Prayer Continued

Greetings, My Friends.

In this message, I would like to cover prayer a little more. Again, I remind you that what I say is my personal opinion, and not an attempt to convert anyone. Whether you accept Jesus as your personal savior or not is between you and God. These messages obviously go out to people of all levels of belief or unbelief.

The quote from Matthew 18:3,"  I said to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" the word converted seems to indicate salvation.

Since God calls everyone, my own personal feeling is that if you pray at all, you are hearing the voice of God calling you, whether you think you heard Him or not. The fact that you pray is the 1st step. It is a sign that you do believe at least a little, for what other reason is there for praying.

We include the prayer of salvation at the end of each message under the assumption that at any time someone will answer God's call. A further message or two will be the salvation.

I mentioned previously that when I talk to the Lord I talk as to my most trusted friend. Here is an example of how I pray and should not be taken as the only way but merely a way to pray.

Good morning Lord. First, I want to thank you for all of your blessings, favor and miracles in my life. Today I am going to make a picnic table. I ask you to keep me from doing something stupid like cutting a finger off. Help me to cut straight, measure correctly, and do the best I can. I thank you, I praise you, and I love you.

Prayer of salvation.

" Oh God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness. I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

Remember my friends

Jesus loves you

The Bible, Part 2

Greetings My Friends;

Before we get off of the subject of the Bible, I would like to mention a couple of things that a lot of people are not aware of.

I personally did not count the number of God's promises, but I did hear a well-known preacher say that the total comes to about 7 thousand. I think that this is a staggering amount, and shows you a little bit about how much God loves us. In the coming weeks we will take a promise or 2 a couple of times a week and see what we can get out of it.

In Matthew chapter 18 verse 3, Jesus says," assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and, become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." My own impression of the little children idea, I believe, is what is meant. When you are a little child, you believe everything your parents tell you. God is your father, and the Bible is what he is telling you. Regardless of what your human brain tells you,  believe  every bit of what the Bible says. That is called faith. Proverbs chapter 3, versus 5- 7" trust the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will guide your path.

Do yourself a favor and avoid the trap that many people fall into. Do not nit pick the Bible. Exercise faith. What have you got to lose by believing the word? When we get to prayer again, we can discuss the converted part mentioned in Matthew.

If you are ready now, or maybe in the future, your heart will tell you.

Prayer of salvation.

" God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past.  Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness;   I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

God bless you and always remember,

 Jesus loves you.

Brookfield Zoo Dinosaur Pics 2

As promised, here are the rest of the dinosaur pics from our little walk through Brookfield Zoo on Mothers Day this year.  If you have not seen these works of art in person, your missing a real treat.  Just remember to not get too close, I am not sure of their feeding schedule.

Studying the Bible, Part 1

Greetings, My Friends;

As I think about my own past, I realize that I felt like I was lost in the wilderness for many years. No goals, no hope. After a friend suggested the Bible, things changed. I had to find my way the hard way, but the grace of God got me the there in time.

I am going to give you some valuable shortcuts. You will still have to work a little, but you will get where you're going, and you will realize it is all worth it.

In order to have prayer be as powerful as it can be, you need to take the right steps. The Bible is often called God's instruction manual, or God's love letter to man. It was inspired by the Holy Spirit through the various writers. It is the only way to get to know God's love for you and that is the 1st key. It is my opinion anyway.

Find a good study Bible. The ESV or  NIV is what I prefer, but there are other good versions. As long as the experts are spirit filled, you will be okay. Read a chapter every day. Meditate on each verse. Highlight the verses with what is inspirational to you to begin with. Read all of the explanations on the bottom. Now you have the meat of the chapter. You do have time to do this. Make time.

It would be a good idea to start with the gospel of John, and go from there. Everything hangs on your knowledge of God and his love for you, and the Bible is the key. Before you even open the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you read. My prayer is, Holy Spirit, I ask you to help me understand and remember your word in Jesus name, amen. That's all there is to it. It is probably the most important thing you will ever do.

The Prayer of Salvation.

" Oh God in heaven I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness. I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with your spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

God bless you and remember,

 Jesus loves you.

