just a little change

Isn't it funny how just a little change in something gives it a whole new outlook? If we change a piece of furniture in our home, when others enter they notice something different. It isn't an out of place change, it is a change that brings a new beauty. When I change my hair(which is quite often) or just get a little trim, my husband notices. Change is something people around us notice. To have change in our lives, we don't have to have something drastic, but we can change subtle things that make a huge difference. When we come to know the Lord, He doesn't change us completely over night, that is a process that will last for the rest of our days here. When we come to Him, we don't have to make a lot of changes first, He will make those through us little by little. Change is something good when we are moving closer to Him. If we are moving farther away from Him, that change is not the kind of change that is leading us to who He wants us to become. Change is also scary, some like things just the way they are and when change comes they are fearful of what they do not know or understand. But change effects us all daily. The change of jobs or lack of, the changes of health we encounter daily, the change that comes with teaching our children and them getting older not needing so much of our time while they are finding their own path. Having a baby brings change to a marriage, the loss of a child brings forth change that at times is over bearing. When we lose someone in our lives, family, friendships, that brings a change in us. Change is something normal, its not abnormal. The thing with change to always remember is that we cannot change other people, many times we cannot even change our circumstances, but we can bring change to ourselves, how we react to change and to others. As a butterfly or a dragonfly change, they become more beautiful. When the change happens they receive their set of wings and they can fly, not only fly but soar. Going through a metamorphosis is part of the Christian walk. Although we may not be ready for change, change is ready for us. Through change we come closer to the Lord, we call upon His name more. The changing of the seasons is something amazing. To me it is just amazing how each one is important, each one brings forth a different beauty and also through those seasons different aspects of the weather come into play. Some are Summer lovers, others Fall, Spring brings forth a beauty all of its own when things come to life again, but this girl is a Winter girl. I love to see everything covered in white. There is just a peace in that moment for me. But through all of those changes, that is exactly what our earth needs to keep alive, and we too, whether we like it or not, change is something we need in our lives to make us grow. From the time we are born to the time of growing old, our bodies change completely, and our emotions change along with them. As we grow older we are wiser, we tend to leave those childish ways behind us. There is a time and a place for everything under the sun. For me, just changing the way our furniture is in our home is a change that brings a smile, but all change does not bring a smile. When changes came in my health, I did not smile, when changes came with our girls, I was not smiling, and when my husband lost his job, there was no amount of smiling. But through those changes, God has not moved, He is still right there, and He is moving in us. He has brought about good and marvelous change through those changes. He has brought amazing people into my life, dreams that I thought was just a passing idea. I have learned God uses every change for His glory and honor. I am learning not to be afraid of change, but to embrace it. Although this is not hard, what else is there to do? We cannot fight change, it is coming and staring us right in the face daily. So why not embrace everything and just believe that the Lord is at work in the areas we are not able to see? Nothing ever stays the same, all things change, so may we change the way we look at change and come with new thoughts, and when those new challenges come, may we learn to face them with knowing God is right there, and with Him, we know something wonderful is going to come from the change we are seeing. When we learn to embrace change instead of fighting it, we are allowing God to move and work in our lives. We have to start somewhere, so why not start today with a new challenge, a new idea, a new mindset? Embrace today with everything you have and watch God at work in your life through that change!





Lord, as change comes into my life daily, give me the strength to embrace it, not to fight it. Give me the passion for life, for whatever may come, knowing You are here with me. Make changes in me Lord, make the change that will bring me closer to You, for that is where this girl wants to be.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 "But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. and the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image."

SO LONG, INSECURITY by Beth Moore

When you pick up Beth's book on insecurity, you will finish with feelings of security! Anytime Beth writes, she writes and shares from her heart, and teaches with the wisdom from her own experiences. We may not all experience insecurity on the same level or with the same struggles, but we have been there. And we didn't get there alone, we had some help along the way, but we need to own our insecurities and become stronger women in Christ. Beth teaches us that however strong our insecurities are, they are holding us back from being all we can be, and no one or nothing in this world can bring us security. That gift comes from the One who created us in His image. Insecurity can confine us, can change us, can hold us back and make us give an entirely wrong impression. We all face insecurity, and Beth teaches us how to move forward, how to let go, and find our completeness in Christ. I loved this book, and will go back and read it a second time. If we are having trouble relating to others, finding our way, or hiding behind an image, this book is for you. If you have ever woke and thought yourself not a good wife, a good mother, a good friend, or thought you were beautiful, this is a must read for you. Our insecurities do not just touch us, but those around us. Beth shares stories from her life, from many others, and uses scripture to point us in the right direction. This book is a gift to any woman, daughter, or friend. This book was a gift from Tyndale for its review. This book will be available in Feb 2010.

