What are you doing with your time here on Earth? I continue to have a burning desire to learn more about God's word as spoken to us through the Bible and yet I don't spend much time reading it. Imagine that! Whenever I do go to church I leave with a wonderful feeling and I think to myself, why don't you go to church every Sunday? I get this feel-good feeling when I do what I think I am suppose to do. Does this sound familiar? I really believe people feel their best and are the happiest when they are doing what they believe to be the right things to do. We like to please. So let's please God with our faith, praise, devotion, worship, service and gifts.
Let's Praise God for the rain during August. Crops were dry, yards were dry and our community lake was low. God's people prayed for rain and God answered with showers to replenish the water table. Hopefully, people will be able to continue to boat and enjoy the lake and the farmers will have a good yield this year.
Live with purpose and devotion to interact with God as you develop your personal relationship with him. Devote your self, your time to read and understand God's Word. Set a reasonable goal and hold yourself accountable. I set the goal to read a devotional each morning as I start my day. I am following through with this and now I find myself looking forward to each day's devotion, wondering what the message will be.
Worship God with all your heart every day and multiple times throughout each day. Lift your burdens to the Lord, but also the burdens of your brothers. Praise God and give thanks for your life and the opportunity each burden brings for it truly is the challenges that provide us with opportunities to grow spiritually.
Service to others...each of us is blessed every day with multiple opportunities to provide service to others. Service can be very simple, such as a friendly hello or a smile to acknowledge someone. Service can be spontaneous or planned. Service is giving to others without thought of repayment. Many times it really isn't about money or monetary means of service. Giving of ourselves in service to others brings such feelings of satisfaction; I really don't understand why we are ever mean to each other. While raising our children I always reminded them that when people are unkind to one another, something is not going well in that person's life and they have not learned successful coping skills, such as coping through service to others. My mother use to tell me not to say anything if I couldn't say something nice. I like to take that one step further and say, "Do something nice if you can't say something nice." Try this positive spin and see if you reap the benefits God promises us.
Gifts come in all shapes and sizes, just like us! You and I might be the gift. Sharing your monetary wealth and tithing are gifts. Just remember we can't buy our way into Heaven. Jesus already paid the price for our admission. We must accept Christ as our Savior and Lord to gain access through his Grace. Look within to see what Gifts you have to give God.
My Faith comes from being taught about God by my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and people at church. Having others share their faith, knowledge, and stories about God helped my Faith grow. I know, without doubt, God is a loving Father who deeply cares for me and answers prayers when I give them to him. I know this to be true. I can depend on God. He speaks to me. God has provided me with God sightings that validate His existence, even thou he doesn't have to prove himself to anyone. I am so thankful I have Faith.
Enjoy your life. It is a gift from God. Live with purpose; you decide what is your purpose. Smile, and my God bless you abundantly. Until next time......Peace be yours.