And I thought I was tough....

Today, on Good Friday, we reflect on the suffering of Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins. On this day it is overwhelming and my heart is filled with so much gratitude. I can't begin to imagine what it would have been like to witness this horrifying event. It was a day much like today, but because of His cruel death we are given the grace and mercy we enjoy today.

So the next time you complain about being sore, about not wanting to help someone or you don't feel like confessing your faith....think about the crown of thorns, the beating and the nails that Jesus endured for us. I know when I think I'm tough I reflect on that day and the pain Jesus underwent for us so that if we believe in Him we will have eternal life.

So today, tomorrow, Easter Sunday and every day....when you see a cross, think of a love so amazing, so divine, that He loves us even when we fail. Look to the sky and thank God for the gift and resurrection of His son so that we may have eternal life. And when you think you are tough.....remember that dark, cloudy day when Jesus gave His own life for us.

Verse of the Day:

Isaiah 53:5-6

But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.

Song of the day: Because He lives I can face tomorrow. Love this version. David Crowder! Love Him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfgf-R7bPsw

Are you Dehydrated?

Dehydration is defined as dryness resulting from the removal of water. 2/3 of our body is made up of water. It is the most vital nutrient that aids in almost all of our bodies' functions. The body cannot store water, therefore it is crucial that we add fresh water to our bodies each day. One of its main functions is to protect our vital organs. The human brain consists of 90% water. So without water each day, basically it is difficult for us to survive.

Many times in our lives we feel tired, weak and unmotivated. We have a sense of complacency in our life and rarely seek challenges that fill a void that exists in all of us. We fear the unknown and create a fear of failure in attempting something new and challenging. We think being the coolest person or having material things will quench our thirst for life.

Being a runner, there are many times I've needed that water station. That brief pause in the action gives you a burst of energy and allows for you to reenergize and hydrate to continue to the finish line.
We have all had times in our life when we felt dehydrated. We have all needed something to quench our thirst when we get weak and fatigued in our daily routines in life. For a couple of years I was dehydrated. I was stuck in life and in a rut in what God's purpose was for me. I searched for something to quench my thirst and renewed my focus in the Lord. I remember going on long runs admiring God's creation, thanking Him for my health and ability to enjoy life outdoors where I could see and feel Him.
He is the ultimate Re-Energizer in life and the Constant Hydrator!!

Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled."
If you thirst and are weak and tired: Seek the Godly juice. It will quench your thirst and will fulfill your lack of inadequacy. God's juice is free of charge and always readily available for us to drink.

    
So are you spiritually dehydrated? Is something missing from your life? Do you find life satisfying? Are you happy with where you are in your life? Without God in our lives, the feeling of emptiness and hopelessness may consume our thoughts.

Psalm 42:1-2 says" As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirst for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Often times in life we forget to seek God in the storms. For in the storms, we often are the most dehydrated and have a lack of energy and will power. We turn to material things and substances that harm our bodies rather than letting our soul pant for God's love and protection. No matter if you are dehydrated from work, a relationship or a difficult time in your life; God provides us with His water, His love and His guidance. So hydrate yourself in Him. He wants us to look to Him for comfort. He wants us to enjoy our lives here on this beautiful Earth he has created for us. So love one another, lend a helping hand to a friend who may be dehydrated and let God quench your every day thirst. Just as water is essential every day for our body to function, God is essential each day for us to live a fulfilling and satisfying life.

"LET GOD BE YOUR MAIN NUTRIENT IN LIFE EACH DAY!!!"

Verse of the week:

John 4:14
"But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Song of the week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdSzmpsfbHE

Everyone have a great week and Get Hydrated!! God's well is full of water and waiting for us to come drink from it!

Be True to Your School...

