BE MY GUEST...

Guess who knocked on my door today? No, guess again. Close but try again. Yep, Jehovah's Witnesses.

I'm a gal that LOVES to have church with other believers in a non-traditional setting. On my porch in this case. Beautiful mountain view spread out before us and the babbling brook below us in the valley. They loved it!!

It was a young man well-groomed, handsome. Older married guy with allergies. They worked so hard to keep drawing me back to their schpeel, God bless them. No matter how many scriptures I quoted, or how many "amens", they still had it in their heads that I needed to hear the whole schpeel. They insisted on leaving their reading materials, which I accepted gracefully and willingly. 

I hopped around them like a little jumping bean, trying to elicit any laughter that I could. They were so serious and so stoic. I worried about them.

Finally, I decided to tell them what I was observing and ask them some questions. Like, "do you guys know that you don't look happy at all?" I mean, the one young guy looked miserable. Not a grin, not a giggle. Just straight-faced as he could be, speaking the name of our wonderful Lord the whole time. I finally decided to shake him up, literally. I walked right up to him and grabbed both arms, smiled big and shook him like a doll, saying, "smile!" and he did. I said, "why so serious?" He calmly explained that, "you're so bubbly that anything will pale in comparison to you." I thought. BOLOGNA! You need to know the Jesus you talk about and get FREE!!!

The older guy started out in his 3 piece suit, arms loaded with Watchtower materials, brow knitted in serious contemplation. By the time he was leaving, he was letting out little bursts of laughter and saying things like, "haha that's funny." It was like he picked up on what I was saying and agreed in his spirit that he's a fuddy duddy and needs to loosen up.

We talked for a long time, but I'm the one that ended up witnessing to them. I witnessed of the freedom of being in the Lord. No 3 piece suit needed. No books in hand. No door to door schpeels. Just be in Christ and enjoy the ride.

I feel like with all the burdens I'm under right now in my life, they were lifted by bringing some smiles to the faces of a couple of Jehovah's witnesses, who expected to find a sad and lost soul at the door. Well, surprise fellars!!! It's just me, a blood bought Christian full of the light of love given through the TRUE freedoms found in Christ Jesus of Nazareth, the Savior of the world.

They wanted to extend the church service meetings to me and extend the offer to come have Bible study with me. I extended the offer for them to return and talk with me anytime. I'm sure they don't get that often, but I made sure to repeat it several times and reiterate that "I mean it. Come back anytime and be my guest." I'm not sure they knew what to make of it, but it would be my pleasure to help these brothers get free. Religion was draped over them like chains. Sad but fixable. 'Thank you Lord that today you brought people into my life that needed to see your light and love. Thank you for letting me share it with them. It was my pleasure. :-)

SHIELDED BY MERCY

I've often wondered why some people seem so afflicted, while others do not. Why some afflictions are so extreme while others are lesser than. Here's what we know, "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour." DEVOUR!! Wow! That's a fired up word. Thinking about an enemy completely devouring you is a frightening thought.

How does he do it? How does the devil devour someone? Well, I don't know how anyone else sees it, but I see it in my own life, everyday. How he attacks every area trying to find a chink in my armor. The word "adversary" means one that contends with, opposes, or resists. This implies he pushes against us and grapples with us as in a wrestling match. So, we know that we're fighting against an opponent, and when we move forward he's pushing to move our steps backwards.

The word "devour" means to eat up greedily or ravenously. This implies that once he's bitten into us, he wastes no time utterly consuming us.

This leads back to my beginning paragraph as to why some are so afflicted while others seem unharmed. I'm sure you're thinking, "she's going to say, 'some have a greater faith.' " May be. But that would be giving us the glory, wouldn't it? It's more like, "His mercies endure forever." God's, of course. What stands between us and our adversary? What keeps him from accomplishing his goal to destroy, devour, and utterly consume us in affliction and trial. Our Lord's mercies.

I see, with my spiritual eyes, every soul afflicted on this side of eternity. Every soul. Not one person escapes affliction. This is our adversary seeking whom he may devour. So, what we need to realize is that every single person has an affliction or a trial they're facing everyday in some area and in some degree. The devil is at work at all times. He doesn't rest. He has much to accomplish. He has a point to prove. He thinks he's going to make the statement that he is above God and worthy of His throne. So, if he can achieve his goals, then wouldn't that make him a greater enemy than our God is an ally to us?

