Checking In...

Life...it just keeps happening...it's kinda funny that way!  Oh, well, I suppose the fact that life does go on is definitely something to be thankful for, especially during unexpected difficult times.  Can I get a witness!?!

Ok, so, since it's been a while since I blogged and all, I bet you thought you were off the hook!  Wrong!

So, tell me...how's that challenge/homework going for ya?  (You know, the one I dared you with back on the November 11th post...go check it out if you are just now reading my blog for the first time...but you others have no excuse...you know the challenge I'm talking about!)  No, seriously, I do want to know how you're doing with it.  In case you're wondering...I'm still plugging along at it.  Soooo much I'm learning, too!

Well, there are only a few options of answers for "How's the challenge/homework coming?"

1.  "I've started, but I haven't gotten all the way through yet." 
- Well, I must say, very good!  Seriously, I know you may be beating yourself up over it a little (or a lot), but I promise, sometimes you just have to do things at your own pace.  And, believe it or not, that is exactly the pace at which you should be doing it.  The main thing is...just don't quit!  Don't give up!  Keep reading and considering all that is there and you will be sooo glad you did!
- Are you hung up on something?  Do you have questions that have surfaced?  Ask.  I may not know the answer, but I can sure try to help you find out.
- By the way, for any of you at whatever stage in this, one thing I have learned very well lately is to not wait until you (or I) have all of the answers and get it all figured out (we never will...no one can).  Take Him as you know Him right now, the way He has revealed Himself to you up to this point in your life, especially through the book of John as you are working your way through this challenge.  He will progressively answer more of your questions and show you more of Himself in your life as you are honest about what you do know (little or much) and act on the knowledge you do have.  

2.  "I've already finished." 
- Awesome!!!  Now, did you really consider it as you were reading it?  If so, what kind of thoughts did you have?  What different things did you learn (or are you still learning, rather)?  Please share. 
- Do you remember the part about Him feeding the extremely large crowd of people?  Did you catch a couple of the lessons in that? 

• Like for instance, sometimes in order to realize that God is at work we have to realize how humanly impossible the situation is. 
• Also, when we are dealing with something that is so impossible, are you one who takes whatever you have (strength, hope, energy, belief, money, etc. - even as little as it may be) and brings it to Him knowing He can take it and multiply it like He did the food that day and do something you could have never dreamed possible!?!
• Here's an awesome quote for you from my study of John I am going through (called BSF, in case you want to know more about it).  It's related to a lesson to be learned from the boy who gave his small lunch to be used that day, not knowing if he would even get to eat any of his own lunch, but just thinking that he might could be of some help... 
• "You must risk in faith before you know by experience." (Will you take that risk!?!)

3.  "I haven't started at all..."  
     (followed by one of the following:)
   a.  "...but I do plan to, just haven't done it yet."

• Again, I'm very glad you plan to (of course, it doesn't matter whether I'm glad or not...you don't have to please me...you don't owe anything to me...this is all for YOU...for YOUR benefit, not mine.).  Do start as soon as you get a chance, and I will say the same to you as I did above in #1..go back up there and read that again. 

   b.  "...and I don't plan to at all." 
        (To which I will then ask "Why Not?" and your response  
         will quite possibly be very close to one of the following:)
       i.  "I already know what it says, because I've read all or 
            most of John as well as the rest of the Bible so many
            times over the years...not to mention all of the 
            sermons I've heard on it (or even preached on it).  
            So, really, what's the point?  I already know all there
            is to know."

• Really?  You do?  I do understand what you are saying, as I have thought and told myself the very same thing several times, for several years of time as a matter of fact. 
• Is it really that you think that there is no way you could see/read/learn anything new by reading John again...or could there be more to it?  
• Let's think about this.  Time to really get honest.  I dare you!
• Could it be that you have been rationalizing your life and way of thinking for so long that you don't even realize that - even though you say you are happy with your life and the way you are living it and are furthermore not doing anything wrong - could it be that you are actually refusing to "come to the light lest your deeds be exposed" and you have to face and admit the fact that you have been wrong after all?  (quoting from BSF and John 3:18-21, not to mention my own experience) 
• I know it's terribly difficult and even humiliating to consider that you might have to hear "I told you so.",  even if it is your own self saying it!  (And, honestly, you are probably the only one who will say that to you...soooo many people in your life will be so overjoyed and refreshed to see the change in you and the obvious joy in your life that they won't even think twice to welcome you home with loving, forgiving, caring arms.)  
• No one can judge you, because no one on this earth is above sinking to the lowest depths imaginable...and each of us truly knows that about ourselves.

