Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I woke up to the farm being blanketed with snow and the beauty around me defies words. Snow is clinging to every twig on every tree and plenty is falling to the ground. As I took it all in and gave thanks to the God who made each unique snowflake and calls it to earth at His appointed time, it reminded me of Life. Each one of His Creations is unlike any other, and each one is called into this world at His appointed time too – and just like the snowflakes falling this morning, some will cling to the Tree of Life while others just fall to the ground. What a beautiful reminder to me straight from the Throne of a Mighty God that some of us will desperately cling to the Tree of Life but others will just fall to the ground. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It can be so easy for us to clump all the people of Faith together as if we’re all the same…but we miss out on the Majesty of His Creation when we do. Each one of us was knit together in our mother’s womb at His appointed time and there’s no such thing as a mistake or bad timing in His eyes. Each one of us has a unique Purpose in this Journey called Life whether we ever get around to fulfilling it or not. Each one of us Knows the One who calls down the snow from Heaven and most of us have been Taught the same Lessons. The biggest difference is that some of us will desperately cling to the Tree of Life while plenty of others are content to fall to the ground where they’ll get mixed in with all the rest and their uniqueness fades away in the shuffle. We all have the One who Commands the snow to fall in common, but that’s not all we have in common. One day each one of us will melt away just like the snowflakes in Virginia, and the chance we had to Cling to the Tree of Life in the time we were Allotted will be over. When that happens we DO get clumped together for all of Eternity. The desperate ones who clung to the Tree of Life on one side and all the others content to fall to the ground on the other. This is the Key to the importance of sharing the Message of Truth with ALL the world…in and out of the church.

There’s a big difference between being determined and being desperate. Some people walk out their Journey of Faith determined to be God experts and they aren’t afraid to let you know it. They believe the more they know the stronger their faith so they study and study and they judge and judge – but most of their passion comes from their head…and not the Heart. These same people always have an excuse for why people sin and suffer and they probably can’t even spell HUMILITY or COMPASSION. Those poor souls don’t realize that they’ve already fallen to the ground like so many others because they’re lost in their determination for knowledge. It doesn’t take knowledge to desperately cling to the Tree of Life, it takes Heart. The kind of Heart that may not have all the answers from the Bible but one that clings to every word anyway. The kind of Heart that knows how helpless and hopeless it is without Him so it clings even more each day. The kind of Heart that overflows with Compassion for all those lost people and for the others that somehow went from clinging to clumping. The kind of Heart that understands the finality of the melting snowflake and it’s Desperate to Share the Truth because of it.

I marvel at the One who Commands the snow to fall that He would send a Reminder to me in the snowflakes this morning. You won’t find me clumped together like an everyday card-carrying Christian and you won’t find me fallen on the ground. You’ll find me celebrating my Uniqueness and embracing my Purpose. You’ll find me desperately clinging to the Tree of Life all the days of my life, and when it comes time for me to melt, I’ll be clumped together with my brothers and sisters in Heaven. The Heart for Christ is a Desperate Heart and that’s the only kind of Heart I want to have. The only determination on my radar is the kind of determination that makes me want to be all that I can be for Him and a determination to Boldly Share the Truth with all the ones who have fallen to the ground.

How about you?

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail?” Job 38:22LikeCommentShare

