What To Wear

Have you ever had one of those days when you got up and just didn’t know what to wear? For a soldier that’s never a question. They are issued a uniform when they are inducted into service, it’s standard issue.

The Apostle Paul says that we also have a uniform and each piece is specifically designed for our purpose and protection.

“To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.

14 So stand strong with the belt of truth tied around your waist, and on your chest wear the protection of right living. 15 On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. 16 And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows that come from the Evil One. 17 Accept God’s salvation as your helmet. And take the sword of the Spirit—that sword is the teaching of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray with all kinds of prayers, and ask for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready. Never give up. Always pray for all of God’s people.

19 Also pray for me—that when I speak, God will give me words so that I can tell the secret truth about the Good News without fear.” Ephesians 6:10-19 ERV

The first thing I would like you to see is that this armor has been tested. This is God’s armor and it will withstand any attack launched against us. When the battle is over, we win. We are still standing – we are overcomers and more than conquerors.

Our armor belt is the belt of truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”, so our waist or midsection is protected by Jesus, himself.

Our chest is protected by the righteousness that we have in Christ. Our vital organs are covered by our right standing with God.

Our feet are not vulnerable, we are wearing the shoes of the Good News of peace. We can stand and fight because we are established on the solid foundation of God’s Word. We will not run, we’ll stand firm.

We have an impenetrable shield to protect us from incoming artillery. It is the Shield of Faith. Just like the centurion who heard the words Jesus spoke and believed, we hear and believe the words Jesus speaks to us. Jesus said that heaven and earth would pass away but God’s Word would never be destroyed.

Our head is under our helmet of salvation. There is only one name given under heaven by which we can be saved, that is the name of Jesus. Jesus, who is the head of this body of Christ, has us covered.

With a shield in one hand we are free to wield a sword with the other. Our sword is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The book of Hebrews says the Word is sharper than any other two-edged sword.

Our last piece of armor is prayer. When we pray in the Spirit we are edified, built up and strengthened in our faith.

Every piece of armor that we are issued comes with instruction from God’s Word. This armor is not just given to the elite forces, but it comes as standard issue to every believer. The Commander-in-Chief has made us all victorious in Christ.

It’s time to get dressed – put on the full armor of God!

When Birds Sing

Have you ever experienced one of those life lessons that no matter how old you are or how much time has past it is still as fresh in your mind as it was the day you first learned it? If you have then you know where I was last night.

Dave and I are enjoying our time away so much. It’s very relaxing and we keep telling each other how blessed we are to be here. Yesterday we moved our fifth wheel trailer to a new camp site right above the lake.

After we were set up we sat for most of the morning in the sunshine just taking in the beauty. However, not too long after lunch the clouds rolled in and with them came a light wind. By four o’clock it was a strong wind so we came inside to observe the beauty through our picture window. Normally, desert wind dies down after sunset but not last night. It got stronger and stronger.

Now to the memory.

During our summers working in Iowa we had a number of occasions when the winds were fierce and were accompanied by tornado warnings. Tornados were not something this Arizona/Montana girl had ever experienced. The first few times I was almost overcome with fear.

I would lay awake in bed praying for them to pass. Every nerve in my body seemed to be on high alert. I could not and would not allow myself to give in to the fear.

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.” II Timothy 1:7 ERV

Eventually I came to the point where I could sleep through those stormy nights, resting confidently in the peace that God gave. The lesson I learned during that time was to listen to the birds. As long as the birds were singing in the trees and gathering bugs in the grass things were ok. Birds will seek shelter in a storm and they will begin singing as soon as it is over.

“Let all who run to you for protection always sing joyful songs. Provide shelter for those
who truly love you and let them rejoice. 12 Our Lord, you bless thosewho live right, and you shield them with your kindness.” Psalm 5:11-12 CEV

Dave didn’t know how badly this all bothered me until I told him last night. Those physical storms taught me to trust God’s protection, they taught me that I could always depend on His word.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” Matthew 7:24-25 NLT

God’s word will be our firm foundation in life’s storms. His teachings will keep us from collaspe. The Lord provides us with His covering and we will be able to sing with joy, just like the birds, when the storm has past.

