No Longer…

Fear.

As I stood in my friends’ house after the fire was put out, my mind instantly transported me back fourteen years ago, as I stood in the ashes of my own home. In that moment, the old familiar lingering of fear crept into my heart. Fire is so unpredictable. It only takes a minute for your world to change. I am thankful that my friends’ family is safe and they could save many things from their home. Even so, I remember in my own life how time seemed frozen in those ashes. I remember how fear slithered in my thinking of what could have been and where do we go from here.

We all have fears. Fears of being alone. Fears of being rejected. Fears of that the test results will bring. Fears of life changing. Fears that life may never change. Fears that God will never answer our prayers. Fears that God may answer those scary prayers.

Four years ago, I had some health challenges, some I still deal with today. At first, I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I began to have anxiety attacks along with other symptoms. I felt overwhelmed by fear and anxiety. It took nearly a year to find some answers. I just remember the fear. Fear of what was wrong with me. The biggest fear was would I ever be the same. I went from being very organized and in control to surviving day by day and moment by moment. As I was praying one day about wanting God to help me get back to “me” He simply impressed on my heart that I would never be that “me” again. If for no other reason, all that I had been through had changed me. It changed how I look at others going through the same problems.

I’ve heard many speakers talk about their life verses for 2017. I thought I need that, so I began to pray about my life verse for the new year. Nothing. Great! 2017 is going to be a year of nothing I thought. Then I realized that for several days I had been singing the same verse of a song over and over…

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

When I stopped to think about that song I realized that last year was a year of fear for me. God reminded me that when we live in fear, we forget to live for Him. As a child of God, I should have no fear because He said He would never leave me or forsake me. Now I know this doesn’t mean I will not have troubles in 2017, but it does mean that perfect love casts out fear.

Dear friends, God has all our todays and tomorrows in His hand. Can we stand in His presence and release all the fears we are clinging to? Even as I write this I am waiting to hear my latest biopsy result. I’ve had many and they’ve all been fine but each time the fear of “is this the one” creeps into my mind.

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

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Home

I’ve spent the last couple of days away from home, but somehow I have felt more at home than I have in a long time.

I brought some teens, including my son, to the campus of Southern Nazarene University for a college days visit. My daughter attends college at SNU. It’s a five hour drive from home so she doesn’t get back much. I was lucky enough to stay across the street from the campus so she was able to visit and hang out. Sadly, my husband wasn’t able to make the trip with us, so it was not a complete family visit.

It’s true what they say, home is where the heart is. Spending quality time with my daughter. Watching my two kids reunite and hang out together. My heart has been full. My heart has been home.

So many times our thoughts of home are connected to physical things. A house. Pictures on the wall. As Thanksgiving approaches many of us make plans to go home for the holiday. Sometimes I’m sad at the holidays, with both parents passed on and the house I grew up in is no longer viable. I miss going home.

These past days have reminded where home is. So on Thanksgiving I will make my mom’s recipe for homemade rolls and when I smell them in the oven, I’ll go home. When I make the giblet gravy, I’ll remember teasing my dad about his gravy in a jar, I’ll go home. And as we make memories with my kids that are growing up way too fast, I hope they carry those memories in their hearts so no matter where God leads them in life they can always go home.

Parent Surviving College

It’s been a full week now. We moved our oldest into her dorm room a week ago for her first semester of college. Can you feel the dull ache in these words? It has been quite the emotional week in this house. I have become the social media junky that I often criticize my teens about because I am hoping to catch a glimpse of my daughter. Maybe she posted today. Maybe someone else posted a picture of her. It’s really sad.

Honestly, last weekend her university did a wonderful job of “preparing” us for this moment. We moved her in on Friday and then had events planned through Sunday which concluded with a dedication service for the incoming freshman class. Originally I envisioned a weekend packed with events WITH my daughter. In reality, the events were orchestrated so that parents could watch their kids and see up close the kids were going to be fine.

