Month: January 2015

I get into many discussions on religion. I guess for me my faith in Christ is the most important thing to me. Without my faith in Christ, I would never want to be here. When I listen to people who don’t believe in Christ, I want to pounce on them and share my testimony. I don’t get it! Maybe it isn’t for me to get, but it drives me batty when people say some of the things they say.

The other night my daughter and I were private chatting about sharing our faith in a way that shows people the truth about what the Bible says. She gets extremely frustrated and she gets on a roll when certain topics come up. Jessica was wondering if she is doing enough when it comes to sharing God. We both have the same thoughts when it comes to what is important. We just have different ways of sharing our testimony’s and God’s Word.

Jessica has always been an introvert. She is on fire for the Lord and she gets ticked when someone isn’t using following the teachings of the Bible. My other daughter Beckiah is also that way. She and her husband make sure that everybody knows where they stand who they stand up for. I am very proud of my daughters and their families when it comes to believing in the One True God.

As I was talking to Jessica and a few others. It became apparent that God uses the gifts He has given us to help advance the Kingdom of God. What works for me, doesn’t work for everyone. Which is OK.

When I witness to others, I try not to debate the issue. It took me a very long time to come to the realization that I can’t force someone into believing if they don’t want to. There are times that it is better to live by example and witness to others in a way that will reach them.

I have found that when we take the time to listen to those we are witnessing to, we can better understand where they are coming from. There are times that people may say they don’t believe in God and Christ and then I find out that they actually know there is a God, they may have been hurt by Christians and had unanswered prayers. Many times there’s a “why” behind the lie/lies they are embracing.

• “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:23-26, NIV).

It is important to remember in most cases like Christians and non-believers will have different views when it comes to religion. As a Christian I have a deep desire to explain the gospel and my relationship with Christ in a way they can better understand. A few years ago, I was listening to a sermon on converting others to become Christians. My job isn’t to convert them. My job is to present them with the Gospel of Christ so they can make an informed decision. For me I know that I must respect and learn about what they believe and why. If I care about my friends or family who are either atheists or are putting their faith in others rather than the on true God, I have to respect them. I do have a hard time with this issue though when it comes to family. This is something I have to pray heavily on and use some discernment.

I enjoy learning about other faiths. I live in Utah and our area is predominantly LDS (Mormon). I didn’t know much about the Mormon faith when we first moved here. Everyday, I learn something else. I have many friends that are LDS and while I’m not, I do respect them and I take the time to understand what they believe. In return my friends will also give me respect for what I believe. If they ask me why I believe something or why our church does something.  If I start getting this feeling of evil or Satan, I stay clear. If my only interest was in converting them, then I wouldn’t be a friend. Instead I have chosen to respect and offer kindness when it comes to presenting the gospel to those around me. Hell fire and brimstone isn’t a very good way to go about doing thing. It can totally freak a person out.

There are some belief systems though that I refuse to go around because they are downright evil. When it comes to Satan worshipers and evil doers, I am out of there. I just have to pray, pray and pray even harder for those people.

Also, I think we must live by example. I would hope that when people look at me, they would see first a woman who loves God and her family. If people look at me and see that Christ isn’t the center of my life, I am doing something wrong. I would also hope they see that even though I’m a sinner and far from perfect, I trust in Christ Alone. Only through Gods grace and mercy can we be free. We can’t save ourselves and my heartfelt prayer and hope is that people can see Christlike behavior in me. That would be the most awesome legacy to leave when my time on earth is done.

One of the sermons our pastor had he was mentioning on how he is shy when it comes to approaching people. That isn’t a bad thing. God uses him in ways that reach those who are also shy. Through his example those who have problems witnessing can find ways to still reach out. Even if it is by leaving tracts or praying for someone. There is no right or wrong way of witnessing and sharing the gospel, as long as you are doing things in a way that is pleasing to God.

I have never been shy in sharing, but that is they way I do things. If I had to get in front of the congregation at church and have everyone looking at me, that would be when I would retreat. I don’t feel comfortable doing that and teaching in that way is not a gift that I was given. I would never make a good pastor or church leader. It works for Pastor Ray and my daughter Jessica has a similar gift through music and teaching.