       ii.  "I don't believe in God, so there is no point in reading
            the Bible.  It's no more real than the mythological 
            writings."

• Do you believe everything else that you read?  Fiction?  Mythology?  Folklore?
• If you read other things KNOWING they are not true nor real, then what will it hurt to read this one book of the Bible, John?  Besides, it's nowhere near the length/size of many highly read literary works (the likes of which you may enjoy reading as well). 
• Why not just take this intellectual challenge and read it once through?
• I'm not asking you to believe it.  As a matter of fact, you can even leave out the prayer part of the challenge if that's just way too "out there" for you.  No big deal.  Give it a shot.  
• Again, as I said when I first issued the challenge...I dare you!  I'll even up the ante now...I DOUBLE DOG dare you!  :o)  To quote a pretty great movie, "What are you...yellow?"  (McFly...Hello...is anybody home!?!)  Ok, just had to throw some humor in there somewhere, whether you caught it or not.  :o)
  

Well, there's my re-cap of catching up on the ole assignment.  I'll leave you on this Christmas Eve with one more wonderful, thought provoking quote from BSF that is really a pretty cool concept to me...especially at this gift-giving time of year that all began back with THE Gift that was so lovingly and undeservingly given to us. 

"One who receives God's Gift of Jesus Christ and eternal life GIVES TO GOD to gift of one's love, thankfulness, and life."  WOW!  What a concept!  WE actually give TO HIM when we RECEIVE the Gift He offers US!  If only I could convince all of these people at Christmas that I really AM giving to THEM by receiving FROM them!!!  What!?!  You don't think that'll fly!?!  Me either!  But, I'm thankful it really DOES fly with Him!!!  :o) 

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!!!  :o)  God DOES love YOU!  Stop fighting it, and receive it!!!

"What was I thinking!?!"

First, just to let you know, I finally got to fix my blog settings to where anyone should be able to post comments...whether you have a Google/Gmail account or not (use "anonymous").  Sorry it wasn't set right before, but I look forward to hearing from you all now! 
Now...I actually wrote this post a few days ago but have just gotten around to typing it up and posting it...

As you look back over your life, do you recall any "What was I thinking!?!" moments and/or stages of your life?

Yep...same here!  Tons of 'em!!!

Now, if you had the chance to go back and do some or all of those differently in light of what you know now...would you?  (Think hard before you respond to that!)

I would have honestly said yes to that question if you had asked me at many points prior to now...

However, I have come to a point in my life in which I can honestly say that, with all of those "What was I thinking!?!" moments included, I have NO REGRETS...and furthermore I would not go back and change a thing.

How can I say that, you ask?  Well, true, if I knew then what I know now I would have most likely done things differently in some or all of those moments.  BUT, now that I am where I am and I am who I am (not that I am anyone amazing or have everything all figured out, by any means!), I would not change a thing in how I got to this point.  Each and every moment - good and bad - has shaped me into who I am today.

Have there been times of intense hurt / pain / heartache / struggle / loss / tragedy / mistake?  Absolutely!
Would I want to re-live any of those times ever again?  Absolutely NOT!

BUT...

I, today, would not go back and rearrange any of the circumstances / situations / choices in those times or any - even if I could.

Reminds me of a very familiar (and loved by me) movie at this time of year...Oh, come on, you know...

"It's a Wonderful Life!"

Was George Bailey's "Wonderful Life" the one he went back and made all of the changes to...

or the one he already had all along - deep in debt, creeky old house, sick kids and all?

I think you know the answer to that!

What about your life?  What are YOU thinking!?!

So much to say yet I don't know what to say...

