Something's Changed

I saw a meme on Facebook last week that got me thinking. It spoke about how life has changed since 1968, specifically addressing gun violence and mass shootings by asking the question: "What has changed since then?" Why are there more mass shootings today than in 1968. What HAS changed?

Back in 1968 I was a freshman in high school, our country was waist-deep in the Vietnam war, but life in general was good. It was safe. There were no mass shootings, The Beatles topped the music charts with Hey Jude, and I was more worried about "being cool" than I was about passing math class. So what has changed in our society since 1968? Here's a partial list:

Prayer removed from schools 1962

Bobby Kennedy shot 1968

Marin Luther King shot 1968

Women's Lib Movement late 60's

Woodstock 1969

Roe v Wade 1973

Jesus Christ Superstar 1973

Vietnam War ends 1975

As gun law restricting gun ownership increase, so do the mass shootings. Clearly, gun ownership is not the problem. I believe it is our government increasingly taking God out of everything. They're even talking God's Word out of the pulpit, calling it hate speech. Sad.

Some people will think this is a "political piece" - a story about gun rights rather than about God. They will be wrong. The gun battle is just that, a battle in a larger war. The war is taking place in our hearts.

Yesterday there was another Potential mass shooting taking place . . . in a church!! However, recently passed laws enabled members of the congregation to carry guns. And it was a good thing they did. But the shooting quite possibly never even occurred had the shooter known Jesus.

There will always be crazy people in the world. Like Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you." There will always be Herods, Stalins, Hitlers, etc. but a good home with God-fearing parents in it is the best way to combat violence.

"Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways." - Genesis 6:11-12

Jesus will return one day. Most think that day is coming soon. I hope so. Once He removes His church from the scene, what do you think it's going to be like then?

Need vs. Want

How was your Christmas? Did you get everything you wanted? I hope not.

Have you seen the Lexus commercial where the husband and wife give trucks to each other at Christmas? Or the one about the dad who gets a brand new Mercedes with a bow on top?

That's wrong. Those commercials are teaching our children the wrong things about Christmas.

There is a transition that takes place as we grow older between giving and receiving. Between wanting and needing. Sadly, some kids never grow up. And it shows.

My wife and I no longer get gifts for one another at Christmas. Why? We have everything we need. Our wants are few and are usually comprised of things that cannot be purchased. Time together with family, quiet moments together, or alone.

The biggest problem with our society today is that we want everything. Look at all of the democratic presidential candidates. Each one is trying to outdo the other, giving us things. Free healthcare, a free college education. We want free stuff and they're willing to supply it (as long as they can use our money to buy it). But enough of the political.

Those "needs" are all worldly "wants." So, what are our society's needs? How about clean drinking water? Food? Shelter? And what about Jesus?

Jesus is a need in my opinion. What Jesus offers are priceless gifts - eternal life and never-ending love.Those things are "not available in stores."

"He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life." - 2 Peter 1:3

Here is my nomination for a new Christmas song. Like most TRUE Christmas songs, it should be sung, not only at Christmas, but always. The chorus goes like this.

"You're all I want. You're all I've ever needed. You're all I want. Help me know you are near."

Jesus should be our every want and every need. So that is my prayer, that Jesus would become everyone's need in this coming new year.

"Help us know You are near."

Draw Me Close - Michael W. Smith

Christmas Letter 2019

Winter in Wisconsin is a good time for writing stories like this. There’s a fresh covering of snow on the ground, a fire pouring heat into the living room, and the cat is asleep on the back of the couch. It’s a good time to reflect on the year and all that we did. But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I am going to tell you a story about God and something that HE did.

The other day I received a message from a mom I met a few years ago at a local food pantry. Her husband hadn’t been paid in three weeks and this mom was out of a job. There was no food in their house for a Thanksgiving meal and they have three kids – one of them just 4 months old.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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 good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:9-12

Hidden inside those words from Jesus is what’s called “The Golden Rule” – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Bev and I provided a Thanksgiving meal for my friend and her family. No big deal. But that Golden Rule verse got me thinking. What does that mean for us the rest of the year?

When Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for us, was that Jesus applying the “golden rule” to us? Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Are we supposed to sacrifice ourselves for Jesus because He did that for us? The answer is simple.

Yes.

Jesus was born into this world so that He could die for us. Why were WE then born into this world if not to die for Him?

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23

What does “taking up our crosses daily” look like in a world that teaches us to place ourselves first? Well, I think it means we are to forget what the world tells us and do what God tells us - to love our neighbor, as we love ourselves.