I honestly believe that God gives each of us a gift. I love music, but I realize that that is not a gift I have. Thankfully we have those who are like Pastor Ray and Jessica that are OK with getting up there and witnessing and sharing the gospel of Christ. Pastor Ray has the gift of teaching and he encourages others through prayer, music, being kind and getting to know people.

My daughter Beckiah and her husband are awesome when it comes to sharing their faith and belief in God on Facebook. They are not ashamed of the Gospel. Everyday something is posted about what it means to be a Christian. Even if a person doesn’t know them personally, they would know they are Christians because of what they share. As Christians, this is a goal that all Christians should want to attain. If they aren’t being Christ-like and those around wouldn’t know you are a Christian, maybe something needs to change.

My good friend Lisa is a hoot when it comes to witnessing. When she and I went to Arizona to see my parents. A young lady rode with us and said some of the most off the wall things about what she believed. She was very opinionated on what she believed. Lisa looked at me and put her hand on my arm, and she had a bit of a grip going on. Lisa said, “She did NOT just say what I thought she said, did she?” I had my Bible in the car and since I was driving, Lisa grabbed the Bible faster than nothing and that poor girl heard for two hours about what the Bible says happens after we die, lol. I’m sure she wanted to jump from the car, lol. I was having a hard time containing myself when Lisa got on a roll. It was pretty awesome I would have to say.

When it comes to witnessing I have no problem going door to door or sharing with strangers. Witnessing directly is what works best for me. Blogging for me has been an awesome platform. People don’t have to agree with what I post, but I find this is a great way to reach people in ways that I would never have been able to if it wasn’t for blogging.

We are commanded to share the Gospel of Christ. Of course the objective is to help people understand that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. We can’t live eternally if we don’t have a personal relationship with Christ. We can’t save people, but we can share our testimonies with those around us. Ultimately, it is their decision.

I would just like to add one last thing to this post. If you are wanting to share the Gospel, it is a good thing to know what you believe and to understand what others believe. You will find it incredibly difficult to share the Gospel if you don’t know what it says. Also, it is very helpful to share your personal testimony on how you came to believe in Christ. What happened that changed your life? You should also know where to back up your beliefs with verses in the Bible. It’s almost impossible to witness to others if you don’t understand why you believe in what and who you believe in.

There is some awesome resources out there that can help you share the gospel better. I love the book the “Contagious Christian” and “Evangelism Explosion.” Each book will teach you different methods of sharing your testimony. I prefer Contagious Christian since it builds on your own strengths and gifts. Evangelism Explosion is more of a canned response and you share the gospel in a specific way through questions and answers.  When I share my testimony and faith is God, it gives the the opportunity to clearly see how God is and has been working in my life. I would think this would be a good study topic to do at church. Not necessarily the books, but on sharing our testimony with others. I will have to talk to Pastor Ray about doing a “Share Your Faith Workshop.”

Here are some resource links to help you share the Gospel with others and to help in your walk with Christ.

• God’s Not Dead Movie– This is out on video now. It is about a young man who is forced to defend his faith in God. He is told that he has to write that God is Dead, and that is against his beliefs. So he represents God in a mock kind of trial. His professor is an atheist.
• Click Here to go to the website, “Way of the Master”.  Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort has provided some awesome resources to help those who would like to share their faith in Christ with others. The site also has study materials and videos for those who are seeking and searching for the truth.
• Do You Believe? – This is a movie that is due to come out on March 20th. If it is showing in the theaters where I live, I will for sure be seeing it.  The creators of “God’s Not Dead” comes the stirring new film that asks the question we all must answer in our lifetimes: DO YOU BELIEVE?

Plot– When a local pastor is shaken to the core by the visible faith of an old street-corner preacher, he is reminded that true belief always requires action. His response ignites a faith-fueled journey that powerfully impacts everyone it touches in ways that only God could orchestrate.

