Speak Truth

Ephesians 4:14-16
...speaking the truth in love...

Luke 11:33
No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light.

John 8:11
...And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."


As Christians we are not called to be popular.  We are called to speak truth.  We are not called to keep our faith to ourselves to hide it deep within.  We are called to be a light.  Even if it is an unpopular light.  If fact the world may even hate you if you are a Christian.  (1 John 3:13)

I will not sugar coat my faith.  People are dirty, rotten sinners and I am one of them.  Compared to the purity and holiness of God, I am as dirty as the most rotten and vial of murderers that have ever walked this earth.  By comparison we are all.  Thankfully, I have salvation.  I am saved because of my faith in Jesus Christ.  My sins are washed clean as soon as I repent.  And I am set free.

Christ brings us all to conviction in our sins at different times.  Otherwise we would completely give up.  Can you imagine being convicted of all the sins you do in just one day?  It would be quite discouraging.  But we have a gentle Lord, he changes us.  Sometimes it is immediate, and as is my case, sometimes it is gradual and gentle. 

Here is the thing, people.  Sin is sin.  It is what it is.  It is not a gray scale.  It is Black.  It is darkness and it is there.  We can not say that a sin or sins do not exist, with the thoughts that without them, more people will come to Christ.  Hatred is Murder.  A lie is a lie, even if you think that is for the better good... to save feelings from being hurt... even to bring more people to Christ.  Sexual perversion is sin.  They simply are.  I could go on and on about all the sins in this world that separate us from God in his Holiness.  Here's the thing, if it was not a part of God's beautiful plan at the Creation, before the fall, then it is not of God.  It is Sin.  And it is of Satan.  And it keeps us from God.

The beauty in all of this is that God redeems the mess that our self gratifying flesh has gotten itself into.  God redeems it all through the beauty and perfect sacrifice at the Cross.  Christ is our redemption.  He didn't just die on a cross.  He toke the wrath, the wrath of GOD... all of it.  The wrath that was due to us because of our sins.  Christ, perfect and blameless and not deserving an ounce of that wrath, took it ALL.  For us sinners.  Love perfected. 


Then he beat death and rose from the grave.  He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us.  Through the Holy Spirit we are molded.  And made a new creation.  A continuous process of beautification.  It becomes not about me, but about Him.  It becomes not about you... but about Him.

If you have not accepted that Christ is the Son of God, the Savior, or you would like more information on God and Christ, I encourage you to contact me or to find a Bible believing Church. 

I am preferential to the Free Methodists... ;)

May God bless you as deeply as he has blessed me.  And more.

Someday When I'm Old and Gray

A week and a day ago my superhot husband and I celebrated our 7th year of wedded bliss.

Not 2 minutes ago I had my sweet little 4 year old, Annie snuggled up in my lap. 

Annie: "Mama, can I twy on yours wedding wing?"

Me:  Sure honeygirl.

And so, I slipped the ring off my finger that her father gave me almost 8 years ago.  And slipped it onto her little ring finger. 

And as it sat there on her tiny finger, it struck me.

Someday this little girl is going to be a big girl...

and then that big girl is going to be a teenager...

and then a young woman...

And someday a young man is going to slip a ring on her not so little anymore finger.  And ask her to marry him.  TO MARRY HIM!?  My little girl will be a young woman, who a young man asks to marry.   

And so I told Annie this. That one day a man would come who would love her and he would give her a pretty ring much like the one on her finger and he would ask her to marry him.  Just like her daddy asked me to marry him with that pretty ring. 

And it was then that I realized that THAT man...

THE MAN.  My daughter's future husband.

right now...

RIGHT NOW...

is a little boy. 

And I hope that his Mama and Daddy are teaching him to be a good man...

a pure man...

a man of God. 

And then I realized that I have to do something about this.  I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!  I mean, my baby can not just marry ANYONE... what if... what if...  

Here's the thing...
I NEED to PRAY for these things. 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 
~Matthew 7:7

Especially, if I want my girls to marry men who are as good and noble and trustworth and honest and Christ/family oriented as their father.  For I am blessed.  And I pray that they will be as well.

Pray for your children, and as was revealed to me today, pray for their spouses who are children right now too.

BIG

I'm going to share with you a couple verses from the Old Testament.  They were preached on today in church and I thought the message worth sharing.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10
 ⁹ Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” ¹⁰ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

This translation does not really encompass all the meaning of this passage.  Jabez literally means He who makes sorrow.  His mother did not just birth him in pain, but she bore him in sorrow.  Can you imagine baring a child and naming him "sorrow."  Makes you wonder what kind of event brought about such a birth...

BUT here is what we can learn from these verses.  Look at verse 10.  Jabez whose life literally started out as sorrow, still rose above his name.  Not only did he rise above his circumstances and live 'more honorable than his brothers.'  But Jabez CRIED OUT TO THE GOD OF ISRAEL! 

And what do you think God did? 

God granted his request.

Jabez is not unique.  It doesn't matter if your life started out as sorrow.  It doesn't matter if your DAY started out as sorrow.  Live honorably.  CALL out to Him!