This Christmas we challenge you to think outside the normal gift-wrapped Christmas box and give gifts that would be a gift to God. Go to the store specifically to drop money in the Salvation Army kettle. Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive up lane. Bake some cookies and drop them off at a homeless shelter.

We shouldn’t do these things to feel better about ourselves. We should be sacrificing ourselves for others, for God! Leave a card for the person in the drive-through lane that glorifies God. Give some Biblical encouragement along with the cookies. Pray for the bell ringer at the Salvation Army kettle – right there!

Christmas isn’t about us. It’s about Him!

May God bless you and your family. May He bring you the peace that surpasses ALL understanding – a gift that only God can bring. And may this Christmas be a time we truly rejoice in receiving the gift of a child, given to all, that we might receive our King. Amen.

No Room

Christmas time can be a really busy time of the year. Everybody has all their normal busyness but then Christmas and Thanksgiving bring new layers of it that can be quite crippling, especially for our faith.

I was volunteering at a local food pantry Saturday morning and witnessed something I had never seen before. Someone came in looking for some food. They had no money for the "required donation."

The lady was told she could not proceed to get food without the $20. And it's funny because a man had come in earlier with only $10 of the required $20 HE needed and somehow we found $10 for him. Why was this lady turned away?

That got me thinking. It shouldn't be that way, that people are turned away at a church with food. Especially at Christmas time! I'm not picking on the church or the food pantry here. I am picking on myself and my inability to act. Why didn't I have $20 in my pocket? Why didn't I follow the lady out the door and offer to buy her some food?

Reading through Luke 11 Saturday night, I found a story where Jesus was talking with His disciples about giving and asking. He spoke about how God is ALWAYS willing to give His children what they need. But they DO have to ask.

Should it be any different for His children? Us? I don't think so. Was I too busy "volunteering" so I couldn't make room for a family without food? Here, read this from Luke 11.

"Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." - Luke 11:5-10

Someone asked for bread yet they were never given any. That's wrong. This is Christmas!! It is a time for giving, not a time of receiving. This poor soul is going to have $20 in his pocket from now one. And it's going to get used!

When Jesus was born there was no room for Him. Who of us would not open the door to Mary and Joseph on a cold winter's night? Far too many I fear. Let it not be us. Let us open the door of our hearts to Jesus and love like HE loved.

People Help The People - Birdy

The Mystery Box

Want to know what true love is? True love is loving someone when you have no idea who they are or what they believe. It is loving someone because they just . . . are.

Sitting alone in the dark is one of my favorite things to do. Why? Because outside influences are relatively few. That's a problem our society has today. Too many outside influences. They distract us from God and that is NEVER a good thing.

"Alone, in the dark" is also where I get most of my ideas for these stories, like today's story for example. First, I had better explain what a Discmania Mystery Box is before you quit reading. It's a box full of disc golf discs. The point is that the buyer doesn't really know what's inside and you always receive more than you thought you would.

People are like a mystery box, until we "open them up" and find out more about them. Then we have to decide what to do with the contents. Some people get discarded because they don't have the same beliefs as we do. Some people don't make the cut in our lives because of their skin color, sexual orientation or political persuation. That's wrong. That's not the point of the mystery box. The point is the way you feel BEFORE you open the box.

What if God placed someone in your life that He wanted you to love but you refused to do so. How do you think that would go for you? Would God bless you because of your refusal to love?

"Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40

There are no qualifiers in Jesus' command here. We are to love our neighbor! Period. That's everybody! It's the overweight black man sitting in McDonald's all by himself. It's the oddly-dressed lesbian couple who just walked in. It's the disabled woman with the shriveled arm that is taking your order. It's everybody.

When God gives us a mystery box human, He wants us to love that person. He doesn't care if they are Republican or Democrat, black or white, gay or straight. He wants us to love . . . everybody!

I watched The Blues Brothers movie the other day - a movie from my younger, pre-believer days. There is a song in that movie that fits this story perfectly. At the beginning of the song there's not a lot of love in the audience. But as the crowd listens to the words, things change. That's how God effects our hearts when we read His Word. We change. and we love.

Everybody Needs Somebody To Love - The Blues Brothers

That's Why!

Have you ever felt used by someone? In most cases, "being used" is a negative thing. But yesterday, for me anyway, being used was a wonderful thing.

I have a friend who was recently laid off from the place I use to work. It's a sad thing when that happens anywhere - especially at this time of year. I was reminded of my friend's lack of employment as I addressed their Christmas card and thought, "There must be something more I could do."