Lynn Gardner

tSpo6naSmsorhed  · Shared with Public

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The Living God lit up the farm with Majesty again, and no matter how many times I witness the Work of His Hand, I am in awe of Him. When I went before the Throne of the God of all Creation at sunrise He did a good Work in me…work that I desperately needed for the Journey. I’m troubled for this troubled world but not for reasons most people are troubled. I’m troubled to see so many of my brothers and sisters far more interested in speaking out about the troubled world than they are about the God of it all, and I find myself whispering “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” more and more each day. This magnificent sunrise was a firm Reminder to me to focus on His Majesty…the Light of the world…and to be a Testimony through it all – NOT just for the lost – but to my brothers and sisters as well.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” are the words spoken by the Savior of the world when he was wrongly accused and ultimately murdered by the rulers of the land. If anybody ever had the right to speak out against the wrongs, it would be Jesus Christ…the King of all Kings. If making sure his troubled world heard about its wrongs was of any importance to Him at all, He’d probably still be hanging on the Cross to get the final accusations out. Instead, His heart broke for them and He cried out to His Father to forgive them “for they know not what they do.” Jesus died for ALL including the ones who hung Him on a cross like a common thief. His final words were beautiful words…Compassionate words…words of Love, Hope, and Forgiveness. That’s the story of Jesus Christ…the one whose very nature we are called to take on. It’s not humanly possible to be without sin like He was, but it IS humanly possible to care a whole lot more about the Final Outcome than we do the troubled world itself, and having the “last word”…words of Love, Hope, and Forgiveness is always a choice.

Sometimes I close my eyes and I imagine what it would be like if my brothers and sisters, so determined to spread what they believe is happening behind the scenes in Washington, would begin to spread the Good News instead. I wonder what it would sound like to hear “Jesus is Coming!” a whole lot more than we hear “four more years!” I wonder what the world would be like if it could hear personal Testimonies of what Jesus Christ has done in our lives instead of personal opinions about what’s coming next in politics and how the world has done us wrong. I wonder what it would be like if we longed to see Heaven a whole lot more than we long to see justice here on earth. I wonder what it would be like if God’s people would cry out “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” instead of shouting out insults about the character of those they hate. I wonder what it would be like if my brothers and sisters understood that they’re being used by the enemy as surely as their enemies are and they’re not messengers for the Living God the way they think they are because they fail to speak Love, and Forgiveness right along with all their “truths.

“Watching how so many of my brothers and sisters are weighing in on the world breaks my heart…it is one of the saddest times of my life, for sure. Sometimes I wonder if we read the same Bible or serve the same God at all, but more than that I find myself whispering “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” more and more each day…a prayer for all those lost people too ignorant to know what they’re REALLY doing, and for my brothers and sisters caught up in the war. As surely as God brings the sun each morning, I’ll be letting the Light of my Faith outshine the darkness around me and I’ll DETERMINE to be the Witness He’s called for me to be. Oh, and because I LOVE HIM, I’ll continue to feed His sheep too. He’s my Priority. He’s my Good News. He’s my Savior. He’s my Rock. HE IS THE TRUTH and that’s the ONLY TRUTH this troubled world needs to hear.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Living God surrounded by beauty, and all I seemed to be able to do was give thanks. No search for answers. No plea for mercy. Not even a whole lot of time in His Word. Just Gratitude for it all. When I saw this flag, beaten up by its journey and clinging to the rough edges that caused the damage, it reminded me of Life. I can’t fly freely or do what I was Designed to do if I allow myself to cling to any rough edges that have the potential to cause me harm…nor should I hold onto those things that caused “damage” in my life. I released this flag from the rough edges as surely as God Releases me from mine…IF I let Him….and when I do, there’s nothing more Bold and Beautiful than my Life flying for all the world to see. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey too?

Life happens to all of us. There are ups and downs, heartache and heartbreak, tragedy and death, sickness and health and everything in between. We all get beat up along the way just like this old flag did…nobody flies forever without hitting a few rough edges. It’s the good AND the “bad” that defines a Life and its how we look at the rough edges that define character and Faith. Some people seem to cling to those rough edges as if they want to be sure they never forget…and even though they don’t see it that way…the rough edges define them. Though the wind blows to bring in the new season, and though it wouldn’t take much to let go of the rough edges to fly freely again, plenty of people would rather hold on than let go.

Some people let go of those rough edges as fast as they can but before you know it they get tangled up again in the very same way! They let go but they rushed the whole process and did nothing to repair the damage brought on by the rough edges… so they’ll remain vulnerable in exactly the same place. The rough edges will always be a part of life – unless you mend the damage that was done the last time you got snagged by them, you’ll get caught up every time you fly by the rough edge. When we hit the rough edges and endure a little “damage” in the process we have a choice. We can remain torn and vulnerable OR we can take action to be sure that we don’t get hurt in the same spot over and over again. Unless we repair the Heart Damage, we will ALWAYS be subject to the same rough edges and and we’ll repeat the same painful pattern until we do.