The moment that helped me most was during a parents’ dinner and the school had some parents who had been through this before answer questions. A mom gave the advice that when we returned home it would feel like going through grief when someone has passed away. At first, that seemed extreme, but now I see how true that illustration is for this. It started last Sunday when I woke in the hotel room and began getting ready for the dedication service. I knew this was something we had to do, but I was dreading it with every fiber in me. I knew that after the service we would have lunch with our daughter and then begin the five-hour drive home…without her. On the way home it was quiet. Neither my husband or son had much to say because it would usually end with tears. Then when we arrived home, there was her room. Empty. Dark.

Yet, here we are…surviving. We are adjusting to the family of three instead of four (which really messes up Chili’s 2 for $20 I have to say). We keep reminding ourselves that she is right where God wants her to be for now. She is following her passion for music. And yes, she is having the time of her life.

One of my favorite, most precious memories (and toughest) from last Sunday was after we prayed with our daughter as family and gave our family hugs. We were all an emotional mess, so how do you say goodbye? I told her, “We are going to walk to the car. You are going to walk to your dorm. And we won’t look back at each other.” Well, I fibbed. I turned back and watched her the entire way. She gracefully walked to her dorm looking so beautiful in the sunlight. All I could think was Proverbs 22:6,

“Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.”

My heart was aching as I watched her walk further from me…but my heart finds peace in knowing she is walking the right path God has ordained for her.

On a happy note, this mom is learning to snap chat and she is going old school and video calling home. To all the parents out there, hang in there! Trust God and let Him lead this generation.

Never Give Up

Have you had one of “those” days lately? You know, where it seems each hour only brings more trouble. At first it’s no big deal, you deal with each problem that arises, but then the problems begin to stack up so fast that it’s a losing battle. You are ready to pull your hair out and you hear yourself say, “If one more thing happens…” We’ve all had those days…weeks…month…maybe years.

That’s when we need to be reminded to NEVER GIVE UP.

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:
(1) And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.
(7) But this precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.
(8) We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. (9) We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we gut up again and keep going. (10) Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
(16) That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. (17) For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! (18) So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now, rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

And so, what is this wonderful ministry we have? If you look at the chapter before this Paul tells the Corinthians that when we have Christ we become mirrors to reflect the bright light of his glory to others. In other words, when people look at us there should be an evident glow that there is something different. Therefore, remembering where we were before we knew Christ and knowing how he has changed us, we should never give up Paul says.

Paul describes the troubles we will have. This is not a maybe, even as Christians we will have troubles just like everyone else. The difference is how we handle and react to those troubles.

Ever had one of those days when even before you wake you remember something you forgot the day before, at the breakfast table the kids are asking for money that’s due today, you hear a strange noise in the car that can’t be good, you try to figure out how to be in two places at once, you get home finally only to find you forgot to thaw something for dinner and just when you think you can end your day the kids are already asking for things for tomorrow. Paul says we will be pressed on every side from troubles. Yep, one of those days. It makes me think of those scenes in the movie where the stars are trapped in a room and the walls start closing in. There’s no way out and they can’t stop the walls, doomed to be flattened like a sheet of paper. Just when all hope seems lost, they find a rod (that they did not see half an hour before) and are able to brace the walls therefore dodging the end. Paul says we will pressed on every side like that, but he also says we will not be crushed or broken. God knows what is pressing on us and He will be our help. NEVER GIVE UP.

Then we have those days that we just can’t seem to think our way out of a box. Paul says we will be perplexed. This means we become uncertain. We can’t seem to think clearly or logically to make a decision about the problems. It goes beyond not knowing an answer. Sometimes we become so mentally and spiritually exhausted that we just can’t see or think it through. We are ready to throw in the towel and say we quit. But Paul is very specific here…don’t give and quit. NEVER GIVE UP.

Hunted down or persecuted is how the NIV reads. I believe Paul used this term in the most severe way. Christians in his time were hunted, imprisoned, tortured, mutilated for sport and killed. Today, in America, if I use the term persecuted Christians we think of foreign countries. We think of the Syrian refugees fleeing. Unfortunately it is becoming familiar here too. The recent shooting in Oregon. Paul says we are hunted down but we are never alone. God never abandons us. Even if the thought of physically being hunted down is unknown to you, let me remind you that we have an enemy who is always hunting us down. Satan is waiting and watching. When we have been pressed on every side and we are perplexed, he is there to attack. Those thoughts begin to come in that you failed. You’re a hypocrite. You’re worthless. You’re alone. Don’t believe those lies! God has not abandoned you or me. NEVER GIVE UP.