THINGS WORTH REMEMBERING by Jackina Stark

When I read the cover of this book I knew I was in for a treat, and a few tears. Every mother wants to help her daughter prepare for her wedding, but many times separation occurs between a mother and daughter, and things of the past become our present. We find Kendy, the mother of Maisy wanting so badly to be part of her daughter's wedding, and Maisy, who is pushing her aside. Through the story it is unveiled as the mystery of why this daughter who is loved so much pushes her mother away, and clings to her father. This story takes us on a journey through a mother and daughter eyes who were once so close and have missed out on many years. They have hidden pain in their hearts, and tried to ignore what was obvious. In our dreams we would be perfect, but we are not, we are anything but, and this story helps us see how much forgiveness and understanding are needed. As time is trying to keep them apart, the Lord is bringing them together. As Kendy speaks to her daughter the night before the wedding, she says to her daughter something so beautiful, and peace begins. They are able to open up, and share from their broken hearts. Before we come to peace we must first uncover the pain to let healing begin. I loved this story, this story shares so much of what mothers and daughters can go through. I loved the ending of the story, it was a rich blessing and gives hope to those facing some of these same circumstances. The wedding day comes and new days are ahead, new days that can be filled with new memories that will be worth remembering. This book was given to me for review by Bethany House.

bitterness has a bite

When life throws us a punch and when things are not looking hopeful our senses can play tricks on us. Our feelings become raw, and our heart is wide open. We all have struggles, we all have sins that bite us daily, those in which we struggle facing and giving up to Jesus. But before we can give them up to Him we must be real with ourselves. As I said, this is the year for me to be honest, to show my heart, not to pretend with a smile on my face when all things are falling apart around me. Bitterness is one of those sins, one of those ugly curses that sneak up on us, they come little by little, and as we try to push those feelings down deep, they just keep building and building, until one day the tears begin to flow and they aren't stopping any time soon. I think we can reach more people for Christ when we become real, when we show our real struggles, and open ourselves up. I hear the Lord wanting me to share, but some things are just hard to share, and I find myself saying no, but knowing He is right. So, in writing, it brings humbleness, but more so, my husband not working for over a year brings humbleness. When you once woke each morning having everything you need, you tend to take those things for granite, but sometimes you wake and all those things you once had are gone. When you face the unknown you want to be surrounded by people loving you and lifting you up through your trials, but when you wake and you don't find that, it brings pain, it brings hurt, and bitterness sets in. When you are struggling each day just to place food on the table, it hurts. Stress? When you are facing such unknowns from every direction, the stress is overwhelming. When you see your husband struggle and try and try, it breaks your heart as a wife. As a sweet friend was sharing with me a few days ago, she too, knows all to well the meaning of struggling, and feeling as though you are empty of those around you. You feel as though through your struggle, it is all your own. It is almost as though when people see struggle they turn in the other direction, either afraid its contagious, or you might just ask them for something. I am here to share, those who are struggling, they don't want hand outs, they want prayer, they want to know those around them really do care, they want to know those around them are reaching out to them, helping them through the trial they are facing.They want to feel as though they matter, that what they are going through matters to those around them. It doesn't take two and two to see that if a person is out of work for over a year, there must be a need, there must not be money there. I know many who are struggling, hurting and not sure what tomorrow will bring. My son cleaned out his closet and is giving his some of his clothes, and coats to a friend, whose father has been out of work. When you have placed your glasses in the Lions Club box for years in hopes of helping others, you never think you too will find yourself in that position. When you have had insurance your whole life and have never worried about going to the doctor, but one day you wake and need to go, but there is no money, no help, you find yourself making an appointment at the clinic, that is humbling. You find in life, through all these struggles what is really important. You find Jesus at every turn lifting you up through the tears and pain. When you are struggling, the last thing you want to feel is alone, and for me, that is how I have felt for almost a year now. That is where my bitterness is coming in. I have a sweet friend, who told me I was becoming bitter, and I laughed about that. Not me, not this mercy, but yes, it is true. I have carried so much anger and pain,and this morning that is one reason I am sharing, I do not want to carry this any longer. I know I am not alone out there in having feelings we do not understand, in having feelings we are losing control in. There are many aspects of this I cannot share, but in sharing just some, I think it allows others to see that being a Christian does not make us perfect, it does not make us better, by far, it brings humbleness, and allows Christ to really shine through our pain. If we are not real, what are we? I do not want to hide behind a smile. My heart is breaking for all those who have lost their jobs and are hurting. Praise Jesus, our home is paid off, but many have lost their homes. Instead of this being a trial, a struggle, people tend to look at you as though something is wrong with you. When you make calls asking for help, and you are turned down, or are asked questions as to why are you in this circumstance, you want to scream, "I do not know"!!! And being true, I do not know why, I do know the Lord will move, I do know I have hope, I do know He is with us, when all others have seemed to turn away. If you are struggling today, there is a God who sees and knows just where you are and what is taking place right now in your life. The One who matters is with you, turn to Him and allow Him to take your pain, your bitterness or whatever you may be feeling today. Open your heart to Him, begin being honest with yourself and not afraid to be honest with others. The first place to begin healing is the arms of Jesus, and in your heart. I can testify to you today that Jesus is with me, that His Spirit is at work, creating in me who He has called me to be. With each trial, with each struggle, we may find our weakness, but in Him will find our strength. Remember, the Lord is with you when you are sitting at the kitchen table wondering how your bills are going to be paid, He is with you when the stress is at its limit, He is with you when the rain is falling down, you my friend are not alone. He is listening and He is hearing our prayers.