The Story of Possible

The Christmas story is one of hope and love. It’s a story of the impossible coming to fruition. So many times we become frightened or frozen by what appears to be impossible but…

With God NOTHING is impossible!

Nothing. Not our financial situation, not our health, not our kids or our spouse, our job, our safety, our peace of mind. Nothing! God’s gift to us is the gift of making the impossible possible.

These words were spoken to a young Jewish girl by an angel: “Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant. 30 Then the angel told Mary, ‘Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31 and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33 He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.’ 34 Mary asked the angel, ‘How can this happen? I am not married!’ 35 The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36 Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37 Nothing is impossible for God!’ 38 Mary said, ‘I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.’ And the angel left her.” Luke 1:29-38 CEV

What could be more impossible than this – a young woman, who was a virgin, having a child?

No situation in your life or mine could be more impossible than this. Truly!

God’s power and Mary’s agreement with God’s promise made the impossible possible. If Mary hadn’t believed the angel’s message he would have had to go to someone else. After all, it had been prophesied for hundreds of years that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. But she accepted that NOTHING was impossible.

She believed, she conceived and she received what God gave. The hard thing would be living her conviction. She had to tell her family. She had to tell Joseph and then she had to hear the whispers and the criticism that followed. She was up to the task.

There was another woman who saw the power of God at work; she also saw God do the impossible. She was old, I mean really old. She was almost ninety and her reproductive system had never worked but God made her a promise. Sarah saw God do the impossible in her life.

“The Lord asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Does she doubt that she can have a child in her old age? 14 I am the Lord! There is nothing too difficult for me. I’ll come back next year at the time I promised, and Sarah will already have a son.’” Genesis 18:13-14 CEV

Compare our impossible situation with Mary and Sarah. Whose need is bigger or more difficult to fix?

God is the same – nothing, absolutely nothing, is too difficult for Him.

Time and time again I come back to my favorite verse. It is the foundation I stand on everyday.

“God is no mere human! He doesn’t tell lies or change his mind. God always keeps his promises.” Numbers 23:19 CEV

Our Father has given us a book filled with promises that cannot fail. Find those promises and then stand knowing that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

Mirror Mirror

Every morning I stand in front of the mirror to brush my hair and put on my make-up. If I’ll be going out to the store or an appointment I check my outfit to make sure everything looks ok. Then I walk away and go about my day. Later I may double check my appearance and quite often I’m surprised to see how messy my hair has gotten or that there is a spot on my shirt.

What mirrors do for us physically the Bible does for us spiritually. Both reveal areas that need correction and areas of beauty.

“Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. 23 Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror 24 and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. 25 But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard.” James 1:22-25 ERV

The Bible doesn’t distort like those goofy fun house mirrors. It will accurately portray our appearance and show us the areas where we need to improve. Each time we read or hear God’s word preached we should be looking for a nugget that we can apply personally.

This morning I started reading through the book of James again. I can’t tell you how many times I have read this book over my lifetime. Each time I find something new or am reminded of something I have let slip.

Those who compiled the Contemporary English Version of the Bible write an introduction to each book. I’d like to share with you, in part, what they wrote about the book of James.

“For James faith means action! In fact, the entire book is a series of examples that show faith in action in wise and practical ways. His advice was clear and to the point: If you are poor, don’t despair! Don’t give up when your faith is being tested. Don’t get angry quickly. Don’t favor the rich over the poor. Do good things for others. Control your tongue and desires. Surrender to God and rely on his wisdom. Resist the devil. Don’t brag about what you are going to do. If you are rich, use your money to help the poor. Be patient and kind, and pray for those who need God’s help.”

James is a book for every day Christian living. I always find something that I need to work on while reading it.

I am so thankful for God’s word. I can reflect on who God is and what’s important to Him.

“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. 16 I will delight in your decrees
    and not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16 NLT

Mirror, Mirror on the wall – Let me see all that God wants me to be!

When You’re In Trouble…

Everyone of us will face trouble. No one is exempt. What a great thought to start your day, right?

I have good news!

No matter the circumstance, no matter the obstacle God has the answer. For years, I have reminded myself that there is no problem too little to take to the Lord. After all, what is a monumental problem to us is really quite small when compared to His ability.

