Sometimes A Bark Is Worse Than A Bite

Have you ever gone to pet someone’s dog and next thing you know, it bites you? Most times, it happens so quickly that you don't see it coming. You stick your hand out to pet the dog and snap, there it is. It's a scary thing when it happens. Then forever after you are terrified when a dog begins to bark and come towards you. Your body seems to go into an automatic reaction; your heart begins to pound, your pulse quickens, adrenaline kicks in. Your thoughts begin to race and go ninety miles a minute. Panic sets in and fear takes over. That one instance of a dog’s behavior has now changed your reaction to every dog. Your reaction to a dog barking has now become fear.

So let me ask you, have you ever reacted this way with God? Not in fear, but in anger? Have you placed a request before God, said a prayer, only to feel that He didn't give you what you wanted? Have things ever happened in your life that have made you say "How could a loving God let this happen?" Have you ever gotten angry at God because you didn't get what you thought you wanted or maybe even, what you deserved? Then after that, every time something bad happened, your automatic reaction was to blame God?

Even in the strongest person with the most dedicated life to Christ, there are times that the hand we are dealt feels wrong. We all have those times that what we are given to deal with feels unfair. Times where we can not understand Gods purpose and it seems like He is just being mean.

Life at times is so unfair, it deals blows to us that are unexpected and painful. God didn't intend for it to be this way. He intended for the earth to be a sinless place of great beauty. A place where He could spend time with us in person. He only wanted to love us and be loved in return.

For that to be the case, He had to give us "free will", the ability to choose Him or not choose Him. But instead of choosing Him, we chose sin. In that choice things between man and God got broken. A sinless God can not look on a sinful man. He could no longer be with us in person. But He loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus to bridge the gap. He sent Jesus to take the sin and nail it to the cross. He made a way to get back to Him by us believing in His son.

The ugliness that is in this world comes because of our own free will. Because we have the right to choose, some people choose not to love God. They choose to live their life in a sinful way which can lead to ugly hurtful things. In the process, sometimes the people around them get hurt, but not by God, by people. We are living in a broken world right now. There are circumstances that are not ideal in Gods eyes. We can rest in the knowledge though, that in the end He will rectify things. He is a loving and forgiving God, but He could not be a holy God if He was not also a just God. In the end there will be a time of judgment. At that time those who have chosen not to accept the gift of salvation Jesus has to offer and instead choose their sin will be eternally separated from God.

God does not say that He will keep us from ever having any problems or hurts. He only says that through our relationship with Him, He will hold us close and carry us through them.

Psalm 57: 1 says Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of your wings I will make refuge, until these calamities have passed by.

When the people of Israel were discouraged God reminded them that it was Him that had carried them in the desert.

Deuteronomy 1:28-31 -Where can we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there." Then I said to you "Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place. "

It is in our trials and problems that we are able to see God most clearly. In those times, we are at the end of ourselves, the end of our ability to do things on our own. We begin to call out to Him and see Him show up. It is in those times that we get to see miracles and amazing things. We get to see the supernatural power of God and know that He is real, He is there. It is when nothing else but God can change things that He reveals himself the most and is ultimately glorified. In those times He tucks us under His wing and carries us through as He shows us His wonders.

He is a glorious God and even in our anger, He continues to love us. And I am so very thankful of that.

Blessing In An Envelope

Yesterday as I trudged out to the mailbox to pick up the mail, I was filled with internal dialog. It went something like this....

Financial stress has been mounting. The holiday season is upon us. My son's wedding in Texas is coming in January. There is never enough money at the end of month. House is on the market but not selling. What are we going to do? "Lord, we need a miracle here."

I open the mailbox, take out the mail and trudge back inside. Bill.... bill.... bill.... Hmmm. What’s this from the Carpenters Union? Probably just another health benefits notification. I start to put it all on the table. I'll just let my husband deal with it, I think to myself. Something changes my mind.... No, I might as well open it.

I stand and stare in amazement. It’s not a health benefits notification, it’s a check. And not a small check. It appears that the Union is paying us vacation benefits that we didn't even know we had. Once again the picture is much bigger than we can see from our vantage point. I was worried but as always God was not. He of course knew this would happen.

The tears begin to stream down my face as I pick up the phone to dial my husbands number. When he answers all I can do is sob. "Honey, what’s wrong?!?!" he says to me. "What happened?!?!" After I finally gain my composure all I can say to him is "I can't believe God, He is so good!" Once again God had delivered a miracle our way. This time it came through the mail in a little white envelope.


Why is it that we continue to doubt the goodness of God? Or that we hold onto our worry when we shouldn't? Why is it that we can't just put it all in His hands and leave it there? Over and over again He shows us that He is faithful, that He will take care of us. He provided manna to His people everyday for forty years, now that's a faithful God. Our flesh just seems to get in the way.

Today is Thanksgiving and I am once again in awe of God. I am thankful for many things but most of all for His faithfulness and love. I am blessed even when I least deserve it.