Please Check This Out

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you. 
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. 
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. 
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. 
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. 
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. 
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. 
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. 
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book. 
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live. 
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. 
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. 
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. 
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love. 
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father. 
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. 
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. 
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. 
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. 
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. 
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. 
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. 
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. 
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul. 
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. 
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me. 
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart. 
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. 
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine. 
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles. 
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you. 
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart. 
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes. 
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. 
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. 
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you. 
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you. 
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love. 
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me. 
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child? 
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. 
Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your DadAlmighty God

From the site;

fathersloveletter.com 

Brookfield Zoo

If you haven't been to Brookfield Zoo yet this year, be careful.  It seems we have gone back millions of years in earths history.  These amazing animatronic dinosaurs are incredible.  They made them to their actual dimensions when they were alive.  The things they can do with technology these days is mind blowing.  Remember, I'm 70 years old, I used to use a slide rule when I was in school.  That is an old fashioned calculator for you young folks out there.  There are more of these I will be posting later.

Today's visit to The Morten Arboretum

An over cast day is a wonderful day to photograph some of Gods work.  My wife and I are members at The Morten Arboretum.  Just look at the beauty.  You would never imagine when you are at the Arboretum that you are so close to Chicago.  Hope you like the shots.

General Thoughts

Greetings, My Friends;

Listening to comments concerning recent posts, we have reached the conclusion that there are a number of people that see themselves when we write.

We are non denominational. We follow the Bible, and not man-made rules. Our comments are based on that idea. You may want to keep that in mind when you read anything we write.

Our plan at present, based on feedback, is to present our information in series, rather than a different subject, each day. We present our material in a way meant to help understanding, not as a talk down to anyone. We base our teachings on our personal experience.

Coming subjects will be as follows; the Bible, prayers, answered prayers, faith, etc. Each message will be presented in a more or less relaxed but highly informational way.

We invite comments, questions, and suggestions for future topics. We sincerely believe that some type of dialogue between readers and writer will benefit everyone. We will try to keep it light, so we would appreciate your patience for those of you who are familiar already with what we are saying. Your comments in general are appreciated.

God bless you and remember, Jesus loves you.

Prayer of salvation.

" Oh God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your Word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness. I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

Show The Love of God

Greetings, My Friends.

If you are anything like me, you probably have puzzled over how to love the Lord. With me, it covered a fairly long period of time. I really don't remember how it happened but I got an idea.

If you are showing love to your fellow man, you are showing God how much you love him. Having compassion on hungry people, and donating some cash is good and should be done, but it is kind of impersonal . It makes you feel good, but that feeling can be upgraded.

Some of the things I have tried that ended up giving me a great feeling, as well as helping people are listed below.

If you are in a checkout and the person behind you has a couple of items and you have a full cart, let them get ahead of you. If someone ahead of you is causing a delay, the patient. Bless them in your heart. If you are driving, give someone a break, just as you would appreciate getting it if someone did it for you. If someone does something you think is inconsiderate, forgive them, rather than getting angry. When you see a frazzled cashier, give her a kind and sympathetic word. Tell her to have a blessed day.

As you pass people in a store or on the street, ask God to bless them in your heart. Do it for old ladies, little kids, and everyone in between. Bringing food to someone who could use it. Maybe they are sick, alone, or just do it for no reason at all. Cut and older neighbors grass or shovel the snow once in a while. I have a neighbor that cuts grass, shovels snow and rakes leaves for 2 old people on our block.

Do not doubt that the Lord knows what is going on. He knows everything, and will bless you.

Prayer of Salvation.

"Oh God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness; I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

Remember;

Jesus Loves You

The Power of Prayer

Today, I would like to give you an idea of how I look at prayer and how it came to be that way. I don't want to give the impression that I think my way is the only way, it is just one of many ways.

Let me start in the beginning  From the age of 6 years, I went to a religious school. We had prayers we said in school, prayers at home, and a prayer book for church. Prayers for everything. Constant repetition was the method of praying. We were told to think about what ever we were praying. The rosary and mysteries as it was called, is an example. I tried very hard, but I could not do it. My mind wandered all over the place.

At about 9 or 10, I started to think that all of the written prayers and constant repetition meant very little. I was a talking robot. I prayed that way because I had to. Getting out of grade school freed me from continuing what I thought was a waste of time. The thought came to me how sincere could someone else's words be?

At that point in my life, I had no substitute, so I quit going to church, and stopped praying. When I met my wife and had a couple of kids, I tried again for their sake. After a couple of years. I gave up.

One day I picked up the Bible because a friend told me that the apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray. In Luke chapter 11. It starts out with the Lord's prayer, or as some people call it the disciples prayer. Jesus intended it as a model of prayer. If you take it a verse at a time, and meditate on it, it is no longer boring, it is beautiful.

As I got into the Bible, read inspirational Christian books and, devotionals, I started to get the idea of how much God loves me. If you know someone loves you unconditionally. It is easy to talk to them. You can pour your heart out about anything, and know that he hears you. Believe me, when you start to know the love of Jesus, he becomes your best friend as well as your God. Just talk to the Lord as you would talk to your best friend, and you can't go wrong. It is quite simple. Just try it.

