A New Direction

You've probably heard the story in Daniel of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.  They were ordered to bow down and worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar or be thrown into a blazing fire.   Not only would they be thrown in, but the King ordered the fire to be SEVEN times HOTTER!   Many of us think if we do the right things and say all the right things, life will get easier.  But this shows us that when we stand our ground for what is right, when we enter a trial or a test, things can get even hotter before we come out of it. These boys, teenagers at that, refused to turn from God.  They refused to bow down to the nasty King, and they were thrown into the furnace.  They did EVERYTHING right, and yet they still went thru the fire.   Sound familiar? Have you been asked to do something unethical at work or risk losing your job?  Has your marriage gotten difficult and you aren't sure what will happen next? Is your relat...

  20 years!  Wow, it seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital, waiting for this child to arrive.  I was excited, nervous, anxious.  He was not cooperating on coming out - so they went in to get him.  When I finally saw him, my heart changed shape. It grew bigger.  I knew that I would do anything to protect this child.   KADEN GARRICK SLOAN Happy Birthday! My heart. My Joy. My World. I didn't know it was possible to love another human being as much as I loved him.   Jeremiah 31:3 comes to mind when I think of my children  "I have loved you with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself". It hit me as I was thinking back on the day of his birth that God loves me as much if not more than I could possibly love my boys.  It was overwhelming and it brought me to tears.  God loves me so much he sent his son to DIE for me.  Would I do the same wit...

We've all told lies.  Its something that is almost impossible not to do.  But, have you ever told so many lies that you begin to believe them to be truth?  The Bible says in James 3:8, "But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth, so use it wisely and speak your words with caution. As Christians, we shouldn't fill our lives with deceit. We should always strive to leave honest, open lives that are full of trust and love. But, since we are all human, sometimes it is hard to avoid lying. White lies and small omissions are still lies - we should always remember that. The option to lie should not be a in a Christian's life; we should always think of the truth first. We are not made perfect and we are tainted by original Sin. But no matter how imperfect we are, we should always strive to be good people - and this means not lying.  Proverbs 17:7  "Eloquent...

A full moon. A clear sky. A cool morning. A heart searching for direction. This was my morning...I vowed not to cry.  It makes my eyes puffy and tired.   I told God I wouldn't cry.  Then I sat down, bowed my head, and began to sing: God you are my God And I will ever praise you Oh God you are my God and I will ever praise you. I will seek you in the morning I will learn to walk in your ways and step by step you lead me and I will follow you all my days. I didn't make it.  I cried.  A Lot.  My soul feels empty.  As barren as that full moon.  Why?  Why have I lost my footing?  Where is God leading me when I feel as if I'm not moving?   Have you ever felt that way?  As if you are stuck in your circumstances and you see no way out?  You pray and seek God, you face the difficulties, the loneliness, the dwindling finances and mounting bills, the sickness, the heart break - and you wonder where ...