(WARNING:  If you are looking for Rocket Science Theological Rhetoric... you will NOT find it below.)

ULTIMATELY......as a follower of Jesus.....I am supposed to..uhh... follow Him. 

IF I - OR ANYONE -  have to be cajoled, begged, pushed, convinced to give my life UTTERLY to Him and HIs will and do what He says when He says it... .......means.......I am not a follower of Jesus.  

The first rule of being a follower is that you choose to follow.  Being pushed is automatic disqualification as a follower.

Because I have heard that He is looking for followers.. and because I have genuine awe, respect and love for Jesus...I want to convince myself I am His follower... but.. the intrinsic requirement of a bona fide follower is the propensity to...FOLLOW. 

The phrase, "Follow the Leader" gives the example of how it's supposed to be.  Someone leads and the other one follows.

And then... I observed the relationship.  I, who have been applauded throughout my existence on planet earth as a "natural born leader" was unwilling to admit that I rarely gave a thought to where He was leading and/or whether I was following.  I guess the fact that I went to church, worshipped Him with utter sincerity, tried to obey His guidelines, read the Bible and tried to live a moral life blinded me to the fact that while all those things are commendable, they are not the same as following. 

Following requires a willingness to wait until the leader makes a move, takes a step.............and THEN... the follower... FOLLOWS.  

If I want to be His follower -   I must wait for Him to lead.
It's easy to mistake going to church with being a follower.  Isn't it?

I was speaking to  woman I know a few days ago.  She was SO frustrated at her husband.   And while I did my best to be a peace maker and not add fuel to the fire raging between husband and wife, I must admit that her husband made a big mistake while repairing something in their home.

The problem for this woman isn't that he made a mistake but that he wouldn't admit it WAS a mistake and wouldn't apologize. She said,  "I am more angry at the fact that he won't admit he made a mistake than I am at the fact that he made one."  She just wanted an apology.  She just wanted a "Honey, I"m sorry I did such a stupid thing..."  But he would not say such words. 

Even God... who is LOVE ITSELF.. requires that we "apologize"...   He doesn't just forgive.......unless we ask Him to..  And we won't ask Him to unless we realize we have sinned against Him.  He is waiting... with OPEN ARMS and a life of being HIS VERY CHILD... and YEARNING... YEARNING to say, "Apology accepted"........and forget about it forever.   Even if you have done the MOST horrible things.... and think He won't forgive.. He will.  And even if you think you haven't done stuff that's all that bad......and think you don't need to apologize... you do.

The bottom line is that every person who has that NEW LIFE living inside.. has.. at one time in their past.......acknowledged their need OF God TO God... and "apologized" for living without Him.

Avoiding apologies is so deeply ingrained in our human nature.. that we'd rather live without a loving Heavenly Father than apologize to Him. 

..........every day you get enough for THAT day.  I know this now because I am getting older.... there is more life behind me than in front of me.

Now I know that I have wasted days worrying about a thousand tomorrows that worked out just the way God intended... and He was telling me the truth when He said "Don't worry about tomorrow." 

... And so this is how it works when you are God's child.  God has given you everything you need for today.  Whatever you need for TODAY - wisdom, resources, strength, endurance - you HAVE.

You don't have enough TODAY for TOMORROW.  Notice how much of your strength, your thoughts, your fears... are focused on what MIGHT happen.........

And you will see that trying to figure out how you'll make it through tomorrow is robbing you of the blessings God has given you.....TODAY.

And so this is how it works... Life is simply a continuous group of days in which God has given you enough to get through that day.  More than enough.  And the end of your life comes when all the tomorrows becoome all your yesterdays.

And when all your tomorrows become all your yesterdays.. you will see that He is Faithful. And He has been with you - by your side - every step of every day.

And that is how it works.

...........hahahahahahaha... oh wait.. I'm showing my age.....uhhh.. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL.

Just got off the phone with a sweet woman who has been married for 19 years and she and her husband have been arguing a great deal for the past week or so... Doesn't really matter about what.. just that they are "at each other's throats" all the time...  

So she called me to get some advice because Phil and I have a "perfect marriage"......

hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah LOL LOL LOL Double LOL  Triple LOL...

