He Hit Me First

Who May ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessings from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24: 3-5 NJKV

I remember driving in my car with my two sons in the back seat. It could be a beautiful day and we could be going somewhere fun and then out of nowhere I would hear, "Owwww...mom he hit me." then the other one would yell, "he had it coming cause he hit me first!" That was it. Nice time over now. This one particular day I had just had enough of this. This behavior was seemingly becoming a habit. A bad habit. When I looked back at them there seemed to be delight in the eyes of the one that got hit. And I watched him as he balled up his little fist and drove it into his brothers chest. There were no seat belt laws back then so two kids fighting could really get in some good shots! I yelled , "ENOUGH" and pulled over to the side of the road and turned the car off. Panic and fear crept into those little faces as I turned around. I almost laughed but I really had to put an end to this ritual that took place every time we got into the car.

I told the boys that I was in charge. I was the mom. And as mom it was my job to settle any arguments. They were not to hit each other anymore. "Well he hit me first so I slugged him!" They both started swinging at each other again. Well, being the good old days then, and you did not have to worry about going to jail for spanking your child in public, I calmly opened my door, got out, went around the car, opened the back door, pulled them each out and gave them a firm smack on their behinds as I lifted them out of the car. Of course they both collapsed on the ground as if I had hit them over the head with a two by four. Now they were both crying. I explained again that I wasn't going to have anymore of this behavior. "But why did you hit me when he hit me first?" my little guy sobbed. I told him that when his brother hit him, his brother was wrong. I told him that if he had told me that his brother was hitting him, then I would have tended to his brother and he would not be crying now. I explained that two wrongs did not make a right. I told them that it hurt me when either one of them hit the other because they were both my children and I loved them both equally. So when one of them hit the other, they were hurting someone I loved and I would have to punish the one that hit the other. I promised them that if they would come to me when either of them had hurt the other I would determine what the punishment would be and promised that I would always stand up for the one hurt if they stayed blameless. That did not mean that one could drive the other nuts until they reacted by punching the others lights out!
In that case I would have to do something so terrible that it was too awful to talk about. Both their mouths dropped open. HA! I had left them speechless at last. From that point on they saw that coming to me was much easier on them both because they knew I loved them and they trusted me.

But how many of us still act like children? Because of this childish behavior gangs have formed. We have road rage. Anger management classes are springing up all over the country. And domestic violence abounds. How very sad. We all have a heavenly Father. When someone transgresses on us we can turn to Him. All we have to do is to turn the other cheek and walk away from any volatile situation. Just turn the matter over to God. If we are right with Him, He will take care of the situation. We may or may not see the results of his punishment when someone comes against His chosen. And do not think that as Christians we can turn on one another and not be dealt with by our Father. 2 Thes 1:8. God knows every heart and every mind. Keep your way straight and upright before God to the best of your ability and you will have an advocate in the Father. Then you will never have to use the excuse before man or God that "He hit me first!".....Patti

I Don't Think I Can Take This Any Longer....

"No temptation has over-taken you except such as is common to man; but God
is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,
but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be
able to bear it. "(1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV)

I know that there have been many, many times in my life that I have said the
words, "I don't think that I can take this any longer." I know that you
have too. I said it as a child when I was on restriction. That means that
I had been bad and I got grounded for a week or two to the house depending
just how bad I had been. I said it in school while doing homework well into
the night. I said it when a date went bad and I could not wait for the guy
to drop me off at home. Later in life things became a little more serious
but I still said the same thing. I know I said it when my pregnancy went
past my due date and I looked like a tic ready to pop. Then I really said
it during labor. And I said it when I had two babies in diapers at the same
time. I said it when the kids were running all over the house making a mess
of what I had just cleaned up. I said it going through my divorce. I know
I said it on more than one bad job that I had. And I said it during the
biggest challenge in my life and that was my years of sexual abuse at the
hands of my father. But I am still here. And I survived what I thought I
could not survive. It was God that brought me through when I was a child
and did not really know Him. But He knew me. Later in life I learned to
say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians
4:13 NKJV) And I say "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6-7 NKJV)

