Verse of the Day - Psalm 143:8

Let me hear Your loving kindness in the morning; for I trust in You; teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul. ~ Psalm 143:8 (NASB)

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These words from the Psalms come from one who sounds like they are full-face toward God -- they are seeking Him with all their being, wanting to be close to Him and do the things that please Him. That is a beautiful thing to witness.

This past Sunday, I met a woman reaching out for God, for community, for friendship, for love. She loves God and cried out to Him for help. She knew that He was her best and only source of comfort and help, and she has been seeking a church family that could come alongside her and walk the walk with her. What a blessing to meet her, cry and pray with her, and put her in touch with some beautifully loving ladies who immediately took her under their wings and embraced her. Her response was to thank God for answering her prayers and meeting her needs. She's excited about becoming part of a women's Bible study and now having some familiar faces in the worship service. I know God is working mightily in her life, as she has sought Him for her life needs.

Our lives may not be perfect. In fact, who are we kidding? None of our lives are perfect. But running to God, seeking Him for our needs and surrendering to Him our weaknesses, is the best and only thing we can do for real life. Because He is life -- at its fullest...at its purest...at its best.

Reach for God and you reach for life. I pray that is the direction you're running toward today.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Proverbs 21:2

All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. ~ Proverbs 21:2 (NIV)

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Are we, as believers in Christ, really interested in becoming more like Him, or are we content to just go along running on our own instincts? Do we really want the mind of Christ, or do we just want to make up our own mind? Hmm...

God says that He can help us if we're interested, because He weighs our hearts against His truth -- if it's not in line, there is some tweaking that needs to be done. But I wonder how much we're listening to Him as we go about our days...

~ Someone does something that you don't like, and you're ready to give them a piece of your mind. Does it occur to you to check with God and see if it's something you ought to do, or do you just run headlong into ranting and raving?

~ You get a bonus check from work and think of all the things you could buy for yourself. Does it occur to you to check with God to see if He'd like you to do something selfless with it, (or at least something frugal like your own personal debt reduction), or do you just run headlong to the mall to spend it?

~ You have the freedom to check personal email while at work and it seems harmless enough. Does it occur to you to check with God to see if you're abusing this privilege and not honoring your employer with an honest day's work, or do you just run headlong into time mis-management and a less-than-stellar work ethic?

(please know that I am speaking to myself here, too -- these aren't just ouches for you, my friends... :-)

When we decide to take our spiritual growth seriously and want a heart after God's own heart, we will be willing to listen to God as He weighs our heart. If the scales aren't tipping in His direction with our thoughts and actions, He will let us know. Question is: Will we listen AND will we make change if necessary?

Obedience is a discipline. But more than that, it is an act of love toward God. And our love for Him is manifest when we actively pursue a godly heart. Be willing to check with God today as you go about your daily life. Be willing to watch and see how the scales of your heart tip -- toward God or toward self -- and pursue godliness, obedience and spiritual growth.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Proverbs 15:6

The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings them trouble. ~ Proverbs 15:6 (NIV)

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What's in your house -- treasure, or trouble?

It really doesn't matter if you have money, or don't. Because treasure can be found in the poorest of households. And trouble can be found in the richest.

One of my favorite new TV shows is "Royal Pains", where an ER doctor from Brooklyn, who got fired for "allowing" a rich hospital trustee to die while saving a "commoner" who was dying, drives up to the Hamptons with his wily brother for a party, and ends up saving a girl's life. This leads to his new-found career as a "concierge doctor", a paid physician to the rich. It becomes clear in the first episode that wealth is not always a 'walk in the park'. With money comes a whole host of temptations to abuse the body, neglect the family, and seek solace from all the wrong sources. And no matter how many art collections and tennis courts they have, it cannot correct or make up for the train wreck of a self-led life.

That is trouble.

Yet, on the other hand, is a film I watched yesterday, called, "Madea's Family Reunion". At this black family's reunion, set at the homestead of their slave ancestors, Cicely Tyson gives an impassioned speech to the family after their 96-year old matriarch walked the property and saw foolishness in those who had come -- young men gambling and arguing, and young women treating and using their bodies as sexual attractions. She called them to remember their ancestral heart roots which were grounded in God -- love, compassion, forgiveness, tenderness, godliness. And to start acting on those.

That is treasure.

God is the source of treasure in ones heart and in ones home. Wickedness is the source of trouble. When we trust in God and give ourselves to Him, desiring to do His will, we gain treasure. Maybe not the kind that can be seen in display cases or gated communities, but the kind that lasts -- spiritual treasure -- a heart that loves God and loves others, which spawns a myriad of godly treasures down through the generations.

I pray that you can count the true treasures in your life that come from walking with God and living for Him.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Matthew 16:25

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ~ Matthew 16:25 (NIV)

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Quiz time. Jesus talking about:

a. Becoming a real-life martyr for the Christian faith.
b. Giving up all creature comforts here on earth to be a missionary in a 3rd-world country.
c. Releasing all holds on what I want and choosing what He wants for me.
d. All of the above.

If you answered 'D', you're more right than choosing just one of A-C. Now, it doesn't mean that you have to go to Mongolia to serve as a missionary, but you might be asked to. It doesn't mean that you would die there, but you might. But answer C is true for all believers. That spurs all other acts of self-sacrifice for Jesus Christ, whether it leads us to Mongolia, martyrdom, or staying home and leading a life that says that God is in charge of your heart and mind.

Jesus says, You just don't get it. Living your life to please yourself is really a road to nowhere. It looks good and might feel good, but it's earthly -- meaning mortal and won't last forever. And Forever is where you need to be looking, where you need to be heading. And I'm not only the sign-pointer, but your ticket and transportation to get to there. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You've got to get on board with me, not the other way around.

So, the bottom line is: Who are you serving? Self, or the Savior? True life hangs in the balance.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Leviticus 19:18

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
~ Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)

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God knows us pretty well, doesn't He? He knows that is our natural response to insult and injury -- seeking revenge and bearing a grudge. We want payback, man! We want them to suffer! We want to give them the death glare every time we see them so they KNOW how much we hate them!