And then there are those days…something happens that can totally knock the breath out of you. The phone call that a loved one has died. The diagnosis you feared. Job loss. A child has walked away from the faith. Maybe it’s the combination of all of the above…pressed, perplexed, and hunted. Paul says we will get knocked down…BUT…I love a big but…BUT we get up again and keep going. NEVER GIVE UP.

If you’ve ever watched a life on Jesus Christ, pay attention to the scenes when he is carrying his cross to Calvary. He falls down. He has been beaten beyond recognition, with every step his life is flowing from him. However, he gets back up because he has a goal…the will of his Father in heaven. Verse 10 says we share in this same suffering so that people can see us get back up…so that we can brightly reflect the power and glory of Jesus. We don’t keep getting back up because we are strong…we get up because the power of Christ lives in us.

We live in a broken world and a broken body that is dying every day, but our spirits are being renewed every day. Not just Sunday or Wednesday. We should be in the Word daily to renew our strength. If we are doing that then Paul says we don’t focus on our troubles but we stay focused ahead to the joys that are coming! NEVER GIVE UP!!

My Promise

It was a beautiful weekend. Beautiful fall-like weather. Beautiful time with family and friends. Yesterday I had the privilege of watching my niece and her husband dedicate their little boy to the Lord. Watching this moment made me think back to the dedications of my own two children.

As my mind traced back so many years ago, it really seems like only yesterday. I remember each moment as my husband and I stood before our pastor surrounded by family and friends making our vows to raise our children to know the Lord and His ways. At first glance one might think a dedication service is about the child, after all they are the center of attention with their adorable outfits and heart melting smiles. In truth, the ceremony is more about the parents. It’s a public statement of your intentions to raise your child in a Christian atmosphere to know Jesus as Savior and to follow his ways.

In 1 Samuel 1 you find the account of Hannah praying to have a child. God grants her request and she gives birth to Samuel. In her love for God and gratefulness for giving her this child, Hannah vows that she will dedicate Samuel back to the Lord when he is weaned. True to her word, Hannah took Samuel to the Temple when he was about four years old and left him there with the priest, Eli, for Samuel to dedicate his life to serving the Lord.

Whoa! She left him there. As a mom, that’s a hard one for me. I’m thankful I don’t have to take my children and leave them in the church to be able to serve the Lord. Still Hannah shows us the true meaning of dedicating our children to the Lord. No matter how old you children are right now, think back to that first moment you saw them. If you’re like I was you mind and your heart is filled with so many dreams and hopes for that child. With each passing day as they grow, we are wondering will he be a doctor or maybe she will write a world changing novel. I know as a mother, Hannah had to have looked at little Samuel and had those moments of trying to envision him at different stages of his life. Then remarkably Hannah lays aside all those dreams and gives Samuel to Eli to raise. When we dedicate our children we are doing no less. We stand before the Lord with all the hopes and dreams for our children then submit and say “Lord, thank you for this child. I know you have a plan and purpose for my child. It may not be the same dreams I have but I promise to teach my child about you so Your plans will come to pass, not mine.”

That means the most important job we have as parents is to teach our children to know the Lord and His Word. We need to teach them who Jesus is. Explain that to follow Jesus is the best path we can follow in life even if it’s sometimes the hardest.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn form it.” (NIV)

Yesterday also led me to think about my own start in life. I was not raised in church. And I knew just enough to know who Jesus was thanks to some extended family members. No doubt my parents loved me, they just wasn’t living a Christian lifestyle. When I was grown my mom came back to the Lord. I remember her apologizing to me for not raising me to know the Lord. She still taught me one of the most valuable lessons…it’s never too late to get on that right path.