"What???" I said.   Well, ok we do have a great marriage... and it has lasted over four decades and we do love each other... but PERFECT???  There is no perfect marriage.. because there are no perfect people.  So.. she asked me some questions... and I answered them as truthfully as I could.....and........she hung up the phone not quite convinced I was telling the truth.  Funny how that happens, huh?  You tell people the secret.. and they don't believe you.

Anyway her various questions were:

• "How can I get my husband to be the spiritual leader in our home and do his part to raise our children to know God and His ways?" (Answer below)

• How can I get him to be less grouchy and more understanding of the stress and pressures I face in my day?  He thinks he's got it bad. (Answer below)

• How can I get him to love the Lord more?  I don't think he really LOVES God.  I think he just goes to church to keep my quiet.(Answer below)

• How can I get him to give up some of his friends who are not a good influence on him?  They are college buddies who don't know the Lord. (Answer below)

• How can I get him to help around the house more? (Answer below)

ANSWER:  (WARNING.. SHE DIDN'T LIKE IT)

Be quiet and pray.

("What?" She said)

I repeated .. "Be quiet and pray. Give him to the Lord.  Spill your words about him to God and then trust God to deal with him. Get out the way. Pray. Pray. Pray."

She didn't believe that was the actual answer.  She called me to get an answer because she had observed my marriage.... but......when I told her that the secret to any marriage is PRAYER.. she thought I was being insincere.  Go figure.

She decided to go the Christian book store to get a book instead.

OK.  Go for it.  There's lots of great spiritual books that can help your marriage.  But for a woman.. nothing works better than 

PRAYER.  I'm just sayin'

(Have you really, truly, honestly, wholly brought your broken heart to Jesus? He cares)

.....as Halloween approaches, I find myself quickly turning the channels on my TV more and more.   Flipping away from really evil looking stuff!   Scary commercials......scary movies......scary events.   Why do people like these things?  I think there's something about "controlled" fear... being afraid of something you know isn't real... or you know is just an act.   The fear isn't truly real.. because you aren't truly afraid of what you're experiencing.  So you get a rush of feeling afraid.. but deep inside you know it's just a movie.. or just a halloween event.....and you move on with your real life.

But.. in REAL life.. REAL fear exists.  I certainly don't need to list all the things that we humans can shake in fear about.......... The world, the economy, terrorism, sickness, disease, catatrophes....  The Bible says that as the end of time approaches people's hearts will fail them.. and their hearts will fail them because of FEAR.

So how can God tell us  "Don't be afraid"?  Doesn't He see what's going on all around us? 

Of course He does... and He is still in control.  He's not scared.  He's not surprised.  He's not afraid.  He's not perplexed.  He's not weak. He's not a man that He should lie.

And when He promises that He will keep in perfect peace the person whose mind is constantly focused on Him - His Word, His promises, His love, His power, His deliverance, His healing power, His authority- it's the TRUTH.  The world may be spinning out of control - but don't forget that HE HOLDS THE WORLD IN HIS VERY HANDS... and He is holding you too. 

Don't be afraid.  Fear not.  The God of All Comfort is very close.  Reach out to Him.

 OK.. so here's some truth for you.. Your life is not under your control.  Period.  You may delude yourself in to thinking you've got it under control - but in just one moment - one thing can make you understand that control is an illusion. 

The only One who is in control is God... and that's why it's important to acknowledge this fact to... well.. at least to yourself...and to God.  HOWEVER. He tells us that we DO control one thing in life:  our hearts.  We decide what our hearts will do.  We decide what we love, what we don't love.. and most of all.. we decide.. when bad things come our way.. we decide.. WE DECIDE... if we will harden our hearts or let the bad thing help us to have compassion and soft hearts.

Some people go through horrible things... and somehow.. they choose to keep themselves soft inside.  They choose to forgive.

Some people go through horrible things... and choose to become hard inside.. angry at God.. angy at others.  

God allows each person to choose how they want their heart to be.  

He cautions us to guard our hearts.. He cautions us to not harden our hearts if and when we hear His voice calling to us.  

In my life....and in observing the lives of others... I see that this choice: to keep a soft heart or to choose a hard one....is the ultimate and most important decision a person can make about the way they will live their life here on earth.

If you have lived long enough... something will happen that doesn't make sense.  A good person will die while a bad person lives; good parents will lose a child they adore while bad parents do not.  Things just don't make sense.  Life is just not fair.