Do you ever feel like that? I'm sure you do. Seriously...I haven't blogged in so long because soooo much in life is happening, as it has a tendency to do. And, now that I have a minute to sit down and try to collect my thoughts, they're kind of everywhere!

One thing I do know is that on the subject of Trust and Faith, one of those many unexpected things popped up that has once again caused me to (as someone I just read so eloquently put it) put some more shoe leather to the road. Honestly, with all of the various expected and unexpected things going on, I don't know how I could respond at all to them if not for having the strength of the One who cares about me enough to be my strength and hope and to even surround me with others who care about me, support me, and encourage me.

Strength...what a concept! You know, I used to ask Him to give me strength in different times of my life...that was until I went through some times in which I had to ask Him to not just GIVE me strength, but to BE my strength. I'll let you digest that one for a while. If you've been through those times like that, you may know what I'm talking about. Times when just asking Him to give you hope seems almost pointless, because He (especially in those times) has to literally BE your hope. The times when you literally have nothing left. Those times.

In light of those thoughts, I searched the word "strength" (on BibleGateway.com) and found some thoughts that speak to what I am describing...here are a few of them just in case you were curious. (Notice how they say not only that He GIVES me strength...but He IS my strength.)

"The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Exodus 15:2)

"[ For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: ] I love you, O LORD, my strength." (Psalm 18:1)

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped." (Psalm 28:7)

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1Corinthians 1:25)

And also Hope...

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (Psalm 39:7)

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." (Psalm 62:5)

"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word." (Psalm 119:114)

"I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word." (Psalm 119:147)

" Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever." (Psalm 146:5-6)

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail." (Lamentations 3:21-22)

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:3-5)

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. " (Romans 12:12)

"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)

"Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:11-13)

"This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17)

"Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:17-19)

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:23-24)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrew 11:1)

"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:14-16)

Whew!!!! I HOPE (pun intended) you stuck with me through all of that! What can I say, I can't help but get carried away with the HOPE that I have in Him! Can you blame me!?!

Okay, okay, for my skeptical friends out there...you know who you are...if you hung with me through all of that, I'm proud of you, for one! And also, I'm sure you have lots to digest and lots of thoughts about all of the above. Let me just pose this thought/question to you...

If you're the one who is right about all of this (or even the thought that God doesn't exist because you can't prove it to your mind, so all of the above is moot)...if you are right, then what will I lose by believing all of this here and now?

AND...furthermore...if I am (and His word is) right, just think of what is at stake...on both the "good" and "bad" end of it all.

Soooo...consider...ponder...digest...take a step of faith and give Him a chance. It's win-win either way if you do!

(Oh, and for all who are reading this...skeptics included...I highly recommend going back to each of those passages I listed above and finding them in the Bible and reading the scriptures and/or entire chapter around each one. Soooo much good stuff in there! Remember...an easy way to do that is on BibleGateway.com )

I doubt it!

Yes, I said it...I doubt...do you?

This is a very appropriate subject, in light of the fact that we are currently on a journey to figure out what we believe and why. Are you one of those people who thinks that a "good Christian" does not doubt God, His existence, the Bible, etc....? Are you one of those people who not only doubts all of that, but just out-right doesn't believe in any of that at all? Either way, doubt in itself is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, denying that you doubt could end up being more harmful to you than doubt itself. WHEN you doubt, not IF, it often can be a good thing, because it forces you to go on a journey to discover why you believe what you think you believe...sound familiar!?!

I thought this one email I got was very timely this week. Max Lucado puts things in a very down-to-earth, easy-to-relate-to perspective. One of his daily emails this week was on just this subject. You can check it out at this link: http://www.maxlucado.com/articles/daily/do_you_doubt/#When:06:01:33Z

A couple of the things he said that I liked a lot (I really liked it all!) is that Doubt will "tell you not to believe in the invisible yet offer no answer for the inadequacy of the visible…His aim is not to convince you to confuse you. He doesn’t offer solutions, he only raises questions."

