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Monday, April 16, 2012

He just knows

Back when my husband and I were first married we went to a little country church out in Alva, FL that averaged 20 people every Sunday.  My husband is not a church goer but he is a huge foodie. So when a husband and wife that he worked with at a lumber yard invited him to church and told him about the big feast that there would be after service, he couldnt wait for Sunday to get here.  Me being the one who can't run to church fast enough (I must be the biggest sinner ever haha) was more than happy to go to the little Alva church as we would call it.  The pastor was a woman, not something you see everyday, at least for me, and I remember sitting in the pew and telling God silently, I wanted a bible, but couldn't afford one. I left it at that.  We finished service and had a wonderful lunch and got to know what would become our extended family.  When we got home that day I also said another little prayer asking God if he could manage a bible for me, I would love a bible cover to go with it.  I knew I was asking for a lot but I figured if I was asking I might as well ask for what I wanted. 
Then next Sunday we went back to the little Alva church, the food had hooked my husband into going to church the next Sunday, the people and God's word would keep us there for the next year and a half.  I was sitting in the pew and just so happy to be with such kind, God loving people, when the pastor walked up to me and said Jessica I have something I would like to give to you on behalf of all of us, what she handed me made me cry.  A bible cover, a Thomas Kinkade bible cover, with my very favorite picture he had painted, with the inscription that I love, 'As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord' on the front.  Then I noticed something, the bible cover was heavy, I opened it to find my very own bible.  I didn't know what to say except thank you. And I meant it from the bottom of my heart, I was not only thanking my new extended family, I was thanking God.  He gave me exactly what I wanted to a T.  Fast Forward 10 years, this morning I was sitting having my coffee and chatting with my 7 year old and she was telling me how she really wants a bible for her birthday next month.  It got me to thinking about how our new church (we moved 140 miles from our little Alva church many years ago) uses the NIV bible and the study bible I have is a NAS (New American Standard) and it really would be much easier for me if I had a NIV and I remembered my bible from so many years ago that I had put in a safe place after my mom had bought me the NAS bible as a gift.  I pulled it out and began to tell my 7 year old the story I have just told you, and as I flipped it open I saw that it was a NIV bible.
How amazing is it that God knew 10 years ago that today I would be looking for that perfect bible, and yet it would be the one that all those years ago he would have just handed it to me.


God is Love,


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Easter Is Not Possible Without Good Friday

To truly immerse yourself in the meaning of Easter is not an easy task when you are to understand and truly feel the emotions that you are meant to feel.  This year I decided I was going to give up something for Lent.  I am not Catholic nor Lutheran. I am a Christian girl (in my mind but at my age a woman) that felt that it was a need to give something up leading up to Easter.  Many do not understand why I did this but it was for my relationship with Christ that this was done.  I gave up something very precious to me- don't laugh, ready....- I gave up Coke A Cola.  Oh my sweet coke. The amazing thing about what I gave up is that yes I have wanted it but not like I thought I would.  When I would think oh how good would an ice cold coke be right now, I would think of my relationship with Jesus and I was good, I could wait.  So tomorrow marks Good Friday.  If you believe that Jesus is Christ and died for you, then you celebrate Good Friday, I don't care who you are.  I get so upset when someone says yes I celebrate Easter and its full meaning but I don't celebrate Good Friday.  I have news for people, if He didn't die on Friday, He would not have risen on Sunday.  Its that simple.  I think of Jesus coming into the city on the donkey, knowing what he was about to have to do.  I think of the torment that happened to him, the agony. . . the shear agony that He went through for each one of us. When I think of Jesus dying on the cross I bawl every time.  That should have been me but He wouldn't allow His child to be put through such a horrible death, just like I would die for my children without even blinking, no hesitation, He too died for me, because our Father loves us unconditionally.   He gave us a gift that no one but Him could give.  We all go through life with problems, whether it is family, finances, health.  But I am so thankful the one thing that would be the biggest one of all is taken care of and its that Jesus died for you, for your soul.  Its taken care of, you have no worries about it.  He did it lovingly and selflessly.  So this Easter remember, you have a loving God, who died for you, no questions asked, so that you could be forever with him.  Grace and Mercy is such a gift and one that I am completely in awe of, we all make mistakes, but He forgives. 

God is Love,