God does not give anyone more than he or she can take. We are much stronger
and braver than we can ever imagine until faced with a crisis. Why would
you want to go it alone when we have a Father in heaven who will guide us
through our hard times? When you are faced with a crisis, don't panic.
Calm down and realize that because you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord
and Savior, you have an advocate with the Father. Know that you can give
your burdens to him. In fact He tells you to give Him your burdens.
(Matthew 11: 28-30) You have a friend by your side. Wasn't it easier going
to a scary movie when you were a kid when your friend went with you? Wasn't
it easier going through your dating trials when you had a friend to confide
in? Wasn't studying for an exam in school easier when you studied with
someone else? Isn't being on a hard job nicer when you have a shoulder to
cry on? Of course it is. So in your deepest and darkest moments of
personal trial and despair, turn to Christ to be your shoulder to cry on.
Tell Him that "I don't think that I can take this anymore" and He will tell
you that yes you can through Him. And remember, that which does not kill us
makes us stronger....Patti

What Have You Done For God Lately?....

Wine is not just something that is served with a good meal. It can also be
spelled whine and there is a lot more of that in the world than bottles of
wine. Most of us never seek or speak to God just because He is our loving
heavenly Father and we should want to communicate with Him. About the only
time He hears from us is either when we are in trouble or we need
something and then we usually don't ask we whine. If you have children, or
your brothers and sisters have kids you know how they operate. Their lives
are pretty self centered. If they are scared they run to mom and dad. If
everything is okay, they don't even remember their names. If "everybody"
has something, like a MP3 player, they suddenly remember their names again.
Sound familiar? But if we were sitting where God sits, we would be hearing
the exact same thing from ourselves.

Did it ever occur to you that you can actually do something for God? That
you could actually do something for Jesus to show respect and appreciation
for the price He paid for you on the cross? Well you can. When Jesus died
and rose again, before returning to the Father, He descended into hell and
took the keys to the Kingdom, which is right here and right now, away from
Satan who had conned them away from Adam and Eve. These keys are for the
most part ignored by Christians. How sad because it is our "free pass" here
on earth to everything of God. The earth belongs to God and He has given
all of us charge over it. In His word He says that we have DOMINION over
the earth and everything on it. (Gen 1:26) He says that whatever we bind on
earth is bound in heaven and whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.
(Matt 16:19) The keys to the Kingdom were given to us and yet we have
misplaced them. We have misplaced them with the things of this world. I
truly believe that we are living in the end times. It is time to find our
keys. It is time to open the word of God and discover just what these keys
are for. It is time to use them to kick the devils butt! It is time that
we take our rightful place and start being better stewards of the things of
God.

Going back to the kids for a moment. If your child shows you no respect.
Never does anything around the house to help. Never does anything unless he
is after something. When he comes to you for money, or the car, or some
gift, what is your reaction going to be if you are parenting the way you
should? You are not going to just shower him with everything he wants. It
just doesn't work that way. You must train that child that life is not a
free ride and he must build good character and a good work ethic. So before
you start whining to God again ask yourself just what you have done for Him
and His Kingdom lately. Start reaching out to those around you that are
lost and hurting and tell them of the wonderful things God has and is doing
in your life. Share the good news of the gospel of the Kingdom. Share the
good news of Jesus Christ. Encourage those around you that are lost and
hurting to give their lives to Christ. Visit a mission and volunteer. Go
to a soup kitchen and serve a few meals. Donate food and clothing to those
in need without judging first. Tithe and support your home church as well
as the Missionaries that risk their very lives to get the gospel to the ends
of the earth. Then when you look toward Heaven and let your requests be
know to your Father, it will give Him great pleasure to honor your request.
If life won't give us a free ride, why do you expect God to give you one?
We were put here to work for the Kingdom of God. So the next time you go to
ask for something from God ask yourself just what have you done for God
lately?....Patti

Only GOD is in Control.....