And another thing he said that was oh-so-true is, "If you are more cynical about Christians than sincere about Christ, then guess who came to dinner?" Ouch!!! I think we can all relate to being burnt by Christians...after all, Christians are HUMAN BEINGS...very imperfect just like anyone else. The trick is to realize that our hope is not in people, our hope is in Christ! Yes, He lives inside of Christians, but that doesn't mean Christians are made perfect on this earth. We still do and say very disrespectful, selfish, rude, hurtful things to fellow believers and non-believers alike. We still have our innate personalities, which when given to God to be used can be used amazingly (He made us the way we are for a reason!), however when we take our eyes off of Him and get too caught up in ourselves and doing things the way we think are best, those God-given personalities can be quite difficult for others to deal with - not to mention difficult to deal with ourselves.

Sooooo, what are you going to do with this?

I doubt (pun intended!) you can go away from this without reconsidering some things in your life, as I am in mine.

Specifically, Why are you avoiding God (if you are)? Are you using excuses that are fed by doubt? Give your doubts and fears and failures and guilt to HIM...accept His love and grace and forgiveness and faithfulness to you and acceptance of you.

Don't put off getting on the right road with Him (or BACK on it) until you "get some things straight" or "figure it all out" or find a church and/or denomination with which you completely agree and find no "bad" Christians. You will NEVER be satisfied if you are waiting on any of those things! Just come to Him...NOW...NOT LATER...just like you are right now.

Even if you've walked away from Him deliberately and feel guilty about it. Even if you think you've been just fine and living the "good Christian life"...still take this time to really think about that and re-evaluate it all. He wants to go deeper with you right now...not later! He wants to show you who He is in YOUR life, not just who He is period. I dare you to be real with Him and to trust Him! He will shock your socks off with what He wants to do in YOUR life!!! Hold on...are you ready?

Come to Him now, be real with Him...if you dare!

Seal of Approval?

When I came back in town from my monthly trip to New Orleans, I had to sort through a stack of mail that had come throughout the week I was gone. Of course there are many varied offers attempting to get me to do everything from sign up for a "pre-approved" credit card, purchase a year or more of a magazine subscription, or give some amount of money to a fund-raiser (which I must say is the best idea of the 3 possibilities, though you just can't give to them all...not to mention that my family has to be clothed and fed first). Anyway, one of the many things in that stack was an offer for a subscription to Good Housekeeping. For some reason, this one struck me as interesting...

On their list of perks you get by subscribing to them, one of the first things mentioned is..."the Good Housekeeping Seal". Yes, you have all heard of it, and often don't even think twice about it except that it sounds pretty good. But really, come on! Who are these Good Housekeeping people and why do I need their "Seal"? (They want us to think we do, after all.) Oh yeah, and in the fine print, it says that "*A few exceptions apply." Another couple of the perks mentioned in the list are "Ask Heloise" and "Money-Back Guarantee" ("If you are not 100% satisfied...").

Interesting that this offer came when it did. In my current Journey Through John (How are you doing on that, by the way? Would love to read some comments - here or on Facebook.), I just happened to be reading this week about Jesus having God's "seal of approval" on Him. (John 6:27) Now THAT's a Seal of Approval I can trust and be 100% satisfied with! What do you think? Are you starting to feel the same way? I feel much more secure asking Him when I have questions/confusions/doubts/needs or even wants, rather than asking "Heloise". After all, "your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."(Matthew 6:8) Who better to ask than someone (THE One) who already knows what you need!?! And as far as that "Money-Back Guarantee", I don't think I need or want that either. One reason...what He gives is FREE!!! (It cost Him A LOT, but nothing but belief is what it costs me!!! That's truly Amazing Grace!) And, another reason...He promises that we will be 100% satisfied by Him (John 6:35 "...He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.")...no need for a Money-Back Guarantee. If you are still working through my challenge to you from that previous post, then you are most likely reading a lot about the satisfaction and filling that He promises us. If that's not enough for you, search the word "satisfied" on BibleGateway.com and read ("in context") the results that come up in that search. He not only promises satisfaction, but He provides satisfaction over and over again throughout the ages, and the only dissatisfaction that comes is due to stubbornness/rebellion/disobedience/lack of trust in Him - thinking we know a better, easier way.