Gee, just writing those last few lines puts a bad taste in my mouth. Do any of us really want to be like that when it is laid out in black and white like that? That kind of heart is just plain ugly. And today's verse could be summed up in the popular phrase, "God don't like ugly..."

And God ends this command with an interesting phrase, "I am the Lord," but it makes total sense. It's the authority line that parents tack on to the end of 'clean your room' or 'don't stick that straw in your brother's nose' -- "...because I'm the parent, and I said so." Authority. I'm in charge here, and I need you to behave and do right. And because I'm in charge, I have the power to help you see the error of your ways with a little thing I call 'discipline'. It hurts me more than it hurts you, but it is necessary because I can't have my child running around hurting other people and themselves.

So how we view people who treat us poorly is high on God's priority list. And since He's God, He can see right through us into our heart (1 Samuel 16:7) -- there's no sense in trying to hide your feelings of hatred and revenge toward others from Him. He knows that is our natural inclination, but He also tells us to get His help in making spiritual change (Romans 12:2).

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ~ 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

The next time someone does something negative toward you, check your heart. Does it get ugly? If so, God says to cut that weed down -- don't water it! Cut it down with God's own glory and goodness. That is love in action -- love for God, love for humanity, love for yourself.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
~ John 1:1 (NIV)

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This is a pretty well-known verse to many believers in Christ. It declares Jesus' deity as God, which is the crux of our faith, because without His sinless sacrifice (sufficiency over sin) and resurrection (sufficiency over death), we are still dead in our sins and our faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15). But I've always honed in on the last part of today's verse about Jesus being God, and sort of bypassed the part about Him being with God. That clearly defines at least two parts of the trinity -- I'd just never really quite noticed that before. (That often happens when we gloss over verses we think we know so well -- it's a good reminder to slow down and allow the Holy Spirit to help us see things in God's Word that we may have previously missed.)

This concept made me think of an egg. Crack open an egg, and you have two parts -- the yolk, and the white. They come in the same package but are distinctly separate; yet, they are both egg. Thinking about Jesus being separate from the Father, yet the same God, is a concept that many have trouble with. And because they can't grasp it in their mind, they decide that it's bogus and not worth believing in. All I can say is, look at the egg. (Now where the Holy Spirit comes into play in the whole egg analogy is where it sort of breaks down...this just goes to show that God is bigger than His creation and we can't always fit Him neatly in our little analogy boxes... lol!)

Although I may have difficulty comprehending the separateness yet togetherness of Jesus and the Father, that does not keep me from believing it's truth. That's because I recognize that I am a finite, limited being -- created by One who is infinite and unlimited. His complexity no one can fully comprehend. But His Holy Spirit has come into my spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and confirmed the truth in me.

I choose to stand on the mystery of the triune God forever. How about you?

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - 2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV)

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I used to have pretty bad nightmares as a little kid. Monsters were common, and other really scary circumstances were vivid in my sub-conscious. But my conscious mind was also very aware of the devil -- and he scared me, too. My sister used to have little comic Bible tracts, and I remember some of them being extremely graphic for a little kid, with pictures of hellish demons and flames of eternal fire. Sheesh, talk about scaring the "hell" out of someone...! I did not want to go there, and I was scared of the devil who was going there! (I guess that was the point, but I'm not sure that's the kind of motivation we really want to spark in people to move toward God...)

Certainly, the devil is real, and His tactics are dangerous and ever-present. But if the Lord God is your Father in heaven because you choose Him to be and Jesus is your Savior because you choose Him to be and the Holy Spirit is your internal counselor because you choose Him to be, then you have the eternal spiritual backing to stand confident in the face of the evil one. He may assault you, but he can't defeat you. He may tempt you, but he has no power over you that you don't give him in your life, because greater is the Spirit of God in you than the spirit of the world (1 John 4:4).

The Lord is faithful to strengthen and protect His children from the evil one. Don't be afraid, my friends, when you sense his attacks. Stand firm in the strength of your God, and move forward in doing good and advancing God's kingdom. Although the devil is powerful in the world, he is no match for the God who created him and who reigns victorious over all the earth. I hope you can take great comfort in God's victory over sin and death and the evil one, and grow in spiritual strength as you lean on and learn from Him. God is mighty to save, amen?

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Isaiah 40:31

...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
~ Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

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Lately, I've been tired alot. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and needing more sleep, or whether I just need a vacation, or what (probably both!) I sit here in the morning and am already thinking of taking a nap mid-morning at work -- lol! Sleep and rest seem like precious commodities these days, and naps just sound sooo attractive. :-)

So, what about spiritual naps? Do we need those, too?

We certainly can get fatigued in our spirits, that's for sure. Whether it's because we're super busy doing ministry, or doing alot of mental gymnastics because of difficult situations and circumstances going on around us, or feeling a generalized sense of spiritual burnout, we may be in desperate need of a spiritual nap! A time when we stop the whirling of our world . . . when we rest . . . when we wait on the Lord.

Toddlers need naps, but don't know they need them, and will usually fight tooth and nail not to take them (insert my youngest child's name here... :-) But as we get older (and wiser), we recognize the need, and even the joy, of taking naps. We know our body needs rest and rather than fight the downtime, we revel in it. So, too, with spiritual naps. As we grow in our relationship with God and walk the daily walk with Jesus, we come to revel in resting in Him, and getting recharged spiritually.

Please don't think you can tackle the world on your own without resting in God -- He alone can restore and recharge our hearts and minds as we choose to take spiritual naps, knowing He watches over us and acts in love on our behalf, His children whom He loves.

If you're spiritually stressed out and fatigued, you probably need a nap. Give God your worries and concerns, and rest -- you'll be amazed at how different the world appears when you rest and let God do what needs to be done, in you and for you.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - James 3:9-10

We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people, whom God made like himself. Praises and curses come from the same mouth! My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.
~ James 3:9-10 (NCV)

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The more and more I think about James, I think maybe he was like John Wayne...or Clint Eastwood...or Charles Bronson. He never pulled any punches, shot straight from the hip, and gave it to us with both barrels. And these verses are no exception. He doesn't let us get away with being double-minded about how we use our mouths, without telling it like it is.