“God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble. So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken and the mountains fall into the center of the sea, and even if its waters go wild with storm and the mountains shake with its action.” Psalm 46:1-2 NLV

What could we possibly bring to God that would cause Him to say, “Oh my, I didn’t think of that. I really don’t know what to do”? There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that is too large for our Him either.

“Lord God, with your great power you made the earth and the sky. There is nothing too hard for you to do.” Jeremiah 32:17 ERV

We should come to the Lord like a child approaches a loving parent. When we seek His help He will provide it. He won’t abandon us or tell us to go away and handle it on our own.

Sickness – financial hardship – physical danger – loss of employment or business – even death. None of these circumstances are bigger than our God or His love for us.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14 He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. 15 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron. 17 Some were fools; they rebelled  and suffered for their sins. 18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food,  and they were knocking on death’s door. 19 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 20 He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. 21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” Psalm 107:13-21 NLV

I have great faith in those verses, verse twenty has been one I have depended on for years. “He sent out his word and healed them”. God’s word is the place we find help. It tells us He will never abandon us or desert us. The truth of God’s word is unbreakable and unshakeable. It will stand forever.

So if you find yourself tapping out an S-O-S today or picking up the phone to dial 9-1-1 you can get all the help you need by making this call:

“This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.’” Jeremiah 33:2-3 MSG

Make the call. God is waiting to answer.

Not Sugar But Gold

For years now, a dear friend of mine and I share a saying whenever we are out in the rain. We say “I’m not made of sugar, I won’t melt”.

That saying quickly came to mind last night as I heard a young man talking about the circumstances of 2020. He said that his life, like all of ours, has been greatly impacted by social distancing requirements. He’s an entertainer and all of his concerts were canceled from March forward and into 2021. He said that even though the rains fall he will stand strong; he will sing, praising God in the pouring rain.

To paraphrase, I’m not made of sugar, I won’t melt.

As I sat there thinking about his words the Lord reminded me of His Word.

“Fire is used to make gold and silver pure, but a person’s heart is made pure by the Lord.” Proverbs 17:3 ERV

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45 NLT

How we handle the tough situations in life says a lot about us. Do we fall apart and wallow in self-pity and despair? Or are we like this young man and sing praises to God in the downpour? We voice our fears and disappointments to the Father in prayer. Jesus did that in the Garden of Gethsemane but then He stood up and went forward knowing that God was by His side. We have His promise that He will never leave us – in fact, He takes us through.

Dave and I had a dear friend who was an amateur metallurgist. He studied the process of refining gold. I remember him telling me about it. Let me give you a brief overview. Once gold ore is brought from the ground it is crushed and the non essential elements are washed away. The gold then goes through several refining steps. It is acid washed, heated, the impurities are skimmed off and then heated again until the gold is in its purest form. What is removed is the impurity. The refined gold increases in value.

When we go through trials and difficulties we are also being refined. Our faith is being purified. The dross or non essential elements are being removed. God doesn’t leave us during the these times, in fact, He is there to bring us through victoriously.

Both James and Peter taught the Christians in the first century to stand strong in spite of troubles. Their writings have much to say about daily living, interpersonal relationships and hardships. Their words of instruction came from the Lord and we can learn so much from what they taught.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James 1:2-4 NLT

“These troubles test your faith and prove that it is pure. And such faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold will ruin. When your faith is proven to be pure, the result will be praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes.

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained.” I Peter 3:7-8 ERV

We need to remain joyful in tough situations. How? By knowing that God hasn’t abandon us, but He stands with us to give us strength and we come out better, perfect and complete by placing our trust in Him.

So, when the rains come remember we aren’t made of sugar, we won’t melt. It’s a time for joy. We are more valuable than gold that has been refined in the fire!

Celebrate Life!

There is a word used in Jewish toasts – L’Chaim! Lifting a glass of wine to celebrate an engagement or marriage, the birth of a child and everyone says L’Chaim. To Life!

Each day we should be doing the same. We should be toasting the life that God has given us. Celebrating life and His goodness. A life of thankfulness and faith.

L’Chaim!