More About My Journey

I started this blog with the intent to go out and change the world and then write about it..... OK, maybe just talk to the world and meet people in it. All right, also to share my faith and the gospel.

What I am finding is, the one that is changing is me. I am overcoming fears and learning to take rejection in stride. I have found myself working harder on being more like Christ. And the more I work at it, the more I realize I have more to work on.

What it does do, is it drives me to my knees. It makes me more and more dependent on Him, my savior Jesus Christ. Everyday I see more of myself and ask for that part in me to be changed. I see the parts in me I never saw before and know how very precious the gift of the holy spirit is. I could not be like Christ without His spirit in me, changing me.

As I see these things I am reminded of the sacrifice He made for me. That He, the Father, sent his only son to die for me. That He, Jesus went of His own free will, to the cross for me. I need to be reminded of that. I need to remember the sacrifice that was made so I can know my great need for Him. So I stop doing life on my own and rely on Him like I should.

I have so much, but yet so little. What I am finding is the much of, that I need so desperately is HIM and the little that I need so little of is ME. And the more I get of Him, the more I seem to need. I am reminded of the song....

I need thee oh I need thee
Every hour I need thee
Bless me now my savior
I come to thee...

I believe it may even go further...... I need thee every minute. Every second.

I heard a sermon recently and the pastor spoke these words, "You are your fathers favorite child". Those words spoke volumes to me. I am my fathers favorite child. Even when I am not deserving. Even when I am sinful and disobedient. Even though I am but filthy rags. I am still His favorite. I am truly loved.

And so are you.

Gods View of Gay and Lesbian Marriage

I was asked the question by one of my sweet adopted daughters (at least I consider her mine), doesn't God want us to respect each other and when they want to be married or adopt shouldn't we respect that? I have given this question much thought and have looked to the scripture for the answers. In this I will try to give Gods perspective when it comes to this subject, but as always, don't believe it because a man (or woman in my case) says it, look to what God says in his word. Look it up in the Bible and read what He has to say.

First let me say that as I embark on territory that most don't like to even talk about, I do it with love not hate. There have been to many people hurt, physically and mentally by those that spew hate messages on this subject. I do not hate gays and lesbians, I have some people in my own life that have chosen this way of life that I love dearly. We have to learn as Christians how to love like Christ loved but still stand for the truth that the bible teaches. That is what I hope to reveal to you in this note.

So where did marriage start? .....

In the beginning when God created man, Adam was alone and given the job of naming the animals. As the animals were named, each had a mate. He would name the male and the female each with their own name. I am sure at this point he began to see that something was different, he did not have a mate. So, God put him to sleep and created woman to be his mate. This is the first instance in scripture that God shows us his intention for marriage. One man and one woman. (Genesis 1 and 2)

Genesis 2:24 says "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" God says when a man and a woman join together they shall become one. That is Gods intention, that we become one. Then in Genesis 1:27 God says "So God created man in His own image: in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

So what is God saying here, what does He mean? He is saying that both man and woman were created in His image. You say, how can that be when we are so different? True, but let me explain. Man was created in Gods image and carries Gods masculine qualities. Woman was created in Gods image and carries Gods feminine qualities. So together, man and woman most closely reflect Gods complete image. This was His design, man and woman would come together through marriage and most closely reflect Him and His qualities.

So what does the bible have to say when man decides to deviate from his plan and moves to sexual impurity and homosexuality?

Leviticus 18:22 - "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination"

1 Corinthians 6: 9-10 - "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God."

In Old Testament times - in Leviticus 20:13 - the punishment for homosexual behavior was death. This was done so that sin would not overcome the nation.

In Genesis 18 and 19 we are told about the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both were so full of what God called wicked sexual immorality that he destroys them saving only Lot and his family.

In Romans 1:24-32 Paul writes about those that choose unrighteousness. Verses 26 and 27 say this: "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."

OK, so we have scripture that shows us what Gods view is of homosexuality is. He considers it sexual sin, an abomination. Back to the original question, Does God want us to respect one another and a persons choice? Well, the answer is yes and no.

Absolutely, yes, God wants us to love and respect one another no matter what our choices are. He does not however want us to condone sin. He tells us to turn from sin ourselves and to warn other to do the same. None of us will ever be perfect, we are flesh and blood. But there is one who is perfect, his name is Jesus Christ. And he came to this earth over 2000 years ago, died on the cross, rose again on the third day so that our sins would be paid for. It is only through accepting that He died on the cross for us and making Him Lord of our life that we are acceptable in Gods eyes. Then comes the second part, we must turn from our sin and follow Gods truth revealed to us in His word.

So the most loving thing we can do for those caught up in homosexuality is not to just accept their decision to live the way they want so we can co-exist peacefully. It is to tell them the truth, that God considers what they are doing sin. That one day we will all have to stand before God and answer for our sins. But also, there is a way to become acceptable in God eyes and that is through Jesus Christ. We must show them that we do love them, that we love them so much that we would not want them to parish. We must show them that we love them by being concerned about their eternity and wanting them to be with us in heaven