Life Stinks... without God Guest Post by Mike R.

Life Stinks...

...Without God.

"live in such a way that those who don't know God

 will come to know God because they know you"

- Unknown 

Our life in God is essential to the eternal life that awaits our coming. Christ came and made known God. He made known the God, that prophets tried to teach, but no one listened. Christ took off his heavenly, king robes, and appeared as one of us, so that we may have life in him. 

It is necessary that we, whom believe in God, keep that life going; making sure it doesn't get flat. Like a car tire. It will eventually go flat, because of all the driving, so for the protection of the car and the tire it is an absolute thing to keep filling it up with air. 

Same as our life in Christ. It can and will get flat.We often must go to mass, confession, and when we can renewing retreats. But we must watch, that going to mass doesn't turn from a ritual to a habit. We have to watch to make sure we are need and want to, not that we have to. We have to be careful for it easy for this it to turn into a regular habit.

But that isn't enough. 

No, not even close. Our life in Christ isn't simply one that requires us to go to a building we see once a week. As St.James puts it, "...Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead" [James 2:17] It it the daily action we do, that also keeps the tire spinning. It is how we walk about, and living our lives. It's if we choose to be the Priest filled with pride, or the kind Samaritan that decides to help out those in need. 

Moreover, our Christian life isn't one that's easy, and lazy. It's a life that takes courage and it takes us going out of our own way to do the Lords will. It is a call, to go and be brave, to go against the 'wave.' It is a life that requires us to practice what we pray. It is a life dedicated to the work of God.

When we are done this earthly life, and have moved in front of the gates of heaven, God will be happy to accept us, when he sees his will, not ours. It is hard, to have that listed, but of course through the power of prayer, it is possible. 

May we, the people living the Christian Faith (and the Future ones) live the life of Christ. By praying for the strength from God to be able to preach and to do his will! 

Come see my Blog at:

Praytogodtoday.blogspot.ca

You Never Know...

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will^[g] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

I’m a planner. I like to plan things. If I don’t know what’s going on a few days or weeks down the road, I get antsy.

My middle daughter is the same way. She has to know when everything is going to happen. Honestly, it does get tiring planning so far ahead so she won’t meltdown.

Yesterday, I took my girls on a little shopping trip. The whole way there, they kept asking where we were going first, then what… then what… then what!

Finally I told them, “Girls, let’s just not plan. We’ll end up where we end up. Let’s have an adventure.”

We did.

And it was fun.

It was nice to have a few hours without a strict plan.

I need that more often.

I have an internet friend named Nicole. She was pregnant and planning for her fifth baby: a boy. They could tell from the first ultrasound that something was wrong.

Like all of us would, she planned.

She went to the best hospital and stayed in the Ronald McDonald house (not in TN. They live in Canada.). She looked toward the future, and though it looked rough for her little boy, she stayed strong. Nicole took pictures of her baby belly, excited about how much her little man was growing. They were going to love him no matter what.

A few days ago, Nicole’s family learned all too well about the ‘vapor’ in the scripture above. Nicole was found dead in her room. The baby didn’t make it either. The medical examiner did an autopsy, but so far no cause of death. Nicole was 37.

We were due date buddies. My youngest child and her forth were both due in July 2010. Please pray for her family. She has 4 other children (one turned 3 on the day his mama died). It’s sad all around. The daddy is trying the best he can, but I know they could use prayers.

We can plan all we want, but when its time, it’s time. Enjoy life. Enjoy the moment. Take time to do something without planning ahead. And don’t hold grudges because you never know when it’ll be the last time you see someone.

~Kelly 

Water from the Well-- New Devotional Blog Added :)

I'm excited to announce a new blog added to the directory :) Water From The Well :)

Water From the Well, dedicated to spreading the great commission one word at a time. The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

A Study in Patience

A Study in Patience

When my daughter was four years old, my mother (her Nana) asked her what she wanted for her birthday. My daughter said an Easy Bake Oven. Nana (thankfully) didn’t want to get her one and, as an excuse said, “Oh look, the box says you have to be 8 to have it. Are you 8?”

“No.” My sweet girl shook her head.

“Okay.” Nana smiled, happy to have that crisis averted. “You can have it when you are 8.” They went on their way, and Nana assumed she forgot it.

As parents, we’ve all done that (or I assume you have. I have). If we don’t want our kids to have something, we tell them something and hope they forget it.

My daughter, though, surprised us all.

On her fifth birthday she announced, out of the blue, “Only three more years until I can have my Easy Bake Oven!”

On her sixth birthday, “Only two more years until I can have my Easy Bake Oven!”

On her seventh birthday, “Only one more year!! I can’t wait to be eight to get my Easy Bake Oven.”

In the four years since Nana told her those fateful words, “You have to wait until you are eight”, my daughter has never once begged for an Easy Bake Oven. She hasn’t cried. She hasn’t whined. She’s just been very upbeat that she WOULD get an Easy Bake Oven. All she had to do was wait.

I wish I was more like my eight year old.

Proverbs 25:15

Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.

I can think of this two ways. 1) She KNEW her Mama would give her exactly what she promised. 2) She had patience to wait (four years… an eternity to a kid) for it.

I don’t know about you, but I want things NOW! I write fast because I can’t stand having an unfinished story. I can write a book (60,000 words) in about 3-4 weeks. Because of that, I have this tendency to want EVERYTHING fast. I’m a horrible, “I want it now!” person.

I guess you could say my daughter got my patience… because I sure don’t have any left ;)

Now, don’t get wrong. I’m patient with people (in my line of work you have to be). I’m patient with kids. But when it comes to things from God, I’m not! I have everything planned out and if He doesn’t hit *my* marks, well He’s slow and I’m sad.

I need to take a lesson from my daughter. She never complained once about having to wait four years for her Easy Bake Oven. But she never forgot it either.

Pray.

Be hopeful.

Look to the future.

Know your blessings will come (Who doesn’t want an Easy Bake Oven?)

But be happy with what you have now.

Did my daughter just not play with any toys while she waited for her Easy Bake Oven? Did she sit, mope, hate life, and stare at a wall until her blessing came?

No, she enjoyed her other toys (her blessings as it were), waiting for the big desire of her heart.

Don’t miss out on playing with your other *toys* because you are waiting for your *Easy Bake Oven*. It’ll come… and hey, it might even be the new and improved ‘Ultimate Oven’… a much better blessing than you would have gotten four years ago.

Patience.

(My oldest and youngest kids have the same birthday. My 8 year old with her new Easy Bake Oven. My 3 year old... all she wanted was a big ball. Yeah. ;) )

~Kelly

Planted and Growing in the Word... New Devotional Blog Added

Vickie Lutz writes “Planted & Growing in the Word” and has written two books about worshiping God during Bible study with active listening and note-making,using a learning technique called graphic organization. She says, “My blog is grounded in what I learn about God through Bible study and worship and inspired by what I see God teaching me in life.”