The just shall live by faith. Faith isn’t just something we have when we can’t handle things on our own, it’s a way of life.

Faith is what pleases God and God is the one who has given us the faith that we need to please Him – pretty good right? God doesn’t leave us unprepared or without the proper equipment. He tells us what it takes to please Him and then he supplies us – gotta love that.

“I realize how kind God has been to me, and so I tell each of you not to think you are better than you really are. Use good sense and measure yourself by the amount of faith that God has given you.” Romans 12:3 CEV

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

I understand where people get the idea that God is sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to fail or mess up; I lived that way for years. However, Moses told the nation of Israel that God set before them life and death, blessing and cursing. Then he told them “Choose life”. That was Jesus’ purpose – to provide the way of blessing – choose life.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

Jesus said: “The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

L’Chaim!

Choosing to live by faith brings reward. God is the one who promised it, our part is to seek Him and not give up.  Faith is believing that God will be faithful to His word; that what He has said WILL come to pass. And why shouldn’t we believe Him – He hasn’t lied yet!

The greatest miracle in the Bible was the result of a young woman’s faith. The angel came to Mary and told her that she would have a child. Mary asked how this could happen since she was a virgin and hadn’t been intimate with any man. (You all know the story). I love what the angel, Gabriel, said in response.

“Nothing is impossible for God!” 38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.” Luke 1:37-38

I want my response to God to be the same “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen as He said”.

What are you facing today? NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE when we put our faith in GOD.

Lift your glass and celebrate life. L’Chaim!

Growing “In Him”

It is my prayer that you gained new insight for your daily walk with the Lord because of our brief study of “in Him” and “in Christ”. Over the next week or so I will be sharing some thoughts from God’s word that you have probably heard before but if you start each day’s reading reminding yourself that you are in Him I know the Lord will give you a greater understanding of these truths.

The Bible has much to say about seeds, planting and growing. God intended for nature to be an example for us to learn from and live by. We see what good soil, the right amount of water and sunshine can do on a daily basis. The trees in our yards and parks flourish; the pastures grow and provide food for the cattle; the desert has its own beauty from the vegetation that grows there. Yes, it’s all around us!

Jesus taught parables about farmers growing seeds and protecting what they had planted. In one of my favorite stories He warns of birds coming to eat the seeds that are unprotected and of weeds that choke out the plants while they are young. Finally He tells of the harvest that comes when the seeds are well cared for and allowed to grow. Jesus makes this correlation:

“This is what the story means: The seed is God’s message, 12 and the seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message. But the devil comes and snatches the message out of their hearts, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up.

14 The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they are so eager for riches and pleasures that they never produce anything. 15 Those seeds that fell on good ground are the people who listen to the message and keep it in good and honest hearts. They last and produce a harvest.” Luke 9:11-15 CEV

The seed, God’s word, is perfect. It will grow anywhere but it must be protected to bring a harvest. Did you notice that Jesus said if we keep it “in” our hearts it will produce? In the book of John, chapter one, the first thing John says is “in the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the word was God”. Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. That makes Jesus and His word the seed that we should be planting in our hearts.

As the seed grows it provides life, protection and safety. God’s word will do the same in our lives and the lives of those around us.

“Then Jesus said, “What can I use to show you what God’s kingdom is like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed, which is smaller than any other seed on earth that you can plant. 32 But when you plant it, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants in your garden. It has branches that are very big. The wild birds can come and make nests there and be protected from the sun.” Mark 4:30-32 ERV

A mustard seed will germinate in about five to ten days if the soil conditions are right. The black mustard tree, referred to in the verses above, will grow to an average of three to five feet tall and can continue to grow up to ten to fifteen feet tall.

When we allow God’s word to grow in our lives we can be a blessing and a place of rest and safety to those around us. God’s word is powerful but if we allow the day to day cares of life to take hold in our hearts they can choke out the growth of God’s word. We must keep our focus on God’s ability and not our inability.

“I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” II Peter 1:1-2 NLT

Be blessed and grow!

Like A Little Child

Yesterday morning Dave and I drove up to the Phoenix area to visit our daughters and their families. Today we will be celebrating one of our granddaughters’ third birthday.