Prayer of salvation.

" Oh God, in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your Word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I received my forgiveness, I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

Forgivness

Greetings, My Friends.

I am compelled to relate to you stories of my struggles and lessons that I have learned over the years. Most if not all of the things I say to you, you probably have heard many times before. I hope that when I tell you something that turned out right, you will be encouraged. I am sure I am not the only one that had these problems.

 Take for instance.  Forgiveness.   We have all heard that it is the Christian thing to do. It is. Forgiving,  for me was a very difficult thing to do. The problem was even worse if I didn't like the person. I would get angry, my blood pressure go up, I would complain to whoever even pretended to listen. I tried to get God to see my side of it. I would spend several horrible days, because as I finally figured out, my pride got in the way and kept me from doing what I knew I should do, and that is to forgive.

After I heard a preacher say for the hundredth time to forgive, I thought about it. I had to admit to myself that he was probably right. What I was doing was like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.

The person who offended you, more than likely didn't know or care that you were angry. Every day that you stay angry is one more he wins. If you forgive him, you win. The problem does not grow larger, you do not commit the sin of pride, and you feel total piece.

I am not saying that I do all of this all the time, but I do honestly try. I am not where I want to be, but I am getting better. You can to, try it.

Prayer of Salvation.

" Oh God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord, Jesus. I receive my forgiveness; I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

Always Remember;

Jesus loves you

The Holy Spirit

Greetings, My Friends;

I am starting out by telling you that I am not a writer. The following is a brief but 100% accurate account of how this came to be. When I said the prayer of salvation, I received Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I have listened to many preachers, and have read many books, a lot of this information concerned that  of the Holy Spirit and praying and in tongues. I was convinced that praying in tongues which is really your spirit praying in a language of the Holy Spirit is the most sincere and powerful prayer there is.

Even though I was born again, I was not able to pray in the spirit. This was incredibly frustrating. I used to tell the Lord that I am using my free will, and to make it happen. Period. Still nothing. This went on for quite a while. It got to a point where I didn't know what to think.

In January of this year, we found a new church that seemed perfect for us. After we were there for about a month, the pastor announced that the following Sunday, we would have a guest speaker that the pastor, considered a profit and a powerful preacher.

Well, was anxiously waiting for Sunday. I imagined he would have a word of knowledge for me. His sermon was good, but not spectacular, and no word of knowledge again, total disappointment.

The church has a hospitality room for people to have coffee and talk. The prophet came in with our pastor, and walked around meeting each person. He then sat down next to me and we started to talk. After about a half hour, his wife came over and told him that they had to leave, because he had another commitment.

The prophet didn't, budge. Suddenly I heard myself asking him to baptize me in the Holy Spirit. There were 20 people there, but I didn't care. I wanted to be baptized so bad that I didn't care what anyone thought. He laid his hands on head and baptized me in the Holy Spirit. I started praying in tongues about half a minute later, and was oblivious to everyone in the room. I was praying and crying. I have never felt such total peace in my whole life. That was the hour the Holy Spirit answered my prayer.

I asked the Holy Spirit for everything. From understanding the Bible, to doing the most mundane things. My wife is a great cook, but now she asks the Holy Spirit to help her. We ask each other if we asked the Holy Spirit for help whenever we work on any project. He talks to your heart if you listen, and like Jesus, he always says yes.

"Oh God in heaven, I believe with all my heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead. I receive your word, and I repent of sin. I renounce the past. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. I receive my forgiveness; I receive the new birth, cleansed and washed in the Word and in the precious blood of Jesus. Fill me with Your Spirit, in Jesus name. Amen."

The Pond

At 5 AM this morning, I went outside to have my quiet time with the Lord. I had my special coffee and my swing. What more could you ask?

The birds were singing as usual. It was very peaceful. As I was enjoying all of this, I looked over at the pond. It needed to be cleaned and water put in.

The pond goes back about 12 years. My sons and I constructed it for my wife for mother’s day. It isn't very big, but it is nice. We put it in what used to be a piece of ground in front of our living room window.

It was hard work, but we all did it with love in our hearts, and thinking and talking about how much their mother would enjoy it. It took 2 days, and was designed as we went along. When it was finished, the reaction from my wife, their mother, made all the effort seem like nothing.

Over the years, the pond has required regular maintenance. I have put tons and tons of different kinds of River rock to try to make it look natural. We plant different kinds of things to look like nature. It can't beat what is natural, but it is a fair representation.

