For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands. Psalm 92:4

 Can you say life is joyful? There’s a difference between happiness and being joyful. Happiness is something temporary, like tasting something sweet, having a great moment, or seeing something beautiful. Being joyful, on the other hand, doesn’t change due to the circumstances around you. It’s stable, consistent, and comes from deep within your soul, no matter what is happening on the outside.

 For the child of God, joy should come naturally. According to Psalm 92:4, God has taken care of the bridge that separates you from His Holiness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection to life after 3 days. Knowing you are secure in His forgiveness and love should prompt a deep appreciation for His goodness towards you, filling you with joy unspeakable. Sounds good, but does that characterize your life?

 Unfortunately, we oftentimes get bogged down with the issues of life, that turn our focus away from God’s bidding and we find ourselves seeking happiness in the moment and not the true joy God intended for you and me! How can we get to the point where our soul is full of joy and not moved by the negative things of the world?

 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they m ay have it more abundantly. John 10:10

 The choice is yours who you’ll allow into your life. The thief OR Jesus Christ? Stay prayed up, keep yourself unspotted from the world, and fill your heart with God’s word. These actions will keep you rooted in joy and not the temporary moments that change like the weather. Joy is something we all need to experience as it prepares us for the next chapter of eternity with our Savior.

 This morning, I was reading one of my daily devotionals and it talked about the importance of having patience with others. Ephesians 4:2 was referenced, “be patient, bearing with one another in love”. At the end of the devotional, it asked to identify two people who I have little or no patience for. To be honest, my list went well beyond two people. Then I had to ask myself, why am I so impatient with these certain people? I’m a people person and will speak to just about any breathing individual. After some reflection, I actually learned something about myself, and I understand now why certain people test my patience. 60 years it has taken to learn something new about myself, and I realize I need to work on a certain aspect of my life so I can better reflect the love of Christ to everyone…even those whom I have not given my complete attention.

 As humans, we are God’s creation. We come with special talents, abilities, and sometimes personal flaws, that go unnoticed in our everyday life. Some struggle to understand their character makeup and it truly impacts the way we interact with others. How can you truly know the real you? What I mean is, how can you peel back the layers of your personality to understand why you do the things you do, how you respond to others, and the talents God has given you.

 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

 Hebrews 4:12 literally cuts to the point. God’s word brings light to who you are as a human, a child of God, and what you can do in your life to bring Him glory. Who better to inquire about YOU than your Creator! Jesus said it well in Matthew 10:30 “But the very hairs on you head are all numbered”. If God knows how many hairs you have (or don’t have), He can also enlighten you on why you exist. He has a plan and purpose for your life, and unless you let His word guide you along the route to sanctification, you are simply traveling through life in the dark. Reach your fullest potential by tapping into God’s instruction manual for this life and into eternity.

 For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. Lamentations 3:31-32

 When bad things happen in your life, who do you blame? God oftentimes gets blamed for things like the loss of a loved one, a marriage breakup, an accident, job loss, and so many other difficult and painful events that are out of your control. Seriously, who else is to blame for things you can’t control? Well…lets dig in and see what’s really behind the scenes of those things you want to put the blame on God.

 If you are a child of God, you have accepted the fact that God is in control over everything. There is nothing in your life that He lets befall you without His approval. Sometimes those unwelcomed moments are the result of our sinful actions and God uses them as a tool to bring us to deep repentance. People in this category sometimes experience long term repercussions, like jail, a lifetime disease, even isolation. Whatever it takes to yield their waywardness to the obedience of God.

 Another situation beyond your control happens at times when you are doing everything right, then WHAM, you experience loss, pain, suffering, even being wrongly accused. In those moments you seriously ask God WHY ME? It might be difficult in the moment of grief, but you must then put your anger, frustrations, and sadness away and accept you are in God’s spotlight and trust that He knows what He’s doing. I think about the shooting of Charlie Kirk. What a tragedy, but look at how his ministry has taken off…..it’s tripled in size and has impacted thousands of people. There are countless stories just like Charlies that has brought so much good from the ashes of horrific events.

 The one thing you need to realize is God loves you more than you can ever comprehend. No matter how much you want to blame God, you must look to Him for the hope of tomorrow, and realize that His plan is to bring something more meaningful into your life through the tragedies you’ve experienced. Re-read today’s verse and let it sustain your faith in the One who has your best interest at heart. God bless

 September 11, 2001, I was 1/3 the way through my career as a Park Ranger working for the Federal government. That morning was normal at work, myself and another ranger went out to the parks to collect use fees. As we pulled into one of the campgrounds, the Park Attendant asked us if we had heard the news about the planes flying into the Twin Towers in New York. At that time we had no idea what happened, so we parked our vehicle and went inside the gatehouse to catch the news.

 Complete shock is the only word I can use to describe what I saw.  All these years I thought we were securely protected from something so tragic. Fear gripped me as I wondered what else would happen. We left there and continued our work, when my boss called on the radio for us to come back to the office immediately. Since we were federal employees, they wanted to insure everyone was safe and check our facilities for security purposes.

