Finish Strong!

My sweet bug-loving girl!

Every day before Ellie heads off to the bus, we pray. Some days, I offer instructional prayers, like "God, please help Ellie remember to talk only when it's her turn and not to take more than she should from the reward jar." Sometimes, I pray more for her teacher -- especially as the year comes to a close and the kids care more about summer than math!

Lately, though, my prayers have ended with, "Help Ellie finish strong." We've been talking about that a lot -- the school year isn't done till it's done, so finish strong! Your room is almost clean, so don't give up and finish strong. Math homework IS hard, but keep a good attitude and finish strong. She knows that "finish strong" means give your best right up to the end!

Her dance recital is this Saturday, which means two extra practices. Instead of dance only on Tuesday, we added Wednesday and Thursday too. That's a lot of hard work for my seven year old.

As I tucked her into bed last night, her long week drawing to a close, Ellie spoke softly, "Thanks for praying for me to finish strong, Mommy. God answered that prayer today." Melt. My. Heart!

Thanks for praying. Of course!

Baby girl, I have prayed for you since before I knew you. I will continue to pray all the days of my life. I love you. More than that I rejoice that you are discovering how very much your eternal Father in heaven loves you!

Jesus loves the little children,

all the children of the world,

Red and yellow, black and white,

they are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children

of the world!

In Your Freedom I Will Live...

I went to lunch with a friend yesterday -- such a treat! We got on the topic of God's will for our lives. Yes, heavy conversation for lunch. Today, I cherish the freedom of that lunch.

Here in the United States, we are free to discuss topics of faith (we didn't "talk religion," we shared our faith journeys). I know that such conversation is not permitted in my daughter's home country of China. I remember Easter Sunday there, many years ago, when I freely walked into an international church to worship my risen Savior while our chaperones, Chinese, could not. My U.S. passport was my ticket in. They didn't have one. Hundreds of others were there, from nations across the world. The joyous sound of Easter greetings in various accents, Jamaican, South African, Swedish, and more, was simply glorious.

Yet, I am certain that the lack of Chinese voices in that crowd must have broken God's heart. I could go on with this post to share the importance of international missions, but God showed me something else. More personal.

God doesn't just give us the freedom to worship Him because we live in the United States (or other free nations... right, my Aussie friends?). He gives us the freedom to worship Him because He is not a dictator God. He is a jealous God -- and it breaks His heart when we worship football, children, food, clothes or work more than Him -- but He never forces us to choose Him. Never. He waits. With infinite, Godly patience until we make that choice.

As I get older, I realize that I make two big decisions as a Christian. The first is salvation. You can read verses on salvation here if you aren't sure what I mean. The second, I think a lot of us miss this one, is what we do after we are saved.

It's our choice: accept the gift of salvation and move on with our regularly scheduled lives. The end. Some people do that -- they took the gift, maybe they got excited about it for a while, and then this life drew them back: football, kids, clothes and work. That gift sits on a shelf, unused.

At some point, though, some of us actually decide to apply the gift of salvation. We choose to grow up as Christians and seek God's will for our lives. We're not perfect -- only Jesus is perfect. But, God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit's guidance at our salvation. Appreciating that gift, we learn to listen to the Spirit. Our hearts yearn for others to receive the gift of forgiveness and freedom that we treasure in our hearts.

Through my life, I have made many, many mistakes. Sometimes, I ignore the Holy Spirit's prompting -- blatantly choosing to give in to my emotions and feelings. Sometimes, perhaps because I haven't learned to listen to the quietest whisper yet, I don't hear the Spirit call. I blunder into bad choices that lead me to ask God to rescue me. Sometimes, the devil gets to me, tempting me when I'm weak. Ohhhhh how I regret those decisions. Sometimes, I do actually get it right. I hear God's call and follow His will. In those moments, I am blessed because I chose Him. And freely He gave.

May God's Holy Spirit fill in the gaps in this post so that it touches your heart with His Incredible Love,
In Christ,

Touched by your response

Dearest friends,
Thank you for allowing me to share from the deepest part of my heart yesterday. New friends, I used to be a criminal prosecutor doing what I could to help domestic violence victims (and their abusers) break free from that cycle. As the lady in yesterday's post shows, though, not all the women were able to see beyond their circumstances. I couldn't convince this one that filing charges could be the beginning of a new life for her. She felt that she deserved her beatings.