There is a new Christian themed movie coming out March 20th. The movie is called “Do You Believe?” Do You Believe? will challenge and strengthen your faith! So the question is, if you believe in the cross of Christ… what are you doing about it?

I am really looking forward to this movie. It is from the same ones who put out ‘God’s Not Dead.” I haven’t seen this movie obviously since it hasn’t come out yet. From the advertisements a man is put on trial for being a Christian. Trailer to “Do You Believe?”

When they asked the question about if I believe in the cross of Christ… what am I going to do about it? I had to think on that. I don’t have a problem sharing my faith. I am pretty bold and am willing to stand up for my faith, even if people don’t want to listen. But, there is more than sharing your faith when it comes to believing in Christ. You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. The best we can do is allow God to live through us, when we do that, we will find the same reactions by the world that Christ saw. Luke 6:20-45

I try to live my life in a way that reflects Jesus Christ in me to others that are around me. Some of the best ways to do that are to continually work on having the Fruits of the Spirits in my life. When I talk about the Fruits of the Spirit I am meaning things like love, kindness to others, peace and the hardest for me is patience. Another way is to not push my views and feelings onto others. I make it a point that people know and understand that I have a personal relationship with Christ.

As a Christian I have chosen to take God at His word. Believe, and you will be saved. Some people think that you have to go to church to be saved and you have to do all kinds of awesome things to show God you are doing what you should be doing. There is No church or good works that can save you. Brownie points don’t count when it comes to being saved. Remember, in CHRIST ALONE is how we are saved. Nothing else and nobody else!

Trusting Jesus is meaningless without the cross. You must believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose again. 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 teaches that the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• 1 Peter 3:15 – But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
• Titus 1:9 – He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
• 2 Timothy 2:15 -Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

When I talk about defending my faith, I’m not really saying to argue over what I believe. We can’t convince someone to love God. They have to choose to love Him themselves. What 2 Timothy 2:15 shows me is that I can do my best to allow God’s work to show in my life. Even though we are saved by grace and not works, we should let the results of His grace in us be seen by those around us. I would hope that those in my life and those around me can see that I am a Christian that believes in Christ Alone. If they can’t see Christ in me, then I need to make sure I work harder walking the walk, not just talking the talk. This song (We Believe) pretty much sums up my belief and faith in Christ.

There has been a lot of news reports of people that are dying for their faith. I have been trying to keep up with the persecution of Pastor Saeed who is in prison for his faith and Asia Bibi who is on death row and can be hung anytime now. They refused to do as the courts and their countries requested. They stood up for Christ and their faith. There are thousands more out there that are being killed and imprisoned because they are standing firm.

If you where ask by a judge. How do you plead? And if you plead guilty. Would those who are bringing the charges against you have enough evidence to find you guilty of being Christian? The judge instructs you to take the stand. Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you GOD?

Since I am a Christian I would hope that I would be found ‘Guilty as charged’ when I stand before the judge and having the grace of God within me.

Discussion Questions;

1. If someone came up to you and asked you if you believed in Christ and the power of the cross, how would you answer them?
2. If you were to be put on trial for your faith in Christ, would you be found innocent or guilty for being a Christian and putting your faith in Jesus Christ?

I have chosen to live my lives as Jesus lived His!!!!

As I was watching the show Left Behind with Nicolas Cage, I began wondering about a scene in the movie. It made me sad as I watched how people were taken, and nothing but their possessions and clothing was left there. In one of the scenes a person was walking their dog. Sitting there on the sidewalk next to what remained of the dogs owner was the mans loyal friend also known as “the dog”.

I know I should be thinking about other things when I watch this movie. Since the movie is about what will be happen if the rapture was to happen right now, I couldn’t help myself. My thoughts went to my dogs Jasper and Parker and my kitty Harold. The guilt kinda got to me that while it is awesome that as a Christian looking forward to the second coming of Christ, I wondered what would happen to them.

Domesticated pets rely on their humans for everything. They can’t open the refrigerator to get food. Even though the dog in this picture can. My dogs aren’t that smart.  They can’t turn on the faucet to get a drink. If there is no dog food at their levels, they would have nothing to eat. Unless there was someone who would go check on them to see how they were doing, they would be left to their own resources, which would be none.