The flags on the porch take a beating and they eventually succumb to the rough edges. They begin to fray and before you know it they’ll hit that rough edge and get caught up until I release them. The damage gets worse each time they pass the rough edges and eventually they’ll get replaced. Had I taken the time to mend the flag, it could have kept flying freely to share its beauty for all the world to see. What’s true for the flag, is true for my Life too. I know I’ll hit rough edges for as long as I have breath in my body, but unlike the flag that could have used a little mending from me, I’ll be Focused on the Flawless One…the One Ready to mend my Heart and to give me Wisdom so that I never hit the same rough edge again. I’m Free!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Soon after I opened my eyes and gave thanks to the Living God for another day to Serve, someone came to my mind “out of nowhere” and I began to pray. I wasn’t even awake enough to be thinking about anybody, but God put them on my heart. I have no idea what’s going on with them but my Heart could feel the burden so I carried their load in prayer. No organized prayer list on the planet could ever measure up to those times when God Almighty stirs up the spirit on behalf of someone else to drive us to my knees before His Throne. It takes a spirit that has been Sensitized by the King of all Kings to understand that nothing happens “out of nowhere.” Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

If we could peel back the layers of Heaven to watch God working behind the scenes I’m pretty sure it would shock us to see all the times He’s called upon us to step-up but we ignored the Call. How many times have we had a thought “out of nowhere” that gets chalked up as a coincidence, so we do nothing about it at all? How many times have we “just happened” to be in the right place at the right time and we chalk it up to coincidence or luck of some kind? How many times has someone come to mind and before we could turn around twice we “just happened” to bump into them or they just happened to reach out to us? How many times do we have a thought or a dream about someone we haven’t seen or heard from in years and we just chalk it up to good (or bad) memories? How many times have we rolled our eyes over bad behavior in a public place and we whine about our misfortune of getting in their path as if we ordain our moments? There’s no end to those Opportunities we choose to ignore OR things we easily chalk up to coincidence. None of us get it right all the time, but it takes a Sensitive Spirit willing to be guided by the Hand of God to listen to the whispers of God instead of waiting for a shout out from Heaven. This is the Key to Walking in the Spirit through this Journey called Life.

I began this new day with a burden for someone I wouldn’t begin to know how to reach…but God knows where they are. I prayed for someone not knowing what the needs are…but God knows their needs. I don’t understand the Mind of God or why He does what He does when He does it…or why He would nudge me to pray for that person this morning. All I DO know is that I want my spirit to be Sensitive to His whispers and I don’t want to chalk anything up to “coincidence” EVER.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was one of those nights…I had plans for sleep, but God had other Plans for me, so I spent the night in front of a warm fire and I let the Fire of God work through me instead. I’m not troubled for this world or the condition of the nation – I have complete confidence in the Living God and I know His Plans are Perfect no matter what…Plans that were put in motion before the foundations of the earth. Why would I spend even one-minute debating over His will? No, I’m not troubled by the condition of the world, but I can’t say the same about the condition of the hearts of all those people putting their time, attention, and trust in things of this world instead of the God of this world, and if they aren’t careful, they’ll get lost in the chaos. Now THAT troubles me. Does it trouble you too?

We don’t reach the world for Good just by praying no matter how much time we spend in the prayer closet or how often we find our way to church. We reach the world by who we are in Christ…by what we stand for IN HIM, not by what we stand for politically. We reach the world when we’re willing to share our personal Testimony of His Greatness and Mercy, not by spreading evil about the “evil” ones…the ones He died for too. We reach the world when it sees that we Worship only One and we Trust only One to lead. We reach the world when we can muster up Christ-like compassion for the lost ones that outshines our passion for our political preferences, and we care more about the condition of the soul than we do what side of the fence they’re on. We reach the world when we fearlessly BELIEVE and it shows…NOT in our own theories…NOT in some underground world…NOT in the opinion of “experts”…NOT in anything or anyone of this world…but the God of all Creation. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to EVERYONE, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the HOPE that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” – this is what being a Servant of the Lord looks like…through the good, the bad, and the ugly…with nice people and “evil” people in HOPES that they might find Christ through us. Are you a Servant of the Lord?

