Summer Smells

There are some things about this world that I think are wonderful gifts straight from heaven - and one of my favorite things is SUMMER! Now that I am getting older, the heat is a little hard to take, but I still love it! One of the only good things about living in the Midwest is that we have such a stark contrast between winter and summer, that it makes summertime even MORE delightful! Since it is the beginning of our summer season (technically, still spring for a few more weeks), some summer smells have just made me smile and bring back such wonderful childhood memories.

One of those smells is fresh cut grass. Even though it often makes me sneeze, I treasure this smell. It reminds me of when I was 10 when we moved to a new town and riding my bike all around to see whatever I could see - although it turns out there isn't much to see in a town of 500 without even a mini mart (they have one now, but not back then) or stop light. One time, we drove 10 miles away on a super hot summer day just to get some ice cream. My Dad drove so fast that we felt like a jet airplane getting ready for takeoff when we hit the HIGHEST SPOT IN HENDRICKS COUNTY - and if you are from there, you know exactly where I'm talking about. My dear friend hit a cow there once. Oh, I have side tracked..... 

Fresh cut grass reminds me of playing at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. It reminds me of waiting for Grandpa to be done mowing so we could put up the slip and slide. We would run and flop down on our bellies so hard and slide so fast, off into the freshly cut grass. Then I remember Grandma yelling at us to make sure we got all the grass off before we did our cannonballs into the pool. My Grandparent's house was the best place to be as a kid in the summertime. We swam in the pool for hours, ate Pizza Hut pizza, and then laid out in the sun for the appropriate 45 minutes after eating (you didn't want to get a cramp and drown). I can still picture Grandma writing out the check at home and Grandpa going to pick up the yummy pizza. You had to be sure and leave the crusts for Grandma, she loved them so much! I remember my Grandma floating in the pool and we were so jealous that she could just lay back and float, almost levitate like it was magic. Now, I realize that she had a little more, what do you say.....um.....she was a little more round than we were as kids so she could float easier. :) Now I test to make sure I CANNOT float.

One thing you may not realize, and might be one of the reasons that I love summer so much, is that my birthday falls at the beginning of July. So cookouts, pool time, summer heat, bright blue skies, blooming flowers, the gentle cooing of the mourning dove, the buzzing of the hummingbirds, and the bOOm and bANg of fireworks all bring back such fond memories of childhood. I thought all that was for MY BIRTHDAY. Silly child, I know. But the wonderful Fourth of July weekend seemed like one long holiday  -- all to celebrate me and whomever that Uncle Sam guy is. :)

One other distinct smell is that of sweat, sunscreen and chlorine all mixed together. It just smells heavenly to me. I love to spend days at the pool or beach and this smell just spells HAPPY TIMES!! I love it even more now that we have children of our own. We see how they grow each year, learning to swim, loving the water, and always yelling - "Mommy! Watch me do THIS!"  It is fantastic!

Summer may not be one of your favorite things like it is for me, but remember to enjoy the blessings are from God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Remembrance

The Bible says in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 that

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens;

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Here in America, this weekend is Memorial weekend, a time to remember. I would like to encourage you to REMEMBER the following for this weekend. Please don't read this and quickly pass it off. I pray that this will reverberate with you throughout the weekend (and beyond).

(1) We need to remember those who have served our country (and their families) and sacrificed MUCH for our security - something we probably all take for granted. These young men and women usually give a huge portion of their young lives (sometimes even sacrificing to the death) to serve our country. This sacrifice was more than the 4 years (or more) that this person served. Their entire lives have been changed, their personalities formed, their emotions and memories have been molded, their ideas about God, family, love, hate, sacrifice, and respect will forever be changed. The truth of the matter is that we do not give our armed service members, current, former and especially war veterans, the respect they deserve. We live in America, the land of the free and home of the brave, and we take our freedoms for granted. May we never pass by an officer in uniform and forget to say, "Thank you".

(2) In regard to the veterans who serve our country, we also need to remember (or for the first time become aware), that about one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans. Now how do you think we are treating our veterans? We are all so busy with our cookouts, parties and betting on who'll win the big race....and we have thousands of war vets living on the streets. How on Earth is this respectful of the sacrifice these people made for our safety and security? I would encourage you to not only just think and pray for these dear people, but to do a little something to give back. You can start by not ignoring that person on the street corner asking for money. Remember that they are people, made in God's image just like you and me. I read a book called "Under the Overpass" where a couple of guys decided to live like the homeless for a few months and one of the biggest things they experienced was not being treated like a human. There is a huge lack of respect, care and relationship. We can all do a little something to change this, even if it is to smile and ask how their day is going.