So...whose Seal of Approval are you going to trust? The FREE one, that's proven over many AGES...or the one you have to PAY FOR that's only been around as long as that magazine has (or less)?

"Choose you this day whom you will serve..." (look it up in Joshua 24:14-16) or better yet...put another way, "If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve—and do it today." (That's the same verse, but in "The Message" version.)

Like I have said..."To Not Decide Is To Decide..."!

Deep Thoughts...

"I'm still learnin' what I believe. Sometimes I'm a hero, sometimes I'm a fool." That's part of a song I heard tonight on the radio somewhere between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. So very true!!!

This won't be a long post, since I know I gave you quite an assignment in the last one. Besides, I've got to get some rest before my week of working in New Orleans starts tomorrow.

Here's a deep thought for ya'...

If you were to spend only 5 minutes a day hearing negative news (sounds like a fairly typical day, doesn't it!?!), how do you think that would affect you? Well, as a matter of fact, on that very same radio station tonight I heard that a study was done with just that notion in mind. And, after a certain period of time (maybe a month, but forgive my lack of recall as I have just driven 5 1/2 hours after a full weekend) the group of people who were tested in that way were notably depressed and fearful and even had begun to believe that many of the same very bad things reported on the negative news were very likely to happen to them as well. Sound familiar? Then, stop exposing yourself to all of that negativity (quite possibly far more than 5 minutes a day, I bet!)! As I tell you that, please know that I have 3 fingers pointing back at me.

On a more positive note, some of the most powerful and influential speakers and writers of any time (past and present) have merely written and/or spoken out of the vast amount of great, contemplative thoughts that have poured through their minds! That means, all of those deep things you and I think about all day and night could potentially be channelled into something that can be used to inspire and help others...all from our own deep thoughts! (Of course, if you are working on that challenge I posed to you in my last post, then you are quite possibly learning Who is the true inspiration and author of those great deep thoughts and more...)

Contemplate this..."For as he thinks within himself, so he is." (Proverbs 23:7) Who are you?

What's with the name?

"To not decide is to decide..." What's that all about? Well, I'm glad you asked! (You did, didn't you!?!) Anyway, if you are anything like me, you may choose at times in your life to "take the high road" and "not make any waves". Sometimes it seems as if that's just the better way to be...you will make (and keep) more friends and will in turn have a better chance of influencing more people. Well, in some ways this is true, and even good. However, there are some very important, fundamental decisions that you just HAVE TO make. Some things require you and me to not only make a choice, but to then STAND for that choice...STAND for what we BELIEVE.
This, though, presents yet another dilemma...How do you stand for what you believe if you don't truly KNOW what you believe!?! Sure we all think we do for the majority of our lives. We are raised a certain way and "just believe" what we always have because we always have. (I know, that's a little deep, but bear with me!) True belief in something, however, requires some true soul searching.

First, you have to figure out WHAT you (think you) believe as well as WHY you do. Maybe you are on that journey right now...deliberately rejecting some things you've always been taught and lived by, because, after all, what if they are not true? "What if my whole life up to this point has been a farce?" "Why do I believe the way my parents do...what if they've got it all wrong? They're just humans like me, too." Or, "why did I raise my kids to believe this way? What if I've misguided them? After all, my life hasn't been going so well lately, so maybe I've been wrong all this time." All of these are legitimate, honest, real questions that we must admit we all have asked in one way or another at some time in our lives. Are you a bad person for thinking that way or questioning those long-held values? No, you are real.

So then, what do we do now? Well, for one, we must accept that we will never know all of the answers nor were we ever intended to figure it all out. Some things are just too big to wrap our little finite heads around...and that's okay! I personally don't want any more responsiblity and expectation on me than I already have. How about you? Just let go of that control thing and accept that everything just will not fit into our nice little boxes.