In the Bible, the only time that the word "control" is used in reference to
man, is the control of man by God. When the word control is used in relation
to man himself it is preceded by the word "self". Self-control is mentioned
in Acts 24:25, 1 Cor 7:5, 1 Cor 7:9, Gal 5:23, 1 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy
3:3, Titus 1:8 and 2 Peter 1:6.The problem most churches (organized
religions) are having today is that they, or the Pastor's, are trying to
"control" people. They herd a bunch of people into a building a few times a
week and bash them as sinners, strip them of their position with God and
lower them to the biddings of man. God did not make anything or anyone by
mistake. And when something is not a mistake, it has a purpose. And who is
to correct or challenge the purpose of God? No one. Each of us was made in
the image of God and none is better than the other in God's eyes just all
sin is the same in the eyes of God. When anyone sets themselves above the
other they are telling God that they know better than He. Herein lies some
real danger.

When we gather together it is for edification. To lift each other up and to
encourage each other. This is especially true for Pastor's. Yes, they have a
building to maintain. They have bills to pay just like all of us do if we
want a roof over our heads. But when they get up in front of the
congregation on Sundays, they are to encourage people in their walk with
Christ. The congregation in return is to further the work of the church, not
only as a building, but in their community and out into the world. Anytime
anyone starts to "control" every one and every thing, they start to worship
themselves and cease to worship and lift up the name of Jesus. A Pastor is a
servant. He serves his God and he serves the people of the church. Each
person in the pew was created with a unique face and body and mind and
talent. God designed them this way in order that they may better serve Him.
We were not created by chance. We are not here to just get up, work, lay
down and sleep and start over again each day. We must all use our
differences and talents for the edification of God and of each other so we
may better serve God. We ALL have a kingdom to run here. Pastor's are to
teach the principles of God to their fellow men and brothers and sisters in
Christ. Stress the importance of tithing. Tithing supports the church but
also carries blessings from God that will further each man's ability to
further serve God in their daily lives as well. There is a great difference
between seeing to organization and controlling. Organization sees to it that
each person involved in the church or project is living up to their
potential to serve their church and their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Control is telling everyone that they are too stupid to function unless you,
in your infinite wisdom, have them working for you in some way. So the
person using control is stripping the person being controlled of their
natural abilities and talents given to them by their creator. This is true
with each of us. We must all learn that we all are here to serve God and to
run His kingdom not each other. If each of us would learn to be a servant to
all, we would all be served. If we all are giving, no one is left to take.
We all do a better job when we are free of oppression and control. So the
next time you decide that you are above someone else and you should control
that person, remember that only God is in control.....Patti

Just Twenty Five Cents Short....

I was standing in line with a Christian friend of mine one day. The line
was long and we were chatting. We were talking about an old comedian that
we had both listened to way back in the first seasons of Saturday Night Live
back in the early seventies. Neither one of us were saved back then. This
comedian was all the rage then. He had been telling a story of how he
thought God was monitoring how people got into heaven. He said that he
thought that God had given everyone this huge account when they were born.
And every time that someone committed a sin, God would deduct a certain
amount from their account. Now God would not charge the same for all sins.
Like telling a lie would be ten cents, and hurting someone's feelings would
be five cents and cursing would be fifty cents but saying God's name would
be a dollar. Then murder would be something like five hundred dollars and
stealing would be like twenty five cents. The trick to this thing was that
people would never know just how much God had put into their accounts, but
they had to have at least twenty five cents left in order to get into heaven
in the end. We laughed remembering this guy and the stories he would tell.
The line had moved and we were being rung up.

When we got into my car, my friend was putting her change away. The store
had been so busy that she had just held her change in her hand until we got
into the car. She was counting away and getting her purse in order and I
started the car and had pulled out and was driving toward the exit of the
parking lot. It was then that my friend noticed that the store clerk had
counted back her change incorrectly and that she had been given twenty five
cents too much. My friend smiled and said, "well I have been blessed with a
quarter today", and closed her purse. I thought about it for a minute and
then asked her if she was really sure about that. She asked me what I
meant. I told her that as Christians we were held to a higher standard.
Then I pointed out that the clerk may or may not be held accountable for
that money. Then I said to her. "But wouldn't it be a shame if you stood
before the gates of heaven one day and found out that your account was just
twenty five cents short? She asked me to park the car so she could return
to the store.

How about you? What does your account look like in heaven? Wouldn't it be
just horrible to start to walk into heaven and find that you were just
TWENTY FIVE CENTS SHORT!?....Patti

Do you ever think that you are the only one?....