(3) Remember, and share, the story of how God brought you out of Egypt. In Joshua 4, God Joshua is instructing Israel, as they cross the Jordan River on dry ground to remember this day, and to tell it to their children.

" And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”"

Remember how God saved you from your sins (self) and has brought you into His Light. Remember what you are like without Him. Remember that without His Spirit working in your life, that your flesh would entice you right back into that lifestyle (Proverbs 21:2, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16). Tell this to your children. Be transparent so they can learn about God's grace, forgiveness, love, and mercy. When you realize you are a sinner, dead in your trespasses, God saves you from eternal judgement. Christ paid the price and you have been saved by God's amazing grace (Romans 5). And He saves us each day by giving us the strength to fight the good fight, and also by granting forgiveness when (not if, but when) we fail. We can never surprise God by our shortcomings. He loves us despite them -- all because of Christ.

(4) Remember those who have had a godly influence in your life. God put them there for a reason. He strategically intersected your lives so they could draw you towards Him. What a gift that person was from the Lord!
I have recently been thinking of one particular person in my life who was DEFINITELY a gift from the Lord. Doris was her name and lovin' the Lord was her game. Wow, she was a spry woman and I miss her so. She is probably about 25 years old now - she started counting backwards when she hit 50. :)  Unfortunately, we don't live very close so I have lost touch with her. She and her husband lived alone (their children were grown), but they drove a van. Why? So they always had room to take others to church who needed a ride. And you know that you could get a ride to any service or any church function, because they were always there. Choir - check. Pitch-in after church - check. Serving in Sunday School - check. Church meetings - check. I remember that if the church doors were open, they were there.  She was my rock during my crazy teenage years, definitely a gift from the Lord. I know she has many trophies awaiting her in heaven. 

Have you had someone touch your life this way? I would encourage you to not only remember them, but to also reach out and let them know that you are thankful for their godly legacy and influence in your life. What a blessing you can be for them!
Remember this above all else:

Give thanks to the LORD,

for He is good;

His love endures forever.



Patience

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.  As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:7-11

** Patience, perseverance, long-suffering, forbearing **

I recently listened to a sermon by one of my favorite pastors teach about patience out of the book of James. This was hard (but in a good, convicting sort of way) thing to listen to. He pointed out that patience is something that we SO admire in OTHER people, but we usually think it is a quality that we are unable to posess. It's unattainable. It is TOO hard to persevere and develop patience. Oh, when we think about it in a grandiose way, such as suffering the ills of this world and persevering until God takes us home.....then it seems to be something we can achieve. But when we think of it as persevering in struggles in our marriages, churches, friendships....it seems to be a bit more difficult, especially in this disposable world that we live in. People seem to run away at the first sign of trouble. If their feelings are hurt or they do not feel respected, they (we, me, I) are quick to find a new friend, or go to that other church around the corner, or dump that husband/wife and find a new "life partner" that will think they are AWESOME!

That is not what God instructs us to do. He tells us to be like the farmer. In our shiny, digital, fast-paced world, it is hard to remember the farmer. Think back with me. Remember Charles Ingalls who lived in that Little House on the Prairie? But think about how they lived. They relied on that crop for food. They worked and toiled and did everything in their power to bring a good crop. They didn't move and find a new place to live just because it was a bad season. They kept putting in the work, over and over, relying soley on hard work, long-suffering, forbearance, patience, and GOD. God is the One ultimately with the power to bring the sunshine and rain when needed. God is our life. Without the power of God in our lives, we are unable to bring forth any crop - fruit of the Spirit. 

Remember that fruit? Love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Yes, patience is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that this world tells us to just dispose of relationships that don't seem to be serving us well. We need to be different. We need to fight for our marriages. We need to put on LOVE, which covers a multitude of sins [1 Peter 4:8] and never fails [1 Corinthians 13:8]. We need to repent and repair our relationships in the church. The church is stronger when we stay, forgive and love each other. This is how we demonstrate the love and forgiveness of Christ  for the world. By doing things that don't make sense to outsiders. And you know what - forgiveness, long-suffering and love don't make sense. And that is why it is truly a GOD THING! Praise Him!