My deepest hope and prayer is that my loved ones and family wouldn’t be here if the rapture happened right now. In reality, my wishful thinking and hopes would be that there will be someone here for them. That’s because they don’t really have a relationship with Christ. You have to be a more than a person who believes in Christ. You have to have a personal relationship and repent for your sins. I know this is not the case for many I know.

So, back to my thoughts on my dogs. The Lord willing, there would be nobody left. That being said, who would take care of my dogs, cat, bird and my bearded dragon? I worry about these things because my pets are family and I love my pets. I want them to be taken care of in the way they are accustomed to. My pug Jasper lives for food and I belong to him. Not the other way around. Who would feed my constantly hungry pug? Who would get bugs and greens for Fred my bearded? Fred is in an enclosure and I can bet he can’t get out to catch his own bugs.

So, I think I need to find a person that is lost and rely only on worldly things to care for my now almost starving dogs and pets. But then I know I need to reach these people to make sure they aren’t left behind. What is a mommy to pets suppose to do. I am in a quandary for sure. Do I let the heathens of the world take care of my pets?

I have an even better thought. I think that God should take the pets that are owned by their loving owners. That way they aren’t let to defend for themselves and they aren’t cared for by heathens. Have you ever seen what happens to dogs in third world countries? They eat them and they torture them. So, I think I need to pray for the pets of this world. I think we need to storm the gates of heaven in prayer for when Christ comes back and things are restored to what they should have been, that Jasper and other pets like him will be safe and not eaten alive. That is a bad image in my brain ya know?

OK, I know now I am rambling and that is OK since my blog is called “Senseless Ramblings of the Mindless”. I am wondering if I am being a bit too over sensitive about this. Since we are told there will be a new heaven and a new earth, I am thinking or hoping that God has a place for them. When I read Isaiah 65:17 is says “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. So, does that mean I won’t remember my poor pets sitting in the house all alone, with no way out to eat, pee or drink?

I may not have my priorities straight on this. My grandson was bawling over people being left and the believers are taken. I am stressing over the poor black dog that is sitting on the sidewalk next to what was his owner who is now with Christ. I must end this post by saying that I must trust God in all things. God  took care of the birds in the air and such. So, He will take care of my dogs, bird and bearded dragon Fred.

Matthew 6:26 : Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Last night my daughter, grandson and myself watched the newest release of “Left Behind” with Nicolas Cage. I know already know in advance that I will have a dream when I watch end time movies. The second coming of Christ is something that I feel very strong over it. When it comes to being left behind or the one person left standing in the field, I have nightmares over that.

• Matthew 24:40 NIV – Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

This dream was strange since I never had one like this before when it comes to the end times. Usually when I have end time dreams it is about earthquakes and fires.

My niece, a child and myself was at home at the time. I’m guessing my husband Chuck was on the road at the time. It also must have been around Christmas time because gifts were being delivered.

My niece Bridgette opened the front door. I was laying down at the time. She told me there was someone here visiting. I couldn’t help but wonder who was at the door since it was 7:17 pm to be exact. I find it interesting on how the time stuck out in my brain. I got up and went to the front door.

As I opened the front door, I couldn’t help but wonder why it was so dark and the stars were so bright. The stars looked like they were really close to the earth. I have never seen it so dark and the stars so bright. You would think they stars would light the world with how bright they were. My niece basically thought I lost it and had no clue what I was talking about. She told me it was night, so it is going to be dark. Since it was winter, it was getting dark sooner.

The people that came to drop off a gift to me didn’t notice what I was seeing. They parked by the side of the house and as they walked up, I asked them what they thought of the stars, they thought I lost it too. As they came into the house and gave me my gifts, I told them I didn’t get a chance to go out and get a gift yet. They didn’t seem to be worried about that. I am thinking the couple that came to visit was a couple from church. But not someone I really know well.