You praise God and curse men from the same mouth...

What if you turned on your kitchen faucet one day, and from the cold water side you got fresh water, and from the hot water side you got contaminated water? How could you guarantee the health of you and your family with that threat? One day, you might be safe, but heaven forbid someone hits the hot water by mistake. And what about the dishwasher? It uses hot water. And what about your showers and baths? You use hot water for those, too. You would be running terrible risks for your whole household! So, you would do whatever it took to fix the problem and restore your water system.

So, why do we let contaminated stuff come out of our mouths toward other people? Why do we think it's okay to give God praise and then yell obscenities at our kids or our spouse? Who gave us the right to use our tongue as a weapon of mass destruction? And what does God think of the praise from our mouth when we also wield that weapon on humanity? Do the two counteract each other? Hmm...

Bottom line is that people are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and God expects us to honor His most beloved creation. James says that as we honor God, so we should honor people with our words. I would go so far as to say that the proper use of our tongue toward other people is an act of worship to God, because we're laying down on the altar our selfish weapon, and allowing God to turn it into a scepter of love. Useful for dispensing kindness, not slashing hearts. To be wielded for compassion, not malice.

Has God changed your tongue from a weapon of war into a scepter of love? Check yourself today and every day, and give over to Him your tongue, which carries great power to destroy or build up.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Acts 5:40-41

They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ~ Acts 5:40-41 (NIV)

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The apostles' response to their treatment isn't what most people would do or expect others to do. I think it would be much more natural to stage a protest, file a lawsuit, write a scathing blog, alert the media...basically, make a big stink about the unlawful and unethical treatment of Christians. Isn't that what you would do, if some of your friends from church were hauled into court and slammed with jail time for preaching on the streets?

And not only did the apostles who had been jailed and flogged not raise a public outcry for the injustice done to them, but they went away rejoicing. Why? Because they "had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." See, back in that day, they had a keen sense of connection with Christ's suffering, having watched it with their own eyes. They had a keen sense of connection with God's love through Him, having touched Him with their own hands. They had given themselves to Jesus 100%, wanting to be like Him in every respect, even to the point of participating in His suffering. They considered it an honor to suffer for Jesus Christ, not an injustice to be rectified!

We can get sidetracked when we deflect the honor of Christian persecution and spend precious time and energy trying to right the wrongs against believers for their faith. The apostles gave God glory for the honor of suffering for Him, and then went right on preaching and teaching. They wasted no time writing petitions, pounding on politicians' doors, or trying to garner support from the people for their restitution. They simply went back to the Father's business.

I think it's interesting that the stories we hear of people fighting for the rights of believers today who are being persecuted for their faith are being waged by those on the outside of the story -- the Western world, the international community, those not experiencing the actual suffering. When you read stories of those who are in the throws of Christian persecution, you hear a very different tune. You hear rejoicing and gladness for being honored to participate in Christ's suffering. And you hear love for their persecutors. Like Christ.

We have a hard time understanding how someone could rejoice when they are cut and bleeding from a flogging, how they could praise God after being thrown in jail because of their religious affiliation. But the apostles and modern day martyrs had come to a blessed understanding of giving their lives for the life of Christ. This is a supernatural mindset, but not unattainable. May we strive to acquire, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that mindset which chooses Christ over all other earthly comforts and concerns, which chooses closeness with Jesus over life itself.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - James 1:22

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
~ James 1:22 (NASB)

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(Note: Today, one of my usual perusal websites had James 1:22 as their daily verse. I thought I'd written on this verse previously, and I was right -- on 1/9/09. but when I reread it, it all seemed new to me, and I thought it was pretty good. So here's a reprint of my VOTD from 1/9/09. Thanks!)


"Green" rules for energy are all around us. We hear commercials and whole documentaries about becoming "green". Major political platforms revolve around global warming and the energy crisis, and I believe we do have a responsibility to do what we can to conserve our resources. But it doesn't do us a lick of good to fill our head with facts about conservation if we never do anything about it. I can store up $1-off coupons for fluorescent bulbs all I want, but unless I actually buy them and replace my incandescent bulbs with energy efficient fluorescents, I have done nothing responsible, nothing good. I can know it's the responsible thing to turn off lights when leaving a room, but unless I do it, I continue to be an energy waster . . . bad dog.

So, too, with God's word. We can delude ourselves into thinking that we are spiritual people by reading the Bible. Information does not equate to transformation - - that's the delusion, my friends. God's word isn't just another box to be checked off of your 'to-do' list...

~ Go to the grocery store...."check"
~ Do the laundry..."check"
~ Read my Bible for 15 minutes..."check"
~ Spank the kids and yell at the dog..."check"

I mean, what good does the information do, if it just fills up your head and never gets translated into action? It's just a $1-off coupon sitting in your wallet.

Jesus said it so well...

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." ~ Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

When you read and hear God's word, let the Holy Spirit move you to act on it. Be obedient to God's call for change in your life, because it's for your good and the good of His kingdom. When we allow God to transform us to godly living, we are blessed with peace, and those around us are witness to the power of God to make change in our sin-sick world.

So, don't just cut spiritual coupons -- change the light bulbs in your life!

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Psalm 33:2-3

Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
~ Psalm 33:2-3 (NLT)

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As I read these verses this morning, I could almost visualize David standing in the temple courts addressing the ensemble of musicians, pointing to the lyre players, "You, over there -- Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre!" and then pointing to the harpists, "And you -- make music for Him on the 10-stringed harp..." And then David seems to say, "Don't play stale melodies -- make a NEW SONG to the Lord!"

This came as a bit of an epiphany to me this morning. What if God was saying through David, Not the same old stale music you've been playing for eons, please. Can't you come up with something fresh? Is your worship and relationship with me so old, that you have no creativity and inspiration for something new?!? Music should be a reflection of where you are with me now! So, where are you with me now?

