Special blog posts about special kids

This week, I am honored to be sharing two posts over at Encouragement Cafe with Luann and Friends. Please stop by. I hope it's a blessing to you!

Jesus Loves the Little Children

and

Shattered Dreams and New Hope.

God bless!

Paid in full

Running errands this weekend in preparation for Nathan's graduation party next weekend, I noticed gas prices had dropped to $3.29. Hardly a bargain, but so much better than prices have been, I made the quick decision to top off the tank... just in case they creep back up.

Approaching the pump island, another car came toward me, both of us headed for the same row of pumps. Since I was making the right turn, I got to pull in first. Credit card in hand, I proceeded to the pump as I've done hundreds of times. The screen said, "$55 prepaid. Lift nozzle and select grade." Baffled, I looked around. Everyone at the station was at a tank, pumping gas. No one was waiting in the wings.

"Really?" I thought, "Free gas? Nah." I pushed the button to ask the clerk. She seemed confused. "It's prepaid. Go ahead and pump." She didn't seem to care that I hadn't been the one to prepay it. I asked again, "Are you sure I can have this gas?" "Yes," she replied, "It's paid in full. Go ahead and pump." I heard a hint of, "Wow... this lady doesn't understand how gas pumps work." 

There was no, "Jesus loves you." OR "Someone came in and wanted to pay it forward." Just... "It's paid in full.... (now leave me alone)."

So, I pumped, expecting alarm bells and police cruisers to appear. Nothing happened. The pump quit at $34.14. I smiled to myself as I realized someone else would also be blessed... in a strange way. I replaced the cap, closed the little door, pulled out of the station -- unnoticed. I finished my errands, the whole time expecting to be stopped by the police. Handcuffed. Sent to jail.

It's been a few days and still no police. I think I really was allowed to use that free gas, though it's the strangest blessing ever!

Ever since, I have also been thinking that many of us approach Christianity this same way. Jesus paid in full the required sacrifice for our sins, but we can't really fathom it. We wonder, "What's the catch?" "Who's out there watching me to mess up?" OR "If I accept Jesus, I won't ever have fun again." We miss the blessing and focus on other, irrelevant stuff.

Accepting Jesus is a simple thing that we make hard. Really. First, He loves you enough to pay the price in full. No strings. No one waiting in the wings to bust you for making a mistake. Seriously, God doesn't have angel cops out there waiting for you to mess it all up so he can throw you into some pit of damnation. He just loves you. 

Second, God wants you to receive this blessing with all your heart -- no worries about other things. Just be thankful. Otherwise, you miss out on what you've been given, new life IN CHRIST that is infinitely better than the old, sinful life. 

Third, you can have fun! YES, true Christian living means not getting drunk, not sinning in anger, and more... but Christian living replaces all that with true peace -- you can lay your head on your pillow at night knowing that you matter. Christian living is true joy -- a heart full of things you can't imagine without Jesus. God's love is true love -- knowing you, with all your warts, secrets, and skeletons. 100%. All the time.

Jesus paid in full the required sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. He's got us covered. We can accept it and live in that joy... Or, we can reject it and look over our shoulder the rest of our lives and miss the blessing.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide.

I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord."

And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Psalm 32:5

Where are you today?

P.S. To the generous person who bought my gas. Thank you!!!

Top ten Bible verses for guarding your heart

Like I said Wednesday, Satan is like SPAM! He tip-toes in, slinking about as he slowly seizes your day, your week, your joy, your life -- much like the spammer sneaks in to steal your money and financial identity. We take steps to protect our finances, reading emails carefully, installing anti-spam software and making ever more complicated passwords to avoid being hacked. But do we do the same to guard our hearts against Satan?

The Bible is filled with wise instruction on guarding the heart, particularly in the book of Proverbs (the book of WISDOM)! Here are ten of the best Bible verses to help us guard our hearts. They remind us why to protect our heart, how to protect our heart and who we live for. Let's commit them to memory and spam-proof our hearts. Sound good?

Proverbs 4:23, "Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Romans 12:2 (NIV), "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

John 10:10 (NIV), "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Proverbs 23:26, "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."

Proverbs 3:1-2 (NIV), "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity."

Luke 6:45, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

Colossians 3:1 (NIV), "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."

Deuteronomy 4:9, "But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren."

May God bless you as you gaurd your heart to live only for Him!

Love,