GOD’S LOVE

In love a man was given breath and flesh and blood and bones,
A creature fashioned by God’s perfect hand.
It soon became apparent that he shouldn’t walk alone,
So God created woman from the rib of that first man.
The two became one flesh that day and God was at their head.
Then Satan came and tempted them and they feared God instead.

Because of God’s enormous love, He devised a perfect plan,
To wash away the sin that came into the heart of man.
He sent His own pure, perfect Son to wash them clean again,
Restoring the same bond they had when He first crafted them.
We are now right before Him, not by the things we do,
But by the love He first showed us. He cleansed us through and through.

KATHY BOECHER

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FIFTY SHADES OF DARKNESS

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“Fifty Shades of Grey,” opens this weekend and the numbers and reviews will undoubtedly be astounding. We can’t avoid being exposed to this junk, but we should take it as opportunity to teach our children about their value and how they should treat one another.

Unfortunately, the fact that this is out there and it gets so much hype, really makes it hard for parents.  Little girls are given glamorous dolls at an early age and think they should look that way.  Boys are represented by muscular guy dolls with literally no brains.  As they get older, they see advertising showing girls and boys “dating” or “hooking up” before their braces are off.  They come to expect sexual encounters as the norm because of the picture being painted by a sin blackened world.

So what’s a parent to do? First of all pray for your children.  Let them know by example what love is all about – patient, kind, selfless.  Show them through your love for them that they are important not only to you, but to their Creator. Lead by example.  Your relationship with your spouse speaks volumes.  Teach them that God is the perfect example of what true love is.  Let them know that allowing themselves to be used as a tool for gratification, abuse, sadism, or deviation is setting themselves up for years of low self-esteem and emotional distress.

It’s not an easy task, because the world throws so many different ideas at your children.  The idea of waiting until marriage for sex is archaic.  Living together before taking the legal steps is also acceptable.  Cheating on your spouse has become the norm along with single parent families.  God sets the bar pretty high when it comes to our fidelity – towards Him and towards each other.

Your children are your greatest masterpiece.  They are a treasure beyond compare.  It’s your responsibility to arm them with the tools to help them survive in a world full of darkness.

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Guest Blog

When I started blogging less than a year ago, I was delighted to find so many Christians out there that believe as I do.  My far away friend, Melissa Presser has been an inspiration to me.  She is an attorney, living in Florida, has three adorable children, is an amazing writer and a zealous Christian.  Her life has taken her in many directions causing her to seek the truth, which she found in the Word of God and the love of the Messiah, Jesus, Christ.

Melissa was born into the Jewish faith and like the apostle Paul, was well-schooled in her religion.  I am inspired by the joy she exhibits in the freedom she now has in Christ and she reminds me how important that is to all of us.

I am honored to have her share what is on her heart today from the book of Hebrews – which we are currently studying at my church Bible study.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13
 
You know, God sees everything. Our hopes and our dreams. Our ugliness. Our inside and our out. He is the all powerful, all knowing risen Lord. He has been since the beginning of time the Lord our God, Commander in Chief of the heavens and the earth. And His eyes roam to and fro to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. And I am committed. And I am free.
 
I write this post to you in a great state of distress. I have to. Because it shows the power that God has in the suffering, the hurt and the agony of man. It shows that through the tears of the walls of my heart, I have an unending joy, one that can never be stolen from me. If I only wrote in my joy about my faith in Christ, how would you ever believe me?
All last week, the kids and I studied Deuteronomy 31:6, it was their memory verse I assigned to them:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I memorized it too, using it in context during the week with them and encouraging them to hide it in their hearts. Never did it cross my mind that the verse would be for me. But the Lord knows ahead of time what trials we will face, and He sees and knows all.
I am grateful to the God I serve who knows my thoughts before I think them, my mistakes before I make them and my tears before I shed them. To God be the glory
 

Today she has agreed to share what’s on her heart today:

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SELF-LOVE

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Narcissism has been around since the fall of man.  When we place ourselves on a pedestal and think we deserve something just because we are – we are succumbing to one of Satan’s biggest lies.  He wants us to feel like we’re better, more beautiful, smarter than the average guy.  We’ve so much going for us, we can’t understand why the whole world isn’t worshipping at our feet.

