I asked, “Do you ever think about your purpose being to raise a godly child who will grow into a man of God? We do not know what plan’s God has for him as an adult. We do not know the number of people he may reach for God. Our purpose does not need to be big and grandiose. It may just be in the way in which we live life and our relationships with others." As I left she was smiling and I could feel the peace around her.

Is this a question that you ask yourself? I think that it is a question that we all ask at some point in our life. I know that I have. Just as I told the young mother, our purpose may not be for big and great things but just to show God to others in how we live our lives. Remember God created us to point towards God. A sign I saw recently said, “It is easier to preach 10 sermons, than to live one.” As you go about your day and your week, think upon these questions. Does my daily life point to God? Am I just going through the motions and giving the appearance that I belong to God. Remember God knows who you are and sees you exactly as you are. Scary isn’t it?

    When my oldest child was a baby, he had a blanket that he would not be without. This blanket went with him wherever he went. By the time he was two it was beginning to look rather worn. I remember one time when we were visiting my mother-in-law she washed the blanket. My son cried almost the entire time that the blanket was being washed and dried. She also tried to replace the blanket with another one, same material and same color…my son knew the difference and would not accept the new blanket.Why was my son so attached to this particular blanket? To him it represented love, comfort, and protection. It had covered him when he slept. It had given him warmth; and it represented the love that he felt from me because this particular blanket was one that held him when we sat in my rocking chair and snuggled together.
    As I sit and ponder this morning about this blanket, I think of the blanket of love that God spreads over me like a banner.  God’s love is the banner that hovers over me. God provides all that I need, comforts me when I am sad, protects when I am in harm’s way, and is always with me. This love is something that I do not want to be without just as my son did not want to be separated from his blanket. Thankfully there is nothing that can separate or take away this amazing love that God has for each of us. We may separate ourselves from God, but God will never be separated from us. God waits patiently for us to return.
    Next my thoughts go to those who may not know God.  They are going through life not feeling the security of God's loving blanket around them.  I must ask muself, "Am I doing all that I can do to share the love of God with other people? Do I want to share this love?  If so, what is holding me back?"  These are questions, that all of us must ask ourselves.  Where would we be if someone had not shared God's love to us?

Prayer: Precious Lord, thank you for this amazing love that you have for me. Thank you for always loving me no matter how bad I mess things up in my life. Help me to show your love on this day to those around me.   Help me to be bold and unafraid. Amen

    According to the calendar, Easter has come and gone, but has it? This one event in all of human history has had more influence on the world than any other event. This was an event which has truly changed the world. In fact the way in which we mark time is based on the birth of this man we call Jesus. There have been wars fought over Christianity beginning with the Crusades of the Middle Ages…an attempt to recover Palestine from the Muslims. Civil wars within countries have been fought over whether or not the official religion of the country would be Catholic or Protestant. Even the beginning of our nation was founded out of the need for religious freedom. Today people are persecuted for their Christian beliefs and there is still conflict as to who "owns” Palestine. How is it that the gospel of Christ, which is to love God and then to love people has become so violent?
    As I sit and ponder this morning, I begin to question as to whether or not we are really living out our faith. Does the way in which we live, reflect that we belong to God? Have we trivialized the death of Christ? I must ask myself, “What is it that I am doing which will make a difference in the world? Is Easter just going to be another day?” I certainly hope that Easter is more than a day of worship and family fun (eating of ham and hunting eggs). The question for me on this day is what am I going to do differently that will make Easter real in the lives of other people. I can’t change the world, only my world which starts with changing me. This will affect my sphere of influence which can affect the world of those around me. It is a beginning.
     What about you on this beautiful spring day? Has Easter come and gone for you, or will you begin to be a change agent of the world? Remember, it will not be on your strength that you will be able to be successful…only through the power of Christ that is within you.

