My african violets...

I love african violets. I believe my love came from them from my grandmother. She always had them and I loved the feel and the beauty of the little flowers. My mother has recently bought me some. The first was a deep purple,the next was a magnificent pink. I usually can never keep plants alive past a few weeks. My husband says I have a gift of loving them to death,with water. He may be right on this one. I have one in my kitchen and one in the living room. They are special to me, they speak of my mom's love,and of God's beautful creation. When I look at them I say a prayer for my mom. They are reminders of her great love for me. When she gave them to me, I can't even explain how I felt, except to say overjoyed. What overjoys you? Is there a gift you cherish, a little something that brings you great joy or the memory of the past? These little flowers brings me back to my childhood, and its funny that I would remember flowers of my grandmothers. Many things took place at her house,but I remember the littlest thing. We place things in our lives for a purpose,many times it is a memory we hold as children,and the thought of that can take us back to a peace, an innocense that we so want to go back to. For me,these little flowers bring a peace. A peace that brings comfort. Just as a cup of tea, or coffee with a friend can bring joy,I gain that from these tiny creations of God. We all walk too fast in our lives today. Take a few moments to remember what blesses you, a memory from childhood, a kiss from the past. Place a little joyful reminder in your heart, in your living room, or outside while you sit and take in the afternoon sun. Take time to stand back and look at the blessings that have touched us, made us who we are. As my mom continues to give me little presents of violets, I will treasure each one,for each color will remind me of her love, a special moment in time that I saw a smile on her face, a smile of joy as she loved and gave. Each little tender petal, with its blast of color shows me just how special life is, and to take each moment and cherish time, for we know time goes by so quickly. As time passes we can still take a moment and enjoy life, enjoy the gifts God gives, and the love we share with those around us. What do you love? What do you want to hold dear and close? Allow yourself to go back in time and remember someone so very special to you, that made an impact on your life, take a memento to remember, and be thankful of those tiny blessings that are so sweet..

The Fourth of July for Me....

For me, this is my favorite holiday. It has always been a favorite for me. It began when I was a child. My family always got together for this day. We shared food, laughter,games,and at the end we set off fireworks. The sound of them, the beauty of all the color was spectacular for me. I have many fond memories of the 4th. It is a day of celebration,respect, and love. For all those men and woman who have given their lives, who chose to fight in wars that didn't seem to make sense. To them it made all the sense in the world, they were fighting for freedom,not just of person,but of mind and soul. Our country is still a very young country,but I wouldn't want to live any where else at all. Those who stand together for those who are weak and tired speaks volumes of who we are. As a country we may differ from each other,may not agree on a President, may not be able to see eye to eye on many levels,but we stand together as the United States of America. We are the land of the free, home of the brave. For me some of my favorite movies are war movies. I love history,and the story behind all these men and woman who chose to give all for their country. It is hard for me to watch war movies,although I love them so. I find myself coming to tears knowing the facts behind the movies are true. The war is real,the blood shed is real, and the hurt is so real. After World War 2 men came home as heros, welcome by all,as they should be.As they walked the streets, they held their heads proudly,and those around them were proud to know them,proud to just be in their company. It wasn't so after Vietnam,it was different. These men and women were fighting for their country to free another nation. It is still today misunderstood why we were there to begin with. The reason did not and should not have affected how these men and woman were treated as they came home. There was no greeting,there was no parties, and they felt unwelcome to come back to their home country that shunned them. These were are family members,friends and people who gave, and gave until they came home with nothing. This war was going on when I was just a babe, my father did not have to go,because of me. That is not true for today. We live in a country that wants freedom, but slowly our freedoms are being taken away, and all that these men and women did for us, will be in vain,unless we make a choice and stand for all they fought for. I have friends who are Marines, my step-daughter and her husband served in the Airforce, other young people have gone into the Army or Navy. They make this choice for many reasons,but as they stand they all stand for the same thing, Liberty and Freedom. They stand for the colors of red,white and blue. As they return home they should be welcomed with love and respect,even if you do not believe in the war being fought,these brave men and women give so that we may have a 4th of July, that we may have peace and enjoy the freedoms that we so often take for granit. As we have always celebrated this day,while our children were young we would have a bbq, then later we would all go as a family and watch fireworks at a local city. We would sit and watch fireworks eating icecream, and saying ooh, and awe. Today is a day about giving and receiving. We can receive because of what has been given. What an amazing day for us to celebrate. To be an American is a gift, it is a treasure, and it is what today is all about...For those who have served and fought,I say thank you and to your families I say job well done....