Can you imagine being trapped by your own mind like that?

Yet we all do it, to one degree or another. Some of us work 60 hours or more each week, convinced that "just a few more hours" will make the difference and get us the promotion or the prestige we crave. Some of us spend every last penny -- and even pennies we don't have -- on designer clothes. Outwardly, we look great. Inside, we're worrying ourselves to death over bills. I bet we all know at least one someone who has lost their McMansion in this economy. We wear the disguise of prosperity, though our finances are a wreck.... and our lives are quickly following.

Some of us pursue love in all the wrong ways, jumping from one relationship to the next, certain that "this time" we will have that fairy tale life we dream of. We don't stop chasing love long enough to realize that we don't really accept who we are. How could someone else fill the holes we have knocked in our own hearts?

Some chase looks, appearances and fitness like a drug.

We all have our weakness. The difference, for some, is that we understand weakness like Paul did. In 2 Corinthians 12:10 he wrote, "...for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."We understand that when we face hardship, God wants to battle with us. For us.

We are all weak. With Christ, we become strong.

Friends, this year -- as we all focus on the fresh start before us -- let's make a difference. How about:

• becoming the Samaritan for a homeless person? Instead of averting our eyes, let's bring them dinner (or if they hang out on a corner near a restaurant, invite them to join you for dinner. Your treat.)
• investing in the future? Most every homeless person, abuse victim and drunk has a family somewhere. They may have lost contact years ago... and the child is left with a hole in their heart. We can volunteer at Big Brothers/Big Sisters or other community agencies, read with kids, become a mentor... whatever. Let's start filling rejected hearts with love and value.
• invest in the kingdom? What does your church do? Where is your church's mission field? Get involved. Put your resources, your time, your prayer and your heart into reaching out to others.

I truly believe that if the church stood as one, we could eliminate a lot of the tragedy in our cities, our nation and this world. God is hope... but if they never get a chance to learn about him, they remain hopeless. 

With prayers for a nation filled with real love!

"I forgot to take the dog out."

Prosecutor's Office, 1993

The receptionist handed me the complaint form, her eyes reflected a knowing sadness. I scanned the form for the description of the incident: "I forgot to take the dog out and he hit me in the head." Processing that information quickly, I was certain I wouldn't be able to help, without a visible, documented injury there'd be insufficient evidence to "prove" abuse in the criminal courtroom.

Wearily, I opened the lobby door, preparing for the expected argument, one I'd had so many times before: "But he hit me." My reply, "I understand and I believe you, but I need to be able to prove that."

I called out her name and watched as a woman in the far corner stood up. Scanning her face, I saw no bruises, no black eye or swollen jaw. These cases were always the toughest. As she approached, I finally really saw: her head was covered with dozens and dozens of red holes. She had puncture wounds on every inch of her scalp. I wanted to throw up. I should have prayed.

She settled in the chair across from my desk. I asked the easy questions first: confirming name and address, asking how long she and "he" had lived together. I avoided eye contact, not trusting my face to hide my shock at her appearance. Finally, I asked her what happened. She replied simply, "I forgot to take the dog out and he hit me in the head." With some prodding, she filled in the details. She got home from work, and it was raining. She should have taken the dog out right away, but couldn't find an umbrella. The dog peed and pooped on the floor. Before she could clean the mess, "he" got home. He berated her for being so mean to the dog and proceeded to "teach her" how it feels to be a dog. He used the steel bristled grill brush and beat her in the head. The whole time he screamed at her never to treat a dog like that again.

We reviewed her statement to make sure I had recorded everything accurately. Then I asked if she was ready to press charges. Shocked, she screamed at me, "NO. I deserved it." She simply wanted me to ask him not to use the grill brush the next time, but to use a belt or stick instead. Nothing I said could change her mind. I never saw her again. To this day, I pray for her.

Today

For the most part, I blog about the joy that comes to us when we have a relationship with Jesus. Most of you -- my readers and friends -- know that joy, at least on some level. You know that God loves you. You know that you are special. Even when we, our own worst critics, berate ourselves for bad choices, we know that Jesus is our redeemer.