Prayer: Precious Lord, thank you for your gift of Easter. Help me to have the courage to be an agent of change within my world. Amen

    Today is Good Friday; but to Mary, the disciples, and those who believed and followed Christ it was anything but good. The Son of Man, that was loved, had been arrested, convicted by trial, and was to be executed. I’m sure this news had spread quickly throughout the city. A man who had been hailed as King on Sunday was now in prison and waiting execution by crucifixion. Can you imagine the crowd that lined the side of the Via Delarosa on this day? Were people crying? Were some of them heckling Jesus as he struggled to carry the cross to Golgotha? What about the Roman guards as they tried to maintain order? What sadness must have been over this city? No wonder Jesus had wept for Jerusalem earlier in the week. What they did not know, which we know today, is that Sunday morning is coming.
    At the foot of the cross stood Mary, his mother, other women followers, and only one disciple, John, who followed his master to his death. Can you imagine the pain, the agony, confusion, and the thoughts that Mary was feeling at this moment? “Didn’t God tell me I was to be the mother of the Messiah, the redeemer of Israel? God, what is this all about? Was it all for nothing? Is this the end?” What Mary did not know was that Sunday morning is coming?
    What were the Pharisees feeling and thinking at this time? Were they feeling glad that this rebel rouser was once and for all dealt with? Were they feeling satisfied with themselves? This man had been a thorn in their side now for three years. Jesus was a respected teacher of the common people. Jesus was out of the picture and not a threat to their way of religion any longer. Finally, they were able to put a stop to this radical teacher of false prophecy. What they did not know was that Sunday morning is coming.
    The disciples went into hiding fearful of whether or not they would be next. Do you think that they were beginning to think that they had wasted three years of their life following Jesus? After all, they had left their families and their friends. Had given up their jobs to follow this man! What was to happen next? They huddled together thinking the worse, but what they did not know was that Sunday morning is coming.
    What are your thoughts on this Good Friday? Is this just another  ordinary day? What will you do today in remembrance of Christ and his sacrificial death? Will you stop and give thanks? Will you talk to your children and teach them that Easter is more than the Easter bunny, ham, and new clothing. We know the end of the story…Easter morning came and Christ was not defeated…Christ was not kept in the tomb. Christ is alive and continues to live today. As followers of Christ, we keep Christ alive in our hearts; and we make Christ real to people through our service, actions, and words. Don’t know about you, but I’m glad that Sunday came! Yes, today is Good Friday, but Sunday morning is coming.

Prayer: Precious Lord, Thank you for Sunday. Thank you for the eternal life that is made possible through the events of Good Friday. Help me to show Christ to those who need to know of this wonderful gift of Easter. Let me not take my salvation for granted but serve with a renewed love. Amen

     When our children were younger, we purchased a travel trailer and decided to spend 2 weeks traveling from Georgia, through North Carolina, through the Shenandoah valley, to northern Virginia our final destination (Carlsbad Caverns). We had an itinerary of all the places that we wanted to visit, and I went on line searching for campgrounds so that when we arrived we had a place to camp and not spend precious time looking for a place to camp.

     I am always glad to reach my destination that means the traveling is over and now the fun can begin.We spent many enjoyable days visiting the places we had chosen and our family became closer as we did things together as a family. (Isn’t that what family vacations are about?) There were places where I would have loved to have stayed longer. There were a few places that we didn’t have time to see and things that we didn’t have time to do. So there will always be regret that we didn’t visit these places together as a family. However, when the trip ended, even though I was tired, I was glad that we had made the trip. The effort was worth it.

    Holy Week is here and we are celebrating the last week of Christ’s life on earth as a human. However, we still have a few stops to make before we arrive at Easter Sunday. How was your journey through Lent? Are you finding that you’re fasting and sacrificing have been worth the effort(even hard for some of us.)? Are there places along this journey that you failed to visit or wanted to visit but just did not have the time? The good news is that if you didn’t stop and stay awhile, you can always go back. God is always there waiting for you.

