn’t become Believers until later in life. And it’s because I got a good head start on practicing forgiveness, trusting in the Lord, and having grace for others thanks to Tom and Emily Barton. I love you guys!

Dear God,
Thank you for your appropriate Word for me today! I do love your Ways and I do want to be like your Son! Thank you for making a seemingly impossible standard possible and pleasant. Thank you that I get to choose how to spend my time and energy, and I choose YOU! Thank you for faithful parents who showed us your love. I am so thankful that I have never lived without it. Thank you that my own household enjoys the same benefits as Rob and I have made you the priority in our home where we too enjoy great peace. And Lord, thank you for my parents’ many years together, for their good health, and for their amazing friendship and support. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

August 24, 2015
If He didn’t, we wouldn’t. But He does, so we do! 
Psalm 116:1-2
I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!

If anyone ever asks me why I am a Believer, this Psalm is my answer... I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.

Society is trying to get relief from guilt and shame by socially outlawing shame by celebrating shameful behavior. The reason there are never ending levels to political correctness is because it isn’t working. A seemingly shameless culture still has a problem with shame. It can’t be driven out by banishing thoughts, by criminalizing words, by forcing baked goods on people, or by banning Scripture. Shame must be taken away; it’s the only way to get rid of it. And only God can do it.

Romans 10:11 confirms: As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”And disgraced literally means shamed. Only trusting in God by believing in his Son (Romans 10:9) relieves us from our guilt and shame because God takes it from us. Living a life of utter relief is why I LOVE the Lord just like David sang about it Psalm 116.

Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! We might as well pray all the time since he bothers to listen! If He didn’t, we wouldn’t. But he does, so we do! And no one can ever stop me from praying. I remember having a conversation at work about prayer and the superiors were making a big deal about how we couldn’t pray at work. But the Believers were smiling during the meeting because we were praying the whole time they were telling us we weren’t allowed to pray. God made prayer something that no one on earth can interfere with, so why not do it all the time — especially since he’s listening all the time, why not? And that is also why I love him!

Dear God,
Thank you for listening to all my prayers – even the ridiculous ones! Thank you for giving me mercy and grace and relieving my guilt and shame. You are so good to me; you are great and greatly to be praised, and I love you with all of my heart. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

August 7, 2015
He Will
Isaiah 33:22
For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us.

HE WILL CARE FOR US AND SAVE US! I know this and believe this with all my heart; and it makes me very glad! Last night was the first Republican “debate,” and right now half of the country is looking for someone to save America and care for us. Reality is this – it doesn’t matter who gets the nomination or who even wins next year. It would be nice to have leadership in our country that isn’t only looking out for their personal interests. But God is the One in whom we trust no matter who lives in the White House. And I don’t say this to be cliche. It’s true. The last two decades have proven that BOTH political parties let us all down all the time. And the fact that we’ve survived them proves that God is the one actually taking care of me. 

I’m not going to put my hope in a new leader. I put my hope in God only, and pray for the next leader to do the same.

Dear God,
I pray for our country not only out of obedience to your Word but also out of real concern. I do pray for a change for real freedom and actual protection. I pray for whomever is our next President to be a godly person more considered about righteousness than political correctness. And even if we do get such a leader, I still put all my hope and trust in you! You are the one who protects me, you provide for my family, you have given us jobs, a home, cars that run and good health. You will continue to take care of us whether we have these things or not too because you have been taking care of us all along, and I just can’t thank you enough! I love you and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

August 6, 2015
Young Christians Beware!
Psalm 119:60
The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.

I’m glad God’s just regulations will stand forever and I certainly know that means that the UNJUST regulations of the world will not!

Specifically, I cannot stand the laws in our own country that not only defend but also promote abortions. It’s disgusting and certainly not “just” for the piles of dead infants that, as it turns out, are commodities for profit. This is horrible! 

God would never allow that, and just because he hasn’t put a stop to it yet doesn’t mean he won’t. He is just, and he is also kind. 2 Peter 3:9 explains what God is up to...

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.

Deserving Judgment.

You know, the reason abortions are so prolific is because sex is prolific. The invention of “the pill” a few decades ago freed women up. They could have a baby when it’s convenient for them and or freely sleep around. Sex with no consequences makes for more sex. Before such birth control men and women in general were much more careful and selective about indulging in an activity that causes reproduction. So if ginormous numbers of aborted babies is the result of having sex whenever you want with whomever you want, then sex practices like that should be just as demonized as abortions.

1 Corinthians 6:9-20 
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin (also know as fornication which is having sex with someone who is not your spouse), or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Young Christians take notice! Beware!!! Just because something is commonplace in society doesn’t mean it has any place in your life! God’s ways will stand forever and he will not tolerate sexual sin and it’s evil byproducts for long.

Dear God,
I’m so glad that one day you will bring all the atrocities of the world to an end. I pray for those I know and love that participate in them. Turn their hearts towards you and away from accepting what has become acceptable to society and accept your truth, your will, and your way so they can be saved. Thank you that you love everyone so much and desire everyone to be save, but  I pray for the ones who will never repent of killing millions of babies to receive their due punishment. And I pray your return is soon in order to save the lives of the unborn in our country. I love you and thank you for protecting me and my family from a wicked day and age. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

August 4, 2015
A List of Amazing Facts
Jeremiah 33:2-3
This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Facts:
1. This is what the Lord says... God is not silent. He speaks to us all the time.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16)

2. He who made the earth... God made the earth and everything in it.
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world, rather than from Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

3. The Lord who formed it and established it... God is in control.
Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

4. The Lord is his name... There is no one like him!
No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2)

5. Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know... God knows everything and will share all his secrets with those who love and trust him.
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Dear God,
I thank you so much for who you are! I am so glad you reveal things to me through your Word and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for being stronger than anything the Enemy in the world can come up with. Thank you for being amazing and so full of love, forgiveness, grace, protection, and faithfulness. Thank you for having wonderful things planned for me that you share with me now and will for all eternity. You are great and greatly to be praised and I love you so much! And I thank you and pray in your Son’s name, amen.