God never said life would be fair.  He said that HE is fair.  He works things out in the end.  God never said people were in control of life.  Or what it hands us.

The only thing we can control is the hardness - or lack of hardness - of our hearts.

Hard hearted people are the most miserable human beings alive. 

Soften your heart.  Ask God to send His Holy Spirit to soften your heart.  Life is much better with a soft heart.

You are not strong enough to face the things that come your way.. but Jesus is.

You are not smart enough to figure out the answers to those impossible questions that life hands every human... but Jesus is.

You are not someone who can heal your sickness.... but Jesus is.

You are not holy enough to approach the very throne of the Only God.. but Jesus is.

Whatever you are NOT... Jesus is.

Whatever you NEED... Jesus is.

He is.  

I have nothing more important to write on a blog than to direct you to the One who IS able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all you could ever ask or even think.

When you wonder if there's anyone who is able to understand the broken heart you have...

Jesus is.  He is.  He always was. He always will be.

Only the Holy Spirit of the One and ONLY God can reveal to your heart the way God loves you.

I cannot explain it.  I can simply tell you it is real, it is true and it is forever.

I believe that the core reason most people are disappointed...living lies of "quiet desperation" is that we settle for "something like it."  We may be blessed to have people who love us as much as is humanly possible for another human to love us.. and yet... we still crave something else.

What we are craving is our Father, God.  What we are missing is HIS LOVE.

I don't have any big time, Bible teacher, deep and hidden truths to reveal.  I'm just a writing wife, mother, and grandmother.

But one thing I know...

When you ask the Holy Spirit of God to reveal the way God feels about you TO YOU... you will never want to live without that love again.

Ask Him. And see what happens.  Say something like, "God if you're real, and if you really love me... and if you really care... please show me... please speak to me.. please open my heart to your love.."  

Are you living your life with LOVE or something like it?

Why settle for something like love when you can have real love?

And again.. all I can say is that He will. 

ARE YOU IN DISTRESS TODAY?

Psalm 107 is one of my favorite Psalms.  If you have time, read it.  The beginning of the Psalm shows 4 different scenarios where people find themselves in trouble. 

• Verses 4-8 tell of people who felt lost.  They couldn't find a place to call home.  A place to settle. Maybe you feel LOST today... like you don't know where to go or what to do if you got there.   You just want to feel like you're "home".  In desperation these people cried out to God for help and "He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle."  (Psalm 107:7)    Sometimes, we have to get desperate enough to cry out for help. Sometimes.. we waste time thinking we can figure things out without God's help.  Often, we cannot. 

• Verses 10-16 tell of people who were living in a prison of chains because they had rebelled against God.. Because they had despised His law.  So He allowed them to see the consequences of being rebellious.  And yet... when these people, desperately cried out for help... God reached down and delivered them.  "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains." Psalm 107:13-14.  Maybe you're believing that you're getting what you deserve (and you probably are) for your rebellion and that God is through with you.  THAT'S A LIE!  If you cry out to Him, if you ask for mercy and help... HE WILL HEAR AND DELIVER YOU.

• Verses 17-22 tell about people whose rebellion affected them physically.  They were sick in their bodies because of their own sin.   Another group of people who might feel like they are getting what they deserve - and maybe they are.  Still, when they cried out in desperation to God, " he saved them from their distress.
  He sent out his word and healed them;  he rescued them from the grave." Psalm 107:19-20.   God LONGS to have MERCY. He LONGS to heal our lives.  CRY OUT. He will hear you.

• Verses 23-32 tells about people who did nothing wrong but were simply living their lives.  And the storms came so violenty that it took all their courage away.   Everyone faces storms in life.  We never expect them.  We never want them. But they come quickly and violently, and we find that we have much less courage and faith than we though we did.  STILL... they cried out to God in their confusion and "he brought them out of their distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven."  Psalm 107:28-30

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT DISTRESS YOU MAY BE FACING... IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU BROUGHT IT UPON YOURSELF OR IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH A STORM THAT IS COMMON IN LIFE.

IF YOU WILL CRY OUT TO THE LORD.

HE

WILL

RESCUE 

YOU 

yes... He will 

TV, movies.... they all want us to feel better... to be happy.. to "party".  If you'll notice, much of the partying has to do with a lack of sobriety.  Think party and you think booze.  Think party and you see booze.  Think party and some people think.... mind altering drugs.