Gracious and loving God. Thank you for being with me all of my days. Forgive me for those times that I fail to acknowledge you in my life, and for those times that I take your grace for granted. Amen

    There is a song, I’ll Praise you in this Storm which starts out with this line: “we thought by now God, you would have reached down wiped all our tears away, stepped into save the day. “ Expectations sometimes do not meet with reality. This begins to make me wonder. How exactly do we view God? Do we view God as a problem solver? Someone who will make all our obstacles in life disappear? If this is how we view God, then I believe that we will be greatly disappointed. Our human nature would like to take the easy road and bypass the pain and hurt of life’s situations. It would be great if God magically removed all of our problems, but what would we learn and how would we grow spiritually? I have learned in life that God doesn’t magically take away our obstacles, but God is there in the middle of them helping us to get through the challenging times.
    As I think of bypassing problems, I think of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Christ knew what was going to happen. He knew what crucifixion was and the pain that was endured. As we read this account in the gospels, we see Christ’s agony over what he was going to face and endure. He even asked God to reconsider…take this cup from me. Then he added your will be done. Christ knew that if God’s plan of salvation was to become reality then he must go to the cross. So go he did and aren’t you glad?
    As we come to the end of our journey, who is God in your life? What are your expectations of God? These are questions that we all must answer. It is my prayer that as you have made this journey through Lent that your view of God has become a little clearer. Don’t limit him but come with great expectation of what he is going to do in your life.

Prayer: Precious Lord, I continue to stand in awe of you. Thank you for your sacrifice upon the cross, and help me not trivialize what you did for me. Amen

    Dear Friends we are close to ending our journey through Lent. This is the last week before Easter Sunday arrives. This  week starting with Palm Sunday is Holy Week. This last week of Christ’s life is filled with excitement as Jesus enters Jerusalem as a king and turns to fear, anxiety, and sadness as Jesus is arrested, tried, and executed by crucifixion on Friday.
    From the very beginning, the early church held this last week of Christ’s life as a time of remembrance and celebration. Many Christians would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem so that they would be in the city during Holy Week. What a time it must have been as Jews made their annual trip to Jerusalem for the celebration of Passover and were joined by Christians celebrating Easter.
    Several years ago Robert and I had the opportunity to visit Israel. I cannot begin to describe the emotions that I felt as I walked down the path that Jesus rode on Palm Sunday, to visit Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested, and then to climb the steps to the ruins that at one time was Caiaphas’ home. However, the most emotional time for me was to be in the pit where Christ was imprisoned in the Antonio Fortress and then to walk the street which led to Golgotha.
    The site of the crucifixion is now a church where it is believed to have been the location of the cross. You can actually kneel at the foot of a cross and touch the underlying stone. This was climaxed by going to the spot where they laid Jesus’ body when he was taken from the cross and wrapped for burial in the tomb of Nicodemus. Lastly, there was the visit to what is believed to be the tomb of Christ.
    Easter has always been a special time, but after this visit, there is even more meaning behind the events which lead to Easter. This week, I encourage you to read one of the gospel accounts of the last week in Christ’s life. We know that Friday was not the end of the story because Sunday morning is coming.

Prayer: Precious Lord, thank you for your sacrifice upon the cross for me so that I can have the hope of eternal life. Help me not to take your sacrifice lightly; let not the rituals and traditions of Holy Week become common place in my life. Help me to keep the awe of what Easter really means. Amen

    There is a song, I’ll Praise you in this Storm which starts out with this line: “we thought by now God, you would have reached down wiped all our tears away, stepped into save the day. " Expectations sometimes do not meet with reality. This begins to make me wonder. How exactly do we view God? Do we view God as a problem solver? Someone who will make all our obstacles in life disappear? If this is how we view God, then I believe that we will be greatly disappointed. Our human nature would like to take the easy road and bypass the pain and hurt of life’s situations. It would be great if God magically removed all of our problems, but what would be learn and how would we grow spiritually? I have learned in life that God doesn’t magically take away our obstacles, but he is there in the middle of them helping us to get through the challenging times.
    As I think of bypassing problems, I think of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Christ knew what was going to happen. He knew what crucifixion was and the pain that was endured. As we read this account in the gospels, we see Christ’s agony over what he was going to face and endure. He even asked God to reconsider…take this cup from me. Then he added your will be done. Christ knew that if God’s plan of salvation was to become reality then he must go to the cross. So go he did and aren’t you glad?
    As we come to the end of our journey, who is God in your life? What are your expectations of God? These are questions that we all must answer. It is my prayer that as you have made this journey through Lent that your view of God has become a little clearer. Don’t limit him but come with great expectation of what he is going to do in your life.