And the final point - why should we be patient? Because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Surprisingly enough, the rapture did not happen last Saturday as predicted (insert much sarcasm since NO ONE knows when the Lord shall come), Christ will return. It could be today, tomorrow, or a hundred  years from now. But if it is today, how will He find you? Patient and loving? Or more like the world, where people and relationships are disposable? 

God's Temple

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

What do you think it means, that our bodies are not our own and that it is a temple of the Holy Spirit? 

Before Christ's death, God's special dwelling place among His people was in a room called the holy of holies in the Tabernacle. No ordinary person could enter the holy of holies. Not even any ordinary Jewish Priest could enter. There were many restrictions set for the time of year that only the High Priest could enter, in a very specific manner, to do a very specific task. They even tied a rope to his leg in case he were to fall dead, they coud drag him out rather than go into the sacred place to retrieve his body  (click here for more information on the Tabernacle).

So do you get the picture? God's temple, His dwelling place, the holy of holies is important. It is important to God, therefore, it should be important to God's people. In this passage, we are commanded to glorify God with our bodies. So what does that mean? Are we given specific instructions? rules? regulations? skirt lengths? dietary restrictions?

There are not a list of rules, believe it or not. But there are things to consider.

Do you glorify God when you dress in a seductive manner as to gain the attention from the opposite gender? I don't mean putting on make up and looking attractive. I mean clothing that is too tight, too short, too low cut, too too - - just too much. You know what I mean. And ladies, you know when you are trying to get attention. Sure, the attention from men feels good.....but it is causing them to sin, and that can't be good.

Side note: I was driving by the High School in my area the other day and couldn't believe it. there were girls walking outside the school (during school hours - it appeared to be a class going for a walk together) and the shorts were unbelieveably short!!! I mean, what happened to the "arms at your side, shorts have to be longer than where your fingers land" rule?  or two inches above the knee? Moms - let's try to encourage our girls to be modest. Do you really want men thinking those thoughts about your daughter(s)?

When we are down and depressed, what does the world tell us to do? What do we feel like doing? Escaping. You know the feeling. Calgon, take me away! We all feel this way from time to time. But, escaping into the bottle or the half gallon of rocky road will not fix any problems. They only make the problems worse. They take us from having a bad day at work - to having a bad day at work PLUS cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, a DUI, a family that doesn't trust us, or a body that is in such poor shape that we are not able to enjoy walks with our kids (let alone a game of tag). And when we escape into things like booze, food, and exercise, we are not just escaping the problems but also the rest of our lives. If you feel the need to stop off and "relax" on your way home from work, you are missing out on time with your family. The question to ask is - what would God have me do when I am upset and feeling the need to escape?

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

In order to glorify God we need to call on Him when we are weak, not Blue Bunny, Otis Spunkmeyer, Papa Johns, Jim Beam or Jose Cuervo.

We are also commanded to not be mastered by anything. Therefore, if something has the potential to be addictive, we should stay as far away from it as possible.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12).



What about staying healthy and in shape? Is that a godly mandate? If a person is thin, does that mean they have more self-control, therefore they are more godly? Does that mean they will live longer?  For that last question - no. God can take anyone out of this world whenever He chooses to do so. The healthy and the unhealthy. In my humble opinion, I think that God is glorified when we strive to live a healthy lifestyle. When we eat healthier, it usually includes eating foods that look like something God created (fresh fruit and veggies, meat, fish, etc) rather than something that was made by Oscar Meyer or Chef Boyardee. Does that mean if you eat processed foods that you are not saved - NO WAY! It by no means is a reflection of a more saintly person. I just personally feel (and feel free to share a different opinion) that when we strive to take care of the temples that God has blessed us with, we are glorifying Him and showing our thankfulness.


At the end of the day, 
"whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).


More resources to help glorify God with our bodies:

Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Wow - this sure is a difficult passage to read, let alone apply to my life! How about you? Would you say that you are content, even in difficult circumstances? I can easily say that I am beyond content when things are going my way. You know the kind. For me it is when I wake up to the smell of a cup of coffee, made perfectly to my liking (ok, I'm spoiled and my DH has this for me most every morning) and the kids have had a *silent*, peaceful nights' sleep and awaken with smiles and hugs. My DH and DDs love to do whatever it is I suggest, there is peaceful music (classical piano is my choice) playing softly in the background and the morning sun is beaming in the windows. I even feel good - no swollen feet or knees, no headache, no feeling dizzy, lots of energy and to top it off, I even feel skinny. What a day this is!! It is EASY to be content when it is all rainbows and sunshine.