Growing up, my dad always played the Beach Boys when we would go on family vacations. One of his favorite songs was “Be true to your school.” It was a song about having pride in your school and wearing your school colors proudly. He always taught us the importance of cheering and supporting your team no matter whether or lost. Getting a quality education and supporting you school were very important to my family. Whether it’s a classroom in middle school, high school or college, we begin to learn many different subject areas that prepare us for life. 

But where do we learn those life lessons that prepare us for those times when things don’t go our way or when we fail? This Earth we live on is God’s classroom for us. 

Our class time is all day every day. The only textbook you will need is the Bible. Make sure you read it carefully. Just like in any class we take in high school or college, you will need to study and take good notes. Don’t be late because God doesn’t like for us to be tardy. He likes for us to be on His time, not our own. Our teacher is amazing and He will guide and lead us in the right direction. All we have to do is listen and follow His rules. In our society today, we often forgot those 10 basic rules that were written so long ago, yet all simple ways to make this world a better place. A few that I think often times we fail to follow are below:

1. You must not make for yourself an idol - Think about all the celebrities, athletes and   

   stars that we worship and idolize. What if we wanted to be more like Jesus as much   

   as we wanted to be like those famous people? What if we wanted to study and learn 

   more about Him? It’s a good question to ponder....

2. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy - I know in our fast paced society we often                                            

   times forget to slow down and take time to enjoy life and God’s creation. It’s hard                     

   sometimes due to our work schedules that we sometimes get so caught up in making  

   a living that we forget to actually “live”. So take time and go hiking, go for a run, play 

   outside with the kids, go to a movie, go fishing or just take time to do something you       

   enjoy. Have a family day to enjoy your loved ones. 

3. Honor your father and mother - It amazes me how kids talk to their parents these   
    days. Regardless if we agree or disagree with our parents, most of the time they   

    know what’s best for us. I’m 34 years old and would never dream of speaking to my  

    parents the way some kids do. Have some Respect!! Your family is some of the few  

    people in your life that will always be there for you through thick and thin. 

In God’s classroom, sometimes we are faced with some very difficult tests. Some we may have studied for and others may be the fun, unexpected pop quizzes. Divorce, death, cancer, loss of job and many other tests are given to us throughout our life. Fortunately, we have the best teacher in the world teaching us how to handle these different situations. 

1 Corinthians 13:13 says “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Sometimes the answers to the tests are not always true/false, multiple choice or short answer. Sometimes the answers take a while to appear, but God has given us all the power to reason and make the right decisions with three important words: Faith, Hope and Love. 

So let’s take pride in our school. Keep your classroom clean and pure. Be on time. Listen when the Teacher is speaking. As the Beach Boys say, “Now what's the matter buddy aint you heard of my school?” Let’s show our school spirit and have faith and give God the Glory for the opportunities He gives us to learn, grow and experience the wonderful gift of life in His classroom. Although sometimes we may fail a test or flunk a pop quiz, the greatest aspect of God’s classroom is that He forgives us. 1 John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To me this is the only answer we will ever need for any test....

So Let's all strive to Make an "A" in God's classroom...so that we can graduate with honors and spend our eternity on Heaven. 

Be Kind, Be Thoughtful, Be Sympathetic and always BE TRUE!!!

The "Hot Now" Sign...

1 Thessalonians 5:19 says "Do not put out the spirit's fire"....

For those of you that know me well, you know that I'm addicted to Krispy Kreme doughnuts about as much as I love those Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes. After spending the week at Baptist hospital, I frequently looked out the window and stared to see when the "Hot Now" sign lit up bright red at the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop across the street.  As I sat there and stared out the window, I thought about how there is something we can learn from that sign. How something that happens periodically throughout today can attract so many people to indulge in a tasty little pastry that satisfies our sweet tooth.