Have you ever found yourself wondering if God is really there? Or have you
thought that perhaps Jesus was just a man? Or have you really found
yourself in a difficult circumstance and wondered if God really hears your
cry? Well, don't be too hard on yourself because you are actually in very
good company.

The twentieth century and now the twenty first century did not invent
disappointments and heartbreak. It has been around since the fall of man in
the Garden of Eden. Joseph was imprisoned for a rape that he did not
commit. And just when he thought that God had heard his cry and set him
free, he had to spend another 2 years in jail. His faith was really tested
with the addition of the two years. And what about John the Baptist? What
an amazing honor to be the one to be the Voice in the Wilderness crying out
to make ready for the coming of the Messiah. And yet he was thrown in
prison for his efforts. And his faith failed totally and he sent a
messenger to Jesus to ask Him if He really was the one the bible foretold of
or should they expect another. This was even after he heard the voice of
the living God and saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus. And then there
were the disciples. The very men who walked and talked and touched and were
taught by Jesus Himself and who witnessed countless miracles even to the
raising of the dead....and yet when Jesus was put to death, they despaired.
And when the women who had been at the tomb came to them and told them that
Christ had risen and was no longer in the tomb...they did not believe until
they saw. So you see, you really are in good company.

Faith is very fragile in the hands of we humans. We are taught that if we
believe in or see things that everyone else cannot see, it will win us a
room in the basket weavers union hall. But all of us HAVE to use faith
everyday. Why, it takes faith at night to believe that you will wake up in
the morning. Then faith to get into your car and not get killed on the way
to or way home from work. And today, with companies going under all the
time, you must have faith that you are basing your future on a good company.
So if we can have faith in such temporary things here on earth, why then is
it so difficult to believe in our Heavenly Father? To believe the promises
that He has laid out in the Bible for us? But alas, we are weak and can
take some comfort in the company we keep. But don't stop there. Realize
that God greatly blessed those I mentioned for their faith and He will bless
you too. You have faith every time a crisis comes your way. You hang on
for dear life for after all what else can you do but hang on? And you never
really fall. The hard time always passes and you have come through your
ordeal better and stronger for it even if you don't realize it right away.
You hung on to an "invisible wire" that held you up during your time of
need. You may not have seen it but it is there just as the author of it is
and that is our God in Heaven, living in a place we cannot see. So study
the Bible stories that you just thought were for kids in Sunday school and
you will find that you are not the only one who's faith is frail......Patti

It's About Who You Know Isn't It?.....

I was once invited to a dinner party by a very wealthy gentleman and his
wife. The party was not at his home, but at the home of a friend and I had
been assured that he could invite anyone he liked because the host was his
best friend. He just told me to tell them at the door that I was a guest of
his and their would be no problem, we would be admitted. I was very
excited. I was honored because this man was extremely wealthy. He had a
one hundred and five foot boat, and a Rolls Royce and diamonds on every
finger. And yet he and his wife had come to me for a very difficult
business loan and I was able to obtain the financing for them. And they
repaid me with an invitation to their friends home where they would
introduce me to many more people that could be potential clients for me.

I was in no way poor, and could hold my own in any crowd. But the night we
arrived at this man's house, or should I say, mansion, the gentleman that
helped us out of our car was dressed in more expensive attire than we were.
I suddenly became very self conscious and nervous. We walked up the pathway
that lead to the front door. You could easily play nine holes of golf in
this man's front yard. When we finally got to the front door and rang the
resounding bell, we were met with stern and curious eyes that traveled from
our heads to our toes. "May I see your invitation please?", the staunch
young man asked. I told him that we had no invitation but that we had been
asked to come by a friend of the host. "May I have that name please?" is
all the person said. There was no smile on his face nor any sign of concern
for our obvious discomfort as other guests were motioned through the door
without their invitations being asked for. The door shut after a brief,
"Wait here", from the doorman. After what seemed an hour and as we were
turning to escape back to our car, the door opened again and we were
gestured in. We really did not know what to expect, but the host himself
was there and shook our hands as if he had know us for years and immediately
took us around to all the other guests and introduced me as a very important
business associate. Now what I had done for his partner had greatly
impacted one of their joint ventures and had somehow saved the day for them.
I had just been doing my job and was not aware of all that had happened
behind the scenes and was quite overwhelmed by all the attention. By the
end of that day I had made very many important business connections. It was
as if this gentleman adopted me and saw to my good fortune as he would see
to the needs of one of his children. Funny. I never would have been able
to have this association with any of these people if not for one man who was
the key to my existence there that day.