Psalm 143:1 "O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."

Psalm 130:1-2 "Out of the depths I cry to You O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy."

finding my way through the fog

Sitting here, looking through the window this morning watching the fog had me thinking. In fog we cannot see very far, sometimes we cannot even see a stones throw. It is dangerous to drive in, and when they fog falls upon us in the valley, it too can seem as though we are living in a fog. As we drive in the fog, we turn our lights on, we turn on the defroster, we might even open a window a bit to keep the windshield clear, but we still drive at a snails pace, making our way through. Sometimes life is difficult trying to make our way through. No matter what we do, it seems as though the fog is heavy, and is not lifting, weighing us down. We wait for the day that the sun shines, the skies clear and we can see again. Today I find myself waiting on both. It is very foggy here, the skies are full, and it looks as though it could rain at any moment. As I woke this morning, I woke with a heavy heart, the feel of weight bearing down on me, the feeling as though the tears were going to break through at any moment. I was able to lay in bed and spend time with the Lord, precious time, where in His presence the fog is lifted, the skies are clear and the Son is shining. I have many things that are weighing on my heart, many thoughts that are not escaping my mind, but are surrounding all I am doing. If we are not careful we can get trapped in that fog, we can become surrounded by feelings of emptiness. I have been there and I can find myself there often when I am focusing on all around me, the situations effecting my life and those I love, but when I find myself in the presence of Jesus, He shines a new light on things. I can see more clearly when I look through His eyes and not my hurting eyes. In the fog there is so much unknown, we find ourselves driving, not knowing what is ahead, and that can be fearful. Our lives too can be filled with the fear of the unknown. In life on our journey, there are going to be sunny days, rainy days, windy days, and those days where the fog is thick. We can't allow the circumstances on our journey effect what is in our heart. If it is raining outside we can still feel the warmth of the sun in our hearts. If we are not careful we allow all those effects to determine our outlook on life, our attitude for the day, and our feelings of security in our hearts. For me I like preparing, I like being ready early(my friends would attest to that), I don't like the unknown, I don't like uncertainty, and that is exactly what I am facing right now, today. But whether our day is filled with sunshine or clouds, do we ever really know what is coming? Life changes so quickly, in just a second life can change forever. The only thing that I find myself knowing this morning, the only thing I am sure of, the only security I have in my life right now is Jesus Christ. He is the only never changing, never leaving, forever the same security I have. Everything around me seems to change daily, but Jesus is always there, always reaching out to me, and forever loving me. When I am in His presence all is right, no matter what is falling around me. When I feel His hand upon me I know all is going to work for His glory. When I hear His precious words, I know that He is with me through all, through the changes that come daily. Although I find it hard to see through the fog, although the pain is piercing in my heart of the unknown, I need to place my trust in the One who can see, who can lift me out of that fog, and fill my heart with a renewed Spirit full of joy. It is hard to let go of fear, its hard to face the unknown, and even harder to let go. Even though those around me may not understand, I know that Jesus does. As I face each day of unknown, I know that my Redeemer will see me through. When I place my faith in Him, it is a new day, a new moment, and a new time. When I open my heart up to Him, I know without a doubt He is there for the long haul. When I was listening to the radio yesterday I heard a song with the words, "This is my temporary home." As I sat listening to this song, the tears ran down my cheeks, with a new found peace. I know this is my temporary home, and all that touches me seems like it is here to stay, but it is temporary, just as the fog. The fog lifts, and we see the sun shine again. As night falls, and the darkness takes over, the stars still shine no matter if the clouds are blocking them from our view. Many times I may not see ahead, my vision may be clouded, but there is One who set the stars in the heavens that sees just where I am headed and what I am facing each day. He is my compass, He is my forever North. As long as I keep my eyes upon Him, He will guide me through whatever is blocking my vision.

