2022 HERE WE COME!

      This is NOT one of those "2022 is going to be amazing" blogs. It's so common to look at a brand new year and say "Hey, it's a brand new start. Things are going to be different this year etc. etc." I recently heard on TV people asking each other "What is your New Year's resolution this year?" Some people want to lose weight, get in shape, treat others with respect or maybe spend more time in prayer. The New Year is always an opportunity to start over, make things right in your life and look for new opportunities for changes in our lives. Let's be honest. 2022 will be a great year as long as we approach the new year with a positive attitude. The sun will rise on January 1, 2022 and it will set on December 31, 2022. What happens in between is up to us. We can have a great attitude and look at the positives in life. Or, we can have a lousy attitude and only look at what is going wrong. I have decided I want to remain positive. I'm going to put God first and continue to be a "light in the darkness" wherever I am. I want to make it a point in this New Year to tell people how much God loves them. To let then know there is a heaven to gain as long as you accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. 

     So, how about it? Let's make 2022 a great year. Let's pray that it's NOT 2020 II BUT 2022!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!

       

NO ROOM!

 

     It's December 26th. Christmas 2021 is over officially but I realize some families will be celebrating it throughout the week. Kids are playing with their Christmas gifts, Dad's are probably still putting toys together and families are eating some of the yummy leftovers from Christmas dinner. I hope everyone enjoyed your day and time spent with your families!

     There is one part of the Christmas story that has always intrigued me. When Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem with Mary very pregnant sitting on a donkey, they need a place to stay. They approach and Inn and ask the Innkeeper if they can have a room.The Innkeeper looks at them and tells them "We have no room!" So Mary and Joseph have to settle for a stable and we know the rest of the story. Jesus is born in a stable and his tiny body is placed in a manger, the very place where animals eat their food out of. Our savior is born! We celebrate Christmas for that reason and that reason alone! 

     Imagine being that Innkeeper after he died and facing his creator? I can't imagine the guilt he must have felt. Here are the parents of the Son of God and he refuses to give them lodging. Maybe there really was no room? Maybe their were other reservations that were made and Joseph and Mary never made them ahead of time. Yes, I realize they couldn't call ahead for reservations or go on Hotels.com and reserve a room for themselves and parking for their donkey. But to say "We have no room" reminds me a lot of the world we live in here in 2021 ans even many years before.

     Our world told God "We have no room" in the 1960's when they took prayer out of schools. Before June 1962, every student in America would say a short prayer. It was taken away and removed and has not returned! Slowly we are seeing God being taken away from our country. There has been a fight about taking the phrase "In God we trust" off of our coins. Our Government no longer puts God first and in my opinion it would love to see churches shut down. They are telling God "Sorry, but we don't have any more room for you here". Let's face it friends. We need God more NOW than ever before. 

     My conclusion is simple. We need to make room for God. We need to let our world know there is a God who loves us more than anything. He is bigger than Covid-19 or any sickness that can ever be thrown at us. It's time we make room for God and if you're a Christian, it's time we continue to go and support our local churches and continue to pray for our pastors. It is time friends to make room for God. Don't shut him out. Make room in your heart for Him!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!!          

PRAYER

   

     2 Chronicles 7:14 - If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

     I have read this verse a thousand times. I have used during a devotional before I have had the privilege of leading a Prayer Meetings. I have heard a few sermons preached on it. Go back now and read it over at least three more times. I believe this is the key to what Christianity is all about. Prayer! 

