I Love Jesus

I believe that sometimes Christians have doubts about their salvation and they begin to wonder if they are really saved. In fact, I think we’ve probably all experienced this feeling at some time or another. So, how do you know for sure if you’ve truly done all the right things that make you a Christian? The first thing to remember is that Jesus did everything that needs to be done. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves; it is only because of what Jesus has done for us through his death on the cross that we can have the hope of salvation and eternal life. We have to believe this and that takes faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. The Bible is the Word of God, and you can believe what it says!

What I’m about to say is just my opinion, so just take that for what it’s worth. I believe that if a person has truly been “saved” or “born again” or whatever term you want to use, it will be evidenced in the way they live their life. I don’t think you’ll be perfect all the time because we are still human and we mess up and make mistakes. But I do think that you will want to strive toward perfection and you will be disappointed in yourself when you do mess up and sin. I believe you will love the Lord so much that you will want to do the things you know will please him. Do remember when you first fell in love? When you are in love, you desire communication with that special person. You just can’t seem to get enough of them and you want to do special things for them, the things you know they like. You want to be with that person as much as possible, and you think about them all the time. That is sort of what it’s like when you love Jesus. You want to please him and do the right things just because you love him. I remember when I was a little kid and my parents took us to church every single Sunday morning and night. I thought it was so boring to have to sit through the sermon at church and I can remember thinking that when I grew up, I sure didn’t want to marry a preacher because then I would have to go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life. I guess I thought that after I got out from under my parents that I wouldn’t have to go to church anymore. But the funny thing is, I grew up and I didn’t marry a preacher, but I still go to church every Sunday, not because I have to or because anyone is making me, but because I want to! I desire to worship, praise, and to learn as much as I can about God, Jesus, and the Bible. I still have a long way to go but I plan to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

Beach Trip

This past weekend, my husband and I took a little trip together. We drove down to Orange Beach, Alabama and stayed in a condo which is owned by my sister’s fiancé. It is a very nice condo with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. My sister has helped him decorate it really cute. Just behind it, there is a lagoon, or some kind of small body of water, and we were told that an alligator lives out there. The whole weekend we tried to see it, but he never came out while we were there. We didn’t do much during our weekend there, but we sure enjoyed just being lazy and lying out in the sun on the beach. The weather was so great, with high temperatures in the 70’s. It was my first time to go to the beach in the fall, and after always going in the hot, hot summertime, I think now in my older age, I might prefer the beach at this time of year. And you can’t go to the beach without eating some seafood, so we went out twice to seafood restaurants. I was still able to get my walking in by taking nice, long walks down the beach. I sure needed it after eating all that seafood!
I think our warm weather has finally ended for this year. It is actually cool enough out now to wear a light jacket. I love it! We haven’t had to turn on the heat in the house yet, but I’m sure that isn’t too far off. It started raining late yesterday afternoon and has continued through today. This morning was one of those days you just wish you didn’t have to go to work and could stay inside and enjoy a good book or something.
I’d like to do a little update on A Plea for Purging. For anyone new to this blog, that is the name of the Christian heavy metal band my son is in. The guys have been taking some time off the road, only doing weekend shows or a small tour once in a while. They’ve been working hard to write all the new music for their next CD with Facedown Records. Aaron said they have enough songs written now and they are practicing and getting ready to record at the end of next month. I guess they’ll start touring again after the Christmas holidays. I sure hope Aaron gets to come home for Christmas. I haven’t seen him in almost three months!

Block

I know I don't have writers block because I'm not a writer. So, I guess I just have "block". Maybe it is because I am always so busy and I never get to stop and think about what to write anymore. I do get to stop in and read some blogs once in a while but not nearly as often as I would like. I've seen the "Blogs that I Follow" on some of yours and I wondered where you got it. But now that I have finally signed in to my account, I just saw it. So I need to add that to mine also.

This is something really sad that happened about a week ago. It was a normal Friday, school day and then football game that night. A young girl, 13 years old, who was one of my husband's students, was in the high school band and the way I understand it they were getting ready to play at the football game that night. I think she was just socializing with friends when she suddenly collapsed. Just that fast, she was gone. She had been in school all day and everything was normal, and without any warning she just died. It's just one of those things we cannot begin to comprehend with our human minds. I can't. The next day my husband was grading papers and he showed me the paper she had done just a few hours before her death. He said she was a precious girl. I feel for her family right now and I know it's been a tough week for them.

When things like this happen, it is always a reminder to ask ourselves, "am I ready"? If today is my last day on this earth, or if Jesus comes back today, am I ready to go? Are you ready? Is there anything you would change in your life if you had 24 hours notice?

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14 (KJV)

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 (NIV)