Monday, June 25, 2007

What is Truth?

It seems this question is plaguing our world. Often people feel truth is whatever you believe. That old bumper sticker says "God said it; I believe it; that settles it." Well, my brother often says, it really doesn't matter if you believe it -- God's Word is settled.

When I taught high school I often used my thermos as an illustration. You see, I could tell anyone there is tea in there. And why would anyone question the fact? I mean, if there's tea in there, there's tea in there, right? Wrong! There's coffee in there. No matter what I convince someone to believe; no matter what they choose to believe; no matter whether they care or not -- the truth remains. Coffee is in my thermos - fully and completely. You can't chop out the middle of my thermos and only have a beginning and ending, it's all coffee.

The same is true with the Word of God. It really doesn't matter what you've been convinced to believe, what you choose to believe, whether you care or not, or whether you choose to accept it or not. It's Truth. And you can't chop out the middle or any part. It's all Truth. It has stood the test of time, prophecies have been and are being fulfilled.

To be honest, what's to gain by not accepting it as Truth? A moral society? A God-fearing culture? A loving people? An intolerant society? Hummm. Intolerance ... I'll save that for another post. But I pray we are all intolerant in many instances... I mean I'm NOT going to tolerate sexual abuse or drugs... We have to draw the line and God's Word has that line clearly drawn for us.

So, let me challenge you to put the Word to the test. Check it out. There is a level of faith and trust, especially if you don't want to delve into history proving the historical facts in the Bible... and if faith and trust scare you, well, have you eaten fast food lately? That in itself takes a measure of faith, wouldn't you agree?

Monday, June 18, 2007

Where are Your Fingerprints?

Fingerprints fascinate me. How can millions of people be on the earth and no two have the same fingerprint? And to think, everything I touch bears my print -- even when I don't realize it. Walking around in a department store, I often wonder how many fingers have touched the cart I'm pushing. How many fingers have touched this dollar bill? How many prints could be found on the article of clothing I'm considering?

What if a dusting of your fingerprints took place. What would others see? Have you left fingerprints in places you'd be ashamed of? I have. My past -- Whoa! Would I really want my children to know all the places my fingers left prints?

What about their fingerprints? Where are they being left?

My cousin and I were discussing this a while back. She and her family were missionaries in Mexico... consider all the fingerprints they left behind. My husband and I were "missionaries" in a boarding school in KY... we left fingerprints.

Our lives are an accumulation of fingerprints. Hugs leave fingerprints, as will a pat on the back, a handshake... Yet quite the opposite is also true -- molestation leaves fingerprints...

Consider this. What if your heart left "prints"? What if for everyone you encouraged, you left a heartprint. For everyone you shared the love of Jesus with, you left a heartprint.

Of course we know fingerprints won't last forever on an object, but a heartprint can.

What kind of prints are you leaving behind?

Monday, June 11, 2007

Kissed by God

Today I finished the first chapter in "What Every Girl Wants" by Lisa Harper. It's a personal or group Bible Study for us gals... and it's wonderful!

My cousin took me to a Ladies Conference a couple months ago, and Lisa spoke there. This book is a study of the Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs... a pretty touchy book for most, but not Lisa. :o)

So, chapter one ends with a question about the most recent time you've been kissed by God. Hummm... coming from a very conservative background, you just don't talk about God that way, you know? I mean God and kissing in the same sentence? Uh-uh... BUT the book comes with a DVD allowing readers to join in on "book club" convo's. One member of the group shared how she felt alone in a desert, then she looked up to see a magnificent sunset. God's kiss, just for her. Another shared the precious gift of a loving, godly mother and how, at her mother's memorial service, folks she didn't even know spoke of the impact her mother's love had on their lives... a kiss from God at her time of grieving.

Yeah, that works. He loves us so much that he showers us with those sort of kisses... passionate, tender, just-what-we-need kind of kisses.

I feel God's having led my cousin and me to Lisa's table was a kiss from God. I'm basking in His love right now wondering how HE, could really love someone like me - a selfish brat, too often - so much that He could send His most precious Son... just for me! just for you! just for anyone who chooses to believe upon Him...

Now, is that a passionate kiss, or what?

Friday, June 8, 2007

Blogger Debut

Life is full of debuts. Today is one of mine. Blogger world....

It's exciting to think about promoting the writing I do to glorify my Lord and Savior. I pray everything in my life does exactly that.

Now, don't you just love the "easy" way in computer world? Just a click away... well, for some, I guess. :o) Usually SEVERAL clicks away for me. I'm learning, though, so that's the important thing.

Never quit learning.... God's world is so full of amazing creations, and He has so blessed the majority of mankind with an awesome ability to learn. But how many of us really take advantage of that capability? I mean we may learn a friend's phone number or email address, but what about the important stuff -- like Scripture? I'll be the first to admit that, for me, memorizing Scripture isn't as easy as it used to be, but oh, how important that task is... learning, meditating, hiding God's Word in our hearts...

So, will you take the challenge? Will you dig into the precious living Word and find a comforting verse or passage and hide it in your heart? I mean work at really hiding it in your heart for life... Here's one I'm working on:

Isaiah 43:2 "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Isn't that a beautiful promise? And it's one that I know I can use to encourage someone who's hurting when I may not have a Bible available - like in the grocery line or while waiting to be seated in a restaurant.

As a writer, obviously I enjoy the written word and believe in the power behind it. I pray that God's power infiltrates through this written challenge today and you realize that His Word is more than just another "classic" it is alive and life changing.

Father, give us a hunger for Your word.