We’re told on a daily basis to take all the gusto we can grab – to expect success – to make the most of what we have – to flaunt our beauty and if we have issues, we should pay tons of money to make ourselves more beautiful.  We’re blasted with advertising that says we deserve the most expensive cars – houses – clothing, because we’re worth it.

God doesn’t want us to put ourselves down, but He reminds us that our value is based on His love for us, not ours for ourselves.  The minute we become so wrapped up in wealth, success, status and our outward appearance, we’re merely masking our ugliness.

2 Timothy 3:1-4 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—”

It seems to me that our focus needs to turn back to the one who created us, if we’re ever to find true peace.  Our nation has become too self-absorbed.  We think we’ve become tolerant by accepting all kinds of behavior, but we aren’t.  Being politically correct isn’t the answer to our nation’s problems.  Returning to the God of Love is.  He didn’t put Himself first.  He gave His own Son as the atonement for all our sins.  That’s what I call love!

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LOVE STORY

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So many words been written about love.  Plays and movies are spattered with it.  We grow up learning about love and how important it is to have it and to give it away.  We experience it through smiles on children’s faces, in the songs we hear, in the touch of a hand, the smell of a rose or the taste of a lovingly prepared meal.

Love takes many forms.  It can be the romantic feeing experienced with that first kiss – the love of a friend who will go to bat for you anytime – the love of a person for their aging parent – the love of a child – the unconditional love of a pet – the continuous love of the one you have pledged your life to.

There is a love that we can’t begin to comprehend.  It’s the truly unconditional, caring, undeserved, love of God Himself.  His love cannot be measured by human standards.  He loves us even though we deserve punishment.  He loves us with a perfect love that we’ll never experience on this side of eternity.

The book inspired by Him and penned by men like us, is full of love stories.  There are tales of passion, lust, love for belongings, love for self, love of money, desire, unrequited love, love for sale, all the love known to man.

The greatest love story ever told is also included in this book.  The Bible tells us how special we are to our Creator -how He has a plan for our life – how He loves us even though we turn our backs on Him.  He loves us so much that He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven and He gave His life so that we would.

Pick it up and read it.  It’s the greatest love story ever told.

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TWO SOULS THAT BEAT AS ONE

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As children we learn about love from our parents.  As toddlers we start to experience love from others.  Once in school, we might become madly in love with our kindergarten teacher or the child in the next seat.  When we move into puberty all the hormones  rush to our heads and our hearts as we fall for the cutest new rock star or the guy who tells you that you look nice.  The next step is sorting through those relationships to find the one that you want to grow old with.  Through middle age you marry, have children, work together, do your own thing, drift apart and love may fly out the window.  When you reach your 70s and your love is still the most important thing in your life, you have finally realized true love.

Love doesn’t just happen in the blink of an eye.  At first sight it might seem that it’s all perfect.  The experts don’t tell you what’s really involved in making a sound relationship.  For the most part you’re operating on emotion and nothing more.

When you become united in marriage, you soon find that the person you married isn’t the person you thought they were.  You weren’t bargaining for the little things, like leaving the toilet seat up or a pile of laundry cluttering the floor in your bedroom.  You didn’t know that you’d be sharing your bed with a stranger.  Your ideas of perfection and the Pinterest lifestyle have flown out the window.  Reality sets in.

If you can’t see beyond your own feelings and needs, chances are your love isn’t going to make it through the next few years.  True love takes nurturing and work.  When you commit to one another, prepare yourself for that.  Love is not about self.  It’s about two lives coming together and actually becoming one mind, one heart, one soul.

Placing God at the head of that union is what solidifies it and allows it to last and get stronger with age.  You can find this in the best handbook for marriage – the Bible.

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LOST BUT FOUND

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Some of the hardest lessons we learn are through experience, but as parents it’s difficult for us to allow that to happen to our children.  We want to protect them from the world.  We want them to have it easier than we did.  We want the best for them.

God doesn’t want us to go through suffering or addiction or loss or bullying or anything that causes pain.  In Luke 15:11-32 Jesus tells a parable of the son of a rich man who decides he wants his inheritance in advance of his father’s death.  The loving father divides his estate and gives it to both sons.  The youngest goes out and spends every cent while the other stays home continuing to work for his dad.