There's a spiritual war going on with every person. Some will yield and win and some will fight and die. By this, I mean some will give in to God's call and receive the precious gift of salvation but, some will fight or "kick against the pricks," and with this remains the sinful life wherein "the wages of sin is death."

Some of us are weaker than others and therefore the devil's afflictions have greater or lesser impact or effect. God is always standing by to relieve some of the affliction. Don't forget Job. Job wasn't just afflicted without God's knowledge. The devil challenged the Lord that Job would curse God if he was afflicted just enough. God said, "go for it, do your worst only don't kill him, and you will see my servant is loyal no matter what you do." (paraphrased). And he was afflicted, almost to the death. He lost everything including the simple compassion of his friends, who wanted to know what he had done wrong to deserve such wrath from God.

What's worthy to note about this is that God didn't allow the devil free reign. He allowed the devil a wee bit. It's in God's power to allow or not. So, we will suffer afflictions of varying degrees on this side of eternity, but God's mercies endure forever. Imagine that while you are indeed suffering in your trials and afflictions, there's a shield. This shield is keeping the fiery darts of the devil from raining on you without mercy. If God did not stand between us and our adversary, he would utterly consume us in grief, despair, affliction, trial, tribulation, or the shadows of death. The thing that governs who suffers what, is the strength each of us possess to battle with.

"To each is given a measure of faith." My measure might not be quite as much as yours and therefore, whatever you're going through might look substantial to me. Too much for me to bare. But what I'm going through could look the same to you. All the while, I'm enduring mine and you're enduring yours. All we need to know is that the trials are coming. They won't ever cease. All the money in the world can't buy us out of that. We need salvation. We need to be in Christ. We need to have our souls in the hands of Him with whom we have to do. Nothing else will protect us.

I've been on either side. It's truly hell on one side and heaven on the other. I've suffered immense darkness without my Savior. With Him, however, has been battle after battle won. Truly I am "more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who strengthens me." We don't have to suffer, brothers and sisters. We don't have to lose every battle we face. God has greater plans for His children.

I love the thought of Jesus bruising the devil's head with His heel. All for us. All for love!!!

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS...

What is the meaning of life? How many times have I heard that? I figured it out. It's love. The meaning of life is to pour yourself out with love until you're empty and then letting God fill you back up again. How many of us have found an incredible joy that comes with giving of ourselves? That joy that far surpasses getting the new shoes or even the new car. Ya, that's great, new shoes are AWESOME, but the joy only lasts as far as it takes to get them from the store to my house. My floor is scattered with shoes that I saw and said, "I gotta have them." I've been known to go back home from a shopping trip and go back out to town just to get those shoes. And then, there they lay like a big pile of leather and dust. The joy doesn't last and it's certainly meaningless for the brief time that it exists.

But love, now that's a different story altogether. My landlord came up to dig up some seedlings from my yard the other day and even though she's a complete..uh um (clears her throat)..thorn in my side, pain in my "bekind," bur under my saddle, I still get immense joy from helping her carry her tools and helping her do her little deeds. She locked her keys in the trunk and I had to get them out for her. What a complete joy it was to help her. When she left, I was left with that residual joy and love. It's a joy that's with me now as I think back on it. However, if I were to get up and walk into my room and gaze upon those many shoes that I just had to have, I'd feel nothing except the need to arrange them neatly so I don't trip over them.

The meaning of life is love. This is what we're here for. To do whatever it takes to be there for others and show them whatever love they need. To comfort, hug, praise, or encourage. Whatever someone needs. And it can't be done with resentment. If you begrudge the deed you're doing then it's a blemished sacrifice unto the Lord.

I love giving of myself. I also know the difference (through my powers of discernment) between someone who truly needs me and someone seeking to get what they can from a kind person. In that case, I have enough love not play into their game, thereby enabling them. I have enough love not to help them fail at another opportunity to do right for themselves.

I don't let people disgrace or dishonor the love God has placed in my heart. I don't wield it like an ungainly sword, thrashing about hoping to hit anything in my path with a God smack. No, I discern the spirits in men/women. I be attainable, accessible. I'm an "if you need me, I'm here" kind of gal. And I mean it. I don't tell my family or friends to reach out to me so I can say, "let me call you later." I'm the one who turns the t.v. set off and gets somewhere quiet so I can pay close attention. The idea is to make someone know they're loved and what they're saying matters more than my own life or schedule. There's always someone that will try to abuse that goodness and use you as a dumping ground. For those folks, I give them time to rectify their selfishness and if they don't, I move on to people who truly seek love and kindness in a time of need and then appreciate you for being there.

