As I met him for the first time he had questions.  How long have you owned this company?  How many employees are there?  It appears you have money.  My reply caught him by surprise… “I do not own the company, I have no assets and as for money… I was broke when I was born,  I currently don’t have a thing and I will die without a dollar to my name”.  Honesty brings the realization that all we see,  all we take comfort in, all we claim we own… belongs to God.  He commented “but you built this company from the ground up.  You had the wisdom to do what was needed.”  “But who gave me that wisdom?   Who opened the doors for me?”  God!!   Do you take pride in your accomplishments? God gave you that talent.  Do you measure your success by the people you know?  He puts people in your path. How about the size of your bank account?  He trusted you with his money.   Everything we have…  every talent we possess…  every accomplishment… belongs to God and must be used to his glory.  It’s not about us.  It’s about using what he blesses us with to glorify him and love others.  The next time you have a chance to use your talents, money, or possessions to love others.  Do it in his name.  His love will come back to you… ten fold. 

1 Corinthians 8:4 (MSG)

I Love You!

Perry

As I sat at my desk a call came thru the intercom.  There is someone in the parking lot looking in cars and trying doors.  As everyone rushed outside I caught a glimpse of the young man.  Homeless… simply looking for a way to get a dollar.  As I stood there watching him walk away the thought weighed heavy on my heart.  Why were we more concerned with our material possessions than the life of this homeless young  man?  Why were we so quick to think of running him off then to care for him and pray for his well being?  As Jesus spoke from the mountain, he taught of the need to minister to ones such as this.  To be more concerned with each other than with this world.  To love those that persecute you. Love those that steal from you as much, as if not more, than those that love you in return.  I went back to see if I could help… but he was gone.  As a child of God I should minister to him.  If it means giving him everything I have in order to bring him to Christ and show him the love of our Savior then I should be willing to do that.  “If he steals your shirt, give him your coat also”!  From the mountain… and the mouth… of our Lord.   Luke 6:27

I Love You!

Perry

As we all spend so much time on our phones.   As I watch so many spend endless time looking at a screen.  As I observe people on FB and so much social media… God put the following thought on my heart!  “What if I had made you with a screen on your chest that showed the thoughts in your mind and the desires of your heart?”  Scary thought?  Would others see Jesus is first in your life or money?  Would they see that family takes center stage or our Savior.  Would your friends be the most important or God?  How about your hobby, your job?  Would those be at the front of your screen or would it be covered up by Jesus?  Could the world see your thoughts and still accept you or would you run in shame.  Would they see a heart of Jesus or a heart of stone?  Would they see judgement or compassion? Love or hatred?  There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us.  I pray daily that my screen would show unending love for everyone surrounded by Jesus, Jesus, and more Jesus.  Don’t know if I will ever get there… but I’m trying. Lest we forget… God sees it all as if we have a screen.  I for one am so thankful for the grace of our Savior.     

I Love You!

Perry

Eighteen inches!  Such a short distance… but a long journey.  Does your walk with God start in your head or your heart? It’s eighteen inches from one to the other.  Christ didn’t spend time telling people what they did wrong. He didn’t spend time telling of his wisdom.  He didn’t make a list of all the things they needed, to gain his approval.  He simply loved.  He simply forgave.  He simply made them feel special.  When it came time to love he didn’t analyze why they were caught in the situation they were in… he simply helped.  He didn’t worry about where they came from… he simply helped.  When you run across a homeless person do you judge or do you pray and help.  When you encounter a person with a hardened past do you shy away and judge or do you pray and help.  Why are we so quick to see differences when Christ doesn’t?  If your walk with God is in your head.  If your walk with our Savior is all about one scripture after another.  Take time to let it travel the eighteen inches he intended for it to.  It’s the only way we will change this world for him.  It’s not about how many verses you can remember.  It’s about how much love you can show.  He is counting on our hearts to be the door he walks through. 

Colossians 3:12

I LOVE You!

Perry

“Samaritans?  Half-breeds!  Who would think of associating with them?  They must stay in their village and they are not welcome here.  We must keep them in their place and their place is certainly not with us.”  

He knew the unwritten rules.  Jews simply did not talk to samaritans.  But she was there.  He was there.  He could tell she needed a kind word and a loving heart.  Jesus had been traveling so you know he had his chalice with him.  But he asked her to dip him some water with HER cup.  Why?  I believe he wanted to show compassion… empathy… by drinking from her cup.  He wanted to know what it felt like to be a samaritan.  He wanted her to know he was not afraid to be in her life… in her world.  Should we not do the same?  I have no idea what it feels like to be black.  What it feels like to be born in Iran.  I am clueless to the struggles of the homeless but I should try to learn.  Christ showed compassion to this samaritan woman by stepping into her shoes, if only for a moment.  We should pray for the empathy and compassion to do the same with the people around us.  If we call ourselves Christ followers then let us follow. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

I love you!