Prayer: Precious Lord, I continue to stand in awe of you. Thank you for your sacrifice upon the cross, and help me not trivialize what you did for me. Amen

    Spring is here! (Easter is just around the corner.) The birds have returned, trees are in bloom, grass is turning green, and flowers are starting to peak through the ground. Isn’t it wonderful? I wonder how the bulbs planted in the fall know exactly when to start growing and burst through the ground. It is amazing that the trees know exactly when to bloom and birds know when to return. What was once bleak and bare is now teeming with life and color. It is a time of rebirth and new life. Spring is truly a time of miracles.
    As we emerge from winter into spring it reminds me of the transition that we go through in our spiritual life. In giving our life to Christ, we receive the miracle of all miracles and the amazing gift of life eternal. Through Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross, we have the hope of new life that comes through the miracle of Easter. We experience a rebirth as we give ourselves to Christ and make Him Lord of our lives.
    In what ways have you experienced new life or are beginning to experience this new life? What miracles do you see happening around you? As you continue your journey through Lent towards Easter, continue to focus upon the changes that God is making in your life. Remember the price that was paid by Christ to bring you back into the relationship with God that God intended when humanity was first created. This is truly the miracle of Easter.

Prayer: Precious Lord thank you for the life that you have given to me but most of all I thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen

    Have you ever thought much about sheep? They are not the most attractive of animals, and they are very docile. Their wool gets dirty and full of sticks and can become smelly. A sheep can easily lose it way from the herd by searching for grass. If lost, they become easy prey for a predator. Without the presence of their shepherd they are vulnerable for they have no means of protecting themselves. They are completely dependent upon their shepherd for protection.
    With all of this in mind, I’m not sure that I like being compared to a sheep. Yet, as I think about sheep and Jesus’ use of them as analogies in his teachings, I begin to see, as humans, we are similar to sheep. We can be lured away by the things of the world (easy prey and vulnerable). We can easily become confused and develop a sense of being lost. We may even be described as “dirty and smelly” when we look at some of the wrong choices that we make in our lives…we can even make a mess of things in a very short time. When we think about it, we do need a shepherd to take care of us and clean us up. This is what Jesus is to us…our good shepherd who did lay down his life for us. He takes the mess that we have made and cleans it up. If we allow him, He can provide all that we need. We can learn a lot learn from the sheep…to be totally dependent upon Christ.
    As we get closer to completing our journey through Lent, who are you dependent upon? Are you still trying to be self sufficient or are you learning to be dependent and giving your problems, challenges, worries to God? Dependency is not a bad thing when it comes to God.

Prayer: Precious Lord, Thank you being my good shepherd. Thank you for your presence in my life and providing for my needs. Continue to help me release all of me and depend upon you more. Amen

    It is fun to watch children as they learn to garden. (It seems that children and dirt are compatible with one another.) They are fascinated by the seeds which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They love to dig in the dirt, preparing a special place for the seed or the seedling. Then they lovingly cover the seed or pat dirt around the seedling and water. They go almost daily to see whether or not the seed has sprouted or whether or not the plant is blooming. Sometimes they get a little impatient, but the joy on their faces when the sprout finally emerges from the soil or the first flower blooms cannot be described.
    As followers of Christ, we are called to plant seeds…seeds of faith. That is one of the things that Christ commanded us to do. Yet, how are we doing in planting these seeds? Are we faithfully planting seeds and then nurturing them in the faith? What would happen to our garden if we failed to care for it? It wouldn’t survive! God calls us to nurture as well as plant. All followers of Christ need to be nurtured whether mature or young. That is what the purpose of church or the Body of Christ. We do the planting, nurturing, and God does the harvesting.
    As we come to the end our journey, is there more that you can do to plant and nurture the followers of Christ? This is where our service to the Lord comes in. I pray that you will earnestly ask God what he would like for you to do in preparing God’s garden, then listen, and obey. Take it from me, it is exciting to watch the seeds of faith grow and bloom, whether it is a child or an adult.