At the same time I was doing my Christmas cards, my wife was plating up some of her Christmas cookies to give to some friends of ours. I asked if she could make a small bag of them for my jobless friend. My wife thought that was a great idea and so she did just that. I delivered them yesterday.

When I got to my friend's house I rang the doorbell and my friend's husband answered the door. My friend was not at home. Her husband and I sat in their living room and talked for an hour. Then my friend came home and the three of us talked for another hour.

During the conversation I said a quick, "What do you want me to do here?" prayer because I really had no clue. Maybe the cookies and conversation were enough?

When the time came to leave, my friend accompanied me to the front door. Her husband stayed in the dining room organizing some papers I took him away from when I arrived. My friend and I continued to talk - me encouraging my friend my friend to look at her job loss as a new beginning rather than an end. And then there was a moment of silence as I reached for the door knob . . .

You know, we never give God enough credit for the relationships he creates, the lives He's saved or those special moments He arranges with a simple holy thought. I was in one of those moments yesterday in the foyer of my friend's house.

I turned around from opening the door and asked my friend, "Can I pray for you?"

And so I prayed about having hope for a future. I suggested in my prayer that perhaps she was given this time off to be with her 95-year old mother before the Lord took her home. I prayed that God would watch over her and give her peace in the whole situation.

When I finished and said "Amen" my friend looked at me and said, "No one has ever prayed for me before." That's when I began to understand what had just happened. You see, my friend is not a believer. She is in her 60's and NO ONE has ever prayed with her?

I walked out the front door and closed it behind me. On the way to my car I smiled and said to God, "THAT's why you brought me here!"

I am constantly amazed by God. We walk through each day not knowing what He has in store for us, yet it seems like there is always something He wants us to do. Usually I miss all of God's hints or nudges to do one thing or another, but I think yesterday I was used to deliver a message to a friend. A message of hope, in .Jesus.

Pray for opportunities like the one I was given yesterday. You may be the very person God wants to use in someone's life today!

"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

The Joy Of Suffering

I had kind of a rough night last night, spending it sitting in a chair trying to sleep. Somehow I had strained my back and also gotten heartburn. It's a great combination. I'd recommend them both highly if you are looking for ways to get closer to God.

What do you do at night when you'd rather be sleeping but can't? The mind starts to wander. The next thing I knew, at 1:00 in the morning, was I was "sure" I was having a heart ache and how my family would have to clean up all my junk in the basement. And who was going to attend my funeral and what they would say about me?!? Lol!

Minds can be wild, untamed things. They tend to wander off by themselves and get into trouble, thinking about things they really shouldn't. But at least brains have one positive thing going for them - Christian brains that is. The Christian mind, eventually, will turn to God for help in times of need or trouble.

Yes, I prayed last night. I think we all do that when things get bad enough. Pain is a great pastor. It reminds us of just who is in charge and who it is that has the power to heal and restore.

I woke up this morning and the heartburn was gone. The pain in my back had subsided. I thanked God for watching over me and taking care of me.

Some people might ask, "How do you know that it was God who made you feel better?" To that I reply, "How do you know it wasn't Him?" Believe what you want. "As for me and MY house" . . .

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

The thing pain and suffering teach us about life is that we must trust and rely on God more than we do. And is that such a bad thing? No. But I DO think we need to thank God for the reminders and pay more attention to Him than we do. We should be grateful that we have a God who loves us and cares about us enough to rebuke us and teach us lessons we need to learn them.

What pain would YOU like to get rid of today? Is it painful enough for you to get on your knees and pray? I hope so. That's where the healing begins.

Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue North

Immaculate Question

This time of year we traditionally begin to think of Christmas more and more. According to songwriters Edward Pola and George Wyle, "It's the most wonderful time of the year." We like to watch It's A Charlie Brown Christmas and love to hear Linus tell us the Christmas story found in Luke 2. But I think we should also turn back a few pages in our Bibles and consider the story of Mary and Elizabeth and what happened in theirs wombs.

Luke 1

Let's start with Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. They both were very old (v7). Zechariah was visited by an angel (Gabriel) in verse 11 and told that he and his wife were going to have a son (v13). This son, John (and this is huge) would be filled with the Holy Spirit (v15) "before he is born!" Remember THAT before you vote pro-choice.

Six months later (v26) God sent Gabriel to visit Mary, the future Mother of Jesus, and told her she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit of God. Then Mary says these words (v46-47) . . .