All I can say is that these thoughts this morning stomp on a lot of church history, and you don't have to agree with me even a little bit. Don't get me wrong -- I love the old hymns and choruses. But what is David saying when he says 'sing a new song to the Lord'? Oh, sure -- you can spiritualize it and say he's talking about our "heart music", but the reality is that he was speaking to the temple musicians and singers! These were instructions for the worship leaders -- make music for God, play skillfully, and sing a new song to the Lord!

Is it possible that we allow ourselves to stagnate in worship with the ancient tunes? Is it possible that we are squelching our spirits by refusing to sing a new song? I don't speak just to those over 60, or over 40. Every generation needs to sing a new song to the Lord, at each new season! We need to allow our spirits to soar to new worship heights, and not get stuck in the mud of the "same ol', same ol' ". And why I think this is important is because we are creatures of habit. We are rut-runners. And pretty soon, worship can become so routine that it is meaningless to our souls. Songs are memorized, so that no one needs the music, and out come the words and the tune, and we may not even be stirred in our spirits at all, thinking instead about what's for lunch, instead of the God we serve! You know it's true, my friends. You know it's true.

Sing a new song to the Lord today. Allow yourself to listen to some new worship -- freshen your spirit with music that might even catch you off guard, and liven up your adoration of our Lord! Old is good, but new is good too!

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - James 4:17

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. ~ James 4:17 (NLT)

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Dang. You mean the Christian walk isn't just about the "don'ts"...? There are "do's", too...?

Uh, yeah. There are "do's", too....

Funny, I remember being in a church where an older guy prayed out loud once, rather liturgically, "Lord, forgive us for our sins of omission and commission..." I guess that pretty much covers the entire gamut of what we omit (don't do) and what we commit (do do). But I think sometimes we think we're doing pretty good if we don't swear, don't have hateful thoughts, don't break the law (does speeding have to be included in that?!? :-). But God calls us to a higher standard -- we have the flip side of the 'don'ts' that we're responsible for, too. Dang...

~ You know you should call so-and-so because they need encouragement -- God brought them to your mind and you're thinking of them. But you also know that they are a whiner and will talk your ear off. Should I, or shouldn't I call? Will I, or won't I?

~ You see a person in the grocery store parking lot struggling with their groceries, and your heart (God) says to help them. But time seems short and you have your own shopping to do. Should I, or shouldn't I help? Will I, or won't I?

~ You sit down to watch TV and see your Bible on the coffee table. You feel a prick in your soul because it seems like every day goes by, and you routinely sidestep getting in touch with God. But TV is mindless, and you've had a hard day. Should I, or shouldn't I read? Will I, or won't I?

I think doing what's right is often harder than not doing what's wrong. It takes more discipline, more effort, more commitment to be on the offense rather than just on the defense. Welcome to Team Believer! :-) But, the good news is that God will give us what we need to be on the offense, to be pro-active in doing the "do's".

God never said that being well-rounded in your spiritual walk wasn't gonna be a stretching experience. He says if we're only playing one side of the record by avoiding the "don'ts", we're sinning. Ouch. Rather, we need to play the flip side, too, and do the "do's", as well.

So, today . . . do the do. :-)

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Psalm 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
~ Psalm 68:5 (NIV)

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So many people have a warped understanding of God's heart. Because they don't know Him, they look at the world around them, with all the wars and hatred and killing, the drug abuse and domestic violence and child neglect, and think God is a mean 'hater', who either doesn't know what He's doing, or simply enjoys watching the ants on earth squirm. Oh, and hell? People think that any God who would send people to hell is just mean and nasty.

First of all, every evil in this world was brought on by the selfish rebellion of humanity, not the heart of God. And second of all, God doesn't send anyone to hell; they choose it when they reject the pure and holy God, who is light and life and goodness.

The Bible continually tries to shed light on the real heart of God. He is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows. He is compassionate on those who can't take care of themselves, who struggle to survive without help from others. I think of the widow in the Old Testament, who was ready to eat her last meal with her son, since there was no more food in the house, and be ready to die. But God saw her need and her pain and sent Elijah, and miraculously provided oil and water to meet their needs (1 Kings 17). Or how about the widow in the New Testament who walked the road with the mourners as she went to bury her only son (Luke 7)? God saw her need and her pain, and Jesus met her on the road and brought her son back to life! He was not so lofty in heaven that He didn't see and act on their behalf. That doesn't sound like a mean God to me...

I pray that you know and understand the true heart of God. He loves people so much, but He hates their sin. The evil that runs wild in the hearts of humanity cuts Him like a knife, because it is the tool of the evil one, who is bent on utterly destroying everything that is good and right -- everything that God is about. God is about people -- He loves them dearly and longs to care for them, to meet their needs. If you don't believe me, read the Bible for yourself. See and hear the heart of God, for it is compassion and love at its best.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Isaiah 61:10

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
~ Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)

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Oh, if only we were content like this verse says -- to recognize, appreciate and take joy in what God gives those who choose Him . . . salvation and righteousness.

But no. We want health, wealth and prosperity. We want comforts, pleasure and luxury. We want no ills, trials nor temptations. We want, we want, we want. Wow...

God says, You're missing the essence of life itself! You were dead, and I gave you spiritual life. You were wicked, and I cleansed you with My righteousness. And that's not enough for you?!? That should make you ecstatic...but instead, you sidestep these gifts, and dwell on earthly, temporary things. I'm sorry you feel that way, because you're really missing it...

How cheap we make God's grace when we lose the joy of our salvation! How common we make His mercy when we disregard the miracle of our soul's cleansing! These are HUGE . . . yet we look right through them, as if looking through a window. We struggle so much with finding fulfillment in this life, with experiencing joy in our world. Is it possible that we've missed it, because we didn't acknowledge and embrace God's greatest gifts of salvation and righteousness alone, without looking or longing for anything else? I think maybe so.

