PROSE 2

Where do we place God in our lives? Is he at the top of our priority list? Or is He even on that list? What does our list consist of today? Is it making sure we get that round of golf in before it rains? Or that we must get all our errands done on time, no matter what? Allow me to rephrase the original question, this time. Is God in our lives, at all? Do we make room for Him? Do we make time for Him? I know we have busy schedules and things we need to get accomplished, but we need to make time for God, also. God should be our top priority! That is done by first taking time out of our hectic day, to slow down and pause, and talk to our Heavenly Father. Silent time with Him, in prayer, will make a world of difference in our approach to the day ahead. That quality time, in silent reflection and meditation, will bring about a fresher perspective- --one that we can rely on to take us where He needs us to go.

Next, there has to be time spent in His word, each day. Reading the Bible will bring us more in tune with God. It elevates our perception of life and how we deal with it. The Bible teaches us how to love our neighbors, as ourselves, how to be grateful, how to deal with trials and temptation, but most of all; it teaches us that we must love God, first and foremost. To love God is to keep His Commandments and follow Jesus' teachings. Those are the most important aspects of putting God first. I, myself, know that I fall short, way short, on putting God first in my life. I will not be a hypocrite and say I always think of Him first. Some days, I don't even think of God at all. For someone who went through Emmaus, that doesn't speak very well of me, does it? I know I need to concentrate more on what God has for me to do in order to make sure that my life is in accordance with His will.... instead of what I think I need to do, myself.

God is our Father, our Creator. He is the Father of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave us life abundantly. He blesses us graciously. He loves us unconditionally. How can we not take time to praise His name and thank Him for all He does for us? He only wants to have a personal relationship with us. He desires that we come to Him in prayer and supplication, giving thanks and praising His name. God has given us all a mediator, if you will, in His son, Jesus. As Jesus said, in John- 14:6-- "No one comes to the Father, except through me". He also teaches in Matthew- 22:37, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." It has been said that in order to put God first in our lives, we must begin by putting Him first in our hearts.

In these current times, we come in contact with many distractions that keep our minds occupied with frivolous thoughts and desires that, at the end of the day, mean nothing. Be it television, sports, hobbies or just plain materialistic pursuits, we go about our days with little or no thought of our Heavenly Father. It seems that we are more interested in the creations rather than in the Creator. It is nice to have special pleasures and such, but we seem to allow them to take center stage and preoccupy most, if not all, of our time.

Have we got the makings to be Holy? Do we take the time to be Holy? Are we too impatient to wait on God and His answers to our prayers? Do we worship material things more than we worship God? These are questions that we all must face and answer honestly. Again, I fall short of the mark. I do thank God that He is a forgiving God, and a loving God. He knows our every weakness as well as our every strength. He is a patient God. He will wait for us to come back unto His fold.

  He will show us how to right our wrongs. That can be done through the guidance of His Son. For Jesus teaches us, that as Christians, we should be patient, humble and meek. We should also be zealous in good works. One way to put God first, in our lives, is to fully give, of ourselves, to Him and our fellow man in all that we do. To live God's word shows that we are placing Him first. Give your whole heart, and your mind and soul to God. He doesn't want a ‘lukewarm' follower.

Many people in the Bible put God first in their lives. Noah, Job, Abraham come to mind. Our Lord, through His Son Jesus, converted a persecutor named Saul (of Tarsus) and turned his life around on the road to Damascus. From being a hater of God to becoming a faithful Apostle, Paul grew to love God. Paul ultimately elevated God to be his highest priority. We too, as Christians, can turn our lives and our pursuits around to place God first in our lives.
Whether we choose to or not, God has given us the ability and the whereabouts to make choices. We know not when Jesus will come back again. It is in God's hands. Will we be ready? Will we choose to place God first in our lives in time? That will be a question that we can only answer ourselves. It's not a question to ponder on too long. It's a question to answer and act upon very quickly. We should not procrastinate. We must pray to God for guidance. He will show us the way and the answer. By trusting in Him, through Faith, He will lead us. He will not forsake us.