Prayer: Abba Father, what would you desire me to do on this day and each day forward to help grow your kingdom on this earth? Give me the courage, boldness, and the strength to do what you ask me to do. Amen

    Spring is here and it is time to begin planning my flower gardens. I love to choose the plants, place them in the ground, and then watch the seedlings take root and grow. Unfortunately, there are other plants, know as weeds, that also take root and grow (In the early stages of growth it is hard to tell the difference). Weeds can take over the flower garden if one is not careful, especially after it rains. Sometimes it seems that weeds grow when nothing else will grow. If we are to have the beautiful garden we planted, then it is necessary to be diligent about removing the weeds.
    As I begin to think about planting my spring garden, the problem of weeds, and the necessity of weeding, I began to think about our spiritual garden and the weeds that can be found there. These weeds can be anger, bitterness, envy, hate, doubt, fear, and distrust. Some of these weeds have been caused by hurt that we have encountered in our life. Yet, if we allow these weeds to continue to grow then they will edge out love, peace, joy, contentment, and trust. We may find ourselves becoming someone we do not know or may not like. These weeds become obstacles to our relationship with other people and more importantly obstacles to our relationship with God. So we need to get busy with our weeding.
    How do we rid ourselves of these weeds? The answer lies in forgiveness. Forgiveness is more for us than it is for the other person or persons who have hurt us. Forgiveness weeds out the hate, anger, distrust, bitterness, guilt which has a tendency to consume us just as weeds consume a garden. It opens our heart to receive and give love. Don’t forget to include yourself when you forgive. We have a tendency beat ourselves up over wrong decisions we have made and carry guilt with us.
    During this Lenten season consider whether or not you need to do some spiritual gardening. Do you have weeds in your garden that you need to pull out? The process may not be easy, but with God’s help we can learn to forgive.

Prayer: Gracious God, your love extends to me each day. Give me the courage to face the weeds in my life and remove them so that I can be free to love and be loved. Amen

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love and for not giving up on me. Even though I may not like what is happening in my life, help me to remember that you are there and will never leave me. Amen

    Driving downtown Atlanta is not on the top ten list of what I like to do; it is probably number one of the things I like least to do. It seems that every time I drive the streets of Atlanta, I find a detour sign. This may not seem like a problem to you; but I can get lost easily when I don’t know my way, and detours are not the way that I know. The result is that I become frustrated and anxious as I drive around the streets trying to find my destination. Thank goodness for GPS systems. This has been a source of relief for my anxiety. I just lock in the address of my destination and trust the system to get me where I am going.
    How about our spiritual journey? We sometimes encounter detours along the way. These detours may come from financial losses, loss of a loved one, a divorce, difficult relationships, etc. Life is just not easy. It is in these times that we begin to doubt God. We begin to wonder whether or not God may exist or whether or not God even cares about us and our problems. How we react to the situations in our lives is important. Do we give into anxiety, depression, fear, doubt? How can we keep from succumbing to these situations?
    The situations in our lives can take us in two different directions…toward God or away from Him. It is in these times that we need to plug into our GPS (God’s Positioning System). Turn to the scriptures, and find the comfort that is found there (I personally like the Psalms). Remember to take all of your problems to God, talk with a spiritual friend, and continue to attend worship services. Most of all continue to thank God for who God is and the things that God gives you each day. (Again I’m talking about quiet time.)
    Don’t let the detours in your life get you down…just turn on your GPS, lock in, and trust. It will get you where you want to go (in more ways than one). May your journey through Lent continue to strengthen your relationship with the God who loves you beyond measure.

Prayer: Almighty God, I bring you praise for being who you are. Thank you for continuing to love me and being there for me in my times of need. Lord, help me to allow you to be my guide when times in my life get rough. Amen

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8 NIV

    It was the beginning of a usual day. I got up, made the coffee, let the dog and cat out, and was going about my morning routine. At first I did not pay attention to the morning light. There were clouds in the sky with the threat of rain throughout the day. I was not looking forward to driving under rain conditions. What is normally a 50-minute drive could possibly turn into a 90-minute drive. As I walked across the dining room, I glanced outside and to my surprise there was a beautiful rainbow completely stretched across the sky.
    The sun was just beginning to rise, and the colors were brilliant as the rays of the sun reflected off the clouds. As I stood outside and witnessed the scene that God had painted, I desired to share this with Robert. However, by the time he got outside, the rainbow had almost completely faded away and the brilliant colors accenting the sky had dimmed. I discovered in that moment that God had sent this message to me. I realized that what I was dreading; God was using to reveal his presence. My attitude towards the day was suddenly changed.
    Sometimes it is when we least expect it that we see the hand of God at work in our lives. God is always there, but in our busyness we may forget to acknowledge his presence. God finds simple, little ways, such as with the rainbow, to remind us that God is there, loving us no matter what we are doing.
    As we draw closer to Easter and you continue to reflect upon your relationship with God, are you beginning to witness God’s presence in your everyday routine and work? Continue to draw near to God, looking for the ways that God is revealing God’s love and presence to you. I pray that you are beginning to see God in the ordinary things which make up your life.