Yeah, so, I got that...now what? Once again, glad you asked! Now go on a truth-seeking journey. A what!?! Yeah, a truth-seeking journey. Since you always thought you knew what you believed but now you've figured out that you're just not quite sure about that...now you've gotta find some truth to stand on, or trust me...you will fall...and it's not fun! (True, often the lesson is in the fall, but try to avoid it if you can.) So, for the first part of the search thing, what do I do? Well, once again, bear with me and listen (or read, rather) with an open mind...you do esteem that value in yourself, after all, don't you!?! With an open mind, I dare you to take this challenge...no matter where you are in your journey of life. (We could all use a little refresher, huh?)

I challenge you to start this truth-seeking thing out by *hold on* praying. Yes, I said it...PRAYING. Okay, if you don't like the way that sounds and it's just a little too out there for you (yeah, you with the "open mind") then I'll put it another way. Talk to God...yes, God...you know that whole belief that you are questioning right now...yes, Him! Okay, so how and why would you "talk to God" if you're questioning His very existence in the first place? (Admit it, I'm not just talking to the un-churched crowd here, am I!?! You know who you are and, once again, that's okay. Just be honest about it and come on this journey, too. What could it hurt?)

Well, to answer my question I asked before the little "aside", the "How" is very easy...just open your mouth (or speak with your heart if you're still uncomfortable speaking out loud to someone who is not physically sitting there with you). At this point, you don't have to believe He is there with you listening to you, just trust me on this one and do it. Just tell Him, "God, if you're out there...and I really feel kinda strange even talking like this, since I really don't think you are right now, or I'm just not sure...but anyway, if you're out there, then I ask you to show me." Come on, you can do it! Oh, and no, most likely you will not see fire come down from the sky right then and there, nor will you hear some booming voice audibly speak back to you (not that those things couldn't happen, but they most likely won't).

So now then, "Why"...especially if those cool, show-stopping things aren't going to happen? Did you ever hear your mama say "Because"? Well, because...because that's where it all starts. (Well, it really started way before that, but you'll figure that out soon enough.) Another reason is because in order to take the next step on this journey, it will greatly behoove you to have started with that crazy prayer thing.

Should I keep going, or should I just save the next step for the next post? Okay, okay, okay...I can't and won't leave you hanging like that. (Hope I haven't already lost you before now!) I would be doing you a great (bad) injustice if I didn't at least give you the next step.

Now, you've laid aside your pride and preconceptions and you've said that prayer thing (or talked to God...or whatever you would prefer to call it). Now what? Once again, I have another challenge for you...I know you're up to it! Especially if you've come this far. I challenge you to read something that is not for the faint at heart (actually, it is...it is really for everyone of us). Not just anything, but I specifically am saying you should now find a * Bible * (yes, I said another one of those words) you could even go online to BibleGateway.com or some other Bible website to read online.

Hold on! I am not challenging you to read the whole Bible (though that's not a bad idea over time)...you need to specifically read the book of (gospel of) John. (You know...Matthew, Mark, Luke, JOHN) Whether you are able to read it in one sitting or it takes you a couple of sittings, please don't forget that first step EACH TIME before you read it (pray that He will show Himself to you). You may even need to stop along the way and pray that again (and again). Remember as you read it that this is not a fairy tale. (I know, you're possibly questioning that, too, but trust me...or Him, rather...this is Truth...He is Truth, the ultimate one and only Truth.) The events you read about really did take place. You don't believe it? Well, how do you know that George Washington lived, or the Civil War happened, or Julius Caesar existed...and I could go on and on...but I think you get the point.

Now, this is, of course nowhere near the final step of the journey...but the first steps are always the hardest. Take this challenge, no matter what age you are, no matter how long you've gone to church - or not - , no matter how many times you've read the Bible...doesn't matter...take the challenge! I am, and believe me, you will see things you've never seen before.

These are the first steps of discovering and defining what you believe, because, after all...To Not Decide Is To Decide!

My first blog

Well, never done this before...though I've read quite a few. I do have many musings I feel are screaming to be shared. Okay, screaming may be a strong word for it, but sometimes it does feel like that. You probably know how I feel! Anyway, at the moment there are many daily duties that are screaming at me even louder, so I must wait until later to truly start this journey. Just wanted to take that first big step...that is, the first big step AFTER coming up with a name and web address! Until later...