When the money runs out, he reasons the only thing to do is to go back home and ask for forgiveness  We all know the outcome.  The father greets the wayward son with open arms.

The good son was pretty ticked off about this and let his dad know how he felt, but the  father explained it this way. The young son had learned his lesson and even though he was dead, he was now alive.

God looks at us in the same way.  When we come back to Him with true repentance in our hearts, His joy is overflowing.  He prepares a celebration for each who comes back to Him and asks for forgiveness.

When our children go astray and life gets ugly for them, we want to be there to pick them up, but there are times when the only way they can learn is through experience.  We’ve all lost our way, but our loving Father waits patiently with open arms.  Life lessons aren’t easy, but when God’s in your corner, you can depend on a great homecoming.

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LONG WINTER

Trying to find the beauty in an endless winter
is like looking at your reflection in a mirror and
hoping to recapture your youth..
It seems that new life will never surface again.
Everything is cold and dead.
The green existence of spring seems eternally
wrapped in a blanket of white.
Somehow we hang on to the hope of a new day
when the sun moves closer and embraces those withered limbs
and forces life to bud forth again.
Spring – will we ever see you again.

KATHY BOECHER©

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INTELLIGENCE ISN’T MEASURED BY YOUR I.Q.

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There will always be those who think we lack intelligence by believing something we can’t see, but the evidence is all around us.  Take a look at the beauty and majesty of this world.  Think of what it looked like before sin corrupted it.  See the craftsmanship of God in the birth of a new child – each finger and toe perfectly designed – each body part having a purpose.  Look at the intelligence of humanity.  Our minds didn’t just evolve from some big bang that occurred millions of years ago.  God planted that into our brains to separate us from the animals.  Observe the glory of each bit of vegetation – how seeds when nurtured and protected grow into something beautiful and useful.  The mathematical design of life is so complex we can’t even begin to understand every facet of it.

By not understanding, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  When we’re troubled by those who don’t share our beliefs, we shouldn’t become angry with them or try to engage them in arguments.  The only thing that will lead to is frustration and defeat.  If they don’t accept what we believe, nothing we say or do is going to change that.  Their minds are already made up.  What we can do is pray for them and care about them.  Our prayers should include our love for them and our desire that they someday will understand that God is the only truth that exists in a world of darkness.

We base our beliefs totally on faith.  Faith is believing something that we don’t understand but still know it’s true.  It’s a concept that isn’t much known in our world.  We need something to back up our reasoning.  God doesn’t need explanation.  He just is and the evidence of His existence is all around us.  We simply need to look for it.  It isn’t complicated, and that drives intellectuals crazy.

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ARE TIMES REALLY CHANGING?

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It would be easy to sit here in my old age and ponder the demise of today’s youth, but I find it really hard to do that.  I could expound on the differences of kids in my day and the ones of today, but I wouldn’t be honest.

OK, we kept our doors unlocked, but it was because we had nothing worth stealing.  We didn’t own a television set until I was ten years old.  My dad didn’t have a car until I was old enough to drive.  Everyone in our neighborhood was in the same boat.  We were all doing OK, but we didn’t have more than we needed.

Today children live in a much different world.  The opportunities for careers is much more extensive. Their role models are no longer their parents, grandparents, pastors or teachers.  Now they look to the athletes who make millions of dollars,  entertainers who achieve “instant” success and those who come up with the most innovative ways to make a buck.

It’s not their fault.  They’re growing up in a world where things and people are placed on pedestals and worshiped like the idols of old.  They’re also expected to achieve intellectually, financially and physically – and that’s before they even reach college.

Every generation has its faults.  We can’t escape the trends, the philosophies, the faults of society.  Now, more than ever, we’re faced with choosing between  right and wrong.  The basic tools for learning have been replaced with tolerance, entitlement and acceleration. The Ten Commandments are considered antiquated, the Bible is just another book to many and many churches have even become big businesses.

Life shouldn’t be complicated, but we’ve made it so, by interfering with God’s plans for us.  We need to step aside and let Him do His will.  He’s going to do it anyway.  Let’s not get in His way.