As we are sitting there talking, all I felt was a kind of a boom. I didn’t hear anything. But it was like I was there and then I wasn’t. It was that fast and simple. The one thing I did notice before waking up from my dream is that as it was all happening, I had no memory of Bridgette or the couple at my house. It was as if I had no memory of certain people in my life. Which makes me kind of sad to think that when we are with Christ, will we remember our loved ones who didn’t accept Christ?

For me, the message I got as I woke up is that we don’t have time to waste. We need to spread the gospel while we have time. Eventually there will be no time left and some will be left standing there.

My grandson was a bit emotional during the part where the believers are taken. He was scared at first and was worried about how they all were gone in a blink of an eye. JJ started to cry and we explained to them that it is important to share Jesus with anyone and everyone so they aren’t left behind. We don’t want anyone lost, so we need to do our parts and do what Christ told us to do. We are to share the Good News. He said he was going to do that as he was wiping the tears from his eyes. We must remember that nobody will know the day or the time. But we are given signs about when Christ will return.

• Matthew 24:36 –  “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
  

I was thinking about a post that is in one of the groups that I belong to on Facebook. It is a Christian group and they have some awesome conversations. In the last couple of days there are a couple that stuck out to me. I enjoy conversations that get people talking and thinking. This is the first of two posts I will do.

This topic has been coming up a lot lately in the media. Most recently Candace Cameron Bure made a statement that she is submissive to her husband as God intended. This is what Candace Cameron Bure had to say on this subject and I am in total agreement on her views.

“The definition that I’m using with the word submissive is the biblical definition of that,” she explained. “So, it is meekness; it is not weakness. … It’s strength under control. It is bridled strength.”

She continued, “I love that my man is a leader. I want him to lead and be the head of our family. And those major decisions do fall on him. It doesn’t mean I don’t voice my opinion. It doesn’t mean I don’t have an opinion. I absolutely do. But it is very difficult to have two heads of authority.” Read Complete Article

When it comes to obeying your husband, I guess I have an issue with the “obey” part of the question. Actually I have a issue with obeying all together unless it is obeying God. Even then I have a way of pushing things that always seems to backfire on me big time. This can be one of those topics that can get a bunch of people and myself into trouble.

So, here it is and my understanding of what it means to “obey” your husbands according to the Bible.

Ephesians 5:22-24 (NIV) Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

For some reason and my husband included, they like to throw the “obey” into this passage. The Bible doesn’t say “obey”, it says submit. Basically it is meaning that the wife should respect their husbands. Submitting to your husband does not mean that we are robots and that we can’t think for ourselves. I also feel that if our husbands are not believers in Christ and they sway us away from Christ, that we should not submit if they aren’t according to God’s will.

The obey issue has been misunderstood for the longest time. People thought that it meant that wives were to be treated as little more than a piece of property and that her husband is the puppet master. Husbands are NOT the puppet master and the obey part in some wedding vows have being misinterpreted and misused.

For years, my husband would tell me that when we got married, part of the vows was that I agree to obey him. I’m sure someones husband might have brought this up when we aren’t listening and doing as we are told. We have been married for almost 34 years now.  At least, this is how this conversation goes around my house.

This is part of the conversation;
Chuck: “Sandie, when we got married, you promised you would love, honor and OBEY me”.
Sandie: (giving him a stupid look and waiting till he is done)
Chuck: “Since you are suppose to “obey” me, then you need to fix me what I want and do what I tell you”.
Sandie: OH NO you did not just say that?
Chuck: he’s not saying anything, but knows he just dug his own grave.
Sandie: The vows you are talking about is “love, honor and respect”. There is nothing in there that says anything about OBEYING. (He knows he is in trouble now,lol).

With all that being said, ‘obey’ wasn’t even a part of our vows.:

I, Sandie take you, Chuck to be my husband, and promise that in marriage I will love you, be true to you and honour you and be faithful to you all the days of my life:

Chuck: I should have married a Asian women, she listens.
Sandie: (In Bible Thumping Preaching Mode). This is what the Bible says and you are an idiot (I might have said that a bit too strong,lol”).

This is what the Bible says when it comes to husbands, and I make sure he understands this, lol.

Eph. 5:22-32: And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. And we are his body.