I blog about reaching out and making a difference, through volunteering at shelters and food banks, by giving offerings and blessing others. I challenge you -- and myself -- to offer a smile to the grocery store clerk, give a bigger tip at the restaurant, and acknowledge the homeless man. Mommies, I share your struggles to show love when you want to scream at the kids, to provide healthy meals and to teach your kids to love Jesus.

Today...

I want to challenge you to go further. You see, the real world is a dark, mean, hateful place. The real world is filled with women like the one I met at the prosecutor's office. The real world iincludes people whose only purpose is to hurt others, not just in domestic violence, but by rape, murder, drunkenness, DUI, and emotional abuse. I could go on.

We can ignore the pain, refusing to watch the news or read the paper. We can turn our eyes away from the homeless man, pretending that he doesn't really suffer. We can rationalize that our kids' schools are happy places and that all the children have wonderful homes like ours. But we delude ourselves.

Jesus

Jesus came for them. Yes, He came for us too... but if we accept his love and refuse to reach out, who will love them? If we hold him close and pretend they don't exist, how will he reach them? If we keep Jesus for ourselves, are we any better than the abuser? the drunk? the murderer?

Jesus said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices -- mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law -- justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former." (Matthew 23:23)

Friends, where is justice, mercy and faithfulness? Where is our love? What should we do?

"Start Fresh"

I don't know about your inbox, but mine keeps filling with ads, blog posts and book suggestions offering the opportunity to "start fresh." This morning, a clothing store sent a "start fresh" sales promotion. I'm tempted to run out and get a few bright sweaters to warm up my winter wardrobe, but...

I got to thinking (that's how we say it around these parts), would a couple new sweaters really offer the fresh start I desire? Does organizing every room of the house really offer a fresh start? How about healthy eating -- does that change the entire course of my life, erasing the past so I can start fresh?

Sure, these things are good. New clothes in the closet brings a smile to the face, definitely a brighter look than the same old-same old tired look... but those clothes get old. The colors, no matter what color brightening detergent we use, fade with time. Sweaters lose their shape. Blouses lose their buttons.

An organized, uncluttered home does offer the benefit of being easier to maintain. Just this week, we emptied our family room and cleaned it from ceiling to floor. We rearranged the furniture and it "feels" cozier and more intimate. Everyone likes it. But rooms get dusty. Windows get dingy. And papers pile up.

Healthy eating offers many benefits: a trimmer waistline (I'm in my 40's -- such things don't come naturally anymore), shinier hair, and a clear complexion. Healthy eating certainly improves the quality of life, but it doesn't mean we'll live forever. No diet offers that.

If I'm going to start fresh, I'd like it to last. Forever. The only fresh start that offers forever is a relationship with Jesus. My prayer is that each one of you will know Him this year. If you've never asked Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life, I pray that my story, coupled with His love, will move your heart to want to know the same Jesus I know. If you know Him, but don't have his peace or joy in your life, I pray your heart will long to know Him better.

My words are not God-inspired like the Bible. This blog simply shares my journey as a Christian wife, mother and daughter of the King. When you read, I pray God speaks to your heart and nudges you into deeper relationship with Him. Living in His love is the one and only way to permanently start fresh!

If you know that Jesus is waiting on you to accept His gift of salvation, it's as simple as ABC!

• Admit you are a sinner and ask God's forgiveness.
• There is no one righteous, not even one... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10, 23.
• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13.
• Believe in Jesus, God's one and only Son sent to live, die on a cross and be resurrected for you.
• For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
• To all who receive him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12.
• Confess that Jesus is your Lord.
• If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord (of my life)," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (to stand in punishment on your behalf for the forgiveness of your sins), you will be saved." Romans 10:9.

Pray this simple prayer:

Dear God,

I know that I am a sinner who needs a savior. I believe that Jesus is your Son, who was born to Mary, lived as a man and died on the cross sinless. I ask Jesus to be the Lord of my life so that my sins are forgiven and I may live in heaven eternally with You. Please forgive me of my sins and help me as I start fresh today, with You.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

Maybe you've already asked Jesus into your heart, but you want to start fresh too. Friendship with Jesus, like with anyone, requires that you invest time. Pick that Bible up and dust it off. Open the cover and read. Let God's inspired word remind you that Jesus loves you -- all the time! Take a few minutes today, and every day, to talk with him. He will change your life forever! A friend of mine recently shared that time with him led her to forgiveness and an indwelling of peace that she never knew existed. Isn't that kind of friendship worth a bit of your time?