Later, after I became a Christian, I thought back on that day and was amazed
at the parallel between the invitation to that party and the invitation that
our Lord, Christ Jesus, had extended to me one day. I was in awe because
this Man just happened to be the Son of a King. By accepting His
invitation, heaven was opened to me. I had been adopted into the family of
God. I had all rights and access to the Most High God Himself. And
throughout the years, He has made sure that I have made the right
connections here on earth. And He has rewarded me for my work for his
company, the Kingdom of God. And the bonuses have been beyond compare. I
came to heaven's door in spiritual rags and was not worthy on my own to even
touch the doorknob let alone enter in. But today when I knock, the door
swings wide open and one day, even though I live in modest means here on
earth compared to others who live in mansions, I will myself live in the
greatest mansion of all and that is Heaven itself. You know what? I guess
it really is about "who you know" isn't it?....Patti

Two Traveling Angels....

This was sent to me a long time ago from the internet. There was no
author's name on the page. Perhaps an angel wrote it to bless us all. We
all have to remember that sometimes when we ask God for something, His
answer may be "no". Don't be discouraged. If you are standing in a valley,
you cannot see beyond the mountains. But God, Who sits on the highest place
can see everything and what you have been praying for might lead you right
into the enemy's hands. Trust God and His answers to your prayers even when
the answer is not what you may have wanted. The little story that follows
illustrates this perfectly.

Two traveling angels

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night
in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's
guest room.
Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the
wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied,
"Things aren't always what they seem"

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very
hospitable farmer and his wife.
After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in
their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his
wife in tears.
Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the
field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you
have let this happen?
The first man had everything, yet you helped him, he accused.
The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you
let the cow die.

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.
"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I
noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.
Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good
fortune, I sealed the
wall so he wouldn't find it."
"Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came
for his wife. I gave him
the cow instead.

Things aren't always what they seem."

.

Head 'em Off at the Pass.....

Did you ever watch an old Western on TV and you heard the bad guys saying
how they were going to head into a little town and rob the bank and then the
scene fades to the Sheriff and his posse hidden up in the rocks above the
town and the Sheriff says to his men, "We will 'head them off at the pass'
and they will never get into town to kill, rob, and destroy our people!"?

As Christians we should be aware of our enemy's tactics. The Bible tell us
that the devil is like a roaring lion who roams about the earth seeking
those he might kill, steal and destroy. (John 10: 10 NKJV) Just as we have
faith and believe in an invisible God, we should be very aware of a very
real enemy of our souls and that is the devil and his demons. They are not
all locked up in hell as some choose to believe. Sadly, most people don't
even believe in the devil and that includes some Christians. I have heard
very prominent men and women in churches today state with great assurance
that once you are "born again" and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior,
you cannot be plagued by demons. This is just not true. We cannot be
"possessed", but we can be "oppressed" by demons. We, by our own lack of
knowledge, allow demons to set up camp all around us. In our homes, in our
schools and even in our churches. We can allow them in our life. And oh
how they love it when you raise your boney little fist to heaven and blame
God for their handy work. It is time to stop being victims and take in a
few facts that can clean up your spiritual life, clean up your surroundings,
and tuck a few tricks of your own up your sleeve to fight a very real enemy
of us all.