So in a nutshell the Bible is saying:

• Husbands – love and sacrifice.
• Wives – submit.

When it comes to married and what the Bible says about it, we must ere on the side of caution. Marriage is an equal partnership and a gift from God. As we can see there are different roles each has when it comes to a marriage, but they are just as important.

In closing, the Bible says that wives show Godly character and quiet inner beauty. Husbands should honor their wives and be kind and gentle. And when it comes to marriage husbands and wives are equal partners.

Discussion Question: What should a wife do if the husband doesn’t lead the home spiritually?

The way I would answer this question is that as a wife I should be patient, even though I have problems with that. I should also spend time in prayer. My husband Chuck knows who God is, but I don’t know if I would consider him as Christian since he has no real relationship with Christ. I do have hope for him and I can see progress little by little. I also try to get into conversations with him about God and His plan of Salvation. Chuck is going to church, which is better than he use to do.

I do worry about his salvation. I did and still have to step back because this is one of those topics that I get upset over and I take it personally when he tells me he doesn’t think there is anything after he dies. How can someone believe in Christ and not believe there is a heaven and hell. He says so once in awhile, but I don’t know if he believes it. So, I hope and pray he makes a decision before it is too late. As a wife of a non believer, this is what God has put on my heart.

This post makes me want to sing the song, “Trust and Obey”, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Click here to listen to Trust and Obey

It always happens when the new year comes around that someone will ask what my new years resolution will be. The main idea or goal associated with New Year’s is the making of resolutions or promises to stop or start something in the new year. My answer is always the same as it was the year before. I don’t make resolutions for the new year. Now, I do make goals and work at them. Those goals aren’t based on if it is 2014 or 2015. As the new year approaches people will reflect or look back on their lives and the past year. Most of the time it is what they have accomplished and what they have failed in.

In my opinion we don’t need a date on a calender to decide to make a change. A good friend of mine always makes a resolution to loose weight and become a size 5. She is gung ho for about a month and gives up on it. She then proceeds to put that resolution off till the next year since she failed at it. She beats herself up because she feels like a failure and ends up gaining even more weight because of the depression she has because she thinks she failed.

I don’t know if the Bible says anything about New Year’s resolutions directly. It does say in Psalm 118:24 that every day is the day the Lord has made, “we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

A resolution is a type of promise. When we promise to do something it isn’t anything we should take lightly. The Bible say’s in Ecclesiastes 5:2,4 and 5 is that if one makes promises or vows to God, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Here is my list of promises I have for this year.

Read My Bible: When I think of what I would like to do this year and every year is to read my Bible more. Not the online ones, but my Bible that I can hold in my hands and thumb through it and make notes. For me there is nothing like holding a real book over reading it on a Kindle or a Nook. but these resolutions can fail without correct motivation. The incentive must come from within with purpose and a plan. Even though there might be a setback at times, the best thing to do is to immediately start again.

Study the Bible: This is one of those areas I slack in. I have to really focus on studying because my attention span is pretty small and I get distracted easy. Our church does Bible studies, but they are very much over my head and hard to go to due to my medical situation and being on home health. I would love to do is small group study at my house that isn’t difficult to grasp. The one I would like to do is  MacArthur Bible Studies.I guess for me, it is easier to keep up with and not as distracting.

It is one thing to read the Bible, but another thing to study and to really know what the Bible says. John 6:68 tells us that the words of Jesus are the words of eternal life. There is no other book as important as the Bible. If we want to know God, and please Him, we must study His Word.

Pray More: I do pray and have many conversations with God. I find praying for others a lot easier than praying for myself. There are times though that I need to pray when I’m not at my wits ends. If I didn’t try things my way, I would have found out going to God to begin with would have been the smart thing to do and a whole lot less painful. I try to fix the problem myself instead of going to God.

Share the Gospel With Others: I love sharing the Gospel with others. I love sharing my testimony too. What I do need to do though is to not want to hit someone over the head with a hammer to knock some sense into them. I need to remember that I’m not there to win and argument, but to introduce others to Christ. I pray that when I witness to others and present the Gospel to them that God will guide my words and thoughts. In 1 Peter 3:15 we are told “…but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”. This is an area I need to work on since I am not a patient person when it comes to witnessing. I want results right now, not down the line. Sometimes I am just the one planting the seed.