God is not a spoil sport who wants people to have boring lives.  But... our minds are not able to process the truth... about our future.. about our eternity.

That's why.. it requires the very Spirit of The Very God to explain to someone how desperately they need God.  How much they are craving His love... how much they are searching for Him and "Home" even though they may not realize it.  Only the Holy Spirit can explain it to us.. and it has to be explained to our hearts... as well as our brains.

When it comes to issues of the soul... eternity.......this requires a good, long, hard, thoughtful think through. 

Everyone has the free will to choose what they want to choose.  To walk toward what they want to walk toward.. and to walk away from what they choose to walk away from.

But.... since the path has eternal and everlasting ramifications.. it isn't something you can think about in a humorous...party-feeling... quick paced....."hurry up and get this over so I can play" kind of atmosphere.

Eternal decisions require slowing down.  Thinking.  Being sober.  Being sober is the way that God's Spirit can speak to you.  Slow down.  Sober up. Think about your eternal soul today.    

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. "  1 Peter 4:7

God doesn't do things the way we would.. and sometimes.. the way He allows things to happen doesn't make sense to our humanity.  The WAY He delivers His people isn't the way I would EXPECT Him to.

The story of the Israelites.. and God splitting the Red Sea is MIRACULOUS... but why that way? Why not have Pharoah's army not even be able to GET CLOSE?  If He can destroy them AFTER they get across the dry ground of the Red Sea.. isn't He able to destroy the enemy of HIs people before it even gets that far?  Sure He is. 

But.. since He is the one who does the delivering.. and we are the ones who need the deliverance.....  we just have to take His deliverance the WAY He delivers us.

For example.. there's a story in the Book of Daniel of three Hebrews who would NOT bow down to the image of the King of Babylon... Nebuchadnezzar.  He made an image and EVERYONE ELSE bowed down but Shadrach, Meschach and Abednigo. 

But the three who did not.. were the object of the King's FIERCE RAGE.  At times, it can be discouraging to do the right thing and get such a bad result.  

The King gave them another chance to bow down... and they refused. And they said.. "Our God can deliver us.. but even if He doesn't.. we will NOT bow down!"

So the King had the fire made 7 times hotter.  Had them bound and THROWN IN TO THE FIRE! It was so hot that the men throwing them in died from the heat.

And the story is that the King was ASTOUNDED to see them UNBOUND.. walking around UNHARMED in the fire.. and someone who "looks like the son of a God" walking with them. FOUR MEN.. in the FIRE !

Now.. we know that Jesus is the Son of God.. and the He was walking IN THE FIRE WITH THEM.  For me.. if I were writing the story.. I'd have had Jesus appear BEFORE they were thrown in the fire.. BEFORE the fire. 

But.. of course.. God is God and I am not.. and I can learn from this story.. that at times.. He will allow me to go through the fire.. but He will go through with me. And even though it seems the situation is going from bad to worse - and things are getting seven times hotter than they were.... He is STILL THERE WITH ME!!

And the end of the story is that not only were the men NOT KILLED by the fire.. but not one hair of their head was burned.. and their clothes DID NOT SMELL LIKE SMOKE.  If you've ever been close to a bonfire or any fire.. you know that the smell of smoke remains LONG AFTER the flame is extinquised.

God wants us to know that when we face the fire He will go through with us. And though we may want Him to KEEP US FROM the fire.. sometimes.. He does not do that.  Sometimes we have to go through the hard time... the sickness.. the financial crisis... the fear.. the loneliness.. or betrayal.  Sometimes we cannot figure out what God is doing and why He is allowing what He is allowing. We just have to trust that He is LOVE and HIS LOVE FOR US is there.. IN THE FIRE!

And...

When He delivers His people.. He does it UTTERLY!  COMPLETELY!

AND YOUR LIFE WILL NOT CARRY ONE RESIDUE OF WHAT THE ENEMY MEANT TO DESTROY YOU.  Sure, the fire was scary.  Sure, the threats were real. But God sent His Son to deliver you from the fire.. even when you have to walk through it. And not ONE HAIR OF YOUR HEAD will be lost... and....

You won't even smell of smoke!