 We do not want to be left behind, do we? Let us confess with our tongues to others, that God is our life and our salvation. When we choose to put God first, everything else will fall into place. Let us give ourselves to God. He wants to give Himself to us.

       If you could interview God and ask Him just one question, what would it be? Would you ask Him:
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why do bad people keep having good things happen in their favor?
Why do people suffer so long before they die?
Why do little children die before they even have a chance to live a full life?
What is your will for my life?
       That last question is the one that I would ask. These are but a few of the types of questions that would be posed to God. They are all legitimate questions. If He were to respond to these, would we even be able to understand His answers? Do we need to really know the answers, or are we just being curious humans trying to be someone we could never be? That being God. If we did know the answers and knew as much as God knows, we wouldn't need God, would we? That's quite a sobering thought, isn't it?
        The most important thing we can do is just talk with Him everyday. He is waiting to hear from us. Tell Him what is on our hearts and minds. He already knows what we are going to say before we say it, but He wants to hear it anyway. As the Bible says, .."Ask and it shall be given unto you." If God feels that what you ask for is in His will, He will grant it, but only in His time. We need to trust in His will and wait on Him for the answer.
        Allow the Lord to work in your heart as you speak to His heart. He will work mightily in your life if you will just surrender your heart, soul and mind to His will. God will take care of you, through everyday, in every way.

          To deny God is to die with an unfulfilled spirit. To disavow the word of God is to seal one's fate to an afterlife which will be most unpleasant. Personally, when I think of what God does for me; I feel humbled, and at the same time, ashamed. I feel the humbleness of being loved unconditionally. I feel ashamed for the ways I do not always live by His word.
       As I pray for His forgiveness for my waywardness, I can be reassured that He will forgive me. I know that God will not forsake me. I know He will never leave my side. If anyone strays, it is I. He is ever faithful to His children. I am a child of God. He desires us all to be.
        For those who do not believe in His everlasting love and grace, I am disheartened. Slowly, this society has become more and more delinquent in their views of God. Their utter disrespect and chastisement for Him is such a tragic choice for them to make. Those who turn their backs on God miss out on all the blessings and goodness which He so richly provides.
         I am forever grateful that God has granted me the ability, with some talent, to write about His love for us on this web site. I feel honored and privileged, only by His grace; to do so. When I reflect on what God's son, Jesus Christ, endured on the cross for me and for you; I feel unworthy and undeserving of such a sacrificial act.       
         Though my thoughts, words and deeds are not always in accordance with His will, I know that if I submit myself to Him in prayer and repent, I will be forgiven. Those who do not believe in something (or someone) bigger than themselves are apt to become empty in their souls and hearts. Those who do search are at least open to the possibility that there is something out there more important than themselves. I hope and pray that those who do not believe will someday be drawn to a higher power that will bring happiness, security and contentment to their soul. 
        I am thankful that I do have God, and His son, to lean on and to pray to everyday. He is the source of my fulfilled spirit. Through Jesus, God grants us the strength to be all we need to be. Let us all be thankful for His everlasting grace and love. To God be the glory. AMEN.

             Within the covers of God's word, there are many countless stories of faith, healing and acts of unconditional love and sacrifice. Stories of truth prevail on every page. Proverbs of rational thought show us the way to live for God.
         The Psalms of praise uplift our hearts and souls. Through their lessons, the Parables point us toward the righteous life to which we are summoned.
        The Ten Commandments teach us the fundamental truths of God's word--to love Him and to love our fellow man.
       Jesus' Sermon on the Mount provides the hope and assurance of His Father's blessings. We shall never forget the 23rd Psalm, John 3:16, and the Golden Rule this blessed book has taught us.
        The stories of Jesus' birth and His death are but the foundation blocks of the New Testament, itself.
      Within the covers of God's word is the greatest story ever told: the story of the greatest man to ever live--Jesus Christ.
     While He is praised, loved and sought after now, it was not so during the time He lived. Being beaten, scourged, and crucified, Jesus still showed immense compassion, humbleness and love to everyone--even His captors.
   He is the Son of God. He is the way, the truth and the light. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Savior of all mankind. His life is the ultimate example our own lives should mirror. He is the source of healing. He is most merciful. He is forgiving. He is patient. He is kind.
     His life's teachings will live on throughout time's immortal existence. His spirit will outreach any man-made boarders. His love transcends all boundaries. Jesus is Love. He is Jesus. The more we read and learn about Him, the more we become aware of His awesome power and presence in our lives. Keep close the word of God. Read it each day. Cherish it always. Live it today, tomorrow and everyday, thereafter.
  Pass it on to those who do not know what truths abide "within the covers." AMEN.

            The Golden Rule was mentioned (indirectly) in two of the four Gospels. They were: Matthew 7:7-12 and Luke 6:27-31. We, as children, were taught to recite it, as well as learn it in Kindergarten. We've all heard the saying: everything you learned about getting along with others, you learned in Kindergarten. The same holds true for the practicing of the Golden Rule. What follows are just 12 examples of how we can interject these practices into our everyday life. Jesus told His disciples to "love your enemies". So, in order to follow His command we must first turn the other cheek and love them as we would like them to love us.
#1-DO unto others as you would have them to do unto you. This is the most basic of the 12 mentioned here. It is the Golden Rule itself- -plainly stated. If they harm you, treat them with kindness. It may be extremely hard to do this, but it is what Jesus commands us to do.
#2-THINK of others as you would have them to think of you. Try to envision, in your mind, the good qualities of your neighbor and not dwell on the negative aspects of their character. Think highly of them at all times.
#3-FEEL for others as you would want them to feel toward you. Try to empathize with them if they are experiencing hardships and trials. We would want the same empathy and concern if we were going through the same ordeals.
#4-PRAY for others as you would want them to pray for you. This is the most powerful of the 12 examples listed. Prayer can overcome everything. We should always keep our neighbor in our prayers....whether they are our friend or our enemy. We should pray even harder for our enemy. Prayer always has a way of changing their hearts.
#5-HOPE for others as you would like them to hope for you. Heart-felt hope for another human is a strong virtue to behold. When we hope the best for someone else, we silently send our best wishes for them and their situation(s) -whether they be good or bad. We would welcome that same hope in our lives, as well.
#6-LISTEN to others as you would like them to listen to you. We all need someone to listen to us when we have overpowering burdens in our lives. To listen silently is an act of compassion toward your neighbor. Listening intently shows more love than any advice ever given.
#7-SPEAK of others as you would want them to speak of you. One kind word is worth more than a thousand ordinary ones that do not lift the spirit of another. Even if others speak poorly of us, let us not return with words unkind. Instead, speak highly of them.
#8-CARE for others as you would want them to care for you. Compassion shown for another during their darkest trials shows them the love of Jesus in you. With our arms open, they will be assured that our hearts will encompass their sorrows without a word spoken. We would also welcome such care, ourselves.
#9-CRY for others as you would have them to weep for you if the circumstances warrant it. Jesus cries when we hurt. Why shouldn't we cry for someone else when they are hurting? Sympathy felt and shown toward our neighbor is a special, human bonding blessed by God.
#10-LAUGH with others as you would wish them to laugh with you. Just as Jesus cries when we do, He also laughs when we laugh. Sharing the joy with someone makes it a double blessing for all concerned. Laughing with them is the key--not laughing at them. Their is a big difference.
#11-SMILE at others as you would like them to smile back at you. It has been said that a smile warms the coldest heart. It is also your umbrella when it rains. A smile is an international gesture of goodwill. Brighten someone's day with a smile. It doesn't cost a thing and it is worth a million dollars to the recipient.
#12- SHARE with others as you would like others to share with you. This goes back to the Kindergarten analogy. We were taught to share our possessions with our friends way back then. It is no different when you are an adult. Sharing a smile, a laugh, a good cry, or even an incredible experience with someone else brings all involved into a closer relationship with each other and with our Heavenly Father.
     By following God's teachings, we will grow closer to Him. If we can learn to love our enemies and hopefully win them over with kind words, thoughts and deeds, it will become a much more pleasant world in which to live. The Golden Rule........a rule we should live.

      As our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ hung between two thieves on the cross at Calvary, He expressed love and forgiveness for all who were crucifying Him. Living out His Father's will by dying that way, He was fulfilling a prophecy. The two thieves who were hanging there beside Him were named: Dismas and Gestas. Both ridiculed Jesus at the beginning asking Him why doesn't He free Himself, and them, from the crosses if He was the Messiah.
     Dismas was hanging on Jesus's right side and Gestas was on the left. After awhile, Dismas began to sense Jesus's utter pain and at the same time, noticed a forgiving spirit showing in His face. Something in Jesus's mannerisms worked in the heart of Dismas. He told Jesus to ..remember me when you come into your kingdom.       
        Instantly, with love and compassion, Jesus turns to him and says, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
         Dismas was the only human to be ‘canonized'- -meaning that he was promised eternity in heaven by Jesus, Himself. (If you ever notice in the paintings of the crucifixion, Jesus's head is always turned to the right- - favoring Dismas.)As you can tell, Dismas was the good thief, so to speak, while Gestas (which in Greek means Justice) did not soften his heart and follow Jesus.
      The two thieves were a prophecy that had to be fulfilled. This shows us that we all have a choice to make -whether we choose to follow God's will for our lives, or turn away and suffer mightily for it in eternity. It has been written that ‘Man can choose his sin, but he can not choose his consequences.'
       In the case of the two thieves, they both chose to steal. They did not get to choose their punishment. Our Savior was sinless, yet He was subjected to much more than a thief's punishment. With grace and love, He endured it all. He paid it all! For us, it is never too late to turn and repent of our sins and ask Jesus to forgive us and believe, by faith, in Him. Dismas did just that.
       Are we going to be like Dismas? Our God is a forgiving and loving God. Let us all draw closer to Him before it is too late.

       Have you ever wondered where the ‘Peace Symbol', first seen during the 60's and even still seen even today, first came about? It was first designed in 1958 by an artist named Gerald Holtom in the UK for the Campaign on Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The symbol is a circle with a straight, vertical line. From that vertical line, there are two extended lines near the bottom. It makes for a simple, but effective emblem for peace.
        This symbol first appeared in public on Easter Sunday, in 1958, at a peace rally in the UK. Since the ‘60's, it has been recreated on T- shirts, medallions, rings, posters, etc. I, myself, look at the symbol a little differently. I look at it in the context of the peace that our Savior, Jesus Christ delivers to us through our faith in Him. He is the answer to our inner peace.
As the bumper sticker states: NO JESUS, NO PEACE. KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE.
   This pure and true sentiment evokes a reaction from everyone who has ever read it. (What a common-sense statement!), for Jesus is known as the "Prince of Peace". In Matthew 5:9-it states: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."
   Jesus tells His Apostles in Luke 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you." Many other Bible references speak of Jesus's peace to His fellow man.
        I will now explain what I meant by how I see the symbol differently: Envision the symbol as you know it. Turn the symbol 180 degrees. You see the extended lines near the top now. Imagine the circle itself is removed and all that is left is the vertical line with the two 45 degree angle extended lines. Now, imagine the extended lines lowered 45 more degrees. They are now perpendicular to the vertical line at 90 degrees.
      I now see the symbol of the cross in front of my eyes. This is how I see the concept of Jesus equaling peace (as well as love). The sacrificial love that He displayed on the cross brings us the inner peace we need in our lives. I pray we will all be more cognizant of the peace symbol when we see it from now on.
    Know that it also means that Jesus's peace, through His crucifixion, is offered to us every day. When we believe, we receive.
AMEN.