Prayer: Precious Lord, help me to see the sacred in the ordinary. Continue to draw me closer to you each day. Amen

    One fall morning as I returned from Lake Junaluska, where I had spent an incredible 5 days in worship, fellowship, and learning, the valley was encased with fog making visibility and driving difficult. As I continued up the mountain, out of the valley, suddenly the light broke through the fog; and the sight was breath taking to behold at the top. Suddenly, I forgot the fog and the problems it created and realized that the trip through the fog was worth my effort.
    That is how it is with fog…it clouds everything and in some instances causes moments of confusion. Isn’t that how life sometimes treats us? We find ourselves in a fog because of the challenges, trials, temptations, and difficulties which life brings. Our visibility becomes hard as the fog hides all that is visible. What would, in other circumstances, be an easy decision to make suddenly becomes hard. In our confusion, it becomes difficult to see all the possibilities. Sometimes we may feel that there is no way out of our situation, and we can begin to feel alone and possibly isolated.
    Like the fog, these difficulties tend to hide the “son “light of God. God’s presence is always there for us even though it feels hidden from our sight. As we continue through Lent, let us hold onto the promise that God is in every situation. When troubling times come, let us see the glory that has been hidden. What a breathtaking sight it is on the other side, and we discover that our time in the fog was worth it.

Prayer: Almight God, Thank you for the “son” light that you give to my life. Help me continue to hold onto you when troubling times come. Let me always remember that you are near. Amen

    One fall morning as I returned from Lake Junaluska, where I had spent an incredible 5 days in worship, fellowship, and learning, the valley was encased with fog making visibility and driving difficult. As I continued up the mountain, out of the valley, suddenly the light broke through the fog; and the sight was breath taking to behold at the top. Suddenly, I forgot the fog and the problems it created and realized that the trip through the fog was worth my effort.
    That is how it is with fog…it clouds everything and in some instances causes moments of confusion. Isn’t that how life sometimes treats us? We find ourselves in a fog because of the challenges, trials, temptations, and difficulties which life brings. Our visibility becomes hard as the fog hides all that is visible. What would, in other circumstances, be an easy decision to make suddenly becomes hard. In our confusion, it becomes difficult to see all the possibilities. Sometimes we may feel that there is no way out of our situation, and we can begin to feel alone and possibly isolated.
    Like the fog, these difficulties tend to hide the “son “light of God. God’s presence is always there for us even though it feels hidden from our sight. As we continue through Lent, let us hold onto the promise that God is in every situation. When troubling times come, let us see the glory that has been hidden. What a breathtaking sight it is on the other side, and we discover that our time in the fog was worth it.

Prayer: Almight God, Thank you for the “son” light that you give to my life. Help me continue to hold onto you when troubling times come. Let me always remember that you are near. Amen

    It gets quite hot in the south during the summer, and several summers ago we began to experience a drought. Every time a cloud would appear on the horizon, we would anxiously await and hope that this would be the start of the much needed rain. Sometimes we would get rain, but in many instances the rain did not materialize or was insufficient to meet our growing needs. The drought worsened and was so sever in some places there was the possibility of the rationing of water. Water became precious to us as we began to see our need for water.
    As I think about this drought, I begin to wonder and ask, “Can this drought situation describe our relationship with God?” As humans, when things are going well in our lives, we can have a tendency to forget God. We find excuses to not spend time in God’s word, fail to pray as we should; we may even become lax in our worship attendance. We enter into spiritual drought; we begin to feel dry and empty as events come into our lives over which we have no control. We may find that it is even difficult to pray or feel that our prayers are falling on deaf ears. We find difficulty in finding comfort in the scriptures, and we may begin to doubt and question whether or not God is present in our lives. We are thirsty for the living water that comes only from God.
    Just as the drought brought our attention to our need of water, it is through the dry times of our lives that we once again begin to see the need for God in our lives. As the rain begins to fall to relieve the drought, so it is with God. His healing rain begins to fall upon us and restores our empty spirits.
    Have your experienced a spiritual drought? Maybe you are in drought condition at this time. As you continue to journey towards Easter, remember that a drought does not last forever. Let this season of Lent be the refreshing rain that you need in your life at this time.