My prayer for us all is that God will fill us with a fresh start that lasts not just for a few days or weeks, but one that lasts a lifetime, into eternity.

With much love in Jesus,

Paint your world happy

It's cloudy today, but it is very yellow! 

My husband is a saint! He painted our family room about two years ago and he is repainting it. WITHOUT grumping! Our front room is a soft yellow, absolutely beautiful, so we decided to paint the family room the same warm color. We did not consider the effect of sun! The family room gets a lot of sun, and our soft yellow glows brightly. It just doesn't work. So he's painting again, a gorgeous color called "Beach House Blue." Yep! I'm living at the "beach" year-round.

Our new beach house blue... not done yet.

This change to the house is no big deal. For the cost of a few gallons of paint and some muscle power by my dear husband, "we" can easily modify our home's appearance. Except for those forearm cramps, the process is painless and permanent... until I change my mind again. *wink*

How many of us try to do the same thing in our own lives? We update the wardrobe. We spend hundreds at the salon on hair, makeup, hands and toes. We give up on the hard work of exercise and invest instead in spanx (call it what you want, it's a girdle!).

How many times have you participated in the plastic smile conversation? Someone asks, "How are you?" The instant reply forced between clenched teeth, "Oh, fine. Just peachy." Plastic smile frozen on your face until you turn away and that broken heart trickles down your cheek in a silent tear.

We pretend that we can buy happiness with new clothes, a fresh face, and fake words. Pretenders.

The truth is, we can't make our lives look good with a simple update to our outward appearance. All the money in the world can't buy peace, joy or contentment. The harder we try to paint our world happy, the more we hurt. Proverbs 15:13 says, "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit."

We can't fix our lives with a fresh coat of paint. We can find joy, peace, love, contentment, patience and more when God fills our heart. If you don't know the God of these great gifts, He is already with you, waiting on you to invite Him in. He wants to fill you with his love. When you let Him in, you won't feel the same need to keep redoing yourself. This is the last paint job you'll ever need!

If you'd like to ask Jesus to fill your heart and become your personal Lord and Savior, it's as simple as ABC:
A. Admit you are a sinner who needs God.
B. Believe that Jesus lived, died and rose again for your sins.
C. Confess Jesus as Lord of your life.

You can pray right now and invite Him into your heart:
Dear God, I admit I am a sinner who needs you. Please forgive me of my sins and give me a life with you here on earth and eternal life with you in heaven. I do believe that Jesus died and rose again for my sins. I confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus' name, Amen

If you prayed that prayer, congratulations! And welcome to the family. Please visit a church and get plugged in with the people there. God doesn't want you to do this alone! Also, check out gotandem.com for more resources as you take this journey with Jesus. And please let me know too! I'd be honored to pray with you and for you as you get the best makeover ever!

Enjoy your new heart!

Love,

Powerhouse Thank You!

This weekend, I spent an inspiring evening with the Powerhouse Church of Jesus Christ family. This warm church in the heart of Raleigh is taking a stand for God's kingdom. What an honor to share in their building fund kickoff, A Glimpse of Heaven. The Powerhouse family knows how to celebrate! We enjoyed great food, great fellowship and great worship!

Me, Co-Pastor Marjorie and Pastor Wayne Sharpe

They launched the Powerhouse building fund campaign, with a vision to reach the lost and hurting in the community. Powerhouse isn't waiting until that new building finally materializes, though. The evening really included a challenge to begin now. They brought community service programs in to share about resources already available:

• iChoose Pregnancy Support Center. The church can change a mom's life, a dad's life and a baby's life by helping the girl facing an unexpected -- and perhaps unwanted -- pregnancy receive counseling and support.
• Raleigh Area Development Authority.  The church can serve families at risk of losing their homes by helping them secure services at RADA, which offers credit counseling, housing counseling and mortgage assistance. Families are the fastest growing homeless demographic. Resources like RADA can change their lives forever!

In Matthew 20:28, Jesus explains that "the Son of Man did not come to be served, BUT TO SERVE and give His life as a ransom for many." I can't wait to hear the impact that Powerhouse Church will have on Raleigh as the church steps up to serve like Jesus, radically impacting those who cannot help themselves.