Back to basics, people. Sometimes we just need to get back to basics. Take time today to reflect on your spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ and your soul cleansing through His blood. We've gone from death to life, and from filthy to clean! There is great joy in these truths, if we will recognize the enormity of them. Everything else should be extraneous.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Hebrews 2:18

[Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted. ~ Hebrews 2:18 (NIrV)

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I think sometimes we forget Jesus' humanity. I think sometimes we think that, although Jesus was tempted on earth, it was a 'walk in the park' for Him. As if He didn't even give temptation a second glance. But God's Word says He suffered when He was tempted. Suffered...

Though He had no sin, He suffered when temptation stared Him in the face. Though He never buckled to the pressure of sin's enticement, He suffered the tug-of-war that we all endure when sin comes a-callin'. He knows what it's like to fight the inner battle between knowing what the right thing to do is, yet feeling the urge to give in to the wrong.

And God's Word also says that, not only do we have someone who can sympathize with us in our spiritual battles, but we have someone who can help us! As He overcame the world (John 16:33), He can help us overcome the world, too. So, how does He do that? How does He help us fight the spiritual battles of temptation?

Well, let me tell you how He doesn't do it. He doesn't help us by us just sitting on our thumbs and not lifting a spiritual finger to help ourselves. I realize that "God helps those who help themselves..." isn't in the Bible, but the reality is that our spiritual walk is a two-way relationship, and we do have personal responsibility for our growth. If you don't water a plant, it dies. And the same is true for your spiritual life. Don't expect God to just minimize or evaporate the temptations in your life, or somehow give you superhuman spiritual strength in your temptations if you aren't participating in your strength processes. Are you staying in communication with God through prayer daily, seeking His counsel and listening to His wisdom? Are you in His Word daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to minister truth to your soul? If not, you're like a person who goes to the gym for a workout and then stands on the treadmill, expecting it to do all the work. (btw, have you ever seen video of someone getting whisked off a treadmill, blown off because they didn't move their legs -- didn't do their part? It's kinda funny, but sobering when you put it in the spiritual perspective...)

With Jesus, we have a sympathetic helper with the temptations we face -- without Him, we're up a creek without a paddle. We're simply foolish not to run to Him for help, and run with Him for growth.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13 (NIV)

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Hope, joy and peace. It's alot of what the world is looking for, huh? But they seem to be looking in all the wrong places.

They look to drugs and alcohol. They look to relationships (often the unhealthy kind). They look to mysticism and yoga. They look to themselves. And at the end of the day, when they look back, do they know true hope, joy and peace? I'm thinkin', not so much.

God is the Author and Giver of real hope, real joy and real peace. He's the Authenticator of it all! Grasping for sad and sorry substitutes will leave you feeling sad and sorry. He says, Come to Me. I have what you're looking for. And I am so willing to give to you out of My spiritual riches...

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
~ Jesus, in Luke 11:13 (NIV)

When the Holy Spirit is given by Jesus to those who ask Him for it, it will radically change the source of your hope, joy and peace. No longer are you forced to seek the spiritual in the substandard earthly substitutes of addiction, greed, lust, power, and gluttony. When God comes inside your heart and mind, He provides the genuine article -- real hope, real joy, real peace.

But here's the catch: You can have the Holy Spirit, and not be walking with Him. And if you desire to ride on top of the spiritual wave with God, instead of getting slammed in the spiritual surf, you need to be walking with him. Paul said it like this...

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ~ Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Don't miss the line in Romans 15:13 that is key: ...as you trust in Him. That whole 'trust in God' thing is HUGE, and until we get a firm grasp on the importance of this and how to act on it, we're gonna struggle with resting in God's amazing hope, joy and peace. We have to trust God 100% for our lives. That is part of the surrender that is required when we choose to be Christ's follower. It's not just "give up this, give up that..." It's give in. It's jump in. It's all in.

He's all in for you. And when you decide to be all in for God, you can know the exhilaration of riding on top of the wave with Him! Surf's up, dude . . . are you gonna grab your board, or what? :-)

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Psalm 19:1-2

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
~ Psalm 19:1-2 (NIV)

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Tuesday night, our co-ed softball team played a double header, and our first game was not until 7:30pm. We've had unseasonably cool weather here in Sacramento this June, with many clouds in the sky, and I was awed by the beautiful sunset as we began the game. So much so, that I was distracted standing in the outfield, when I should've been paying attention to the game. I kept saying to my teammates, "Look at the sunset...! Look at the beautiful sunset...!" Others were less impressed. :-( Yeah, I know. I am rather fanatical about clouds...

I can't explain or describe how or why the magnificence of the skies speaks to the spirits of humanity. But I think it does. And God's word says it does. The beauty of a glorious sunset can take a person's breath away, and I think it causes a stirring in people . . . a spiritual stirring, pointing to the Creator of that glorious beauty. When the massive thunderheads billow up more than a mile above a mountain range, and all we can do is stare in wonder at its mammoth size, doesn't it just cause us to be amazed at all that is beyond our doing and control?

We can understand what atmospheric conditions create cloud formations. We can understand how light is refracted and reflected to create color in the skies. But we can't really create that ourselves. All we can do is stand on planet earth and look up in wonder. God is the Creator of the heavens, and we are simply the witnesses to His power and grandeur.

Watch the skies today and see God. Maybe in your region, you'll see poofy summer clouds. Maybe you'll see a rain storm. Maybe you'll see a clear blue sky, with the bright sun shining down. Whatever you see in the heavens, you'll see God -- because only He can create the wonders in the skies.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.
~ 1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NRSV)

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I think sometimes people who don't know Jesus think that they just aren't good enough for God to love them, that they're too bad, or clumsy, or irritable, or whatever. Their perception of God's vision is that He wants perfection and is only interested in those who are...already and always.

Enter Paul -- a man with issues. A lot of issues.

Although we don't know everything about Paul's habits and hangups, we are given a few looks into his life, and what we see is a man who is far from perfect. And one of his first issues is that he strove for perfection. Talk about the 'letter of the law'! This guy was a perfectionist extraordinaire! Funny thing is that this trait probably made him prideful. There . . . did you catch that fall into sinful imperfection? Or how about anger? We do know that he railed against the Christians before his conversion and was extremely passionate about imprisoning and killing the followers of Christ. Wow, now that has all the earmarks of someone God would love, right? Actually, the answer to that question is, "Right!"