The Bible says; for the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” God doesn’t tolerate us having any other gods before Him…period. “Gods” aren’t just magical, mythical beings…they aren’t just statues…they aren’t merely things we idolize…the “gods” Almighty God is referring to is anyone or anything that is higher on the priority list of life than He is. I don’t need to be there personally to see that millions of people are spending more time reading about what’s going on in America than they are the Source of Truth…and it shows. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, it’s not possible not to hurt for the broken world. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, it’s not possible not to care more about lost souls than we do about lost elections. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, you want to shout the Good News from the mountaintops in hopes that everybody (including the “evil” ones) will have what you have and know what you know. When that Consuming Fire really does consume you, you have absolute confidence in your Future, and you find contentment and peace that surpasses all understanding through it all – because you know that “all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His Purpose” even those things that look so bad from where we sit.

I spent the night in front of a warm fire with my Consuming Fire and it will show in the way I work…the way I love…the way I Serve…the way I Share my testimony…the way I pray…the way hurt for the lost…the way I spread the Gospel…and the way I stay focused ONLY on Him. My Faith is unshakable because of my Consuming Fire.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Alpha and Omega at the beginning of this new day with a broken heart for the world, but it didn’t take long for Him to set me Straight all over again. All it took was a little time in my Instruction Manual, a Heart willing to Learn, and a Spirit in need of Rest. With those things in Perfect Alignment, He spoke Life into my life and He put Heavenly Perspective on the world again. I wish everybody could feel what my Heart feels now and I wish everybody could have peace like mine at such a time as this…but, not everybody is willing to work for it. Are you willing to work for it?

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that God will be Victorious no matter what our outward circumstances look like from where we sit. He IS the Beginning and the End with a Master Plan that would blow our minds if we could see it now. But we see victory as a win or lose, while God sees Victory with the Master Plan in mind and victory isn’t always so cut-and-dried. When David became King the Philistines set out to kill Him so David inquired of God IF he should go against them and IF God would deliver them into his hands. God assured David that he would, so David set out full force to annihilate his enemy. When David heard that the enemy’s army wasn’t finished yet, HE INQUIRED of God again. David didn’t assume anything without first approaching the Throne of the Living God for instructions. God responded with “As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” God isn’t just “with us” – God isn’t just “for us” – GOD GOES BEFORE US and HE delivers the victory Himself. This is the Key to Peace at such a time as this.

I’m just as broken-hearted for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are overlooking the One with the Master Plan (as they write a playbook of their own) as I am by the condition of the dark world. There is only one Solution for ALL our problems…problems that are a part of the Master’s Plans…and it has nothing to do with victory for the left or the right. The Solution is Jesus Christ…the One who sits at the right hand of the God of all Creation and intercedes on our behalf. The lost ones don’t know any better because they don’t know the One who died for them yet, but my brothers and sisters should. If they Know my God they should be confident in the Outcome even if they disagree. If they Know my God they should seek His will through the battle and be willing to wait to “hear the sounds of marching in the tops of the poplar trees” before they do battle with an enemy they cannot see. But most of all, as my brothers and sisters shake their fists, spit out insults, and claim to have exclusive rights to their own master plan, they aren’t willing to let the Lord go out “in front of you to strike” the enemy down Himself. He can…and He will…in His time…in His way…and THAT is the foundation of our Faith ESPECIALLY at such a time as this.

