I was reading the book “The Ragamuffin Gospel” and was convicted by the author Brendan Manning’s words on the subject of self-hatred and a person’s own contempt. Manning believes that self-hatred is an enormous obstacle to loving other people. He says that we dislike others not because we love ourselves too much, but because we are not able to love ourselves enough. I believe that. In my life I see people everyday including myself that do not love themselves enough. Of course we act like we got it all together. But when things fall apart we feel unloved and unworthy. We “hide behind anger, sarcasm, or judgementalism because we are convinced that we don’t measure up ourselves”. We are not enough. Today and this week is a good time to start believing that Jesus “appreciates you for wanting Him. That He appreciates you “for giving comfort to another person….for pausing to smile at one of His children…and for learning more about Him”. In Jesus’s World, we are more than enough.

I think it is critical for people, including myself, love not only our neighbors, but ourselves. We all count. Our lives can have purpose. No matter how broken our lives are today we can begin to piece them back together thru our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Remember, He loves us in spite of ourselves. He loves us more than we love ourselves….Amen

God Bless You and have a great week…….

Don’t lean on your own understanding. I admit that there is much about Jesus that I don’t understand. There is much about the Bible I don’t understand. God is Big, really Big ….I am believing in something that is unbelieveable. I really don’t get how really awesome God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are. I am Believing in the God of a universe that I don’t come close to understanding. When I was teaching biology I taught kids about the human eye. Just the eye is a great witness to God. Charles Darwin in his famous book “The Origin of Species” said this….”To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus of different distances, for admitting different amounts of light and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree”.

Jesus came to free us of our sins. He died for us. I guess I am kind of like the blind man who, when asked how Jesus healed him and restored his eye sight, said….”all I know is that I was blind and now I can see.” Thats what my faith is like. I don’t need all the answers. It is simple, “I was blind now I can see.

1cor. 13:12…For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Have a great week and God Bless You……

It is by Grace you have been saved through faith—-and this is not from yourselves, it is the Gift of God——not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do….Ephesians 2:8-10

Why do most of us have a problem with this free gift from God? Why is it offensive to us? According to writer Tullian Tchividjian the logic of Grace is deeply offensive to our law-locked hearts. Jesus says, “of course you don’t deserve it, but I’m giving it to you anyway”. We wonder…….What is this really about? What’s the catch? This is too good to be true” Grace violates our deepsest sense of justice and rightness. So we choose death over freedom out of fear of losing control. Grace is hard to accept by most of us, if not impossible. Its too good to be true. So we, you and I, continue to resist God’s one way love and miss God’s most precious gift……His son Jesus, crucified on the cross for our sins.

John 14:6 – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God Bless You and have a great week…

What did Jesus die for? Singer/songwriter Twila Paris addressed this question in her 1994 song, “What did He die for”. She sang, “What did he die for, when he died for you and me. Made the sacrifice so that we could all be free. I believe that we will answer each to heaven, for the way we spend a priceless liberty. Look inside and ask the question…what did he die for when he died for me.”

I believe that Jesus is exactly who he says He is and did exactly what the Bible and history said He did. Now each of us must look inside ourselves and see where we stand with Jesus and just as importantly we need to find out who Jesus is. We need to pursue knowledge about the real Jesus because believe me there are a lot of false teachings and information about Jesus.

God Bless You in your pursuits………..

John 4:6 – I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life……….

If someone asks me why I believe in God(Jesus) my simple reply is because “He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life…..Jn 14:6. Jesus has shown me that I am broken….a sinner and thats not a negative thing all the time. It can be a positive. The more I learn about who I am and who Jesus is the more liberating it is. Jesus sets me free from the bondage of sin. I’m not perfect, sinless and never will be. But I now have a God that has a plan for me far, far, better than anything I could have done on my own. I Believe! Jesus is taking me somewhere that is beyond my understanding and He asks only that I trust and abide in him. Everyday can be something new. Although I still have my ups and downs, hit a lot of bumps, think and do some stupid things along the way , I now have a God that loves me in spite of myself. His grace and unconditional love is beyond my understanding and thats alright with me. I don’t have to know or have answers for everything. I just need to abide in Jesus and trust him that everything will work for my good. I guess I am saying just hang on and enjoy the ride….And BTW, the greatest book that has every been written with answers to all that troubles mankind is the Holy Bible. Might be good to take a look at it for answers. Jesus and his Word, an unbeatable combination.