Well, we are in the year 2015 now. I am wondering where the fly cars and how there were pay phones all over the place. Maybe it is that way in Hilldale, but not in the world. They were pretty far off I would say.

When I think of what may be in store for this year and years to come, I don’t really see much change in technology. Yeah, sure things will change, but probably not to the good. Most of the new technology has made life easier, but in many ways man has become lazier.

The other day when I was wanting to turn my TV off and somehow I threw the remote at the closet door, I got to wondering how in the world am I going to turn off the TV if I couldn’t find the remote? The TV is mounted on the wall and I didn’t know where the on and off button was. I’m sure I couldn’t have reached it if I needed to. I was destined to fall back to sleep and leave the TV on till I could hunt down the remote.

As a society, we have gotten lazy when it comes to things. Everything is easy or easier than it was 100 yrs ago. Computers have taken the place of relationships. When we get mail, it is usually junk mail or bills. Unless it is Christmas time, that’s all I get. Maybe that is why I send out so many Christmas cards. They are something nice to get when all you get is junk.

Cell phones are in almost everyone’s hands. They are ringing at church, restaurants and while driving in cars. Lord forbid the thought of leaving it at home so normal conversations can happen. If I leave my phone at home, I have at least five people ask my what good is a cell phone if I don’t answer it? Really??? I don’t take my phone with me everywhere and I have no problem turning it off when I am in public or visiting with a friend.

There is this one couple at my church that flies off the handle if I don’t answer my phone. Just a couple of weeks ago, they wanted to desperately talk to me about a situation. They thought they had the right to tell me to get a land line so in case they wanted to talk or reach me then they can. Hmmm, a big NO was the answer to that.

When I told them I had no plans on doing that, they were upset and I was OK with that. They had the audacity to think that I need to answer my phone any time day or night because they would worry if I didn’t. HELLO! I do sleep and I have no intention of being constrained to a phone at all time. Besides, it isn’t my problem that people want to call me and talk for hours when I am sleeping. With this couple, I have had to take the hard line with them. I know they love to talk, but I don’t have hours and I don’t need to be at anyone’s beck and call. Well, unless it is God, then I am OK with that.

Back to my 2015 thoughts, since I got sidetracked. Many people will make resolutions each New Year. I don’t do that. I do try to make goals and stick with them. If I don’t reach them, they are still goals and not dependent on what year it is. This year my goal is to get closer to God and not let technology get in the way.

I have a number of Bibles and many of them I have laying around. I do most of my studying online. While, I don’t have a problem with doing that, I feel I need to actually open a real Bible and feel the pages. There is something special about reading from a book instead of hitting a button. So, this is my goal this year. I want to use my Bible in hand and study from it. It would be great to depend less on technology and figure out where the on and off button is to the TV also.

One other story on TV’s and remotes before I close this post down.

My grandson JJ is over at my house quite a bit. We have a huge TV in the living room that has a remote for the TV, VCR and the ROKU. So it takes three remotes to do something. One day he was done with his show and walked up to the TV and shut it off. EGADS, you would have thought the world was coming to the end according to my husband.

Chuck got in a tizzy over the power button being hit instead of the TV being shut off with the remote. His reasoning was kind of bizarre to me, lol. He said if it was shut off by the power button, it would take longer for the TV to come back on the next time. So hitting the power button on the remote was better to do, lol. I am listening to what he is saying and thinking he lost it. Since when does hitting a power button on the TV not work or make it hard to start back up. I didn’t get it then and I don’t now. Either way, the TV is off and unlike me, JJ knew where the power button is at.

So, welcome to the year 2015. I hope that everyone has a good year and one that is filled with real relationships beyond technology and happiness. May Jesus be the center of your lives. If you don’t know Jesus, now may be a great time to check out what it means to be a believer in Christ and to have a true relationship with Him.