What If....

what if women stopped having abortions
what if the government outlawed abortions 
but, what if women knew they were unconditionally loved

what if people weren't condemned for their sexual preference
what if the government outlawed gay marriage 
but, what if male and female alike knew they had eternal worth

what if the war was finally over
what if the president brought the troops home
but, what if the prince of peace ruled in people's hearts so peace could rule in the land

what if our economy was finally stable
what if our government had a balanced budget
but, what if we paid back the debts in our own pockets first

what if the president could fix sin
what if the government could change injustice
but, what if the church knew who she was and stood up to the plate

You cannot have peace without the Peace-giver, you cannot end abortion without the extravagant love of God, you cannot define marriage without the Author of family, and you cannot do any of these things without the operating body of Christ. It's the responsibility of the Church to spread righteousness, and the duty of the government to allow us to do so.

Good Vs. Evil

       Have you ever asked the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Or maybe you have thought, “If God is so loving then why is there poverty in the world, or why did I get abused as a child, and where is this loving God while my mother is dying from cancer?”

        The enemy has done an excellent job of pulling people away from the loving God, simply by convincing mankind that the pain they are experiencing is the result of a cruel and arrogant dictator lurking down from heaven. 
        
        When I refer to the “enemy” I am referring to the one who is actually cruel, arrogant, evil, and a liar since the beginning of time. There is absolutely no truth to be found in the devil and yet somehow humanity has blamed God unjustly for their pain because they have believed a lie.

        In this life, there are so many things against us. The world is full of deceptions, sicknesses, evil vises, and sufferings of many kinds.  You can even be your own greatest enemy.  So when I think of all these life antagonists and daily oppositions, I become overwhelmed.  It is almost as if several different weights are pulling us down.  A weight named fear, one entitled depression, or cancer, divorce, or even consequences of sin.  The weights that pull us down on a daily basis have a broader name called evil.

        Evil produces suffering. Evil is defined as “deliberately causing great harm, pain, or upset.” Suffering always requires comfort, and comfort is found at its best in compassion.   The very first time God reveals himself in scripture it is written, “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:5-7

       
       As these weights pull us down to discourage and disappoint us, but there is one who is the lifter of our heads. “³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”(Psalm 3:3)The Lord is famous for his goodness. He is the author of everything that is good. If you have ever experienced a presence carrying you through your trial, situation, or disaster it was He, the only good God. And He waits to reveal of his goodness to you.

       This world was created by God but He delegated it to us to keep up with the maintenance and production. Have you ever given your son or daughter a chore to complete? This chore becomes their duty and responsibility. But duty and responsibility are not enough to execute tasks. Will power must be the driving force to be a good steward of what has been delegated to you. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve did not exemplify mindful and correct will power, when their Dad asked them to govern the Earth.  (Gen. 1)

      
       Evil was never created. Evil is perverted goodness. Evil is what developed from humanity messing with goodness.  It has nothing to do with God, and has everything to do with us.  After God delegated creation with all of its goodness to Adam and Eve, the very next thing they did was hand it off to Satan. And because Satan can’t create anything, he is perverting anything in this life that is good, into something that can be used to cause us to suffer.

     
      When bad things happen to us, we have to remember that everything God intended for our lives was for our good.  And through Him we will not be overcome by evil, but will overcome evil with good!

Top 10 Things You Learn only while ENGAGED

1. You will be surprised by the number of old friends who come back into your life. People who haven't seen you in years will want to start hanging out again as soon as they find out you're getting married. It's cool, but weird.

2. People are going to get their feelings hurt, regardless of what you do or say. Some of those people will be your family members.

3. Regardless of your relationship with your parents, and your fiance's parents, they will react in some way to the news. Adjust to their reactions in love because you CANNOT predict those reactions no matter how close you are to them.

4. Weddings bring out the worst in some people. It's strange. I guess some people have a hard time with change. This will include yourself at times. You cannot take everything personally.

5. Wedding dress shopping can be as simple as you make it. Maybe go into the process with the idea "today, I will try to discover my dream dress."  Let the dress pick you.

6. You can grow together and with God A LOT even during a short engagement. The more you pray together and share any fears or anxieties you have about marriage, will help tremendously when you get married.

7. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate......for your wedding.......and don't feel guilty for doing so. Your friends want to help.

8. Hiring a wedding photographer with the right personality is just as important as a photographer with the right skill. I highly recommend Kelly Alexander Photography.

9. Talk about your wedding night together. In fact, talk about sex and your thoughts on it as much you want while engaged. Believe it or not, talking about it will help you to not be tempted as much during the engagement. I highly recommend the book, Sheet Music.