Wherever you are today my friend, know that Jesus will see you through. He won't just see you through, but He will guide you, bless you, and keep you in His care. Just when the fog seems like it will be here to stay, it will lift, the Son will shine, and you will see your path clearly. He knows every plan He has for us, and just what it is going to take to get us there. Let Him be your sight, your ears, and allow your heart to follow Him. There is no other guide like Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

a leap or a limb?

Have you ever heard someone say, "I am taking a leap of faith?" Maybe you have also heard someone say, "I am going out on a limb here." These two phrases have very different meanings. When we go out on a limb, we are out there alone, we are without God, and we are depending on ourselves. When we take a leap of faith, we are not alone, we are following God where He is sending. Taking a leap of faith is not going off on our own. If I write a check for 1000.00 and have no money in my bank account, it is not taking a leap of faith that when I get to the bank 1000.00 dollars will be in deposited. Going out on a limb is doing something for us, we are trying to benefit from something we want. But when we take a leap of faith, it is not necessarily something we want, it may be something we least expected, but it is something God is directing us to do, or somewhere He is calling us. If He is calling us to Iraq to reach others for His glory, we are taking a leap of faith in Him, not ourselves. We are believing and trusting in Him and Him alone to make all things possible for His glory in the mission He has called us for. Going out on a limb is not very wise. On a limb, there is nothing to count on, there is nothing to fall on, or much to hold on to. The further we get out on that limb, we can see how weak it is, and how unsettling it is. There is no assurance at all, but with a leap of faith, we have all the assurance we need in Christ. If we are listening to His will, His call for us, whatever opportunity He has for us, we can without a doubt know that we are secure in all, for He is there with us. He is there when we don't know what is coming, He is there when we don't have the answers. He shows Himself and we as His children without a doubt know that this is what He is asking of us. That is why it is so important to seek His wisdom before any choice or decision we are making. It is important not to move until we do hear from Him, no matter how long that is, He will give us the peace to be still and know that He is God. As Christians we take a leap of faith daily, trusting Him each step of the way. It is when I leave my faith, when I leave His will and try to do it my way that I find myself out on a limb. When I was younger I found myself out on a limb many times, only to fall without a net. As I have grown in my relationship with Him, I have learned my leap of faith is building trust, and it is through that leap of faith that I see Him at work and not myself. Let go of that limb your holding on to today, and grab hold of something real, something true, that will never let you down, and lead you to where you were designed to be, Jesus Christ.

THE CHOICE by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Life is forever changing for Carrie Weaver, a young Amish girl finding her way in the Amish community of Lancaster County. Carrie is thinking of following her heart, and the heart of a young Solomon Riehl, who wants to leave the plain life and live as an Englisher, one who has a love of baseball and has a chance to play. Solomon leaves to carry out his dreams only to be brought back to Lancaster, finding himself, his faith and love, but it is a long ride getting there. Carrie marries the young man her father wished for her to be with, only to have tragedy strike, leaving Carrie heart broken and confused. As life keeps changing for Carrie, young Abel comes into her life. Can she trust him? Can she open her heart to another? Abel, just as Carrie is trying to move forward, the difference is that Abel is grounded in his faith, as Carrie is now moving toward a relationship with Jesus. So many beautiful characters are here in Lancaster with Carrie. Characters who are real, who are searching, who have pasts, and are trying to find their future through the choices they have made. The choices we make today will forever change tomorrow. I feel in love with Lancaster and with Carrie. You will be blessed by picking this one up. A story of forgiveness, of mercy, and a tender love story leading you right to Jesus. This book was a gift from Revell for its review and will be released January 2010.

