Holding God's Hand

Hey guys! It's been awhile hasn't it! Well I have to admit I have neglected this blog for a while. With school, work, and church activities, it's been hard to keep up with. But today I decided to share something with yall.

As all of you know, yesterday was Mother's Day! I hope each of you were able to enjoy it with your mothers. I myself had a wonderful time with my family. We ate and played and did pretty much everything we do everyday. So, you may be thinking, what's so special about it? Well I will tell you.

I have a little cousin, Gage, and he is two years old. All of us cousins were all outside yesterday at my Papaw's house playing and basically wearing all the little ones out. Ha Ha  Well as the day went on, Gage decided he wanted to wonder around a little bit and thought he would grasp my hand and drag my along with him, you know, typical two-year-old behavior. So, with his vivid imagination, he took me all over the property. This one instance, he found a ditch that Papaw had made to direct all the rain water out of the driveway and into the field. Well, yesterday, Gage just seemed attracted to this ditch. So, he pulled me along with him and started walking up and down the ditch... in it that is. I stayed in the outside and held his hand so he wouldn't trip and fall on rocks and the rugged terrain. However, along the way, he would still loose his footing and and grasp onto my hand even harder. I would assure him, "Don't worry. I've got you. I won't let you fall." He would then get up and keep walking through the rut until he reached the end and came out.

Well, I know that this is just a two-year-old's imagination and he was just wondering around, but it gave me a thought. As I was holding to his hand, Gage didn't care to just walk on, probably forgetting I was even there. That is, until he slipped. That's when he would grasp my hand and look for protection, which I was always there to provide even if he didn't know it or even forgot. So, with this in mind, how many times do we see ourselves drawn to walk in a ditch? Speaking for myself, too often! But, we go anyway. Even though the terrain is fill with rocks and ruts, we find it fun to walk in. But, all along the way, God holds our hand. We may not feel it, look for it, remember it, or even care, but God is always there. So, when we slip up and look for protection, we will be there to help us regain our footing. This is not to say that we should ever get in a ditch. It's not a good place to be. But, if you are struggling today, and the devil has thrown you in the ditch, just remember, God is always holding onto your hand. Grasp it with all of your might! You will make it to the field of grace!  

Just Around the River Bend

The other night, I decided to have a Disney movie flashback and watch Pocahontas for the first time in over ten years. And just so we have this clear, I am a bit of a Disney freak. Yes, I am an 18 year old girl and the majority of what I watch is Disney. But anyway, me and my family watched Pocahontas. Well, since it had been so long since I had watched it, I was practically watching again for the first time. It's amazing how much you don't catch in a movie when you're 6! However, after watching it once more, something jumped out at me, and I automatically knew I had to write a blog about it. The part I'm talking about is when Pocahontas sings "Just Around the River Bend." She is trying to decided on her future and the possibility of marrying the tribe's greatest warrior. Her thoughts were, what's just around the river bend. At one instant it was a waterfall and at another it was were the river parted into two streams. One was a wide stream and one was a small, crooked stream. At this point she is wondering which way to go. Should she just go the easy way and subject to the wishes of her tribe and father by marrying this warrior she doesn't even love? Her decision was no. The end of the song leaves us with her paddling toward the rougher stream. She decided to follow the way she saw fit. Was it easier, no. However, even after all the fights and encounters with the new white men, if she hadn't have chosen the rough path, she never would have met John Smith. 


Well, in life, there are many river bends, and we never know what's going to be there. It may the same as the path you are on now, but it may be a waterfall or branching streams. When you come to the fork in the way, how do you know what to do? Do you take the easier, more popular way, or do you choose the harder one but with a better reward? In Jeremiah 6:16 the bible tells us to "....stand ye in the way, and see, and ask for the old paths ,where is the good way, and walk therein ,and ye shall find rest for your souls..." So, God is telling us to follow the unpopular path. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." -Matthew 7:13-14. The way that may seem easier could very well not be. Just because one looks worse than the other doesn't mean the ending will be. The ending of each path is different, and you never figure that out until you get there. But, Jesus said "I am the WAY." Follow the path that he gives you even when you think you think your way is better. 