Today I took the pressure washer and cleaned the whole thing. I had to reposition some of the cobble, because there are a couple of stray cats that use the pond as their water hole. We tried putting fish in it a couple of times, but the raccoons got them so we stopped. My wife gets a kick out of the fact that the birds come to drink and splash around like a bunch of little kids.

Back to the work part. It's after getting clean water and setting up the altar, I turned it on. The sound of both small waterfalls is so relaxing. It could put you to sleep. I haven't planted yet, but in a few days my wife and I will do it together.

My wife still wasn't. She says that the pond is beautiful, but what still warms her heart is the love that made it. The great attitude by her family, no matter how hard the work was. I guess the Lord feels that way when we do something for someone else. When we do, we are reflecting his love. I found out that whatever you do, work included, do it with a good attitude and love for the Lord. He put you there as part of his plan.

One final thought. About 4 years ago, we had to replace the liner, because it leaked. We had to take everything apart and do the whole job all over again. It's amazing, having to re-do a job that was done correctly the first time, and no one complains.

When my wife and I are swinging and listening to the water, and she says." I love my pond.   That really warms my heart.

Jesus, I accept you as my personal Savior, and I ask you to come into me and take over my life. .Fill me with the Holy Spirit and manifest yourself in my life. I believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to wash away my sins, and to give me eternal life.

God bless you and remember,

 Jesus loves you.

The Creation

Well, here I am again in the great outdoors. Mine is the city version, and my yard is the place.

We have a pretty decent size garden. We have tomatoes, green peppers, and eggplant. The best part however,   is all of the berry plants. We don't have the space or location to grow from seeds, so we do what most people, do that is to buy plants.

It's amazing how the berry plants came back to life with the coming of spring. Think about how amazing the full process is. A seed grows up to be what its parent was. It gets nutrients from the ground, the rain comes, and sun shines. The plant grows up and produces a fruit or vegetable, just as it was programmed to do.

Do you think all of this originally happened by accident? Look around. There are so many marvels, to consider. Your lungs take a breath; your body uses the oxygen in every part of your body. Your brain needs it to stay alive. Look at your body. It is incredibly complicated with all of the cells, organs, and blood. Everything has a precise job to do, including reproduction.

When you start to look at all of the other living creatures, and the varied systems they all have, in many ways we operate alike. Billions of individual cells that die and are replaced exactly. Take the air we breathe and the system that produces it. The sun and how it is exactly the right distance from Earth, so we do not cook or freeze. All of the planets staying in their assigned positions. Water without which we could not survive. The way bodies and plants use it.

When you stop to consider how each thing is made, and each part functions precisely, it is unbelievable. I personally believe it all boils down to the existence of an Almighty Creator. I just cannot accept that all these billions of exact cells, arranged and functioning the way they do, is the result of random chance, space dust or anything else.

Man considers himself so smart that he doesn't need or believe in God. Let  man duplicate everything exactly as God did it. He cannot do even one, let alone the other billions and billions.

I believe in an Almighty Creator.

Lord Jesus, I take you as my personal Savior. I believe you died on the cross to wash away my sins, to bring me salvation, and to heal me of all afflictions. You rose from the dead so that I may have eternal life. Come into my life, and help me to do your will.

Understanding The Bible

Greetings, my friends.

I happened to be sitting around doing absolutely nothing, as a lot of retired people do. In desperation for something to do, I started to think. My thoughts took me back to when I first started to read the Bible.

I had an old King James, that had never had a page turned. I had no idea where to start, so I picked Jeremiah. Boy, did I struggle. You would think it was written in Greek or some other very difficult foreign language.

After several frustrating attempts to make sense, out of it, I gave up. Several months later, my wife was watching, and old-time preacher, so I sat down too. Three seconds later he really came up with a good one. He said, the Bible is so easy to understand, a five year-old could do it. There was my answer. I was not five years old. Just kidding. It would be years before I would try that again.

One day, I still moved to conquer this Bible. I was not going to let all the five year-olds be smarter than me.

I was on a quest. I went to a Christian bookstore and told the clerk about my problem. He suggested the amplified Bible. It really helped, but I still ran into some question. It was then I found the study Bible. At last help in understanding. I then started to buy different versions, and compared the experts explaining things. There are differences.

I next bought a Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, English bible dictionary.   Strongs concordance came next.  I didn't want to leave a single stone unturned.  I finally found an ESV spirit filled study Bible that became my number one Bible.