Suzanne Woods Fisher's interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Dunkard Brethren Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne's work has appeared in many magazines, including Today's Christian Woman, Worldwide Challenge,ParentLife, Christian Parenting Today, and Marriage Partnership. She has contributed to several nonfiction books and is the author of Amish Peace and two novels. Fisher resides in Alamo, California.

HOW TO REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIAL FOR GOD by Charles F. Stanley

Do you ever wonder what your potential is in life, your purpose? The best place to go is to God, to seek Him and He will show us. This book takes us step by step to understanding the will of God for our lives, and uses Scripture to get us there. If you find yourself searching, thinking this is it, is there more to life, this book is for you. It was for me, just at the right time. We are shown to pursue our potential. We first must have a clean heart, a pure mind, and a soul seeking the will of God. We must have an ongoing surrender to God of all we have in our lives, and surrender our hearts to Him. Mr. Stanley shows us the character of a man is shown not just by reading God's word, but by living it, by hiding it in our hearts and allowing God to move through us. Too many times we give up, we lose hope, and we lose sight of our way, but Mr. Stanley shows us today we can begin new, we can open our mind to all God has for us by giving all of our self to Him.God does not want us to live a risk free life, He doesn't want us to play it safe, He wants us to seek all of our possibilities, and gifts that He has given. If we are not using all He has given, then we are wasting the gifts He so lovingly gave each of us. We need to trust in Him, and not in our ways. He shows we often compare ourselves to one another, and that is wrong. We are not meant to be like another, we are meant to shine and to live abundantly, not settle. We don't often respond to God's challenges because we want control, and we are fearful of change. One of my favorite chapters is chapter 4, where Mr. Stanley speaks of having a clean heart. Of how many times we wash our hands in a day, and just how much we ignore the cleanliness of our heart. I love where he says, "Our heart is as clean as our last thought." This book was thought provoking, eye opening and was inspiring to me. These are words we all need to hear if we want to live as Christ, if we are seeking our way, and finding our potential. We can find it all right in God's word, in spending time with Him and listening to all He has to say. This book was a gift from Thomas Nelson for its review.

what an impact one person can make

We make an impact on the lives around us, that impact is either good or dangerous. For me, I have had both in my life, just as many of you have had. But today I am remembering someone who made an impact on my life, and who knew what kind that would be, but God. In second grade, my favorite teacher happened to be Ms. Brown, she was our librarian. At that time I was attending a very small school, but this teacher, this woman gave me the love of reading. She would share books with me, tell me stories,and give me a smile each day, asking how I was and what was I reading now. Of course at that time I didn't know just how much of an impact she would make on my life. I have no idea where Ms. Brown is now, but I know the things she taught me, the love of reading she shared made a powerful impact on my life. I loved going to the library, loved the smell of books, and the feel of the pages, and just where the stories took me. I still have that love today, so to her I want to say thank you, thank you for giving your time, and reaching out to a little girl that you brought to a whole new level just by sharing the love you had for reading. Those people around us can give a powerful impact on our lives. When we reach out to others, when we take others into our lives and share with them, we are reaching a place so deep that will forever be with them.

Lord, I pray with the life You have given me, that I use my life to bring glory to You, and make a powerful impact on those around me, bringing them closer to You, not farther away with my actions or words or opinions. May all my opinions, deeds and words point straight to You.

Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

We must be wise in our actions with others, reaching out in a loving, Godly way. We must be careful in our words, and actions building others up, not tearing them down. Just one word can change the life of another. We can encourage others by being truthful, with love. Just as I had other teachers in high school tell me I was on my way to hell, and didn't take time to know my heart, they too made an impact on my young years. I believed these Catholic leaders that told me I was nothing unless I conformed to them. This put me on a course of not caring about myself. I thought, well, if this is true, why should I try? Today, I know I am special, I am a child of God. No man or woman has my salvation in their hands, only God, and I praise Him for that. Too many times we give our opinions to others and in those opinions we are not leading others to Him, but are making okay for what they are doing. That is not encouraging, that is moving in the way of danger, allowing them to think the path they are on is a good one. There is a difference in encouraging, and just fitting the mold. We must remember we are accepted in God's love, in His forgiveness, and He can renew us, and He can give us all we need.