Pastor Sharpe, Co-pastor Sharpe and Powerhouse, I lift you today in prayer. With thankfulness to Jesus for all He has already done and for all He has yet to do through you. May the vision God has laid on your hearts be fulfilled in a mighty and glorious way. May the City of Raleigh be impacted by the love of Christ as it has never been before. By the power of His name, Amen

Thank you for allowing me to share in your Glimpse of Heaven!

What's cookin'?

One of the most exciting moments in my day is when I open the door and peer inside to discover what's there... Yes, the mail! Ninety-nine percent of the time, we get bills and junk, but sometimes there's something wonderful inside. A rare package arrives and I feel like a lottery winner.

You can look at this two ways. One, I have the most boring life ever.... OR you could say, "Wow. She's got it all figured out. It's the little things that matter." Please choose the second one! :)

Ohhhhh happy Monday! I got a special package. It arrived with junk mail -- not one other item lasted 60 seconds before landing in the trash. But this package.... YIPPEE! 

Wrapped in a protective bubble envelope, Ben and I tore at the wrapping. I think it was hermetically sealed to be preserved forever. We finally pulled out the scissors to carefully cut in. Ben hoped to save the bubbles to pop them and drive me crazy, but this was quiet bubble wrap. (Another sweet surprise.)

Would you like to know what was in there? Hmmmm???? Or is the thrill of the moment enough for you?

Okay... okay... I'll tell.

Maggie at Life In A Skillet asked, "If you were stranded on a desert island with only one cookbook and all the ingredients in it, which cookbook would it be? Why?"

My reply:

Only one cookbook?
Nick Malgieri’s “Chocolate.” The title alone is compelling enough, but I’ll add additional reasons 

1. Some recipes include fruit — so I would be eating something healthy.
2. Some recipes include coffee — an absolute must-have on a desert island or anywhere!
3. The morning news reported that chocolate is healthy — full of flavonoids which help fight skin damage from excess sun exposure. On a desert island, I need to help my skin all I can.
4. Cocoa butter can also be used as a moisturizer after a long day of assault by sun, sand and sea.
5. Stranded on a desert island, I wouldn’t have to watch my figure. I’d be free to indulge all I want. Bring on the cheesecake, the mousse, the brownies and the “truffes champagne.” I can eat all I want, guilt free.

YUM!!! I’m ready to go!

My prize? California Rancho Cooking by Jacqueline Higuera McMahan. This little book is packed with California-Southwest-Mexican cuisine and stories of her life in the southwest. A sweet little book! We'll enjoy it for years to come. Thanks, Maggie!

You know, every single day we are offered a special gift... Salvation in Jesus. Eternal life! And like a cookbook offers delicious treats for every day, Jesus offers us the gifts of joy, hope, peace, patience, kindness, understanding and love while we wait on heaven. Yet, many people leave that gift unopened. and won't go to the mailbox to see if it's there. Others might check the mailbox and see it there, but refuse to take it out. Still others might bring the package into the house and decide not to open it. 

Would you please tear off the wrapping to see the gift inside? Not sure what to do? It's simple -- easier than unwrapping hermetically sealed bubble wrap packaging! Just admit to Jesus that you are not perfect and you need Him. Tell Him you believe He is the Son of God who came, died and rose again so you can have eternal life. Confess your sins -- He already knows what you've done and He won't reject you. I promise! He always loves you! (Curious? But not sure? Read this: Got Questions?)

Jesus loves you more than you can imagine! Open the box. Peer inside. You won't regret it!!!
Love,

Feeling Small

When I was a little girl, I would lie in bed at night and feel small. Sometimes, I even felt like I was shrinking as the dark room around me grew. I'm not sure what that was all about... but last night, while I tossed and turned, the memory came back. The room was dark, but at least I didn't feel like I was shrinking!

That childhood memory kept me awake. Why did I feel so small? Do other people ever get that sensation?

Since I couldn't sleep, I asked God why that thought. Why now. Then I laid there and listened... to the air conditioner hum.... Hello? God? Are you there?

Psalm 39:5 popped into my head (I'm not sure it comforted me): You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.

My first thought was -- "Ummm, Big Guy, are you warning me?"

Then I asked him to explain himself.... he did.