Be Still And Know That I Am God……..Psalms 46:10

Have a Blessed week!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound……We need Grace, lots and lots of Grace and unconditional love. All day long we get bombarded with bad news. People need good news. The best news is that there is a God, his name is Jesus and he loves us always and unconditionally. We need to look at the glass as half full again. We need to be good honest role models for our children and full of unconditional love. We need to introduce them to Jesus and let them run with it. Give them hope everyday. If we fail, get up and try again. Don’t be a spectator. But get into the game and play. Wake up each day with renewed hope that we can find peace and happiness in this world on this day thru our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just remember, “He who has health has hope; He who has hope has everything.

Have a great week and remember that Jesus is not the enemy. God Bless!

Have you every wondered who Jesus really is. Author Brennan Manning writes, “Jesus’s name has given rise to vast theological systems, worldwide churches, crusades, reforms, and renewals. Church councils have rendered their opinions, as have historians, theologians, emperors, film directors, and all manner of believers and doubters.” Think of the songs written and art created in the name of Jesus. So obviously he is somebody. Each one of us must answer the question of “Who is Jesus?” for themselves. Other people cannot answer on your behalf. Jesus asks each one of us “but what about you…Who do you say I am?” Mark 8:29

God Bless you and have a great week.

Do you ever feel that your not enough? Of course you do. We all do. In her song “You Say” Lauren Diagle sings, “I keep fighting voices that say I’m not enough. Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up. Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low. Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know.” Jesus reminds us that we are enough just as we are. We don’t have to earn anything. Just abide in him and he will show us the way.

It seems like we are running to a finish line that doesn’t exist and only through Jesus can we find the peace that “we are enough”.

Have a great week……You are enough. Believe it!

Isaiah 40:31….But those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

In his book, “One Way Love” Tullian Tchividjian describes God’s grace as follows.” What is Grace? The definition comes from Paul Zahl. He explains that Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Its love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Its being loved when you are unlovable. Its unconditional love. Its one-way love It defies logic.”

I admit that I have issues with Grace. I grew up in a performance demanding society. I taught school for 40 years handing out grades for performance. I gave failing grades to kids. How do you think a teenager feels when someone tells him he’s a failure. I coached sports where winning is valued and losing is….unacceptable. So it was hard for me to accept God’s Grace and unconditional love. I was taught like all of us that we had to earn God’s love. Then Grace came along in my life and changed everything. I had a God in Jesus that loved me unconditionally. He loves me through the good, the bad, and the ugly. I still have problems with it. But I have come to learn as Tchividjian says, “It is true. Its the truest truth in the entire universe. God loves us independently of what we may or may not bring to the table. There are no strings attached”.

Have a great week and may you receive God’s gift of Grace everyday….Believe It!

1Corinthians 13:12….For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; Then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

We are imperfect, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We are broken so that’s the playing field. Instead of complaining about it or denying it we need to “play ball”. Mankind and the world is broken and that’s the truth. We need to be honest about this. I’m sure that some people are more broken than others, but we are all in need. What we need is a Savior and we have one in Jesus. The one that fully understands us, loves us unconditionally and extends a grace that is beyond our understanding. This not a new concept, just often forgotten or ignored. This has been the way for 2000 years and beyond. Do you think Jesus died on the cross for nothing? He died for something all right. He died for our brokeness and he has set things right for us. All we have to do is have faith, believe and abide in him……period. He redeemed us on the cross.

You’re right, pretty unbelievable.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God Bless you and have a great week!