The meaning of life is love. To love and not necessarily seek to be loved. To give without getting. To show the unlovable that they are loved by at least one person. It's a matter of being like unto the Lord and allowing Him free reign. It's a matter of opening the heart to others and understanding that the world doesn't evolve around me. If we couldn't love, we'd have no life and no meaning.

A SIMPLE ACT, A CONFIRMATION, A GIFT OF PEACE

As a mother, there's nothing more reassuring to me then to know both of my children are saved. Today, I was thinking back on my youngest son's life and trying to remember everything that  would give me that confirmation. I've been on my face sobbing today asking God to confirm this for me.

Grant, my son, is 21 and has had a time in life. My ex-husband and I divorced when he was 3 and Grant didn't find his dad again until he was about 15. His dad seemed to stay back in the shadows until Grant wasn't so "needy" anymore and then he emerged with a shout of "I'm dad!"

He has come into Grant's life with pomp and leadership. The effect he has on Grant is profound. He conforms immediately to his dad's will. He even takes on his characteristics. This is probably normal and to be expected. There's some things about his dad that I'd give my big toe if Grant would leave out of his own character. But I don't tell him so. I say all of this to give an idea of how his dad influences him in not so many good ways.

When Grant was 9, I became involved with a man that was pure evil (again, considering the first divorce). We ended up in a shelter. There, some women came to talk to us about Jesus. I had been saved as a little girl but this was Grant's call. He said the prayer of faith, and I wrote down the date on a slip of paper. I still have that slip of paper.

One day, as we were attending service Grant came to me and said, "mom, I want to say the prayer of faith with the preacher. I'd feel better if I did." I ran like the wind to my preacher and told him Grant's words. But, he never came to collect Grant. Something about that day has left a hole in my heart, an empty place where that act should have been. Today, I begged God to give me the confirmation that it wasn't necessary for that man to do anything.

Grant was baptized in that same church by another preacher who came to fill in for the one who quit. The same one who never came to collect a young man with a spiritual need. So, as I wept and longed for peace in this matter, God wasted no time giving me an answer. I was answered within minutes. He showed me the day (just one) that my son got up and walked from the furthest pew in the back of a very long church full of people to the front and knelt at the alter not far from where my seat was (in the front). A deacon came to him immediately and knelt next to my child, my precious beautiful gift from God. And God let me hear the words exchanged between them. Which now, as I reflect on it, shouldn't have been possible. He said to my son, "do you know Jesus?" And my son, without hesitation, lifted his bowed head and looked the man straight in the eye and said, "yes." Only those of us who know God, know that we do and have no doubts, amen? amen! He was a teenager. Appearance was everything. Knowledge was just beginning. And yet, there he was in front of 100s of people kneeling at the alter telling someone "yes, I know Him." I never asked him why he went (it's not for me know).

Grant could never know what it means to me now, that simple word. The deacon who made the choice to join him there and just ask, could never know what it means to me now. We never know what simple acts can mean later down the road. I was never able, in 6 years of faithful attendance in that church, to hear one word passing between a deacon and his charge. Until that day and only then since. Thank you Jesus for remembering before the time came!!

GOD IS NOT A RELIGION

God is not a religion. He's not a well done deed. He's not a well put together outfit. He's not a candle lit every time all the time. He's not a mantra. He's not an act performed for the world to see. He's not a promise to pray. He's not a well-wishing. He's not a handshake. He's not a hymn. He's not a hymn leader. He's not a building with elaborate ornamental design. He's not a building fund. He's not a 10% tithe. He's not a weekly story. He's not a book. He's not a one time gift. He's not a church Rolodex. He's not repeated verses.

God is love. He's a tear for the lost. He's a cry for peace. He's a love print left on the heart. He's a gesture made in desire. He's a word of encouragement. He's a mother's love. He's a hand reaching out. He's an embrace. He's a patient ear. He's a concerned friend. He's a journey to visit. He's a compliment. He's a kept promise. He's a sacrifice. He's an act of love.