Humanity has a pretty widely accepted misunderstanding of God's heart. They think He demands perfection before coming to Him and after coming to Him. They think they have to get their act together and keep it together, or God won't love them. Paul is a beautiful example of the antithesis of that! He was a fanatical killer in the name of God before Jesus got ahold of him. But don't miss the point -- Jesus got ahold of him! Jesus took hold of him. Jesus wanted Paul and accepted Him with all of his flaws and tendencies and habits. And Jesus wants you, too.

If you tend to criticize yourself and think that Jesus couldn't possibly want and accept you because of your past, or even your present, I would ask you to read the Book of Acts and the books that Paul wrote (okay, you're gonna need some time for this, 'cuz he wrote alot of the New Testament :-). He wasn't perfect and was willing to admit it. But he recognized that his life was a portrait of God's mercy and grace, to forgive and use a sinner such as himself.

We're all sinners in need of God's mercy and grace. No matter what your life looks like, He will never turn His back on a repentant heart. And you can't point to anything in your life that can keep God from giving you forgiveness, love and acceptance -- unless you choose not to come to Him.

Don't be misled by misunderstanding God's heart. It is full of love and mercy for all people -- sinners alike. Like Paul. Like Billy Graham. Like me.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

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This seems like a tall order.

But does that mean that we just ignore it, because it's hard?

Jesus would never ask us to do or be something for His kingdom that we were incapable of. On our own, yes -- impossible. Our flesh wants to lash out at angry words with even angrier words. Our carnal nature wants to hold grudges, hoard wealth, lust after the opposite sex, and step on the little guy. But the amazing thing about being a Christ follower is that Christ lives in us. And it is He who works in us. Our job is simply to surrender to His leading, allowing the Holy Spirit to fill our being with Himself. Then to do, whether in word or deed, in the name of Jesus (e.g. on His behalf, as an ambassador would speak/mediate on behalf of one country to another) becomes easy.

Or should I say, easier. Because we struggle with the Holy Spirit, don't we? Our flesh likes to rise up and say, "Hey - what about me?!?" We still struggle with wanting our wants and feeding our flesh the carnal things it craves. But when we practice the discipline of living by the Spirit of God on a regular basis, the mind of Christ becomes more and more the standard, the norm. His heart for people becomes our heart for people. His words of love and concern become our words of love and concern. His hands of compassion become our hands of compassion.

Today, you have an opportunity to say and do for God's glory, on behalf of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, you can be an ambassador of the Almighty. I pray you take the challenge today and every day, because it is the calling of the Christ-follower.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Matthew 7:24

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
~ Matthew 7:24 (NIV)

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Some time ago, I watched some news footage of a flooding river in the Mid-West during a storm. It was shocking and tragic. One by one, homes that had seemed secure and sturdy began to crumble like little matchstick models from the surging water, literally disintegrating and being swept away. No more.

Jesus says that is a picture our lives when we listen to what He has to say, but don't apply it to our lives. Our foundation becomes a ruse, a charade, a false sense of security. When trouble arises, we will crumble because we've not built our lives on truth and love, but something else. Something weak and unable to hold us steady in the storm.

Just filling your mind with the Bible is not enough, Jesus says. Just hearing His words does not make effective change in our foundational structure. He says we need to act on them. Why? Because we're in need of change. We're in need of foundational revamping. And His words of truth and love open our eyes to the areas in need of rework. If we get busy and make the necessary changes, we can know that we've built our foundation on that which is solid and secure, founded on God's principles, instead of man's. If we hear what He says and walk away shrugging our shoulders, we leave our lives sitting on a shoddy foundation of man's misconceptions, lies and half-truths, which will never hold up under the pressures of trials and temptations.

How is your spiritual foundation? Solid, or shoddy? Do a safety inspection on your life and see if you're doing what Jesus says, rather than just hearing what He says. You are wise to do so, because your life foundation depends on it.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Habakkuk 3:17-18

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
~ Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

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Habakkuk paints a pretty bleak picture, doesn't he? The trees don't produce, the crops fail, the animals die. Wow, sounds like complete ruin to me. Almost sounds like where we in American are headed with our tough economic times.

Yet Habakkuk lays out the challenge: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.

It's almost like he throws the gauntlet down at adversity and says, I don't care what you do to me. You can take everything I have -- I am not going to let you take away from my joy in God, my joy of being in relationship with Him. It is worth more than life to me...

Wow, now that's commitment. That's tenacity. That's intimacy with God that supersedes earthly circumstances. Do you think we have something to learn from Habakkuk? I'd say so.

It's also an understanding that our joy doesn't have to be tied to earthly circumstances. We like to think it has to be, but it obviously doesn't, because some have found the key to real joy in spite of the most difficult circumstances. It's as if they've found the 'quick disconnect' button and don't rely on circumstances to dictate their heart condition. Their joy is connected to who God is, His unfailing love, His ever presence, His spiritual comfort, His steadying hand. Not whether they've lost their job or home or car, or suffer illness, or whatever.

Joy is about the vertical relationship.

Which comes down to this: How is your vertical relationship? Are you nurturing it, or letting it wither? When you really get busy and get serious about your vertical relationship, I believe that you'll be able to throw the gauntlet down at the feet of adversity, too, and say, Go ahead. Give it your best shot. You won't steal my joy, no matter what you throw at me. God is my rock, my anchor, my joy.

Our real spiritual joy is tied to the vertical, not the horizontal. I pray you can focus on your vertical relationship with God and come to a full understanding of its blessed separateness from earthly circumstances.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
~ Psalm 90:2 (NIV)

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Sometimes on Sunday, before going to church, I like to just blow my mind with God's greatness, to stand amazed at His awesomeness, to be mystified at the wonder of who He is...

He is from everlasting to everlasting. Just blow your mind with that! Before a sundial ever cast a shadow, before a clock every tick-tocked, God was. Before the mountains were revealed and the seas were filled, God was. Before this rock we call earth was even formed, God was. The immortal is so difficult to comprehend, but that's what God is. From everlasting to everlasting. wow...!