I care about the condition of our world and I have plenty of “opinions” of my own, but none of my opinions matter to the One who wrote the Master Plan that cannot be altered. Victory isn’t cut-and-dried and it doesn’t just happen overnight…at least not from where the God of all Creation sits. He’s my God and I trust Him…I love Him…I want to please Him…I surrender my all to Him…I seek Him and His will…and my Faith is unwavering. You won’t find me living in fear or shaking my fists at the Plans my Maker has in store. Instead, you’ll find me walking out my Faith with confidence that He will ALWAYS go before me to strike down my enemy and you’ll hear me sharing the Gospel like never before…a message much more important than the left or the right… because that’s what being a Witness for the Living God looks like and His Agenda is the only agenda that matters at all.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the One who holds “the keys to death and the grave” and we had a little fireside chat this morning about the condition of the world. Sometimes it’s painful to look at this dark world and all that’s going on around me, but I have nothing to fear no matter how bad it is. I know I serve the Solution to it all and my Future is in His Hands. Instead of dwelling on things He’s already said would come to pass, I Focus on shedding Light in a world that seems to get darker by the minute. I’m on Temporary Assignment in this Journey called Life – but I’m determined to leave an Eternal mark for the One who died for me while I’m still here. I’m beacon of Light in a dark world and THAT’S how I can find Joy no matter what’s going on around me. Isn’t that the way you see your life in a dark world too?

It’s interesting to see so many people of Faith fretting over this dark world and all the madness unfolding right before their very eyes as if they’re surprised to see what they see. They debate the possibility of war even though He tells us “there WILL BE wars and rumors of wars” before He returns for His people. They’re appalled when they hear about turmoil in families that sometimes manifests in abuse or death even though He tells us “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” Sometimes people of Faith whine about people of this world even though they’ve already been warned that “people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Everything we need to know has already been foretold, and yet people of Faith are often caught off guard just like the rest of the world all because they don’t Know the Truth…or they refuse to accept it.

It’s one thing to Know the Truth about all the madness and how the Story ends – it’s another thing to Know the Truth that brings Peace and Joy in the midst of all the madness. I know that no matter how things are or how bad they get, the Great “I am” is still in control. I don’t spend one second in fear of the darkness around me because I know that “greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.” I don’t worry about being forgotten when things appear to be so dark because I know He says ” So do not fear, for I am with you do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” I don’t worry about being persecuted for my faith or attacked for my beliefs because I know He “holds me in the shadow of His wings.” The One who holds the keys to death and the grave is the One I Serve and “if God is for us, who can be against us?” There’s no excuse for a person of Faith to get caught up in this dark world or to be living in fear – and there’s no excuse to withhold the Gospel of Jesus Christ from a dark world that needs the Truth more than anything else. How will they explain themselves One Day when they’re found hiding under the bed in fear or hiding from the darkness when they’re supposed to be shedding Light and Hope to a lost world?

My Faith is unshakable, and I refuse to live in fear no matter how “bad” things get. I’m not surprised by what I see because He’s already told me what to expect. I know the Truth and I have the ONLY Hope the world has ever known. I’m on a Temporary Assignment in this Journey called Life and you won’t find me squandering my time. Instead, you’ll find me Dedicated to the One who has the keys to death and the grave…the One who died for me…and you’ll find me full of Joy no matter what. It’s time to shed Light on this dark world like never before so THAT’S my biggest Priority while I’m passing through.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. God nudged me awake long before the sun came up and we had a long talk about Life. My heart couldn’t wait for the lights to come on so I could see with my eyes that my world is the same today as it was yesterday. Sometimes it’s hard to accept that He is a God who “gives and takes away” but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to see that He is a God of Mercy but He is. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that He is a God of Law and Order when it looks like the world has fallen apart but He is. As I turned to Him for Peace and Direction for such a time as this, He reminded me that He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore no matter how I perceive what’s going on around me, and He reinforced my Marching Orders all over again – to share His Goodness with a world that needs Him more than ever before – and before you know it, my heavy Heart was filled with Peace and Hope all over again. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

One of my favorite parts of the Bible comes from Job 38 where God paints a picture of His Majesty and Might to a man who had everything taken from Him from his kids to his wealth and health. The God of All Creation considered Job to be “the most righteous man” on the planet and yet He allowed calamity to come to him…calamity like you and I would never want to know. Through the calamity Job never stopped praising God but He sure got himself into trouble when “the most righteous man” presumed to know the Mind and Plans of God…and he wasn’t afraid to say so. When God set him straight with the most beautiful “where were you?” speech, Job was so ashamed of his arrogant heart…a heart that presumed to know what God was up to, that he cursed the day he was born. With humility like that, it’s no wonder God saw Job as the most righteous man on the planet! I wonder how many of us can say that we don’t presume to know the plans of the God who “gives and takes away?”