"Karen," he seemed to whisper (not exactly, but I don't really know how else to explain it), "don't ever forget that your life is short -- no matter how long you live. Make the most of it. Don't shrink back -- nothing happens when you fade away. Grab life, make the most of every moment. Make it count."

Not in so many words.

Oh those days that count for nothing -- when I can't get moving.
When I won't crack open my Bible.
When I dismiss the kids with a casual wave and tell them to entertain themselves.
When my husband comes home tired and I just dump more in his lap.
When I serve out of a sense of obligation and not out of passion...

Life is short. Too short to take for granted.

It's a choice: Would I rather live it passionately or would I rather let it slip by, insignificant and small?

It's not about fame or recognition, but about making it count for God. Like Paul, I guess I'm realizing that life isn't about me -- It's about making God known. Especially now, the hopeless need hope. The unloved need love. The hurting need forgiven. We all need Jesus!

How about you? Which would you rather?

Repaying kindness with... UNgratefulness?

http://www.ehow.com/info_8273543_duties-cupbearer.html

Joseph interpreted a dream for Pharaoh's cup bearer while they were imprisoned together -- telling him he would be restored to his position in three days. Joseph then humbly requested, "When all goes well for you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison." (Gen. 40, 40:14) The cup bearer forgot. Really? How could he do such a thing? So ungrateful.

Every time I've read that passage before, that's what I focused on... the ungrateful cup bearer.

Before reading it again today, I asked God to give me new understanding of the familiar story. Boy, did He deliver! It's easy to read the Bible as a storybook: Joseph interpreted a dream. The cup bearer got out of prison. The cup bearer forgot about Joseph. Bad cupbearer.

But the Bible's not all about stories. It's about hearts. It's God's inspired word -- recorded and preserved to help us understand Him better. To help us understand how to live for Him.

As I read the passage today, questions swirled in my head: Why did the cup bearer forget? What lesson is there in this for me? The passage doesn't actually record why the cup bearer forgot, but we can make an educated guess based on the circumstances.

Maybe he was selfish. Concerned about his dream, he was happy to "entertain" Joseph. Once he got what he wanted, though, he didn't give Joseph another thought even though they were imprisoned together.

Have you ever had the opportunity to share the message of hope in Christ with someone but opted not to because it was inconvenient? Maybe God nudged your heart to invite the store clerk to church, but because of your busy schedule, you clamped that mouth shut and spoke nothing? I know God has nudged me a few times -- more than a few -- and I've not obeyed. Too busy. Another day.

Maybe he was afraid. After all, Pharaoh had already shown he was willing to throw his "trusted advisor" the cup bearer in prison. Who's to say Pharaoh wouldn't do it again? Maybe the cup bearer decided sticking his neck out for Joseph wasn't worth the risk of going back to prison. If I were the cup bearer, I might well walk on egg shells around Pharaoh out of fear of his retribution.

Have you ever had the opportunity to share the salvation message with someone and chickened out because you were afraid they'd reject you? Yep. We want people to like us. We don't want them to toss us out.

Maybe he was intimidated. The cup bearer's release came at the same time as the chief baker's beheading. WHOA! I'm not sure about you, but if I saw a colleague beheaded, I'd do anything -- or not do anything -- to end up in the same position.

Or have you ever had an opportunity to share Jesus' love with someone because you felt intimidated? Have you ever thought something like, "There's no way he would ever listen to what I have to say. He's too hard. Too angry. Too far gone." The guy with the tattoos up and down both arms. The angry guy in the black leather.

We'll never know why the cup bearer didn't honor Joseph after getting his help, but we can still learn from him.

We'll never know for sure why the cup bearer didn't repay Joseph's kindness, but still we can learn from him and take a different approach. Instead of acting selfishly, thinking only of ourselves, we can think of all God has done, sending his Son to die on that cross for the redemption of our sins, and share the good news with others. Even when it's inconvenient. We can stop worrying about our own approval ratings and serve the One who loves us -- sharing his message whether we lose friends for doing it or not. And we can stop fearing rejection. Jesus died for that guy you deem too lost -- too far gone. He didn't just die for you.

Let's not be like the ungrateful cup bearer. Let's live differently: Share the gospel with everyone we meet. It just might release them from their own personal prison.