But what about when it is a storm of life? Something difficult to face? The death of a loved one? A bad doctor's report? A disobedient child? Hurtful patterns of abuse, bad choices and pain in the lives of those we love the most? A chronic injury, sinful pattern, illness or symptom(s) that is a near constant struggle. Are you, or better yet, am I, content? Can we take it a step further and be thankful? Oh me, oh my! This is difficult.

Some things to remember as we suffer (and we do suffer, right?).

 * This world is temporary and passing away. For those of us who love the Lord and have accepted Christ as our Savior will spend eternity, not 50 years, not 80 years, not even 100 years - but forever!

• Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

* Our difficulties and sorrows are being used by the Lord for our sanctification process; to grow us into Christ-likeness. They are ultimately for our good.

• James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.   

* God is always there for you (and for me). He never sleeps. He never goes on vacation. He was and is and always will be.

• Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit."
• Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee"
• Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

* Think of those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus and faith to know that God is in control. I wonder how they even get out of bed each day? They call upon statues that were made by man's own hands that have no power to help them. These people suffer worse than we do (as Believers)  because they do not have the assurance of a saving faith. They desperately need the good news of the gospel. (reference Psalm 115) ** See footnote **


So despite our sufferings, what we need to focus on, and show the world, is that we love because Christ loved us. We have the power to forgive others who have hurt us because He forgives us for all of our sins. We can continue to find ways to serve even when enduring physical pains because Christ was sweating drops of blood as He anticipated Calvary - yet He continued on. We can continue to love that unloveable person in our lives because Christ died for us while we were yet sinners and an enemy of God.

So continue on. Fight the good fight.

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. [Philippians 1:6]

** If you do not know if your name will be written in the Lamb's book of Life, please ask me or someone else who can answer these questions. This is the most important decision of your life.

My Poor Bike Commuting Husband

My DH has a rough morning here and there - and he tries really hard to draw on the Lord for strength and patience (part of his sanctification process) - but some mornings are harder than others. Here is a brief description of the morning he had yesterday. If you don't already know, he rides his bike to work each day, so he could probably write his own blog about the comings and goings and close calls.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Written by Ed:


Rough start to the morning. Got a desperately needed back tire replacement yesterday. Went to change it this morning, and sliced open my inner tube as I was popping off the old tire. No biggie – I had another that had a small leak. I patched the leak and mounted it up.


So when I was ready to leave for work, it started pouring down rain. Again, no biggie – I went into the house, wrapped everything in my pack with plastic bags, threw on an extra shirt, and headed out again.


When I got on my bike, I noticed that the tire was flat. Arrggghhh! I grabbed the “sliced” tube and patched it. Then quickly popped off the other tire, swapped tubes, and re-mounted.


Had a little bit of an issue getting the tire re-mounted, (was hurrying too much), but when I did, guess what? It was already flat. OK, now my sanctification is in SERIOUS danger.


I went to look at the tube that wasn’t mounted (at this point – the one that was not sliced), and noticed that the hole that I patched was close to the seam, and this seemed to have caused a crummy patch job. I took a little more care, re-patched it, then pulled the tire (again), swapped the tubes (again), and re-mounted the tire (After first fully inflating the patched tube to check for additional leaks). After swapping them, I looked at the sliced tube and noticed that I had sliced it in more than one place. Nice.


This time, I was able to mount up and make it to work. Needless to say, I was a “little” late. Will be interesting to see if it holds air thru the entire day. Might have a Wal Mart run in my lunch plans to get an unpatched tire to have on hand – just in case.

Sweet Treat

Oh, if you haven't heard this song yet, you're in for a "sweet treat"! This is a fantastic song for those of us who LOVE CANDY (my DD loves this song, too)! Yes, I admit it. I love candy! It is a hard thing to gain control over and to make sure I am not going to the sweets when I am stressed - when I should take all my cares and concerns to the King of Kings. Just sayin'.

Enjoy! You might be in danger of a cavity just by watching the video. :)

Birds

To some, a bird is a bird is a bird. But when I look out in the backyard, I am filled with marvel and amazement at the differences and details that God used when He created the "winged birds". Their colors are magnificent. The way they gather food and nesting materials is enchanting to watch. The different nests they make, in all sorts of sizes, shapes, made with different materials, made in different things....just amazing! I am sorry. There is no way you can look at these details and deny they were created by a wonderful and loving Creator.