When I consider the “where were you” speech this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder what that speech would look like for America today? Would God say “where were you” when laws were passed that allow us to rip an unborn child…a Life He Created for Purpose…from the womb of its mother…70 million times? Would God say “where were you” when laws were passed to disgrace what He intended to be between a man and a woman?” Would God say “where were you” when we created new genders of our own and we chose to accept perversion as the “norm?” Would God say “where were you” when we allowed prayer to be removed from our schools to avoid offending non-believers – the beginning of robbing our children of truth?” Would God say “where were you” when His commandments were removed from the walls of our public places for all the world to see?” I don’t want to presume to know the mind of God either…but could it be that God has had enough with our “one nation under God” or that all our efforts to “stand up” are too little too late in His eyes?

This world needs Jesus now more than ever before and I’ll be one to be sure they hear the Truth. Not the “truth” that comes from some secret source or the “truth” that comes from an “uncensored” news channel…but the TRUTH that comes from the Word of God – the TRUTH about the God of ALL Creation – the TRUTH about the future that’s possible for all who Believe – the TRUTH about the God who gives and takes away – the TRUTH about the One who died for all. Lots of things are changing in our world, almost faster than we can comprehend…but God NEVER changes and He’s the way to Hope and Peace forevermore. Just thinking about my Future with Him fills me with Excitement and my Job Description is clearer than ever before no matter what God decides to take away for such a time as this.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cold outside this morning and venturing out onto the porch to snap a photo was a painful step for me. As I met with the Living God in the warmth of my kitchen, I began to weep for those so much less fortunate than I am… those left out in the cold in more ways than one. When I closed my eyes, I could see cold people, lost people, sick people, and poor people all around, and the image overwhelmed me. Except for the honor of praying for them and doing my small part to attempt to change their lives…I’m powerless. But I know the Miracle Maker and I know the Provider very well, and I know that He has a Plan through it all…even when I don’t understand it and even when it hurts. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It could be so easy to ignore the pain in the world or to consider it somebody else’s problem…if not for having a Christ-like heart. When we strive to have a heart like Christ, we learn what genuine compassion really looks like, and we no longer have just fleeting moments of feeling sorry for people…we hurt for them instead. Over and over again we read about the compassion of Christ and over and over again the translation refers to physical agony that He felt over the pain of another. It wasn’t as simple as a fleeting moment of compassion…He didn’t just shake his head and say “that’s too bad” or “that’s so sad” or “I’ll pray for you” …He hurt for them…He was in agony over their pain. It was when Christ was moved with compassion that He performed some of the most amazing miracles…like feeding thousands of people from just a little bread and a little fish because they had no food. It’s when compassion kicks-in that action kicks-in and it’s when the Heart genuinely hurts for another that we are in agony over their pain. It’s compassion that drives us to our knees to pray for the help we can’t provide on our own, and its compassion that forces us into action to help whenever and however we can…with no expectation of return, reward, or recognition.

These days there are plenty of people salivating over a stimulus check they believe they deserve, and even more people whining about how little it is. I’ve read comments made by the entitled ones like “that won’t even pay my rent” – or “that won’t put new tires on my car” or “Hurray! Beach here I come”…sad but true. Some people desperately need aid, while plenty of others don’t need it at all. Will it help? Of course, it will. Every little bit helps when people are in need. But I wonder what the world would look like if those non-suffering recipients would hand out their hand-out to someone else in need instead of spending it like the “found money” it is? At the break of this new year there are over 5 million people facing homelessness – 5 million people in line for foreclosure or eviction all because of the hand-outs that always get repaid one way or another…like it or not. Will we continue to sit back and blame our circumstances on the government OR will we step up the way God tells us to step up…offering an endless supply of “hand-outs” from the One who already paid the price?