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WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

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Each of us faces struggles in our lives.  It might be something as simple as getting out of bed each day or as difficult as contemplating a life threatening disease.  Each of our earthly problems might seem monumental at the moment, but are they really?

When God gave His perfect world to its first people, problems were not part of the equation.  The relationship between God and man was like nothing we’ve ever since experienced.  The moment mankind stepped outside of the boundaries set for him, that relationship became tarnished.

Every day since has brought its share of difficulties.  The Bible is packed with stories of men and women who had to endure them.  The beauty of reading these stories is knowing that they were not fictional characters.  These were real people – experiencing real problems – living with sin – facing the evils of the world – just like we are.

We can let obstacles be stumbling blocks or we can use them to strengthen our faith in our God.  He will make the path straight again.  We can try doing it alone and that may work for a time, but then we’re faced with another bump in the road and we get more and more beat up as time goes by.  Letting our problems overtake us only leads to more trouble.  Allowing God to solve them or use them to make us stronger is much easier.

God  loves to hear from us when we’re thankful and when we want to show Him our praise.  He also wants us to come to Him for our daily needs.  Jesus came to restore our relationship with our Creator.  Because of that we can talk directly to Him.  Don’t wait.   Do it now!

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THE POWER OF GOD

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Sometimes we feel so safe and sound in our Christian lives that we forget that we’re fighting a daily battle against the devil and all his sneaky minions.  They insidiously maneuver their ways into our minds, picking away at the details of our belief and sometimes cause us to stumble.  Jesus knew that was going to be the case.  He even prepared His disciples for it before He died.  He told them that following Him wasn’t going to be easy.

Things haven’t changed much since Jesus ascended into heaven.  Satan still roams the earth seeking out his next victim.  He never sleeps.  He never rests.  He will never experience peace.  He has been defeated through Christ’s final sacrifice for those who believe in Him, but to those who think they don’t need a savior, He seems like just another religious fanatic.

There are those who might ask why God didn’t just wipe Satan off the face of the planet.  Our God isn’t like that.  He’s merciful and loving.  He gave His own Son to take our place.  His love is incomprehensible by human standards.

We have one weapon with which to fight back at the devil.  Jesus used it Himself when Satan tried to tempt Him.  It’s called the Bible.  Within these pages, we find the perfect defense against the father of lies.

Trust that what you believe is true.  It has endured for centuries.  It will never fail. It’s God handbook for our lives and the words inspired by Him through sinful men like us.  It is pure, holy and true.

When you feel that you’re being persecuted for what you believe, remember that you are not alone.  Our lives as Christians don’t come with the guarantee of a perfect life here on earth.  Our paradise awaits us in heaven.

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SUNNYSIDE UP

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Groundhog Day has come and gone and  man has laughingly placed his trust in a furry little animal that would prefer not to be waken in the middle of its hibernation.  In Wisconsin, one of them actually bit the ear of the mayor in protest.

Celebrating Groundhog Day is a longstanding tradition.  It has its origin in the festival of Imbolc  (the seasonal turning point of the Celtic Calendar, which is celebrated on February 2 and also involves the foretelling of weather.  Of course with all our modern day meteorological studies, this is simply silliness.

We humans are always looking for ways to tell the future.  We turn our eyes to the clouds, the wind, the climate change.  We put our faith into scientific thought regarding the earth’s vibrations, sound waves, etc.  We trust in a our weather men, our computer technology, our brains to forecast what will happen tomorrow, but the very last resort is to turn to the One who created all of it.

I’m not saying that science isn’t good and that we shouldn’t plan for changes in weather, but we should remember that we can’t do anything about changing God’s plans for this planet.  There is a great deal of that going on right now.  Humanity seems consumed with saving the planet from becoming a greenhouse filled with noxious gases and eventually burning up.

We should be concerned and take good care of the place God has provided for us, but , there is still absolutely nothing man can do to change the weather.  Since God’s perfect paradise was destroyed by sin, we will never really experience perfection until we reach heaven.

Lord, help us to remember that you control everything in life.  Help us put our complete trust in You for salvation as well as our daily needs.  Amen.