What if we had a light that came on frequently throughout the day that attracted people to us? What if we had a "Hot Now" sign? God wants us to have a "Hot Now" sign for Him. Often times we spend our lives going through the motions and allow distractions and more important things pry for our time. We fail to speak our heart, help a stranger, read the Good Book or even pray not only during difficult times but in the good times as well. This past week I thought how fast life passes and how we should never take any day for granted. Don't get to the end of your life and ask "what if I would have given everything instead of going through the motions." In our daily lives it's easy to get in a rut and a routine. We fail to share our faith with people, we fail to lend a helping hand because we are tired or we fail to reach out in fear of rejection.

I have challenged myself to let my "Hot Now" sign shine brightly. I want to glow and let people know that I'm "Hot" for the Lord. After this past week being involved in a life/death situation it makes you realize how good God truly is. He needs us to attract people, to share our faith and encourage others that with God on their side anything is possible.

So next time you see the "Hot Now" sign lit up, think to yourself.....What do people think about when they look at me? Do I have a smile on my face, do I love life, do I encourage others or do I simply say a simple hello?

Let your "Hot Now" sign shine brightly every day!

One of my favorite Verses:

Romans 12:9-18

"Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; Instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone."

Angels Among Us....

It's 11:30pm on Tuesday night.
Wow....Have the last couple of days opened my eyes and made me appreciate how precious life is.

Saturday afternoon we were playing for the OVC Championship; Early Sunday morning my sister and new niece were in a battle for their life.

I've always believed in angels, but their is one incident where I know God sent this one angel to be with my sister and baby niece.

Saturday night while sitting in the waiting room at Baptist hospital, talking to my dad about how disappointed I was about losing in overtime in the Championship game, I felt this weird urge that something was really wrong with my sister. When we finally got to go back and see her, she had the most amazing nurse; her name was Deidre. She was so calming and optimistic about the whole situation. When dad and I finally were about to head home for the night, we could both tell that Deidre was frustrated because nobody could quite pinpoint  exactly was going on with my sister.

At 4:50am my mom came in and woke me up and said we were having a baby. I knew this wasn't the greatest of news because baby Maddie wasn't expected to be here until around April 20th. Tears filled my eyes and I hit my knees and prayed.

It was amazing how God had everything planned out to take my sister and my new niece in His hands.
What was a very traumatic experience ended with 2 miracles of life.

When I was walking into the hospital this morning, I ran into Deidre. I gave her a hug and told her she was an angel. She was on call when everything happened and was there the whole time. She got tears in her eyes and told me that she had to speak to the Lord because of the seriousness of the situation.

While we were sitting in the hospital room tonight, there as a knock on the door. It was Diedre. She was not in scrubs but was in regular clothes. She said she wanted to come by one last time to check and make sure everything was ok with mom and the baby. I gave her another hug. We all just cried together. When Deidre left, I asked her to write down her address because I wanted to keep in touch and send her a thank you card. She was truly an angel. When she left the room,  I looked down at the piece of paper where she had written her information down. Her last name was CLARK.....
I cried my eyes out and said wow!!!

Psalm 91:11
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

So I encourage all of you to look for the angels in your life. They are right here among us. God's sends them to us in His own time to protect us, love us, teach us and guide us. Some are only here for a short time; some may be there your whole life and some may be sent to protect you in a time of need.  But pay attention to why they are sent to you and be thankful for the precious gift of life that they bring us. They come to you and me in our darkest hour; to show us how to live, teach us how to give and guide us with the light of love.

Life is a precious gift and I've learned more than ever the past few days how precious it is. The game of life is much more important than sport or winning in anything. We are only in a scrimmage here on Earth. For the real game will be won when we get to be on God's Team in heaven.

Be Second each and every day. Be an angel to someone in their time of need.

In closing, I will share with you the lyrics of one of my favorite songs.

"Angels Among Us" by Alabama

Here is link to song.....Listen it's great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7TpMejadLo

I was walking home from school, on a cold winter day
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone
But then a kind old man, took my hand, and led me home
Mama couldn't see him, oh but he was standing there
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone, to come along, and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend, just to say, I understand
But ain't it kind of funny, at the dark end of the road
That someone lights the way, with just a single ray of hope

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places
To grace us with their mercy, in our time of need

Oh I believe there are, angels among us
Sent down to us, from somewhere up above
They come to you and me, in our darkest hours
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give
To guide us with the light of love
To guide us with a light of love

Put me in Coach.....I'm ready to play!