This morning I was entertained for a few minutes by an Oriole who thought she had found the perfect twine for her nest. Click here to see the video. Now, if I can just figure out where her nest is, I can be entertained throughout much of the spring as she cares for her young. I just hope Blacky doesn't find her nest.

I am reminded of Genesis 1:20-23
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

Survivor

I have been a dedicated Survivor fan for a very long time. Actually, since the first season started - many moons ago. I love it! And I have no idea why. I hate the thought of eating gross things (although they don't seem to do that much anymore - and I am thankful). I despise the lying and back stabbing and blind siding. I am not a big fan of people running around in magenta skivvies - or even in their skimpy swim suits (and I have a strong opinion about children watching this type of stuff on TV, but more on that in a different post). I think it is disgusting to not brush your teeth for a month (although I am sure they all are sent the best whitening package ever before they go on the show because there is no way, statistically speaking, that all the people they choose could coincidentally have teeth that white). And don't get me started on deodorant. They are always saying how HOT it is on location - imagine that without CREST or RIGHT GUARD.  ICK and DOUBLE ICK!  You know, I am not even a competitive person. I prefer to play a game and not even keep score.

So why do I like Survivor?

I love to see the exotic locations. I love to see God's creation (well, minus the spiders they constantly show)! I love how their lives are not filled with junk. It is down to the basics. Food, water, shelter. I love to see the relationships form and find out how people emotionally and physically handle the extremes. Best of all, I love players like Matt.

Did you watch this season? Unfortunately, Matt didn't win. He came close, very close. He endured hardships. He was isolated much of the time from the other players. He had to handle getting the essentials for daily living nearly all alone (if you don't know, he was on Redemption Island most of the game, alone). He struggled and he admitted it. How did he pull through - by the grace and strength that only God can provide. And Matt constantly gave God all the glory. He talked SO MUCH about God, that the secular media producers couldn't provide any clips where he didn't give God glory. One woman, as she was leaving the "island" declared that she would go home and find a church because she wanted "what Matt had". Another guy said that he also became closer to God because of the example that Matt was to the rest of the players. He prayed to God before the meals. He thanked God for everything, even the trials. Wow! God received SO MUCH face time on primetime TV. Fantastic! I loved it. I was like someone watching the final minutes of the NBA final game. Sitting on the edge of my seat, just waiting for what Matt had to say next. He didn't win, but he was on every episode - and therefore, God was well represented on every episode of Survivor this season.

I'm not sure I'll even watch next season because I just can't imagine how this season could be topped. I am sure the devil has a plan to take the show back for himself and I do not really want to be a part of that. But this season - God was glorified! I love it!

Opinions

Ok, so I have decided to start blogging more. It seems everyone has an opinion these days - and what do they do with their opinions? They post them on the web. Either on Facebook, or they Tweet them, or email or blog..... it turns out that I have just as many opinions as the next guy and I am choosing to post them to this blog. So, you, with all of your own opinions, can choose to read this blog or ignore it. I think you should choose to read it. Why? I am going to have opinions on a vast array of things, and try to come at them from a Biblical Worldview. That means, I am not your average 35 (well, for another month or so) year old woman. My focus is God and bringing Him glory. I try to think about God most of the day - and try to think about His Kingdom. Remember the Lord's Prayer?

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
 
This prayer says that we are to want, focus on and pray for God's Kingdom to come on the Earth and for His will to be done on Earth as it is in heaven. That means we need to want what God wants. Do you ever think about that? Do you think of that when you are completing the seemingly mundane tasks for the day? How can you grocery shop and still be striving to bring God's Kingdom to Earth? If you begin to pray this way - God will open the eyes of your heart and show you.
 
Ok. So I have opinions. Can you tell they might be strong opinions? Don't worry. It won't get TOO preachy. I leave that for the Pastor. I just want to help you be Kingdom focused (and help myself) in all areas of your life. This culture is so thick with sneaky sinful opinions that creap in unnoticed that it is time we saturate our lives with redeeming opinions.
 
BTW - my opinion can only be Kingdom focused because Jesus died for my sins. I have repented and my sins have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Have yours? Email me if you have more questions about this. There is no such thing as easy believism. There are no free rides into heaven. It is a narrow gate and it takes more than just saying you love Jesus to get through the gate. It is easy and difficult all at the same time.
 
But it is worth it.