In the movie, Pocahontas, while trying to figure out her path, confides in her guide, Grandmother Willow. The tree tells her to listen to the spirits all around her and they will guide her. Now, I don't believe in the "spirits of the wind," but I do believe in the Holy Ghost. When you don't know how to handle a situation in your life, just listen for him, and he will never lead you astray. 


So, what's around your river bend? You may not know yet, or you may be faced with a decision. Whatever you choose, choose wisely. "But Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father but by me." -John 14:6. If you choose the path less traveled God will be waiting for you and the end. If you don't you may never achieve what He had planned for you. 

Jesus Christ VS. Santa Claus

As this Christmas season is drawing nearer, I see more and more people worrying over the best sales and the must have toy of the season. It's pretty sad if you ask me. You turn on the TV and all you see is Santa this and Santa that. Since when did this society forget the true meaning? I admit that with all the tinsel and lights and decked out Christmas trees, it's sometimes difficult to hold on to that lowly and humble manger scene. However, for the time being I want to compare these two cultures and see if, in the end, you believe what you say you believe. Let's determine which occasion is most worthy of a celebration. I'm going to do this by comparing the two icons of the season: Jesus Christ and Santa Claus. 


I'm going to begin with the more published person of this day and time: Santa. As we all know, Santa goes by many names. There's St. Nick, Chris Kringle, Father Christmas, and, well, you get the point. He wears a red suit  with a red hat, lives up in the North Pole, and has elves that help him make presents each year for all the boys and girls of the world. He has a white beard, drives a sleigh pulled by reindeer, and has all kinds of magical qualities. "He sees when you are sleeping and he knows when you're awake." He seems like a pretty amazing character doesn't he? Well, unfortunately, that's what a lot of people see nowadays, the red suit and presents in stockings. They rarely stop to think about the manger scene. 


Now, let's talk about Jesus. Just like Santa, Jesus goes by many names: Son of God, Lilly of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Hope, Rose of Sharon. I could go on and on, but you get it. However, this icon didn't wear a red suit and hat. He wore swaddling clothes and a crown of thorns. Angels follow him and do as he commands, and, yes, he will have a white beard too. He has performed many miracles through healing. He doesn't ride in a sleigh, no. But, he is coming back on a cloud. He doesn't live in some barren waste land, but he lives, or can live, in your heart. You don't have to write a letter to him, because he's already wrote one to you (aka the Holy Bible). You can get in touch with him through prayer though. 


Isn't this sounding a lot better? That's what I thought. But, the most important thing about this is one thing. Santa didn't die for your sins, he didn't raise from the dead, and he's not up in Heaven making intersessions for you and I and controlling everything that keeps us living. Jesus did and is still doing that. That's my Christmas! What's yours? 


**In the words of Linus.........**

Tim Hawkins: The Food Prayer

New Siding

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -II Corinthians 5:17    

      Within the past week or so, my papaw has had to redo the siding of his house to fit the insurance companies satisfaction. You know because apparently they discovered that wood is flammable. Who knew right? It's kind of crazy if you ask me, but some vinyl siding will perk up the outside of his wooden house. So far it's coming along great and meeting all expectations. It's a good thing too because I'm pretty sure insurance is necessary. This make over will defiantly look pretty great. Well, thinking about this situation earlier, God gave me something. And, I just love it when that happens.

     Do you remember what God did to you the moment he saved you? Yeah, that's right. He gave you a new spirit alive in him. Well, it's kind of like what we are doing to papaw's house. You see, the wooden siding was all beaten and worn because of time and encounters with each passing storm. Basically, it was ragged and unsafe (according to the insurance company). Well, that's like we were before we got saved. Ragged, beat up, good for nothing sinners. We had been beaten by the storms of the world and was regarded as unsafe. If we didn't find some way of fixing ourselves up, we would continue to have no insurance. So, that's when we called the Contractor. we didn't as for new siding, we asked for a new spirit. And that's just what he gave us.