I think, as believers in Christ, we sometimes vacillate between being too casual or too austere with God. Sometimes we think of Him as being our buddy, sitting around the table, eating pizza and watching TV. On the other end of the spectrum, we think of Him as the untouchable king who would never allow a commoner to enter His presence, so lofty is He. We have a unique challenge and responsibility to recognize and acknowledge that God is both lofty and lover. He is grandiose and gracious. He is the big and the small, the invisible and the visible, the endless and the present. When you enter into faith in God, you open your mind to the endless wonder of the fullness of the divine.

If you're in awe of God, good. You should be. But don't let that keep you from getting close to Him. Jesus came with skin on, in part so we could know that He is touchable, and desiring to have one-on-one contact and communication with us. The immortal God seeks communion with us, the mortal. That, in and of itself, is a mind-blower!

Give God praise today for all that He is and does -- we can never run out of things about Him that will blow our minds.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - 2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
~ 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NKJV)

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People may ask you, What impact does God really have in your life? I mean, what difference does He really make to you?

Perhaps you can point to a time in your life when you made a willfully wrong decision, where you chose to walk down the path away from God. And at some point, God brought you up short and called you to account. As His child, I'm sure you felt sorrowful for your actions, as you looked into your Father's eyes. But here's where the difference is, my friends: When your heavenly Father looks at a willful child who has remorseful tears in their eyes, His look of love makes a WORLD of difference! There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), so all that's left is amazing grace. That beautiful gift draws us to desire cleansing and healing, and God is faithful to give it (1 John 1:9). So the relationship is restored, and we can once again have a heart of righteousness and a spirit of gladness, not sadness.

But just think about those you may know who don't have God in their lives. When they choose rebellion and suffer the consequences, they experience sadness without grace. They reap only condemnation for their willfulness. There is guilt in their spirit for which there is no cure. The Bible says this kind of worldly sadness leads to death. Maybe by lashing out at others in anger. Maybe by lashing out at themselves. Either way, it is destructive sadness that kills the spirit . . . and sometimes kills the body. The devil's playground, my friends.

"Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls." ~ Jesus, in Matthew 11:28-29 (NIrV)

I hope that you can hear God when you're sorrowful for sinful choices. Don't let your sorrow drag you down into spiritual misery and condemnation. Choose repentance and receive grace and restoration from God, who loves you so much.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Matthew 6:27

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" ~ Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

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I had a friend write to me recently, asking for help on how to trust God for the worries of this life, when some in her family are struggling so with life's difficulties. She is new in her walking relationship with God and is struggling with worring and trusting God. Here was my response to her. Perhaps it is what you need to hear today, too. (some things amended to protect privacy...)


Reading God's word helps us understand Him, our sinful selves and His beautiful plan to restore us and the world to what we (as humanity) were before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Knowing God's heart by reading the Bible helps you understand the Person you have placed your faith in. This will help you build the trust in Him that you seek. When you read in the Old Testament of His faithfulness and love and power, I believe you will more willingly turn over those worries to this One, who has all power and undying love and faithfulness. When we look at who could better handle the job of managing our life and the lives of our loved ones -- us or Him -- it becomes almost laughable. We are sooo weak and twisted sometimes in our thoughts and ideas. We are lame, at best, at managing things -- would you agree? That is why we need to seek Him and His counsel, because we are faulty. But He is faultless -- perfect and holy in all He does. So, we come to Him, so that He can help us rest in His managerial leadership. Thinking of Him as a good manager, like in business, is not a bad analogy at all. He knows His stuff, cares about His staff, and has the plan completely under control. You don't have to worry that He'll steer the company in the wrong direction or fall asleep at the wheel. He is the Good Manager, or like it says in John 10, He is the Good Shepherd, who takes care of His sheep...who even lays His life on the line for His sheep, whom He loves.

Re: worry. Jesus says in Matthew 6:27: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" And it's so true. Here's the thing about control: it's an illusion. We think we are in control of this life, and when circumstances occur that are difficult and stressful, we want to control it. If we can't get our hands on it, we worry about it, because we want to control it. But the reality is that we're not the ones in control. God is. We simply have to come to that realization and accept His sovereignty. We may not understand it, but if we can accept that He is all-powerful and all-knowing and all-loving, then I believe we can come to that point of trust that can help us choose to trust Him instead of choosing to worry.

Faith in God that He exists and believing that Jesus' blood as the perfect sacrifice for our sins brings us into an eternal relationship with God. But that basic faith is different than the daily, hourly trust in God that is developed over time, by exercising it when difficulties arise. So, today, as you think about your family member and their trials, I want you to think about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I want you to think about His character and abilities as God to manage and guide. Number one concern you should have is whether your family member is trusting God for their life. That is a bigger priority than their circumstances, because our souls are what really matter in this life, bottom line. If they have placed their faith in Jesus, then I urge you to turn your prayers toward their spiritual growth in the midst of the turbulence they're experiencing. When times were rough in my marriage, I sometimes took the righteous path and sought God (which is when I grew spiritually) -- at other times, I got bitter and took the unrighteous path (which is when I fell down spiritually). Turning your prayers toward their spiritual growth in the midst of the process, rather than wanting God to remove the trouble may help you not worry, too.

James 1:2-4 says: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I'm sure you want this for your family member, that they may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. But gold doesn't get purified without going through the fire. And neither do we. If they are able to go to God in their trials, and be willing to learn from Him the things He needs them to learn, they will come out on the other side of this mess, able to testify about God's faithfulness and love and care for them, because they will see it with their own eyes. And ultimately, they will be able to share what they've learned with others who are going through similar issues that they've faced. 2 Corinthians 1:2-4 says this: "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." You can pray for their future, that what they gain through this experience will be used for God's glory later, as they're able to share their story with someone else and point them to God, too.