“My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,"

I learned something new this week. Have you ever heard the phrase Immaculate Conception? I always thought it was about Jesus and how the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and Jesus was conceived in the virgin's womb. I have believed that my whole life! If you are feeling brave Google 'immaculate conception' and see what it REALLY means. This is from Wikipedia:

"The Immaculate Conception is the conception of the Virgin Mary free from original sin by virtue of the merits of her son Jesus. The Catholic Church teaches that God acted upon Mary in the first moment of her conception, keeping her "immaculate."

So, according to the Catholic church, Mary too was born without sin. Hmm. I thought Jesus was the only human born without sin.

According to GotQuestions.org, there is nothing in the Bible that says Mary was born without sin. It only mentions Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 John 3:5, 1 Peter 1:19) as having no sin.

Scroll back up to Mary and Elizabeth (v47). If Mary was born without sin why does she rejoices in God her "savior"? Only sinners need a Savior - her Son, Jesus.

This is from the Catholic church's web site. "The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was officially defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854."

I'm confused, but you know what? I'm sticking with Jesus as the only one who was immaculately conceived. Why? Because I trust the Word of God. And like Franklin Graham said about the Bible, "I don't understand it all but believe is all."

Immaculate Conception and Assumption - Catholic Answers
What Is The Immaculate Conception - GotQuestions.org

Only Hope

Everyone wants to have that perfect relationship. The one who gives us everything we are hoping for in life. Someone to complete us or to mesh perfectly with our hopes, dreams and beliefs. Here are three easy steps you can take towards reaching that goal.

First, quit trying so hard. That seems like contrary advice here but it's really not. If God has someone in mind for you, you WILL meet them, you WILL find each other.

Second, be choosey. Recognize that all humans are flawed. There is no "perfect someone" out there. The only perfect person who ever lived was Jesus and He was God so . . . trust in the Lord!

Which brings us to the third step you can take in seeking that perfect relationship. Choose God first. Place God where you want your perfect someone to be. If you trust in the Lord completely there can never be any disappointment in your life. Then wait for the prefect one that God has for you.

Have you read the story about Isaac and Rebekah in the Bible? Isaac really had no part in choosing his wife at all. He never met her before they were married. Someone went and got her. Yet she was the perfect one - chosen by God.

And how did that person who was sent to find Rebekah know that she was the perfect one for Isaac? He prayed and asked God to verify who the bride was. And He did!

You say, "I HAVE prayed and God has not provided!" There are two possibilities here. Either God has not willed that you have anyone in your life OR you don't have enough patience and trust.

You see, also in the Book of Genesis, Sarah was getting old and wanted to have a child for Abraham. She prayed and nothing happened. Yet God heard her and HE made it happen . . . when HE wanted it to happen, not on Sarah's schedule. Sarah was not patient, but God was.

That perfect relationship awaits us all. It is with Jesus Christ. Some of us have already met Him and are enjoying that relationship today. Some haven't submitted themselves fully yet to His marriage proposal. I pray that they would do so.

And sadly, some never will have that relationship with Jesus. That good, and perfect relationship that will last forever and ever. That's not God's fault. He has been extremely patient in His waiting for each of us. But, unlike His love, His patience with our refusal to join Him in a relationship is not eternal. It has an end. And that end is coming soon.

Get on your knees today. Right now. And pray that God would come into your life. Tell Him how tired you are of the disappointment that your earthly relationships bring. Tell Him you want the kind of love that lasts forever. If you do that, that one prayer, God WILL hear you and He WILL give you the desires of your heart.

"1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass."

- Psalm 37:1-5

Only Hope - Mandy Moore

Figgy Pudding?

Here's a Christmas question for you. Just what is figgy pudding and why on earth would we all want to eat some this Christmas? It sounds disgusting!

Apparently this is a picture of figgy pudding. I have no idea what it should look like or what it even tastes like. I just remember Peter, Paul and Mary singing about it and that they all wanted some.

Apparently Jesus wants some too. That was my take-away from the sermon I heard at church on Sunday. Our pastor was talking about being a watchman and how we will see signs of Jesus return for His church. He mentioned Jesus cursing the fig tree because it wasn't producing any fruit.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near." - Mark 13:28

Jesus was talking with His disciples about the end of the age and what the signs of His coming would be. There is nothing we Christians want more than His coming return to earth. That is why we wait so impatiently, longing for a sign of that coming.