     I wondered what was so good about my papaw switching to vinyl siding, so I researched its benefits. It turns out, vinyl siding is easy to install, affordable, offers better protection, has less maintenance, is more durable, and increases the value of your home. Now, let me relate that to our lives. Our new spirit is easy to install. All you have to do is ask. It's also affordable because it's free. We have better protection and durability to face anything life throws at us. There's less maintenance because our spirit is perfect, and it's value is unreachable and un-tradeable.

     Well, since my papaw is fixing up his house, the insurance company will hopefully show mercy on him and let him keep his policy. Aren't you glad that one day God didn't cancel your policy and send you to Hell but had mercy on you and gave you eternal life insurance. I know I am. And, even better yet, he thought the new siding made such a difference, he decided to move in the transformed house to abide forever. It's really amazing to know we have a God this good.

Grace Exceeds

Baby Christians

Have you ever had a time when you don't intend for something to happen, but it happens anyway? I'm sure you have. Well recently we've had one of those instances: our dog had puppies. We were all surprised because we never intended on waking up to find two little baby puppies. But we did. Anyway, I got to looking at how small and hopeless they were, and it got me to thinking. There's a lot of Christians like that today: babes in Christ. You know, the kind that decide they are not going to grow up.

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 
For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."  -Hebrews 5:12-14 

When babies are born, they are hopeless in the fact that they can't care for themselves. They may be living and breathing, but they have no means of surviving on their own. They rely on the mother, father, friends, and family members to basically keep them alive and going. It may take them a while to develop skills as simple as opening their eyes, talking, and walking. These things come through time and maturity. Also, when a baby is first born and even up until they are several months old, they can't stomach real food. They can only have the mother's milk. Otherwise, their system goes into shock and causes sickness. They just can't take it.

Christians are the same way. When we first get saved, we don't know what to do or how to go about doing anything. We have gained eternal life, we just don't know where to go from there. Often times, we rely on others to help us in knowing right from wrong. I'm not saying that in a bad way because it's great to look up to others and model yourself after Godly Christians. But, that seems to be all that baby Christians depend on is the life of others like their parents, grandparents, friends, and family to do things like take them to church and keep them from wrong doings. It may take us a while to see things differently than we once did, talk the right kind of talk, and walk in God's will. That too comes with maturity in the word. God may not even be able to feed us all the good food because we wouldn't be able to contain it or know how to react to it.

HOWEVER.....

There does come a time in a Christians life when they need to start growing up. I'm not saying to jump right in and do it, because that's nearly impossible. With maturity, we eventually see, walk, and talk better. It just takes baby steps. But, a lot of Christians will choose not to grow up. They are just satisfied with what little filling the milk gives them. They enjoy being taken care of with just about no responsibilities. They get to the place where they become satisfied with the life God's given them and won't strive for anything bigger. God wants to give them meat. That's what we need to strive for is the meat. The meat fills you up more and does much better in supplying energy and developing a more efficient Christian. I know that after eating meat for so long, there's no way i would go back to surviving solely on my mother's milk. Many will miss out on the meat and the joy that comes with being a "grown-up." God can't use babies like he can adults. Just think about it: you wouldn't want a baby to be in charge of something like building your house would you? I figured not. Babies can't get as much done. It's as simple as that. They are limited. Adults, on the other hand, have the wisdom and maturity to get more done for God. They also have the capability of having a stronger, closer relationship with God.

So, how do you line up? It doesn't matter how old you are spiritually or physically. You can have a closer walk with God. Have you decided to grow up and mature in your Christian walk, or have you decided to stay a baby? There's a big difference and a bigger out come to your decision. Are you going after the milk or the steak?