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PERSISTENCE

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This weekend we’l witness another Super Bowl game.  We’ve become like the Romans of old, who put their confidence in the gladiators who assembled in the coll0seum to engage in war games and fetes of strength. We find something exciting about watching others take on difficult odds to achieve success.  Maybe it gives us a feeling that we could do such great things if we only had the chance to follow our dreams when we were younger.

Sometimes we live our dreams through the accomplishments of others.  When we do that, we’re limiting our potential.  If we never try, we will never know if we could or couldn’t make the grade.

Many of our modern day heroes are the physically strong, the beautiful, the ones with the most brains or money.  We place people on pedestals instead of the One who created them. We sell ourselves short because we don’t feel worthy.

When we do that, we’re challenging the gifts  God has given us.  He knows what we can do and how our talents can be used .  If we doubt that He can do great things through us and for us, we are denying His power.  If we give up before we even try, we are shortchanging ourselves and not living up to the potential He has built into us.

Life isn’t easy.  There are going to be difficult times.  We’ll face trouble.  We won’t always get our way.  We’ll fail.  We’ll be tempted.  We’ll eventually die.  These are facts, but we can have a life abundant, if we never give up – if we place our future in God’s hands – if we trust in His plan for our lives and if we believe in what He has already accomplished for us.

The world’s champions will all pass away, but God remains and His love endures forever.

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LET’S DO THIS!

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Tonight my acting students open another show.  I’ve lost count of all the opening nights, but each one of them holds great excitement and anticipation.  Like any endeavor,  we try to approach our goals using the best of our abilities.  It’s kind of like being part a team, a corporation, or even a church.  Each one uses his particular talents to complete the task to accomplish the best that can be done.

When the Christian church was established it was compared to being part of one body – the body of Christ.  Each part serves a purpose.  Each one is important to the operation of the whole.   If the eyes don’t work – something else compensates for them.  If the arm doesn’t work another  takes it place.

No matter what we do in life I think it’s important for us to remember that we all have a function.  We all have value and we all have purpose.  Those things are part of the way God made us.  He sees our capabilities and uses them to help others – to show compassion – to encourage – inspire – teach.  He knows where our talents lie and He uses them to enlarge His kingdom and make the world a better place to be.

Whenever you feel your life is going nowhere or that you simply don’t have anything to contribute anymore, think of what He has created within you and  rejoice that you are important to Him and to the world you live in.  He knew you before your conception and  had your life all mapped out even then.

So as we wait for the curtain to go up on each day of our life, let’s take the things we’ve learned along the way and use them to the best of our ability remembering that we were created as a masterpiece by God Himself and He never makes mistakes.

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DO YOU FEEL LIKE A JINX?

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The comic strip character, Joe Btfsplk, created by Al Capp, was the proverbial jinx.  No matter where he went or what he did, disaster was right beside him.  The poor guy even carried a black cloud over his head as a constant reminder of his lot in life.

There are times when we feel like nothing ever goes right for us.  Like Joe, we go through life and everything we touch turns bad, or creates trouble for someone else. When our past sins burden us down,  it’s easy to begin to sense that you are no good to anyone.

God doesn’t look at us that way.  If He did, He would see nothing but a sea of black clouds.  We are all sinners.  No matter what we do we can’t erase the clouds that darken our days.  There is only One who can.

When we face the trials that the world has to throw at us, it’s easy to get caught up in the trap of loneliness, helplessness or fear.  God knows how those emotions drag on us – slowly pulling us toward the father of lies and away from Him.  It is because of His great love for us that He provided an answer to our feelings of depression and unworthiness.
The sacrifices of the Old Testament had only one purpose – to bring God’s people to complete obedience of Him.  None of them ever washed a way a single sin.  The final sacrifice of Jesus as the perfect lamb, is the only One that saves us from that awful curse.

The real jinx on this earth isn’t Joe Btfsplk or you or me.  It’s Satan himself.  If we believe his lies, we soon succumb to the darkness of this world.  If we look to the light of Jesus, the curse will be lifted from our lives.

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

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ARE YOU LEAVING FOOTPRINTS?