In the song We Wish You A Merry Christmas there is a line in one of the verses that is very prophetic. If we are to be looking for signs prior to Jesus' return, "We won't go until we get some" suddenly has incredible Biblical meaning, and it's totally true!

There is another parable of Jesus cursing the fig tree. Whether the fig tree represents Israel, God's people, or us Christians, either way I think God wants us to bear fruit.

"Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered." - Mathew 21:18-22

The moral of the story? Bear fruit! I think what that means is we should do more than just go to church on Sunday. We should always be bearing the fruit of our faith. We never know when Jesus might be coming by, and it simply is not a good thing to be cursed by God, wither, then die.

Be fruitful this Christmas! And always be fruitful!! He is drawing near!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Peter, Paul and Mary
Why Did Jesus Curse The Fig Tree?

Convenient Faith

Everyone's seen the meme calling the manual transmission a "millennial anti-theft device". That's funny and probably mostly true but it is also quite sad. Because the automatic transmission is just another example of what's wrong with our faith these days.

We are a society of convenience. If it's not convenient for us to do something we just don't want to do it. That goes for driving cars, buying groceries, getting married and having babies. The same thing is true about our relationships, especially our relationship with God.

Everything has to be convenient for us. That's why we have "convenience stores". Why do you think KwikTrip is so popular? It's convenient! Their popularity speaks volumes about our wimpy character.

Our faith should not be convenient but churches have made it that way. Multiple worship times to fit our schedule, bending over backwards to please everybody, they even have drive through confessionals!

Our relationship with Christ cannot be convenient. We can't simply "believe and receive", as the prosperity gospel says, and suddenly be filled with all knowledge. When we first come to believe we soon find out that there's a lot of work to be done. Reading, studying, learning.

Our faith needs to be more like a race car driver than a bus driver. We need to work at it. Not a faith-based works system like some religions have. That's not biblical. What I am talking about it when our prayer life and worship life, our relationships and the way we live our lives all perfectly mesh together into a well-trained athlete or race car driver.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Grace has been extended to us from God. It is free. But it does come with a training manual. Anyone can go to church. It's just like starting a car. But it's up to us to find a gear for our faith and step on the gas.

Race Car Driver Footwork

The Perfect Relationship

We all desire perfect relationships in our lives. Each of us has an idea of what "perfect" is. The only problem is that we ourselves are NOT perfect. But God is.

God created Adam and Eve. God went walking in the garden of Eden one day and was looking to enjoy the relationship He had created with them. Satan, however, had other ideas. He introduced sin - "the apple" - and God's relationship with Adam and Eve became forever changed.

"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden."

"But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

"He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” - Genesis 3:8-10

God desires a relationship with us. We are the unfaithful ones in the relationship. God is prefect. The only way to have a wonderful relationship with God is to become perfect ourselves. "Impossible!" you say? Enter Jesus.

By placing our faith in Jesus we become perfect in God's eyes. Our relationship with God can then grow stronger and closer than ever before. It will never be perfect but that's not God's fault. It's ours.

Through Christ, our earthly relationships become stronger. That strength and those relationships are gifts from God. But they should never take the place of our relationship WITH God. We were created BY Him and FOR Him. That's something we tend to forget.

We like to focus on our earthly relationships because WE are the most important part of them. When God becomes the most important part, that's when our relationships, ALL relationships, grow and flourish. Place God first and your relationships will last. Forever.

In The Garden - Alan Jackson

Good Days

When was your last really good day? Was it yesterday? Last week? You HAVE had a good day, haven't you?

Life is a series of ups and downs. Some days are good, some days are bad. I had a really good day on Friday. Today I am not feeling so good.

Do you think God has good days and bad days? I'm not sure. I'd say yes but I think God is above all these earthly classifications. God simply IS.

Today the sun is shining brightly. Quite a contrast to the weekend when it was cloudy, raining and snowing. Still, no matter what the weather, I have a list of things that I think make up a good day.

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Hope
5. Faith

All five of these can be summed up in just one word - God. Think about it. When we place our hope and faith in God, we are at peace. In that peace we come to know love and the joy it brings, both in the giving of it and in the receiving.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Think about a wedding day. Whether it takes place in good weather or bad, it is the best of days. Is your spirit married to the bridegroom, Jesus?

When we place our faith in Jesus we are given ALL these things. It's like a wedding where two come together as one. Through our faith there is peace and joy and there is love and hope. There are no ups and downs really. There is simply God. And God is love.

The Weding Song - Paul Stookey