Sunday Thoughts

Sundays in particular are thought provoking days for me. It seems the message at church always has one or more things I can connect with. I love that about the Holy Spirit. There is no better place to be than in a place where you sense the Spirit is working.

Our church is doing a series on coming out of the "Shadows in the Darkness". I have been saying this to Ray for several years...if we take the time to listen, everyone has a story. The following was in our sermon notes today: "None of us has arrived at our present juncture in life unmarked from wounds and scars from the past. And many of these wounds have a profound impact on our current/present spiritual defeats and failures." I would like to add also our spiritual successes. We are such products of our life experiences. The sermon notes also said that the goal and prayer for this series is: "that we will experience God's healing process and move beyond hurt to forgiveness, beyond wishful thinking to responsible action and beyond blame to belief." I am so blessed to have been raised in a loving, christian home which gave me a wonderful foundation for a successful life but I have not made it through this life without pain just as most others have not.

We have been discussing in our home how our society as a whole has become a victim, meaning that nothing is our fault. Its someone else's fault and we will not take responsibility for our actions. This has deteriorated our nation. With frivolous law suits and many other ramifications involved with not "owning it" as Dan Seaborn likes to say. We must own up to our wrongs. Then we can experience God's mercy and grace. We don't have to dwell in that dark place we can come out into the light. If any of us look into the mirror we must say I have sinned. People put degrees on sin but it's all sin. Those whose sin is more obvious than others are they bigger sinners or just sinners like everyone else. There must be accountability and then also forgiveness. Wow! I don't know what has gotten into me today. I'm just a sincere believer who wants to see people brought into the fold and nurtured into a rich relationship with Christ.

On to another soap box of mine....if no one reads this it's ok because I just felt compelled to write it down. Our nation even the Christians in some cases have become complacent. They fall back on the saying "God is on the throne and He's in control". Yes, He is! We also have a responsibility to action. I believe this mentality is a recipe for disaster. God allowed Israel to fail when they were disobedient or were so prideful that they didn't need God. Who are we to think we are better than them? We can't sit back and let the evils of this world take over and expect God to bail us out. We have to do our part. I like this quote "There is no situation so chaotic that God cannot, from that situation, create something that is surpassingly good. He did it at Creation. He did it at the cross. He is doing it today." Bishop Handley Moule

Pray, pray, pray. Another quote from today's message that I thought was worth mentioning was: "God does not want us to find the answer. He wants us to become the answer!" E. Stanley Jones. He wants to use us to accomplish His mission.

I have a real passion to encourage and lift up those who have suffered and hopefully draw them to Christ. I think my experience and pain has caused me to feel this passion. We had a difficult marriage for the first few years and on top of that the pains of infertility and failed attempts at being parents. If I didn't come out of that darkness with a passion to empathize and encourage others I would think the time and experience was a waste.

Life is hard but God is good

God is good all the time....All the time God is good!