Maybe today your children are babies or like mine the making college plans. Age doesn’t matter, you can still decide to dedicate your children to the Lord. Do your best to teach them the ways of the Lord (this might mean you learning a new path as well) and set in to praying for God to lead your children. As Hannah’s husband said to her, “…may the Lord help you keep your promise.” There will be times that it will only be the Lord’s strength you can stand your ground on the Truth of His Word.

May the Lord bless your journey whether you are in the beginning, middle or near the end!

In the Beginning…

In the beginning…

Seems like the logical place to start. Ask anyone how the world began and the differing opinions will easily come. I know because I did ask. Views of science and theology will begin to spew. Neither of which I am expert. I am a simple woman who is on a journey to live my life more abundantly. I believe the Bible is not a science or historic text book, but has all of that in it. I believe the Bible is God’s voice for things He says to man.

Believing this then, I do believe Creation as the Bible tells me. This leads me to questions such as:

• Why is believing in Creation important?
• What does Creation have to do with Jesus?
• What do we believe about Jesus?

In the beginning seems like a logical place to start. Honestly, for some, what they believe about the beginning in the Bible changes their whole outlook on the rest of the Bible. However, for me, the questions start more in the middle.

Who do I believe Jesus to be?

I believe Jesus is God’s Son sent to be born through Mary, who was a virgin. (Matthew 1:18-22) I believe that Jesus came to save the world from their sins. (John 3:16-17) I believe that Jesus accomplished this by dying a sinner’s death on the cross and rising from the grave defeating death. (Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, John 19-20) I also believe that Jesus is part of the Trinity—God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17) This is the core of who I think Jesus is. Fully God and fully human while he lived on this earth.

From these core beliefs I draw my first reason to believe in Creation as the Bible states. Jesus’ birth was divine, you can read this in Luke 1. Jesus was conceived because of God’s will not anything man could explain. If I believe that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary then why would I not believe that God created man?

Believing who Jesus is leads me to my next question…do I believe what Jesus says?

We can read two versions of the account when the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus in a war of the Scriptures. They asked Him what He thought on the matter of divorce. (Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:6-9) Basically Jesus answered that Moses allowed divorce to please the people, but then He quoted from the Book of Genesis what God’s original intent on marriage was. I know you are wondering what the topic of divorce has to do with Creation. Well here are my thoughts, I’m glad you asked.

Jesus was quoting from the very pieces of Scripture that we tend to question about Creation. Jesus knew the Scriptures, in fact, John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus was there at the beginning with God the Father creating all that exists. If He was there first hand and He has no problems with the way Creation is recorded then neither do I.

Jesus’ statements give credit to Genesis as well as other accounts we tend to question. He mentions the death of Abel in Matthew 23:35. Jesus tells that when He returns again it will be just like in the days of Noah before the flood. (Matthew 24:37-39, Luke 17:26-27). Jesus also compares what He must endure to that of what Jonah went through in the belly of a big fish. (Matthew 12:38-45)

Some still will say what does it matter if I believe in the Big Bang or Evolution and you believe in Biblical Creation? I think it matters tremendously because it matters in who you believe God to be. It’s not that I don’t believe science, but I believe science is the study of what God has already created. Therefore I don’t need to prove how God created something because my God is just that big that I just know He can and He did. If I begin to try and make God fit into the confines of what my human mind can understand then I just created my own god. God is Lord of lords, King of kings, the Alpha and Omega, my Creator!

Saying all these things you must know about me that in my journey over the years I have walked the paths of believing in what science tells me. I have questioned things of the Bible that didn’t seem to fit with the times. In all those sincere searches it still all comes down to the question Jesus asked Peter and the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”  Just as Peter answered I say Jesus is the Messiah, Son of the Living God! Now look at what Jesus said to Peter…”You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” (Matthew 16:13-17)

So I leave you with the question…In the beginning…who do you say He is?