I’m heading into this cold new year with more blessings than any human deserves. I understand where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. I understand that God used my own pain and poverty to tenderize my heart, and I understand that “there is no good thing in me apart from Him.” I am a child of the King and I’m humbled to be found worthy to do a little Work in His Name. I have a place Reserved for me in Heaven when I leave this temporary home and I’ll have Everlasting Life with my loved ones that are His Children too. I have a family that is so close and so filled with love that it defies logic, AND they’re all healthy and strong. I have a Purpose that was Divinely Designed just for me for and I understand what I need to do to Fulfill it. I have a warm home and a warm heart and every day I strive to have a Heart more like Christ…the kind that hurts over the pain of another, and the kind that wants to do something about it if I can. The kind that NEVER overlooks the honor that it is to be able to stand before the Throne of a Mighty God on behalf of someone else…the kind of Heart that knows I’m NOT getting what I deserve because Jesus already paid the price for me.

How about you?

If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I stepped outside on this cold January morning to welcome in a new day of this new year, and to dedicate it all to Him all over again. He is my Hope, my Strength, my Redeemer, and my Friend, and “there is no good thing in me apart from Him.” He deserves the first fruit of my Life …beginning with my Time. I know if I give it all TO Him and if I live my Life FOR Him, the Journey will be beautiful no matter what’s going on in the dark world around me. So, when I stepped onto the front porch at sunrise for the first time this year I thanked Him for the year that is behind me now, and I thanked Him for what He’ll be doing with me and through me in this new one. Isn’t that the way you step into “a new thing” too?

Plenty of people around the world are saying “good riddance” to the year we left behind…but not me. Oh, it was filled with disappointments and all kinds of bizarre changes that’s for sure, but it had a Purpose in the Master Plan just as much as all those “good years” did and Beauty can be found everywhere if you look with the Right set of eyes and a Grateful Heart. I’ve spent just as much time as the next guy scratching my head in disbelief over what’s going on in the world and how quickly life has changed, but more than any other emotion or reaction to what I see and hear, I’ve watched with Great Anticipation for what God is doing at such a time as this. I don’t have all the answers, but I Serve the God who does, and I’m watching Him connect the dots to what He already had in motion since the very beginning of time. The only thing I need to concern myself with is how I fit into His Plan – and the only thing I can do anything about that has any significance at all is to Live out my Faith “with fear and trembling,” to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as I can, and to feed the sheep He Orchestrates into my Life.

The world around me has changed, but God sure hasn’t. He never changes His mind and He never leaves His Throne. He’s never taken by surprise like we are and He already knows the rest of the story because the world is in the palm of His hands and He “wrote the book” on how and when the Story ends. He’s “the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” He never grows tired of hearing our prayers…they’re like “incense in Heaven” to Him… and He stores up every tear we ever shed “in a jar” because He loves us. He sent His “only begotten son” to die for us so that we can live out Eternity with Him in the place He’s already “prepared for us” – at least that’s what the future looks like for those who believe. God cares about each one and He died for all. But there are still plenty of people out there who don’t know my God – there are plenty of people who THINK they know my God but they don’t- and there are plenty more who have never been told about Jesus at all. And THAT’S where you and I come in…ESPECIALLY at such a time as this.

I’ve been blessed to have been loved BIG by countless people throughout my lifetime, but nobody ever loved me as much as He does. I’ve loved so big that I thought my heart would burst, but I’ve never loved anybody as much as I love Him. So, the world can keep changing and I’ll keep clinging to the Only One with the Answers while I share Hope with the world around me. You’ll never hear me say “good riddance” to a year full of days to Serve the Creator of All, that’s for sure! I’ll keep Serving every day, year after year…in good years and in not so good years….because THAT’S what Love looks like.

Happy New Year, world.