Ka-Ching!

I can be the Queen of De-Nial. Case in point are the gas prices. Instead of filling up, I used to plunk down 20 bucks at a time (now increased to 35) because it didn't seem to be "as bad" as it really was. Well, today I decided to bite the bullet. It was time to face things head on!

I heard myself say (through clinched teeth), "Fill'r up with regular, please." The gas station attendant looked at me with what I thought was controlled horror. I quickly looked away and applied some lipstick while peering in my driver's side makeup mirror. As long as I didn't look nor pay close attention I figured it wouldn't be so bad...right?

Wrong! I nearly fainted when he annouced, "$68.53 ma'am." He must've seen the color drain from my face because he pointed to the gallons used as if to defend himself. I was speechless. Now, I know it probably seems silly and a bit naive but honestly, putting in a few dollars here and there really truly did seem to add up to less. Ok, in my world it did.

That got me to wondering how often we pull the switcheroo in our lives to fool ourselves into thinking something isn't quite as bad as it is? Even worse, how often we refuse to fill up our emotional and spiritual "tanks" on a regular basis because we might have to pay up.

To be a Christian means we are supposed to spread the good news. Not only on Sundays, not only to each other---but to everyone, everywhere, all the time no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. But to successfully serve the Lord we must also work on our own walk--all the time. That means reading, studying, joining ministries, belonging to groups and committing ourselves to getting a full tank of spiritual gas.

Yea, it's a lot easier on us if we just put in little chunks of spiritual gas, like just going to church on Sundays and then not doing much for the Lord for the rest of the week. Wait, you say, I did my bit for workship! I came, I listened and did my duty what more do you want from me? Well, my brother and sister, you received about a 1/4 tank or so of Holy Fire. There is so much more to being a Christian than just going to church!

But, you have to first ask yourself: do you want a full tank of Jesus or 1/2? Are you willing to pay the full price or do you just want to spend some change on Him? It's your soul, your salvation. Still, you have to ask yourself what the cost will be if you don't pay the full price and fill yourself up?

C'mon don't you want more? What will you ask for the next time you pull up at the well? Will you say, "Fill me up, Lord?" Or will you drive away with a half full tank?

My Soul

Today is Good Friday. It is the story of the ultimate act of love by our Savior.

On this day Jesus gave his life,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day his flesh was ripped open and he was beaten beyond imagination,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day his blood rained down upon the earth,

for my soul, for my soul.

On this day nails were driven into his hands and feet,

for my soul for my soul.

On this day Our Lord offered us salvation through death,

for my soul, my soul.

And, on the third day he rose again,

for my soul, for my soul!

**picture taken at church in Somerset County, New Jersey 2007

Thought for the Day

There is a song on the radio right now that sings, "in the end it's not about what you did, it's not about what you had, it's how you lived." I think that goes along with what the bible says about not earning your way into heaven with good works/deeds. Some people think they can buy their way into God's grace but nothing opens those pearly gates like the way you conducted your life. Now, none of us are perfect. Some of us come to God late in life, broken and so full of history that we might wonder how God could ever love us---but He does! The first time you ask for forgiveness it is given. You don't have beg for it or keep asking repeatedly for it, it's given the first moment you ask.
We know that but do we believe that? Or do we hold onto our guilt, thinking on some subsconscious level we are unlovable? If we do, we may indeed try to earn our way into heaven. If we still don't understand what Calvary was all about we may try to buy our way there. None of that will work of course. In the end we will be judged by our hearts and how we lived our short lives on earth no matter when our salvation began. Whether we were saved at 5, 20, 35, 50 or 70 our living the Word begins the day we asked Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior.
So, each day let's go about our lives, living them each moment as if it may be our last and all the while basking in God's love for us.