Let’s Go Fishing

Every year my family takes a camping trip. It’s a week we get away from schedules and demands. We each have different parts to the trip we enjoy. My teenagers love to ride bikes around the area, I love to sit and read a book in the sun and my husband loves to fish. The following was a journal entry from our last trip as I sat by the early morning campfire…

I’m sitting watching my husband slowly make his way across the lake as he is fishing. Jesus’ words “I will make you fishers of men” came to my mind. I began to wonder what that truly means. It’s more than just catching souls for the Kingdom. What does it mean to be the fishers?

My husband is so patient. He can spend hours on his boat waiting for the first nibble. He’s not thrilled when his nets are empty, but still he’ll go back again. Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” How patient are we as fishers of men? We plan a two hour program and if there is not a harvest of souls we give up. I have lunch with my friend and when I’m unable to steer the conversation towards Jesus, I give up. Fishermen know to be still and wait.

Now while my husband is patient he is not doing nothing. He has a tackle box full of baits. Every so often he may change his bait trying to attract the fish. Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2) Too often we are focused on a single way to share Jesus that we are missing opportunities. The Gospel is not for Sundays only. It can be shared over a cup of coffee, sitting in the doctors waiting area, and even in the grocery line with the frustrated mom with two toddlers. In season and out of season, that means at all times be ready to share our faith.

Although my husband has only caught one fish, we had the best meal last night and still have fish left over. How, you ask? Our camping neighbor had more than enough fish and generously shared. That’s another quality of fishermen, they are generous and community minded.

As we are each called to be fishers of men we should ask if we are being patient, using the full tackle box and are we generous, community minded believers.

Parenting Recipe?

I stood frantically scanning the bookshelves. There must be one that has the answers I need. As my eyes read each title I felt the panic swell inside of me. I’ve read this one. Heard that author in person. I don’t get it, God. I’ve read these books, I’ve followed all the advice and have done all the “right” things with my children. So why I am still standing here feeling like a failure, like there must be that “one” thing I did wrong or didn’t do at all?

When my kids were still babes there was a fear that grew in me. I was raised by parents who loved me with no ends, but I was not raised in a Christian home. I remember one day feeling overwhelmed with this task of not only loving my kids…I could do that as I envisioned homemade cookies and playing in the puddles. My fear came from the thought of how to love my kids as a Christian mom. I remember clearly hearing that whisper in my heart from the Lord, “I’ll teach you.” I’ve held onto that comforting promise throughout the years. I know it hasn’t been perfect, but I have tried to raise my children to know the Lord, know his Word and follow His will in their lives.

Then something happened. Just when I thought everything was good, maybe I’m getting the hang of this…my kids became teenagers. Now I stand looking at the help books on the shelf wondering, what did I miss? After all, if we raise them in the church, teach them the Scriptures, give them quality mommy time, have the daddy-daughter nights, teach our sons to honor and respect the girls…isn’t it reasonable to think that the teen years will go smooth. I’m not naïve. I know teens will be teens. They grow they stretch. So why at this moment do I feel like a failure?

Then God spoke to me while watching a cooking show. Raising my kids is not a recipe.

I love to cook. And I love knowing that if I mix the right ingredients in the right amounts I can create mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies. However, one of my favorite shows is where they have a mystery basket and set time to create something good to eat from the mystery ingredients in the basket. Sometimes the ingredients are so crazy it seems impossible, until the chefs go to the pantry. With a well-stocked pantry, the chefs can create a masterpiece out of most any ingredient given.

As a parent, I felt like a failure because I viewed the journey of raising my children like a recipe. I thought if I did this, this and this it would equal…well, it would equal that perfect young Christian child. At the first sign of trouble I thought that I must have left out a key ingredient. This caused fear and panic which caused me to overreact in some ways.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” (NLT)

Parenting is not a recipe…it’s a stocking of the pantry. We are to teach our children all the right ways so that no matter what mystery ingredient life throws at them they will have what they need in the Lord to create a masterpiece. This doesn’t mean they will always choose the best. If I have fruit in the pantry and a bag of chips, which will my child most likely want? The hardest part as our children grow is adding trust to the pantry. Trusting them to work through the obstacles of life and use what we have taught them. Trusting that even if they do things different than we would, that with the help of the Holy Spirit they will still have a masterpiece in the end.