Perry

The way you wonder is the way you choose!  Do you dwell on the heavenly things Paul talked about in Romans or do you dwell on the fear and anxiety that Satan is using the world to throw at you.  I pause as I see us living our life inside our heads.  We fill ourselves with anxiety… pride… selfish thoughts.  I’m told for most people 70% of our thoughts are negative in nature.  Will I get sick?  Will I suffer at the hands of another?  Will I or someone I love die today?  Have you ever noticed in the word ANXIETY, the I is in the middle? The word PRIDE, the I is in the middle?  When we live lives of pride and selfish behavior anxiety and fear control our thoughts.  We dwell in a place of what is best for us.  When we turn our minds and hearts to Christ. Completely and fully to Jesus… then the holy spirit fills our minds with the fruits that come from HIM.  He fills our minds with positive thoughts about his love and grace.  Fear takes a back seat to confidence in his salvation.  Anxiety is washed away by assurance in his love. Pride is replaced with caring for others.  Pray daily for the courage to walk away from the deception that Satan throws at you.  Dwell in the place of love that can only come from our Savior.   If he cries over the falling of a sparrow then how much more will he watch over you?

Romans 8

I Love You!

Perry

Daily I watch as people judge… people hate… people treat those different than them with dis-respect. I listen as they blame the condition of the world on everyone else, but themselves.  “You don’t believe the way I do, so you have to be wrong.”  “You’re liberal and I’m conservative so you’re wrong.”  “You don’t follow the rules.  You hang out with the wrong people.  You eat with them and laugh with them.  You allow them to call you friend and you parade around with them as if they were family.  You’ve been seen talking to thieves, to prostitutes, to liars, cheaters and adulterers.  How can I ever associate with you.”  As I watch the hatred… the judging…  as I listen to the blaming… our Savior lays on my heart.  Did not the conservatives of his time say these things of him?  Did not those with status treat him as a sinner.  Didn’t he get looks from the religious leaders because of the people he helped… the people he called his friend.  Our Savior loved unconditionally.  God sent his son to show us how to love… how to live… how to treat others.  Because of his behavior they crucified him.  I would rather be judged for my love of people, along with my Lord, then to be accepted by those of this world.  We should think about that next time we find ourselves placing blame.   Colossians 3:12-14

I Love You!

Perry

I watch through the tears as he struggles to talk.  As he struggles to walk.  As he struggles to sit still.  Twenty three, and a disease that is inherited, with no cure in sight.  My love for him runs deep… and my heart hurts… and my prayers are hard.  I then watch as this little girl lives in a place of darkness because brain tumors have taken her sight.  Her illnesses are many but her spirit is huge.  Her picture is something I see daily and her story is special to my heart.  And it hurts…   I pray to take their pain away.  I pray to make them whole.  I pray to bless them and give them favor. My thoughts then turn to “why me and not them?”  Each day he blesses me to overflowing.  He gives me strength.  He gives me health.  He gives me resources I don’t deserve.  So why does he shower me with blessings?  “to those that are given much… much will be expected”  If you have health… if you have wealth… if you have blessings untold do not for one minute think it is for you.  Every blessing in your life. Every talent you possess. Every resource at your disposal was given by God, to help others, to his glory.  These young people inspire me with their energy.  It is up to me to spread his love and resources, in return.  I would gladly trade all these blessings for their health.   

Luke 12:48

I Love You!

Perry

Do you live in the house of fear or the house of love?  Christ calls us to unbridled love for all those around us.  Love of not only the people that are easy but the people that are hard.   Do you have love in your heart for the terrorist you see on the news?  Do you have love for the person that persecutes you? Christ did!  Do you pray blessings on the very people that threaten your way of life?  Your Savior does!  Every Soul – Good or Bad – Rich or Poor – Black or White – is a soul made in Gods image and loved deeply by him.  Each one created with purpose.  If we live in a house of fear then we see differences and we foster hatred.  We allow satan to sit with us and cloud our judgement.  If we live in the house of love… with the Lord as our father… we will come to dwell in compassion for all mankind.  I struggle sometimes but our Savior has answered many of my prayers and brought me into the entryway of his house.  He puts me in the path of people and allows me to minister to them and show them compassion.  My prayer, for all of us, is that we strive to become the human family instead of the human race.  With Jesus as our father it can be done.  But it has to start with each of us.  

Luke 6:24 – 42

I Love you!

Perry

As he met God for the first time it took him by surprise.  God was not what he imagined and certainly not what he spent his life thinking.  As God hugged him he couldn’t help but proclaim.  “You’re not what I expected”  To which God replied “What were you looking for?”  He said “Someone more religious, someone older and with a long beard!”  The answer from God was very surprising.  “Religious?  I’m not religious!  I never wanted all this division.  Certainly not among my children.  Catholic, Baptist, Church of Christ, Methodist,  how could you ever know what to do and where to go? What matters is being my child.  Loving me with all your heart… your soul… your mind….   Oh and make sure you love everyone else just like you love me!  It’s that simple.  Don’t get caught up on rules… on ceremonies… on who’s right and who’s wrong.  It’s not about that.  You can’t earn your way to my arms by following rules.  You can’t come into my kingdom by belonging to a certain religion.  It’s much simpler than that.  Love me so much that nothing else in your life can come between us.  Then love others,  and I mean everyone,  that much as well.  Do that… teach that…  and the rest will follow.  I love you more than you know.  Now give me another hug my good and faithful servant!” 

1 John 4:20

I Love You!

Perry