     These past few weeks, the Lord has been working on my heart. Of course I know He does all the time but this last few weeks has been different. He really convicted me about prayer!. Every morning I have my routine. I set 3 alarm clocks. My Google Home, my cell phone and my digital clock I put across my room. I usually wake up at 5:15 a.m. My routine is normally I'll go downstairs and make coffee and a bowl of cereal then after eating I'll grab my One Year Bible and try to stay on track by reading each day. Then I'll read my devotional book "Daily in Christ" by Neil T. Anderson. Then I spend time in prayer. At this point I'll look at my clock to see what time it is and how much time I have n prayer. Some days I have plenty but to be brutally honest most days it's a very quick prayer. I'll then shower, put on my Chick Fill-A uniform and do my best to get there by 7 a.m. to set up the restaurant for the day. As many of you may know, I do love to exercise. I go for walks, ride my bike, occasionally go the gym and lift weights among other things. I want to lose some weight and I try to stay in shape. It's a challenge. I felt very convicted by the Lord one night while I was walking. He said "You spend so much time trying to stay n shape. What about spending more time with me in prayer?' His voice in my heart was not mean, nasty or degrading. It was soft yet firm. It was direct and to the point. I felt challenged and realized I needed to make some changes. Needless to say God got my attention. More so this past Tuesday. If you also know me well you know I have had back issues for years. Last Tuesday I woke up in a lot of pain. The pain was on my spine area. I went to work but was sent home early around noon because of my pain. I'm a trooper and would have worked at least 7 hours of my 9 hour shift but my leaders were worried about me so I went home. The next day I went to Urgent Care and after my examination the Doctor told me I should go see an orthopedist. Needless to say God has my attention. I can't exercise for a while but I can do one thing. Pray! I am off until Saturday and I am spending my 2 days off in prayer. I realize since I'm not supposed to be lifting heavy things,I might need to reduce my hours at Chick Fil-A or find another line of work. Stay tuned! 

    Prayer is so important but why do Christians ignore it and not take advantage of it. It's talking to God! Can you imagine what would happen if we really prayed I mean really prayed? If we all really agreed together in prayer for our world, our nation and our neighborhoods and communities? If we really prayed for our churches, our pastors and fellow congregants? Maybe the world would be a better place? I have noticed one thing these past 8 years. The Prayer Meetings in churches are a thing of the past. Whatever happened to Wednesday night prayer meetings or early morning prayer? I realize the world is a different place and we are all busy but read the verse I posted above one more time. We need to humble ourselves, pray, seek his face and turn from our wicked ways. It needs to start NOW ladies and gentlemen! The scripture goes further. Then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. This coming Sunday, ask your pastor "What is your vision for prayer in your church, Pastor?" I would love to know what the responses are. Sure, if you advertise and potluck dinner, hundreds of people attend. If you advertise a Prayer Meeting you will have the die hard's show up ready to pray. But most of the time it's only a few people. Friends, we need to start praying and start praying real hard. We can't take this lightly. If you ever watched the movie "War Room" you saw the main character develop a strategy for prayer that changed her life and restored her marriage. What is our strategy? Are we really taking the time to spend time alone with God? I was going to blog that we should start really praying hard in 2022 but I am changing that. It needs to start today and it needs to start now. Pray for our world, our nation, our communities, our families, our pastors and our children! Let's begin now!!!             

 

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

      I rarely get the opportunity to blog lately. Work has been insanely busy due to the fact that no one wants to work but a lot of people want to eat chicken sandwiches!! Go figure!

     It's December 10, 2021 at 9:26 a.m. as I get to sit and blog. It's December! So hard to believe! in 15 days we celebrate Christmas Day. We all have our traditions and we all look forward to spending time with family. As a kid, Christmas had two meanings for me. There was the "religious" part. I put religious in quotes because truthfully I was following a religion without realizing I could have an amazing relationship with my savior! The religious part was going to Catholic mass on Christmas Eve. I'm not sure how long the service was but it felt like it was four hours. I can't tell you anything the priest said but I did occupy my time counting the lights in the church and looking at the stained glass and statues in the building. My creative mind went to town during that service.  

     I knew Christmas was the celebration of the birth of Christ but what always confused me was what the second meaning was to me. There was Santa Claus, presents, stockings, Frosty the Snowman, Christmas trees, house decorated with lights and shopping malls packed with people buying gifts, It seems as though someone had a brilliant idea that money can be made during this holiday season. It also seems as though our world has pushed the Birthday of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and has replaced it with everything else. Please don't get me wrong! I realize all of the Christmas festivities are loads of fun.What bothers me is that we have pushed aside the real meaning of the season and refuse to honor the guest of honor ... JESUS! People get offended if you say "Merry Christmas", we call a Christmas Tree a Holiday Tree and you hear less Christmas songs on the radio that refer to the birth of Christ and more about Grandma getting run over by a reindeer! Our world is pushing God away from everything and every situation. As a result, look at the condition out world is in!! I often wonder how an atheist or an agnostic celebrates Christmas? I guess in their eyes it's just another Saturday!

     My challenge to all of us is to make this a December to Remember by remembering the real reason we celebrate Christmas! So with all that said ... HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!