A Long Winter

I don't know about you, but it really seems to me that this particular winter has been quite difficult for me and many people that I know well. Several cancer diagnoses and other health related issues, tragic deaths and accidents, harsh weather, work-related stress, relationship conflicts, and more. Why is this?

Only God truly knows... but this is what I believe.

God is trying to get our attention. Believers, he wants us to pray, He wants us to grow closer to Him and learn to trust Him in new and deeper ways. He wants us to learn to be more humble and to rely on Him.

He wants our focus to be on Him and the true priorities in life. He also wants us to be thankful for the blessings that He gives us, the gifts we take for granted because we focus too much on the negative--(which I often do) such as those I have lost or might lose to sickness and tragedy, and my own personal stresses and health issues.

What can I be thankful for today? A job, food, shelter, family, friends, a pet, the beautiful world I live in. The sure hope of spring., provided by a reliable and loving God.


Friends and family,

God is not who we decide He is. Truth is not the bits and pieces of the Bible we like. There is only one way to God, through His Son Jesus Christ, who came to earth as God in the flesh to save us from the penalty of our sins. This beautiful word we live in, as well as the existence of our personal consciences, testify to this truth. They are not the result of some bang or explosion.

We must not ignore the obvious.

Are you certain about your eternal life after death? Have you put your life in the hands of the true God? Do you know who He is? Will you read God's Word, the Bible, in order to find out?

I have had my fair share of hard times, sickness, sadness, crisis, and pain, especially in the past few years, but God has been there for me, all of my life, giving me comfort, strength and wisdom because I am His child.

He can do this for you, too. I beg you to consider your life and how God might be trying to get your attention this winter.

This is not about religion or going to church more often. These things will not save you. They might make you "feel" more holy. But this feeling is deceptive. We can not earn God's approval or get to heaven on our own efforts, all of us has missed the mark completely.

This is about a real relationship with the living God through the death and resurrection of His Son. This requires a repentance and obedience on your part.

God will give you His forgiveness and a submissive heart if you ask Him.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers. You are precious to me.