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I’ve had a number of people come into my life who had a profound effect on me.  There’s probably someone you can remember who had that kind of impact on your life.  Maybe it was your parents, a special friend, a teacher – but that person found something within you that you didn’t know existed and helped you discover it.

There are moments when we need to be alone to sort through the details.  We need some space to make important decisions – we feel we don’t need advice or assistance from anyone.  That’s OK, but still we can’t really make it through this life with any semblance of sanity if we are completely alone.

When the car won’t start, we go to a mechanic.  When the shower doesn’t work, we call a plumber.  When our life is falling apart – when we’ve tried everything to stretch that last dollar – when the kids need braces – when you need a transplant – when your depression has a fast hold on you – when you can’t get organized – when you’re lonely, helpless or lost you need more than a professional to patch the emotional scars for you.

Our God is not only a great healer, He is an advisor, counselor, confidante, trusted friend, psychiatrist, encourager, inspirer, redeemer and savior.  His impact on our state of mind can move mountains.  His force is beyond our comprehension.  His love like nothing we’ve experienced in any other relationship.

He’s the One whose footprints we should follow.  By doing so, we are placing ours right next to His and we are also leaving footprints for others.  Following Jesus, will show us the path to heaven and give us what we need to encourage those around us.  Time to stick our feet in the sand and move!

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THE WAY

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You walked the path of life for me – You suffered for my loss.

You sacrificed Your own dear Son, upon an ugly cross.

You did this for a worm like me, You gave to me your best

Now I can walk that road to You and in Your arms find rest.

I don’t deserve this precious gift.  I don’t deserve Your love.

I’ve spat upon this Son of Yours who came from Heaven above.

I’ve scorned Him as did men of old.  The scourge I laid on Him.

The nails that pinned Him to the tree, were placed there with my sin.

The story didn’t end that day.  It just began, you see.

For Jesus, Christ, the Son of God, returned to life for me.

The flesh that once was bruised and scorned and broken now is whole.

He conquered death – He rose again – He saved my dying soul.

KATHY BOECHER©

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BUMPS IN THE ROAD

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Most days we hope that things might go better than the day before.  When you’ve had a string of difficulties, you soon become disheartened.  When days turn into weeks,  months and years your disappointment can turn into bitterness and you eventually don’t even try anymore.

God doesn’t want us to get discouraged.  He wants us to turn to Him in these troubling times.  He wants us to learn – to grow and to flourish.  The little twists and turns on our way to eternity are nothing in comparison to the suffering His Son endured on His walk to Calvary.  He certainly didn’t have to do any of that.  He’s God!  He could have wiped away our sin like you erase a mistake in your writing.  He’s God!!  He can do anything.

Instead He chose to come to us – to be one of us – to live through the same difficulties we face – to be rejected by His peers – to teach, do miracles, show His power, to heal the broken hearted and restore life in more ways than one.

Golgotha was just outside the city limits of Jerusalem, but Jesus’ walk to His death carried more than the weight of the cross.  He carried the sin of the world upon His bloodied back.  The indignation He suffered on our behalf was so that our road would be made clear;  that the minor disturbances of this life would be easier – that we no longer would fear death.

We cannot dwell in the sins of our past if we are ever to move forward.  We must look to the end of the road – beyond our iniquities, our foolishness, our inadequacy – and into the face of our Savior.  He makes every road straight and clears the path to heaven for us, because HE IS GOD!

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LORD, HEAR MY PRAYER,

Words sometimes flow from my mouth like a gushing river.
Will I never learn that some of them might put someone on the defensive –
Or hurt feelings, or confuse or antagonize?
God please help me to think before I speak.
Help me edit the words I speak the same way I revise the words I write.
It would be nice to be able auto correct what we say.
I pray that I would never become a stumbling block to anyone.
I pray that I can remain silent until I’ve thought things through.
I pray for discernment and wisdom.
Lord, let my words be used to encourage, inspire and motivate.
Use me to share the only true Word that I can depend on –
Your Holy Bible.
Amen!

Posted in Bible, Christian devotion, Christian Poetry, Faith, Family, forgiveness, freedom, God, grace, Inspiration, Jesus, perseverence, Religion, SELF ESTEEM, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments