I was reading this morning a devotion on communion. The author stated that it was Christ's supper and he has invited us to eat with him, because of him. He sacrificed everything for us. What have you sacrificed? I know that I have and will never give enough of myself to deserve his love. But he gives it to me anyway.

Can any of us understand that kind of love and devotion? I think very few of us understand. I know I will never understand. Soldiers understand, but even that is hard to fathom. In the Old Testament, the Israelites sacrificed animals. God sacrificed his son. Can you do that? I know I can't. I know God understands that and he wants my devotion to him in return. Being human, that is hard enough, but I am trying.

Genesis 22:2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Hebrews 10:10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Which is Better?

If I could give credit for this I would. Mom sent me this the other day and I thought it was just wonderful. Have a great day.

Cell phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go...hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don ' t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think, where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Trust in the Lord and *ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

Can You Forgive Me?

Forgiveness is a big word. It is even a bigger action. When someone does something that goes against what you believe, what you told them you wanted, or what is acceptable, you are upset. You want to tear them apart, cry, scream, just somehow make it so the other person is miserable and understands how upset you are. It is okay to feel hurt. But to tear them down just to make yourself feel better is not really good. Do we not realize that though we are hurting, so are they?

They came to you and confessed their wrong-doing. They feel the shame and the hurt they put on you. It is so hard for anyone to admit they did something against someone else. None of us want to hear confessions like that. Non of us want to confess our sins. But that is what we have to do. We have to tell our secret and not-so-secret sins to someone. Why not start with God? He is the keeper of our hearts and knows when we are grieved and sorrowful.

The upside to all of this is when you forgive, (and I mean really forgive) and when you are forgiven, your attitude and outlook on the whole situation changes. Your heart is freer and you feel loved. God wants that from you. He wants you to confess what is in your heart and he wants you to forgive. He wants you to be forgiven most of all. Will you confess today what is keeping you from feeling joyful?

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

Romans 14:11 It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Getting Through the Day

In our lives, prayer changes everything. Ask my dad, or Sharon Witt or Gerald Collins. We as a collective group have prayed for many in our congregation and many who aren't apart of our family and all of them can attest to the power of prayer. What do you want us to pray for? Right now there is the H1N1 scare.

Young Bailey has H1N1, a friend of Kim Baker, Molly Knott has two children with it, Sarah Lord took the call about the little boy in Springboro who passed away from it. Many in our midst are hurting and scared of this flu. Prayer is the answer. It sounds like a silly thing, but when I pray, I feel calmer. I know that God is listening and that he loves me enough to deal with it for me.

Years ago, my dad took a group and asked them to write down a prayer request. He told them he would keep them until they had been answered. It took several years, but each person came to him and told them that they had been answered. Faith is the key to that.

Talking to God through the day helps me deal with the small things that come along. How do others get through their day without knowing that no matter what, someone is watching out for them and has control over the universe? Whether it is doing a job correctly, dealing with an illness or something that we think is so big we can't handle, God has it already worked out. I am just along for the ride, aren't you? So tell me what you think we should prayer for. God will listen to all of it.

Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

What a Difference A Year Makes

Last night, the Monroe Junior High and High Schools had a combined band concert. The 7th grade, 8th grade, and high school concert bands all played 3 to 4 songs each. It is amazing how going from elementary band where they meet just a couple of times a week to now meeting every day as a class. In fifth and sixth grade, the students are still getting a feel for their instruments, how to play them and read music. In seventh grade, they start really playing songs that make sense and we know.

The seventh grade played Linus and Lucy from the comic strip and tv specials Peanuts. I recognized it! The eighth grade play harder and songs that were a bit longer. The high school band, well they are really good. They only played three songs, but they were harder and much longer. It has only been 2 months since they kids started school, but I think their practicing everyday is paying off.

That is the same with our Christianity. If you only practice it on Sundays and Wednesdays, then how are you going to get any better at it? You have to keep at it everyday, all the time. Be Christ-like in all you say and do. It is not easy and I am no expert at it. But keeping in The Word, praying, being accountable and having fellowship with your Christian brothers and sisters is a big help. For God chose each of you and you chose him.

1 Peter 2:9 - 10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Have you ever felt hopeless? I mean that even though you know what you are doing is for the best and what God wants, people are not going to be happy? Why do we feel guilty if we know that what we are doing is in God's plan? Because we do not want to see our family and friends unhappy. We want them to be always happy and love us, but that doesn't seem to be the way of humans.

We are very complex people. Some of us try to make everyone happy all the time, which is impossible. Some of us seem to want to make everyone upset and mad. That seems to be easy to, doesn't? Life isn't about how fair things are. If it was, we all would be on the same level in every aspect. But we are not. Some of us are lucky in love, some of us are lucky in money. Some of us are bad at money and some of us are bad at friendships. That is what we have each other for. To help each of us through the good and the bad times. To help us celebrate the love we have for God and each other as well as wallow in our self-pity and share our sorrows.

I know God wants us to rest on each other and depend on him. To do that you have to share your thoughts and your lives with each other. Fellowship is the best way to do that. Join in when things happen at church. Join a small Bible Study group. Become a part of choir or help with the youth. Be around others that are like-minded in Christ.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Last night at choir practice, we sang "Oh yes, oh yes, I'm a child of the King. His royal blood now flows in my veins." I love that song. I love that fact that I have been accepted as an adopted child of God and that he loves me more than anything. As a child, I am still learning all the things that God expects of me. As an adult, I am still learning what it means to be a Christian. I praise God that I am a child of the King.

1 King 3:7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties."

I am like Solomon. I am still learning. I will always be learning. So be patient with me.