What so many Christians don't know, or choose not to remember is that Jesus,
when He died, He descended into hell and took back the keys to the Kingdom
from Satan. Adam had handed over the precious keys to Satan at the fall of
man in the Garden of Eden. But Jesus bought them back with his shed blood
and death on the cross. Jesus did this before He returned to the Father.
Jesus gave us the Keys. (Matthew 16: 19 NKJV) He gave us great and mighty
power when He did this. When He gave us the Keys, He told us that whatever
we would bind on earth would be bound in heaven and whatever we would loose
on earth would be loosed in heaven. He did not say maybe, or should, or
could be, but He said WOULD. So keep this nugget of truth in your mind as
we go on. Satan hands out assignments to his demons. He wants all on earth
to perish. He hates every human with a hate deeper than we can even
understand. He orders his demons to spread out and reek havoc on all.
Whether you are a born again Christian or not, most of us if we are of sound
mind know right from wrong. Most of us want to be good. We all sin and
fall short of the glory of God because of our flesh. (Romans 3:23 NKJV) But
there is more that we can do. Jesus went into the desert for 40 days and
during that time He was tempted by the devil. But Jesus turned Satan's
words back on him with the word of God. That is why it is so important to
know God's word. It will always lead you on the path of righteousness. You
will be less likely to fall into the devil's snares. When we hear that
little voice in our head telling us to do something that we know is wrong,
we will be prepared to deal with it.

One other thing you can do everyday is to start your day with prayer. We
are in a war everyday for our soul. No soldier goes into battle without his
armor. Put yours on everyday. (Ephesians 6: 11-12 NKJV) Then make sure
that you say, "Today I cancel the assignments of the enemy on my life and on
the lives of my family and friends. I bind the enemy up from my life and
render the assignments useless today in the name of and by the precious
blood of Jesus." That is all there is to it. You have "bound" it on earth
and therefore it IS bound up in heaven. You will have to pray that everyday
because hell hands out new assignments everyday. But by praying this simple
prayer, you can "Head them off at the pass".......Patti

Is Seeing Believing?...

"I can't see God, so I don't even know He exists". "How do I believe in
something I cannot see?" "Hey, seeing is believing!".

We always want everything laid out for us don't we? We want life made as
easy as possible for us. We really don't want to work for anything. Even the
kids today have pens that can help them do their homework. Remember the
movies of the past where they showed the future of a world run by computers?
Even a visit to Disneyland showed the homes of the future as virtually
stress and work free as computerized robots would do all the work for us.
Well, the future is here. We are becoming a spoiled and lax generation.
Young people today seem to be void of imagination and common sense because
it would appear that they no longer need either one. My kids could build a
fort in our house out of sheets and clothespins and their imaginations could
take them virtually anywhere in the world. Now the computer is "virtual" and
little minds and big minds no longer need to be. Imagination stirs emotion
and we seem to be void of almost any emotions these days. It is taking away
their and our ability to believe in anything that cannot be seen. It is
taking our ability to think out problems and use common sense. And emotions
and common sense is what will keep us from becoming nothing more than sheep
led to slaughter. There is an anti-Christ out there who is counting on this
very thing, and to date he is winning.

Common sense is extremely important in our ability to reason and believe
even when we cannot see. For example, common sense tells me that if I step
out in front of a speeding bus, I will be killed. Common sense tells me that
if I eat food that looks perfectly okay but smells bad that I will get sick.
Common sense tells me that even though I cannot see tulips in the winter,
there will be tulips in the Spring. Common sense tells me that there is a
God. I say this because common sense tells me that in order for the
Atheist's Big Bang theory to be real, they have to explain to me where the
first two atoms that went bang came from. The bang theory starts out with
something to "go bang" with, but they never want to explain where that
matter came from. So common sense continues to tell me that this mass
universe and all living matter in it was created by and kept in perfect
order by God.

Seeing is believing. This is not a true statement. Love is real but you
cannot see it. The wind is real, but you cannot see it. All emotions are
real and yet we cannot see them. All we can see of all the above is the
result of them. We cannot see God but we certainly can see the result of our
Heavenly Father. We can see His love for us in many ways. Don't ever forget
that WE betrayed the perfect relationship with God that He arranged for us
in the Garden of Eden. WE broke the covenant with God. And yet His love
restored our relationship with Him. He did this by sending us Jesus. People
saw, heard, and touched Him and still did not believe. So you see, seeing is
not always believing, because Jesus was put to death. And this selfless act
forever restored our relationship with God. The God we cannot see. You can't
see God with your eyes, but you can see Him through faith and common sense.
And you will be rewarded for this for the Word says, "Faith is the substance
of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11: 1-3 NKJV
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently
seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6 NKJV Faith and common sense go hand in hand. Use a
little of both today and a whole new world will open up for you and you will
find that you no longer need to "see" to "believe"......Patti