Today, I pray that all I do, all I come in contact with I can impact their lives in a wonderful way by showing them who Jesus is, and being the example I should be to the world and those around me. Just thinking that one word, one comment can change one forever, can change the way they look at themselves, and others. May our words be pleasing to the Lord always.

is your wood wet?

We have an outside wood furnace, so we have a huge stack of wood by the house. My husband will cut the wood, load it and stack it. He is a man who can build a fire with no problem, me on the other hand cannot build a fire to save my life. If it were up to me for us to stay warm, we would wake with ice crystals on our eye brows. I can get the flame going, but to keep the fire moving, to keep it lit, that is my problem. Have you ever gone to a conference, left church from an amazing word of God, had a night of studying with a friend, and have just felt the Spirit move in you like nothing before only to have your fire go out soon after? I know as I have gone to Women of Faith with the ladies of our church, have been at church camp, been to teen-conference, listening to amazing speakers, even at church listening to our Pastor speak the words I needed to hear, or served a week in V.B.S, to come home refreshed, renewed, and on fire for Jesus, but then after a while, things tend to get right back to the old me, the world takes over, life is being added by double portions of stress to find myself wanting to be with Jesus as I was before. Its like the Lord spoke to me, straight to my heart, and I say, "Yes, Lord, I hear You", only to ignore Him later, to push aside all I had soaked in days earlier, to allow in things of the world to crush all that God had done to move me toward Him. As our Pastor would say, "Your wood is wet". I don't want my wood to be wet, I want to feel the warmth of the fire, I want to sit close to it, and never have those burning embers going out. I know each day is different, I allow stress and trials to come in, and as I concentrate on those things, I am pushing God aside. There cannot be room for both. If I am concentrating on Him, trusting Him, He will take care of the rest. I don't want to be in the dark, I want to be in the light, to feel His presence with me. As my husband goes out and checks the fire regularly, making sure the smoke is coming out, the wood is burning, and the fire is taking off great, he makes sure all day and all night that fire is moving, because he knows without the fire, we will be cold. Our home stays warm and is lit with love when we have the fire burning strong. When the fire is going out, the cold of the world can come in, and make us shiver to the bone, changing our attitudes. This week, I began my days with listening to the Word. I have had Christian talk radio on, and in the afternoons I have listened to Christian radio, soaking in the music and moving about my day. I can tell you without a doubt, this changes my whole day, no matter what comes, I have a different attitude. I am on fire with the Lord, feeling Him move through me. On those days when I choose to wake thinking upon what the day is bringing, and how much I have to do, I lose sight. When I have my eyes upon me, they are off of Him. I need to keep in check my heart and actions, just as my husband keeps in check our fire. It is a choice, a choice I make daily to live for Him and Him alone. Are you like me and wondering what has happened to the feeling you had last week? Yesterday? Our feelings change day to day, minute by minute, but the Lord can fill us with His joy, giving us a warmth, giving us strength and a new found glory in Him. We are forever changed when we accept Him into our lives, into our hearts. Christianity is a daily choice we make in how we live, our actions and our speech. Listen to this verse I came across this morning:

Ephesians 1:13-14 "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory."

Now, if that doesn't light your fire, I am not sure what can! When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, He filled us with the Holy Spirit, we need no more, we have all of Him. We have an inheritance in Him, our future has been bought with a price, our salvation is secure, and in that and that alone should place such a joy in our hearts that we will forever stand with our eyes upon Him, waiting for His return, and in the meantime, we know He is here with us, in everything! Our beautiful Savior loves us, and wants us to not concentrate on the world, but on Him and His word. When we choose to fill our hearts, our homes and our surroundings with His love, our fire will keep burning. We must change our surroundings, change those things we are allowing in our lives, hearts and minds, and when we do we will see Him clearly, tuning out the world around us, and focusing on Him. Keep that fire burning by keeping close to Him~