About a year ago, I bought an MP3 player for about $50. It came loaded with the entire Bible.   I have the new King James version.   You can take it anywhere.   Use it when you don't feel like reading.   I started listening to it while reading the same Scripture.   It was kind of like a double shot.   I really enjoy doing it that way.

Another item you can find for as little as $50 or $60,  is a set of CDs that cover the entire Bible.   If you have a problem reading, listening would be very good for you. The cheapest method I have found is a DVD of the Bible that not only shows you the Scripture on TV,  but it reads it out loud.  The cost for this DVD is about $30.   These  items can be purchased from Amazon.com, or any good Christian book store.   I hope this helps you to avoid some of the frustration that I experienced.

God bless you and remember,  Jesus loves you.

Prayer of salvation;   Jesus, I accept you as my personal Savior, and I ask you to come into me and take over my life.   Thank you Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for me,   wiping away all my sins, and giving me eternal life.   I want to do your will, for the rest of my life.

The Power of Words

Greetings my friends.

Last night I attended a regular meeting of the men's group from church. It is designed for men to have a place to discuss whatever is on their minds. A place where you can discuss things. When you feel you have no one else you can talk to. Carnally of course.

A number of people in our church seem to have a lot of personal problems. They are always tired, always sick, always broke, to name a few. A few of these people are in our group.

I was reading Joel Osteens new book, I declare and could not put it down. I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to share some of these thoughts with the group. It concerned the power of the words we use.

Proverbs 23:7" As he thinks in his heart, so is he."

Proverbs 18:21" Life and death are in the power of the tongue"

Proverbs 6:2" We are snared by the words of our mouth."

It seems to me, since the Bible is God's letter of instructions for eternal life and blessings on earth, words must really be important.

We discussed the fact that whatever you verbalize goes into your spiritual world and starts working. Kind of like a computer, you put garbage in, you get garbage out. Put in the good stuff, and it is a marvel.

You probably know from experience, if you get up and tell yourself you're tired, you will be. The more you dwell on it, the more tired you get. Hate your job? The more you complain about it, the more you will hate it.

If you are a negative thinker, your life will be what you think. You will always be tired, broke, hate your job, and one catastrophe after another will come into your life. The really bad thing, and I see it in  many people, they are in denial. It stands to reason that if the negative is true, the positive must also be true.

To see if I'm talking to through my hat, try this for a couple of weeks and see for yourself. Taking the attitude about everything. When you get up in the morning, say to yourself out loud something wonderful is going to happen to me and my family today, say it, believe it, expect. Other examples are, I feel really good today, I have never had so much pep," I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", Put a positive spin on everything, and say it out loud. Do not verbalize negative thoughts. Ask your spouse to help you catch yourself.

You can do it. Try it. Be honest with yourself.

Got bless you and remember,

 Jesus loves you.

Lord Jesus, I ask you to come into my life and be my personal savior. I give you my life according to your will. I know Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to bring me salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. I ask the Holy Spirit to come into my life and guide me in the right path.

Glorious Day

Greetings, my friends.

Today was a glorious day outside. Warm, clear, sunny, a day only the creator could come up with.

It was about noon, and I was in my yard, checking out all of the berry  plants coming out of their winter sleep. I happened to look down in front of me, and I saw a shadow on my feet. At first I was puzzled. How could that be? Then it dawned on me, since the sun was directly overhead, it had to be caused by my stomach. Good grief!

The last few months, I thought of the possibility of weight gain, because I had some bad habits. Instead of controlling what I ate, I decided to pray to keep the weight off. You're right, I continued my overeating and praying. I guess I thought it was magic, and I would not have to face the consequences.

Well, today was a wake-up call. All of my denial finally caught up with me. The Lord as loving and merciful as he is, he will not enable you to do what is not good for you or someone else.

I shouldn't complain, because I knew in my heart. I was wrong, but I refused to admit it ,even to myself.

Well, I prayed about help to overcome my problem and the Lord answered. He put it in my heart. Just as people throughout the Bible. I had to do my part. I had to reject my ways and face up to the fact that what I have to do may hurt a little, but that is the price for not being honest with myself to begin with.

I am checking out diets, going back to the gym and exercising in general. I must do portion control, no matter how much I want more food, potato chips, ice cream or fries.

I realize God will help me, but at the same time, there is no free lunch. Someone pays. So now that I got over my initial shock and started screwing my head on straight, everything will be fine. In a few weeks, no more shadows. I will do what it takes, with the help of God, not magic.

God bless you, and remember, Jesus loves you!

Lord Jesus, I accept you as my personal Savior. I know you died on the cross for me , and rose from the dead. I give you my self, such as I am, and ask you to help me do your will.