 About 1030 am I called my grandmother to ask if she had heard the news. She hadn’t, so I informed her to turn on the TV. When she did, all I heard her say was, “Oh my God”, and she hung up the phone with not another word said. She lived in a time when Pearl Harbor was attacked and her husband had to enter into the World War II. I’m sure it brought back horrible memories of that day for her.

 The rest of the day was a blur. All I remember was how stressed, angered, and afraid I was throughout the day. Our kids were young, but they could tell something bad had happened and could read it on our faces. The next day was  Wednesday so we attended church services that night and prayed for our country and the victims of that day.

 From that day forward, everything changed at work. Security was tight, we implemented measures to protect our resources and for a long while we planned for the worst. Thankfully nothing else bad happened, but we were definitely on edge and concerned for our safety.

 On this 25^th anniversary of 9/11, I want to thank the brave men and women who protect our nation, and I pray for the victim’s families who still hurt from their loss. Most of all, I thank God for our President, who loves this country and has shown strength across the globe.

 May today’s generation (who never experienced this event) not lose sight of the enemies who attacked us and elect leaders who love this country and will do everything in their power to defend the United States of America! God bless!  

 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

 Before the turn of the century, toothpaste tubes were made of a pliable metal, often aluminum, which allowed the user to roll up the end of the toothpaste, forcing the last of the toothpaste to come out the small hole, leaving an empty tube and no waste. Today’s toothpaste tubes are made of a form of plastic that doesn’t roll up and you have to work at getting the last ounce of toothpaste out. Many people discard that tube with probably a few more ounces of toothpaste left in the tube, that could be used several more times. But we’ve become lazy and want to discard it when we have had enough of its supply. I’m guilty!

 You are probably thinking, what does a toothpaste tube have to do with today’s blog and scripture. Let me share a thought God placed on my mind yesterday.

 As a child of God, you probably have a bible in your possession and take it with you to church on Sundays, maybe even read in on occasion during the week. You read just enough of it to get a spiritual high and shelve it till your next prompting to read it again. Today’s scripture tells us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. How we use it will determine the outcome of our spiritual growth. Sporadic use of God’s word limits your growth to what you think you need or gratification of your wants and needs. In reality, you are discarding something very useful for everyday life.

 Don’t treat your bible like that tube of toothpaste….only getting what you think you need. Squeeze out every ounce of God’s word in every area of your life so you’ll be equipped to make decisions that are pleasing to God, which yield blessings upon your life and your family. Grab your bible today, hold it and know that it’s truly the inspired word of God and will give you everything you need as you journey on your pathway to Heaven! God bless!

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

 This morning, I read in one of my devotionals about a married couple who participated in a walking event. At one point they sat down to rest, when another couple joined them. Through their conversation both couples shared a horrific event where they lost a young child, and were able to explain how they got through the loss by what God did to strengthen their faith. For two strangers to get that deep into conversation, they had to be transparent, peeling back the layers of their life, to share one of the darkest moments they’ve ever experienced.

 In today’s world, people frequently “build walls” around themselves. They feel this protects them from emotional damage, and getting involved with others, when all they want to do is live their life. This behavior isolates self from the outside world and misses opportunities to share insight into the wonderful and not so wonderful things experienced.

 If you know me, I am one who loves to meet people and peel back their layers of information to know them better. I find it challenging for me to see how deep into their life I can explore in my attempts to connect through life’s experiences. And what I’ve found is some pretty amazing people and their stories have encouraged me in my personal and spiritual life.

 Wrapping this blog up with today’s verses. If you are a child of God, He’s given you something special, the gift of eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and a love that comes with NO conditions. Those unique characteristics should be shared with those in your circle of influence. Lighting up your world with the Gospel message of salvation brings hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, and the removal of guilty burdens often found deep within their soul. Don’t hide your faith, don’t put your light under a bowl, let it shine brightly through your daily interactions with others. You’ll be amazed at how your interactions turn positive, no matter what environment you find yourself. Let your light shine for the glory of God!

 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

During my time in college, I briefly dated this girl from the state of Ohio. We had met on campus and became good friends. On occasion we’d travel to Ohio to visit her parents. Her father was a preacher with the Apostolic church. The Apostolic believers live a simple life without much worldly influence and have a strong desire to be obedient with the bible’s guidance.   I recall her father was very peaceful and holy in every aspect of his character. You could tell he was a man of God and certainly had a positive influence on my life at the time.

 Every now and then I reflect on this verse and wonder, do people see Christ in me? Do they consider me a man of God? I might not stand behind a pulpit and preach God’s word, but my everyday life should, hopefully, influence people in a positive manner, just as my friend’s father did for me. I know my human frailties, and they are many, and God is working in my life to shape me into the character of Jesus Christ. It’s a lifetime process and every day He removes part of the world and replaces it with a spirit of holiness. I still have a long way to go to perfection.

 How about you? Are you a child of God? Do people within your influence recognize Christ in your life? Do you even desire to be shaped into the image of Jesus Christ? If you’ve truly chosen Christ, then your life should be a reflection of His life to the outside world. God calls all of us to be missionaries to the lost, whether its locally or across the globe. Without peace with our fellow man and holiness, how will the lost find their way to the light of Christ? Let your light bring others to Christ! God bless!