Prayer: Precious Lord, let your refreshing rain fall upon me. Let me not take your presence in my life for granted. Let me see you each day in a new way. Amen

Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for your presence and patience in my life. Forgive me when I fail to listen and hear your voice. Help me desire to be in your presence and to trust that you will always be there. Amen

Prayer: Father, help me to see those things in my life which cause me to drift away. Keep me close to your side always and keep me anchored in you. Amen

    For some, Grace is something that can be difficult to understand. I know that there was a time in my life that I could not readily verbalize the meaning of grace.  Hearing a sermon series on God’s grace  helped me to better understand what is meant by grace. Grace can seem complex, but at the same time it is very simple. Grace is extended to each of us as a gift. It is not something that we can buy or earn…it’s free.
    Yet, how do we view God’s grace? Think about this. God’s grace can be separated into two categories: cheap grace and costly grace. Cheap grace can be described as basically taking God’s grace for granted. That is, we fail to grow in our spirituality and our relationship with God. We may attend worship occasionally, but do not practice the spiritual disciples of prayer and Bible study. We fail to get involved with the outreach and service opportunities of our church. In essence, we are not active in our faith.
    Do you think about God’s cost of extending grace to us? It cost God a lot to bring salvation to each of us…the death of Jesus upon the cross as a sacrifice for sin. Would you be willing to sacrifice one of your children or even yourself to save another individual? However, that is exactly what happened. We were bought at a price. This is costly grace.
    As we continue our journey toward the cross, let us think about what God’s costly grace means in our lives. What is our response to this grace? What are you willing to do in response to God’s grace? Most of all, determine which grace you are living under…cheap grace or costly grace.

Prayer: Father God let me not take your gift of grace for granted. Help me to live out your grace in my daily life. Let other people see you in me through the way in which I live my life. Amen

    Are we there yet? How much longer is it going to take? How many times have you heard this from your children as you travel? Or maybe you even ask the question as you become tired of traveling. These are typical questions because taking a journey or trip can be tiresome. Sometimes taking a rest stop can be helpful in restoring the enthusiasm with which you started the trip. No matter how long it takes, we eventually reach our destination. We don’t give up because we know what lies ahead.
    In our Lenten journey, we are about half way through. We aren’t there yet, and we still have some traveling (or work) to do to get to our destination. Today, let’s take a rest stop and take some time to reflect upon where we have come. How is your quiet time with God coming along? (Now be honest with yourself.) Are you still struggling with finding time? Don’t worry; I continue to struggle with this. This is hard to do and over time it will get easier. The important thing is to not give up but keep on trying.
    Now, what have you seen and what are you experiencing on this spiritual journey? Remember God wants to reveal himself to you. Are you beginning to see Him just a little bit clearer? Remember, look for God in the small spaces and everyday places in your life. God is there and will continue to be there. Be open to finding Him. It may take some searching but God will be revealed. Again, don’t give up. Easter will soon be here; and we will celebrate the gift of life, love and grace that comes to us through Christ’s death and resurrection.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your love and your gift of life. Help me to continue to seek you and to know you. Help me not to give up as I encounter challenges in my life. Help me to remember that you are always near. Amen

Precious Lord, thank you for answered prayers in my life. Help me trust you with all of my life and come to depend upon you for all of my needs. Amen

Prayer: Gracious God thank you for your acts of grace. Thank you for not leaving me in my sinful state. Thank you for the life giving transformation that has occurred in my life. Help me to live out your plan for my life each day. Amen

Prayer: Gracious God, I know that there will be clouds in my life. Help me to not become discouraged as life changes in ways that I do not readily accept. Help me to keep my sight upon you and not become distracted by the changing shape of my life. Amen