10. Everything but your relationship with God, your fiance, career, and wedding planning will need to be on pause during this crazy season. Your hobbies, friends, and extra curricular will be there after you get married. This is the only time in your life to do this. You'll have to put first things first or it will be very difficult. You can do it! Have fun!

My Recent Dream of Heaven

   A few nights before Christmas, I had a very remarkable dream. I don't usually experience spiritual dreams, although it's hard to know what is "spiritual" and what is not, this dream was definitely a spiritual encounter and one that I would deam worthy to share with others. I hope this dream will spark your heart to see eternity to be something that we can have a glimps of here on earth, as long as the Holy Spirit is indwelling in your heart and mind. This was my dream of heaven.

  "There I was, standing on a beach with several unknown but familiar faces. Everyone was silent but there was a deep sense that no one was entirely certain of our whereabouts. It was as if we had all appeared at the same time. There was no coming and going, or running along the shore line. We were just, there. Quiet. Waiting. Listening to the rhythms of the ebbing and flowing of the ocean waves. Suddenly, we went from standing on the shore line to the foyer of a beautiful mansion. It was the same group of people. This time there was a guide with us. The feeling was not of excitement or curiosity, as one would have on a vacation, but a feeling of stillness. The guide seemed different, not human like us. He walked in confidence and authority from deep within. We could tell that this guide had escorted several groups through this place and he knew why we were there. In this mansion, there were many rooms and the hallways were tall and wide. A light would appear from the end of each hallway. No one asked questions, even though we were unsure of why or how we came to be in this extravagant mansion. A word was never spoken until the guide began to break us up into smaller groups. I was in group two, and somehow, I knew that already. He called group two forward and pointed at me saying, "lead the way, you will know where to go." He spoke with a resounding tone. With his direction I mustered up the confidence to lead my group down, what seemed like, a never ending hallway.

   As I walked through the mansion, the floor would slope downward and turn to the left and then slope back upward and turn to the right. This house had tall ceilings and sometimes felt more like a church with it's long hallways and many rooms. There was a time when I had the option to turn left and go down a separate hallway in the house but I knew I was to lead my group forward and not turn in that direction. All was quiet in the mansion. We did not hear any voices or sounds. Suddenly we entered a reception hall. There were many empty tables of all sizes and shapes. There was even a fireplace and couches in the distance. It looked very modern and comfortable. We were hoping that maybe another tour guide was there waiting for us, but no. The first thing I thought when I entered the reception hall was "I have been here before, but I don't know or when." As group 2 followed me into the reception hall, they finally began to ask questions. They huddled up together to brainstorm what to do, and where to go from there. As they were discussing with each other, I noticed that to the left of this room with tables was a banquet hall. In fact, it was connected to the room we were standing in and there was a clear glass wall connecting the banquet hall to the reception area with the tables. I turned to my group and said "I think there is food prepared for us in the room next to us!" Through the glass wall we were able to see the tables displayed with many food entrees and hot dishes. Somehow we knew that this food had been prepared specifically for us.

  We decided not to wait for someone to come to tell us to partake of the dinner that was set before us. I led the way into the banquet hall to start the line for this remarkable feast. As my group began walking in the direction of the food  we were alarmed and startled. We had to maneuver ourselves through the tables in order to reach the door entry to the room with the food. But as we did so, people from out of nowhere appeared sparatically at the empty tables. Some were alone at a table and some were in small groups of two or three. But all of them had 2 things in common. Each person who magically appeared was eating a full meal at a table, the other thing they all had in common is that no one who appeared could see any of us from group two. We could see them clear as day, but they could not see us nor each other unless they were in a small group. I tried to make eye contact with a girl who was eating alone at a table but she could not see me. The people who appeared out of no where were all very content with their meals. They were quietly eating, filling themselves with nourishment and energy. How did these people who appeared at the empty tables come to be? They didn't have to go get their food or wait in line like us. And why couldn't they see us?

  As these questions filled my mind and heart a female angel appeared before me. She was serving the humans who magically appeared, and making sure that they were okay. I looked into her eyes and fell to the ground weeping. I finally knew where I was. I was in heaven. Everyone in my group was dead and we were in heaven about to feast at the Lord's supper. But, the humans who had mysteriously appeared simultaneously, were humans who were currently on earth and not dead. They appeared in heaven for just a moment to eat the Word of God. That is why they could not see us, they were not dead yet. As they were entering into their quiet times on earth with their Bibles, their spirits were joining us to eat in heaven. The ones who were alone at their table, were alone on earth reading the Word. The ones who appeared in small groups were in small groups on earth, joining together to seek after God. Although they could not see us, they were there, if only for a moment. That is why when we first entered the room with tables, I knew I had been there before. Once, I used to be alive on earth, having a quiet times, but really in those moments with God on earth, my spirit was in heaven eating with the saints of old.