Therefore, I’m still learning how to be that Christian parent. I’m learning how to continue to gently guide my children and continually stock their Spirit-filled pantry. I’m learning to trust that God is able to achieve greatness in the life of my children…without my help 24/7.

Dear Lord, thank you for the beautiful teenagers you have entrusted me to love. I ask that you continue your work in me, showing me how to be a Godly mom. I pray that my children will be sensitive to your leading in their lives today. Amen.

The Light of My Darkness

“Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord himself will be my light.”—Micah 7:8

Life is not always easy. Our Christianity does not guarantee an easy path. We have assurance that when those hard times do come God is at our side to help us through. He will be our light in the darkness.

May 29, 2003 started out an ordinary day. My two kids sat at the kitchen table joyfully coloring while I sat at my desk preparing teen camp forms to be mailed off. I earlier sat and wrote a devotional to share with the women’s ministry that same evening. To try and keep ahead of schedule I boiled some eggs for our fellowship meal that evening. After the eggs were done, the kids and I dressed and headed out the door for a quick trip to the post office to mail the camp forms.

An hour later I returned and found my home filled with smoke. Later we discovered that my son was trying to mimic my cooking and had turned a burner on under a pan of grease. God was merciful that day; our home did not burn to the ground. However, all I remember is entering my house and everything being frozen in ashes. Kids’ toys, the morning dishes, even our evening meal thawing on the counter was stopped in time as Satan attacked our life.

Then over by the couch I spotted the notebook I had written my devotion in that morning. The fire had blown the notebook open to the end of the devotion where I had written, “Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord himself will be my light.” (Micah 7:8). At that moment I knew everything would be alright, maybe not at that very moment, but I knew God was there.

This verse has been a promise I have clung to that no matter how dark life seems, God is a shining light. No matter how many times I stumble over Satan, God will lift me up. Take this as your own promise today.

Dear Lord, thank you for your grace through Jesus Christ. I pray that you will continue to keep me in your light and lift me from my darkness. Amen.

More Life

Does the world really need another blog? That is the question that keeps running through my mind. There are probably thousands of blogs on the internet. Why do we need one more?

My daughter assures me that I would be a good blogger. That began the thought process. Could I really write a blog and if I did what would I write? I started to analyze everything and everyone. What would I say that would really matter to those around me? Again, the nagging thought of does the world really need another blog?

The thought of one more thing can be overwhelming. As we have just come through the Christmas season and now starting a New Year do we need one more thing to do or one more thing to read? I don’t know about you, but I feel over loaded with more than enough. Presents from family and friends are still stacked neatly in the corner until I find their new place of belonging. The kids are back in school which means our schedules will be filled again. More events. More time scheduled on the calendar.

As a sit here, I can’t imagine I need more of anything. In fact, I need less of some things in my life so I can find more rest and more peace. For that reason, the Holy Spirit has been whispering in my soul for weeks that I do need more…More Life!

Jesus says in John 10:10 NIV, “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

All the craziness in life, sometimes even the good things, are really like a thief. Stealing our time. Killing our minds and bodies to keep up with the demands. Destroying our relationships as we put schedules above people. Stop and ask yourself if you really enjoyed the holidays or was you so overwhelmed by doing more that it left you exhausted and spent? We have bought into the lie that more is better…more stuff…more money…more friends on Facebook…more, more, more. Yet at the end of the day we are only tired and weary. There are days as a mom that I am so tired I don’t even feel like talking with anyone, not even my husband. That’s sad. That is the thief trying to steal, kill and destroy.

Jesus says there’s a different way. Different versions will paint the picture clearer. The New King James Version says he will give life more abundantly. My favorite though is the Message:

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

I think we all have dreams of what life should be, and Jesus says He wants to gives me a more and better life than what I can dream. I say to that…bring it! Again I ask, does the world need one more blog? Yes, until the whole world can have this life more abundant our voices should continue to cry out that Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life. For me, as the New Year begins I start a new journey of seeking the One who made me and discovering what it means to have More Life!