I wrote this blog on purpose!

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Rom 8: 38  

Let's assume, if we may, that you who are reading this little blog have reached the
point of realizing that apart from the guidance, grace and love of God, our lives
really are purposeless. Part of worldly-centered purposes is the problem that such
purposes are both un-fulfilling and temporary. 

That raise at work, that promotion, the bigger house, faster car, bank balance, even
that family that we love, will someday be cast apart by marriages and eventual death. 
The things of this world that we sometimes strive for will not pass the test of time. We,
also, can have all or most of these things and be left, at the end of the day, with hearts
and souls that are incomplete... missing something.

So, that being said, what are our purposes?

Enjoyment of God's creation....   We have been born into a world created by God, a
world that He called Good. Despite the emergence of sin and the fact that the world remains
broken, it is a beautiful place with many things to enjoy. The blessings we enjoy are 
plentiful: places of beauty to visit, a world full of plants and animals that amaze, a
family structure also created by God that permits us to enjoy and value loved ones
and friends, the list goes on. 

Bringing glory to God...  In appreciation for these blessings and especially for the
grace of salvation given to us by a loving God, we are here to glorify God by our
actions, words and deeds. He is an integral part of  our lives, drawing enjoyment
from our dependence upon Him, our prayerful communications with Him and our
journey toward being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. He is totally worthy
of our constant efforts to glorify Him and love Him.

Causing a ripple....  We are here to love each other as commanded by Jesus. We,
through the way we treat those around us, can create a ripple effect that can
lead those who are lost toward redemption. Little things, that some might see as
insignificant, might bring light into lives as we shine the love of God in our walk.
Bringing a lost soul to God represents an event that could lead on to unknown
benefits of an exponential nature,

So live life fully. You have a purpose in the days that you live. You definitely can make
a difference..an eternal one!

Lord, wake US up!

"Wake Me Up"  Josh Wilson

Where have I been all my life?
What have I done with my time?
What ever happened to me?
How long have I been asleep?

Wake, wake me up, wake me up,
Wake me up inside.
Light up my heart with a spark
From Your burning light.
God please just wake me up

I wanna rise from the dead
And feel this heart beat again
Don't wanna waste one more day
Lord do whatever it takes

A good Christian friend brought this song to my attention over the holidays, and I am

blessed to have heard it. 

Disclaimer: This is one that will stick in your head, big time!

What made this all the more meaningful, is that it speaks to my life story; years of being

without any real knowledge of Jesus, the gospel, the Bible and God. When I realize that

sixty years of my life went by before a combination of God's grace reaching out to me and

my daughter taking me to a house church in Oxford,Ohio brought me to the knowledge

of the light of Jesus, it is frightening. I was truly ignorant; the kind of ignorance that can

lead to eternal existence away from the God of this universe. 

So I have a prayer that I would offer in the name and to the glory of what Jesus does

for those he has reached out to. I humbly pray that it would be in the will of God to

reach out to anyone reading this blog who has not taken to his knees and asked

Jesus to be his Lord and bring them into the family of those who love Jesus as their 

Lord and savior. Wake them up, God. bring them, I pray, to the peace and grace

that can only come when they become part of the shepherd's flock.

Wake us up, please precious Jesus!