Spirit Of Truth

"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. I will talk to the Father, and He will provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take Him in because it doesn't have eyes to see Him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know Him already because He has been staying with you, and will even be in you!" (John 14: 15 - 17 - THE MESSAGE)

The Holy Spirit longs to empower us with His dynamic presence, change our attitudes, warm our hearts, show us how and where to walk, comfort us in our times of struggle and sorrow, strengthen us in the weak and fragile places of our lives, and transform our journey from this earth to Heaven!

Something To Ponder

"Never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up."
- Jesse Jackson

Great Day!

My Buddy (Dealer Dave) & I went to the Car Show in Detroit,MI. Here is the evidence!!

Seven Wonders Of The World

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the current Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the student if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch
2. to taste
3. to see
4. to hear
5. to feel
6. to laugh
7. and to love

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous.

The most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man. God has provided the true wonders of the world.

And the greatest wonder of all is God's amazing love for mankind in sending His only son, Jesus, to set us free and give us everlasting life.

--Author Unknown

Psalm 139

1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can't take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute—you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them—any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here!—all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies!

23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.

It's exciting to read Psalm 139. We see God's omnipresence and omniscience very clearly.

As one of the most favorite passages in all of Scripture for so many of us, we can see just how powerful our God is.

In this Psalm, we see just how all seeing our God is. He knew us even before our conception (See Job 14:5). Our God holds us securely in Him. He holds our life breath. He has work for us. He thinks about us all the time. Just think of this: God the Father saw Jesus developing in that womb just like He saw us develop….Amazing thoughts!

Finally, with wonderful dialogue David says: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way"(v.23 & 24). Sounds like a good prayer for us daily!

May our days be filled with truthful dialogue with the Almighty!

Note: I would be pleased to hear some of your thoughts on this Psalm!

Close Your Eyes!

"When your day is pressure-packed and your hours are all too few, just close your eyes and meditate and let God talk to you." - Helen Steiner Rice

Something to Ponder

The best way to explain God's purpose for your life and mine is to allow the Scriptues to speak for itself.

"For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him" (Colossians 1: 16 - THE MESSAGE).

Devotional - "Regrets"

Psalm 25:7 (NIV) “Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.”

I Love this verse! It can have a great therapeutic impact on our minds. We don’t need to dwell on the regrets and mistakes of our past because God doesn’t remember our sins and think of us based on our mistakes – He remembers you and I based on His own Love and Goodness!

Let’s face it, we won’t ever do a “good enough job” of earning the love and goodness and God. He loves us and is good to us for the exact reason the Psalmist provides at the end of this verse, “…for you are good, O LORD.” The real hurdle is depending on that love of God within us in our dealings and relationship with other people. What standard do we hold others up to? Is it a standard of their own achievement and their history of mistakes, or is it the standard of God’s great mercy and love. Here is a great definition of mercy: “Mercy is the willingness to consider and understand all the circumstances that make a person be the way he is.”

We need to challenge ourselves to be a merciful people. The challenge here however is not to try harder at being merciful, but rather to become more reliant of the merciful God, who lives within us.

God help us to be all that He wants us to be!

30 Years!!!

Today is a very Special Day!

Lorraine & I are celebrating our 30th Wedding Anniversary!

She was and is still a Beautiful Bride!

A Thought

"The most wasted day of all is that during which we have not laughed." - Sebastian R. N. Chamfort

Just A Thought....

AS WE BEGIN 2008

Some thoughts to guide us during this new year....

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

6. Do the math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day. It's like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

13. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

14. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

15. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

16. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle -- it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

17. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

- Author Unknown

My Prayer for the New Year!

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Father, thank you for all that You have accomplished in me this past year. For the ups and downs of everyday life. And, Lord, for proving Your love to me time and time again. Forgive my weak moments, those defeating times of unbelief, mistrust, worry, and complaining. Thank you that in my weakness, Your strength came shining through.

Help me to honor You more fully in the coming year. Teach me to cling to You like never before. Give me opportunity to illuminate Your perfect grace and mercy. Lord, may the fruits of Your Spirit be expressed from my inner being. May I love more, experience joy more, and claim your undeniable peace that passes all understanding. Enhance my patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness to Christlike proportions. May You find me faithful. Fill me with Your supernatural power of self-control. For it is in this fruit of the Spirit that all the others become possible. This prayer is my New Year’s Resolution. I lay it all at Your feet, Father God. May You and You alone be glorified.

In Your precious Name I pray!