We all need to grow up in these areas, and we just don't learn well without experiencing life, in which we will fall down and get up, fall down and get up. Sometimes we fall down because someone pushed us; sometimes it's because we were running too fast or not watching where we were going; sometimes it's because we went in places we shouldn't have and it was dangerous. Through all of these circumstances, whether by someone else's doing, or by our own, God can use it to help us grow -- in knowledge and wisdom and grace -- if we let Him do the work He needs to do in us.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

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Our hearts have amazing potential. They can love deeply and experience incredible joy. But they can also hate intensely and become ensnared in hostility and bitterness. Yes, our hearts have amazing potential.

I was just telling a friend the other day that I needed to "guard my heart" against building up resentment regarding a negative situation that occurred. I know this is needful, because I have seen that potential realized in my heart through all sorts of sinful outbreaks....bitterness, resentment, malice, hatred. And because I didn't check myself in my past and seek God's intervention in my heart but allowed these self-driven sins to invade my heart, I became a mess. I didn't think I was a mess, but the defenses I had put in place to ward off abusive behavior created a learned response that was very harmful. And it took me getting on my spiritual knees for a WHILE, to give over the hatred to God and allow Him to heal the damage caused when I let my guard down in my heart.

Guard your heart, my friends, for it truly is the wellspring of life. Be willing to look soberly at what you let in, whether it looks good on the surface (but may not be) or looks bad (but you feel justified in holding onto it). God is the great sifter of what should and shouldn't enter our hearts -- we need to be willing to take His advice and warnings. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He can help us make choices that will protect and defend our innermost part -- our heart.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - 1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ~ 1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

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One of the hardest things for us to do is to humble ourselves before God. We want to make excuses for ourselves..."it was them who made me do such-and-such." We want to compare ourselves to others..."well, I'm not as bad as that person." We want to bargain with God..."if you just fix this, I'll never do that again." But we need to just stop the excuses, stop the comparing, stop the bargaining. Instead, we really need to humble ourselves before God.

We are fallen. We are needy. We are helpless. Let's humble ourselves and admit all that to God. Let's lay ourselves at His feet and seek the healing and restoration that we need so badly from the One -- the only One -- who can help us. When we let go of all the baggage we're trying to carry into the throne room of God, His Word says He will be faithful to lift us up.

Humility before God = restoration from God.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
~ Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

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The other day as I drove home, I saw a couple of adults walking down the street, hand in hand. As I got closer, I saw that one of them had Downs Syndrome, and perhaps the other person was their Mom. And I began to think about how we "normal" people treat the handicapped. We are kind to them in the grocery store or school or mall -- we want to make sure they feel accepted and loved. We feel as if they need to be shown love more than others, right? I mean, they look different, they act different, they talk different. But we understand there is a reason they are different than us -- something they have no control over. And so we treat them with extra care and attention.

But what about the person who looks different, acts different, talks different who doesn't have a disability or handicap? What about that nerdy guy who wears mismatched clothes and snorts when he laughs up in Accounting? Or that girl in class who doesn't look like she's washed her hair in two weeks and acts so goofy, you can't help but laugh at her out loud? What about them?!? Why do we dole out kindness and love based on our worth-o-meter?

God's worth-o-meter spikes 'red' for EVERY SINGLE PERSON! They might be black, white or purple. They may be nerdy, fashion-challenged or in need of a shower. They maybe handicapped, or they may not be. But God loves all people, and He calls His children to do the same. To make judgment calls as to who deserves kindness and special attention and who doesn't is not our call at all!

All people deserve kindness and special attention. A smile. A "How are you today?" A "Can I help you?" I pray we can open our eyes today and see people the way God sees them -- 100% valuable and deserving of love.

Love,
Joelene

Verse of the Day - Revelation 21:4

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. ~ Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

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They say that there are only two things certain in this life: death and taxes. And even some are able to weasel out of taxes, if they don't get caught. But no one can weasel out of death. No one.

And no one is free from the pain of losing a loved one while they walk this earth, either. We all have the common bond of having to attend funerals and suffer the grief of laying someone in the ground, someone we knew and loved. It's a terribly sad thing, and the pain can be excruciating and long-term. For those of you currently undergoing the grief process, I pray God's healing hand on your heart and mind -- let Him in, so that the "missing" is lessened while the memories remain.

Jesus declared in Revelation that a time is coming when this traumatic grief process of death will be no more, this process when we hate getting older because it means our family and friends -- or us -- have to die. For those who choose God in this life, that future Day is coming, and we look forward to a grief-free eternity, where we dwell with God in perfect peace. But for those who don't want to have anything to do with God in this life, the choice is not good. They choose to relegate themselves to an afterlife without God, and if you think the pain of funerals and losing loved ones is excruciating, think about an eternity without the goodness and love and joy and peace that is only available through God. You wanna talk about hell?!? That, my friends, is pain that we can't even imagine.

There's a new movie out, called, "Drag Me to Hell," where a girl is cursed in this life somehow and the spiritual forces are ready to take her. All I can say is that the film trailer paints a VERY SCARY portrait of hell. And I say, "Good!" God wants people to understand it's not a picnic by any stretch of the imagination. God wants people to know there is a spiritual dark side to the course of the universe and eternity is a long time to spend in the absence of everything good, with only evil. A long time...

People want goodness, but they don't want God. But because goodness comes from God, you get the whole package. And although God does send the sunshine and rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45) on this earth, so that people are blessed by His goodness even though they choose to have nothing to do with Him, when the Day of Judgment comes, that season of blessing is over. Sin will be judged and sorting will take place. Though we all sin, those who have chosen God and sought Jesus as the payment for their sin will live with God. Those who have rejected God and refuse Jesus, are left to be separate from Him -- and all goodness -- forever. If it sounds harsh, it is. But choosing to reject God and His love is harsh, too. We can't have our cake and eat it, too.

This might sound like scare tactics, but it's really not. I'm simply speaking the reality as presented in God's word. Death in this life is mandatory due to sin. But death in the next life is not mandatory. You don't have to spend eternity in grief. Where God is, is joy and love. So I beg of you to choose God now, in this life. Not only will you know the joy of eternal living with God in heaven, but you will know the joy of God's dwelling in your heart in this earthly life.

A relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, changes everything. How we live, how we grieve, how we die. Everything.

Love,
Joelene