It just so happened that our youngest daughter, her husband and two little girls had regular doctor’s visits and so we were asked to stay with our grandson while they were gone. We were reading books and learning all about the new and fun things he had been doing. He is such a smart little guy and is so much fun to listen to.

I could go on telling you stories about how smart he is but… At one point I was telling Dave about an email I had received from a friend and told him that she had requested prayer for her husband. At that, Sam said “And we need to pray for Mr. Dave, he needs a job”. We weren’t sure who Mr. Dave was so he explained it to us and that he was without a job and needed one.

I asked Sam if he would like to pray from Mr. Dave and our friend. He told me we could do it at bedtime. I told him we wouldn’t be there at bedtime but we could do it now. “Ok” and so we did. I am confident that those prayers will bring Mr. Dave to a new job very soon.

Child-like faith.

“Then he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. ‘And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.'” Matthew 18:2-5 NLT

Little children are accustomed to asking their parents for what they need and knowing that their parents will provide. The necessities of life, (food, water, shelter, protection), are the things that we as parents naturally take care of. Sometimes we go without ourselves to provide for our children – its part of who we are as parents. God, the Father, has a much deeper compassion and commitment to His children than we do.

Jesus was telling the adults who were listening to Him that they needed to be humble enough to ask their heavenly Father for help. They needed to quite relying on their own abilities or lack thereof, put their faith and trust in the Father and in so doing they would learn a valuable lesson about living in reliance and dependence upon their loving heavenly Father.

How better can we learn about placing our trust in God than from a child? They have much to teach us.

When we come to the Father in childlike faith we won’t be turned away.

The Welcome Mat Is Out!

Dave and I have been talking about our trip from Montana to Arizona six years ago. It had taken over seven years to sell our house up there and be able to move “home”. We love it here! There hasn’t been a day we have regretted this move. This morning I was sitting here thinking about that last day in Montana. The activity, the emotion, the joy. I found these words that I wrote then and they still ring true today. I hope you don’t mind me sharing them with you again.

As we got closer to the big move I found it harder and harder to sleep. We have mapped every fuel stop and made our hotel reservations. So much excitement and so much anticipation – years in the planning – were finally becoming a reality! I had lived this in my heart and now I got to see it with my eyes.

I had “Google Maps” and checked fuel prices. The hotel websites were helpful and it was easy to place the reservations on line. With all this technology I wondered how did Moses do it? He couldn’t call ahead and request a double-king with the continental breakfast. Or what about camel refueling? He had to dig his own wells! Abraham didn’t even have a map, he just had to follow the leading of God’s voice and stop when the Lord said to stop.

“Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen. Because Abraham had faith, he lived as a stranger in the promised land. He lived there in a tent, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who were later given the same promise. 10 Abraham did this, because he was waiting for the eternal city that God had planned and built…13 Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth…16 But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. That’s why God wasn’t ashamed for them to call him their God. He even built a city for them.” Hebrews 11:8-16 CEV

For years we had been telling friends and family that we are going to be moving back to Arizona. And for years, we had waited! And now the time had come. But this morning I had to ask myself a question. “Am I anticipating my heavenly home – my eternal city with the same excitement and anticipation as the one in Arizona?” I believe the answer is yes! There isn’t one thing here on this earth that can compare to living in the city whose builder and maker is God!

The things I value most are people and everyone I love can meet me in heaven. God has room for all of us. How wonderful is that! In the six years we’ve lived in Arizona a number of dear and precious friends have died but I know that I will see them again in heaven.

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together..” John 14:1-4 CEV

So many have come to visit in Arizona and we love having company. We’ve missed you all during this “stay-at-home” condition. However, if you can only come for one visit, I would rather that you come for coffee once we are settled in our heavenly mansion – the view will be spectacular!

Father, my prayer today is that all whom I hold dear have a personal relationship with you. I desire that their friendship with you is deeper than it is with me. You gave the life of Your Son so that they will live eternally. Thank you for touching their hearts today – thank you for providing new life, a life that never ends – thank you for giving us a place in You where we will never die but will live eternally. And thank you for caring about the everyday details of our lives. In the name of Jesus. Amen!