It’s March 1st. For all you basketball fans this is the best time of the year known as “March Madness.” At some point in all of our lives, we have all been part of a team. Teamwork is an essential part of life. At a young age we learn to be part of a team. We play on the playground, try out for junior pro leagues, join different groups in high school, face new challenges in college and join the “real world” where most of the time we are part of a business team in our particular line of work. We have all wanted to belong, fit in and be picked first. There is a certain yearning inside all of our souls that wants to be part of something bigger than ourselves. 

Webster’s dictionary defines “winning” as gaining victory. In our society today sometimes an emphasis on “winning” and being successful overshadows our families, our education and our quality of life. Athletes, business professionals and even young kids spent countless hours, money and blood, sweat and tears in order to win. Winning at all costs has become a big part of our culture. Many times we put more emphasis on playing time and winning than on the values that being part of a team can teach us.

Being part of a team requires a big investment of time, responsibility and trust. Successful teams benefit from the dedication and devotion of individuals to the betterment of the team. But, behind every great team lies a great coach.

Isn’t it a great feeling to know that we have a great head coach every day of our lives? Each day here on Earth is our game that we get a chance to play. He has given us a game plan to follow and if we do, we win the greatest championship of all…..eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven! Are you on God’s team? He has taught us the importance of being a member of His team. He doesn’t promise that each game is going to be easy and that we are going to win every game, but He does promise never to leave us and to be with us during the wins and losses of this life.

There will be times in the game of life when you feel like you need a sub. You feel like you can’t compete and can’t contribute to your team’s success. We all run out of gas and out of energy. It’s ok to call for a sub and sit on the bench for a minute, catch your wind and get back in the game. God is the substitute we all need. Romans 3:23 tells us” that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.” He is always there when we are out of breath or make a mistake.

Where do you stand in this game of life? I’ve learned that we can’t win on our own playing abilities.  We need good teammates, a strategic game plan and the ultimate Head Coach. Being part of God’s team requires loyalty, trust, faith and hard work. There will be times when we get discouraged, yet we must trust that God knows when we need a timeout, a water break or constructive criticism. In this game of life there will be tough losses, heartaches and tears during the journey. This is where we learn who we are and learn to persevere. Are you ready to win? Are you ready for the big game? How hard have you been working? Just like any team, being on God’s team takes commitment and sacrifice. If we give Him all the glory in every game of every day then we will be victorious!

Are you ready to play? Don’t settle for sitting on the bench…..It’s time to win God’s way!

So be a good teammate, help others join God’s team, lift each other up and always be ready to play!!

Verse of the Week:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

 

 

God’s Hall of Fame: Coach John Wooden

Your name may not appear down here,

 In this world’s hall of fame,

 In fact you may be so unknown,

 That no one knows your name!

The Oscars here may pass you by

 And neon lights of blue,

 But if you love and serve the Lord,

 Then I have news for you.

This hall of fame is only good

 As long as time shall be,

 But keep in mind, God’s Hall of fame,

 Is for eternity!

To have your name inscribed up there

 Is greater yet by far,

 Than all the Halls of Fame down here

 And every man-made star.

This crowd on earth may soon forget

 The heroes of the past,

 They cheer like mad until you fall,

 And that’s how long you last.

But God, He never does forget,

 And in His Hall of Fame

 By just believing in his Son,

 Inscribed you’ll find your name.

I tell you, friend, I wouldn’t trade

 My name however small,

 That written there beyond the stars

 In that celestial hall,

For any famous name on earth

 Or glory that they share;

 I’d rather be unknown here,

 And have my name up there.