Are you tired?

Are you tired like me? Each day seems to bring something new into our lives,whether it is big or small each one is wearing me out. Yesterday we find that the transmission is going out in my husbands truck,today the lawn mower breaks, the wonderful job we though my husband was to have didn't work out. The company wanted him to do illegal things, so my husband walked away. My mom's eyes are worse today. I have friends who are hurting, and I am feeling today as though enough is enough. Bills are piling up fast, school is approaching,and as I look at each of these things and more I feel overwhelmed. Does anyone else wake like that? Then I find myself feeling guilty for having these feelings. When I look around and see so many struggling, my family including it makes you feel discouraged, it makes you feel as though no end is near. As I peel myself out of bed, I look at all the work I need to do, but then I remember my friend's house that burned down, and I know I am blessed to have a house to clean. We can get grumbly, we can get as though we feel defeated,but we are not. The Lord is there with us. I just need to tell myself to stop grumbling and take a look at the blessings I do have. Satan has this way of getting into our minds and telling us,all is hopeless, all things are not going to get better,infact they are going to get worse. He lies to us daily, minute by minute at times,but we can overcome. We can tell satan,"Get behind me!!" I can change my attitude to one who looks like Christ. When we feel so helpless, when we feel as though all is gone,we need to just get on our knees and stay there until we hear from the Lord. As each trial comes,and sometimes they come like pouring rain,slamming down on us,give each one to Christ,praying over each trial,each heart ache, each disappointment, and praising Him for the things we do have in our lives. He never said life would be easy as a christian. We don't get special privledges letting us out of trials,but we do get the privledge of knowing Christ is with us, leading us, and giving us all we need through them. If you woke today as I did, and you are facing trials of all kinds,remember we have a God who knows all and sees all. He is with us,and there is a plan and a purpose to all that touches our lives. Through these trials we can call upon Christ, and we can have a more intimate walk with Him. We must put our faith in something,so why put it in the right place,with Christ,and then we can have the assurance He will see us through anything that comes our way.."Then Jesus said unto him,'Away with you satan!For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." Matthew 4:10 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:3-4 "But first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added to you."Matthew 6:33

Struggling with the pain of the unsaved

I have a dear sweet friend who is struggling with the salvation of her ill brother. She loves him so, and is very close. He has terminal cancer and may not have much time. As my friend is loving on her brother, she feels the Holy Spirit call to her to speak. Sadly, her brother does not want to hear the truth of Christ. He is waiting for a sign. A Saul to Paul conversion. Heart broken, my friend feels as though she has failed in some way to show Christ to her brother. She hasn't failed at all. She loves her brother, she prays for her brother, and she honored the Holy Spirit when He spoke. She has shared with him, the greatest gift of all, she has planted the seed, and the Lord hears her prayers each night. It is so hard having family and friends who are not saved, and do not want to hear about Christ's redemption,His salvation and forgiveness. We can not make others see what we see. We can not change others, only ourselves and how we relate to others. We meet them where they are, and we love them for who they are. As we follow Christ's example, we have to remember as we are obeying His call, and we answer,we have to put our trust,hope and faith in Him to work in the person we are praying for. One day I believe those who we pray for will one day see before them all the prayers that were said for them. That will be a day of blessings or sadness for those who chose not to accept Him. We must not listen to satan tell us we shouldn't have spoken,we didn't say the right things, your not doing any good here so stop. Satan lies to us, he tricks us, he does all he can to move us away from Christ, or have us never to go to Him in the first place. Satan knows our weakness, and he knows our desires,and he is going to do all he can to destroy all around us. He is the king of lies. We must continue to listen to the Holy Spirit. We may not think we are making a difference,but we are with every prayer,with every word we share,and with the love we freely give to those we love. People can't seem to grasp,there is no wrong or right way to approach those we love with the gospel of Christ. We pray and wait for the Holy Spirit to lead us. As we speak to others, we are planting a seed, or maybe we are helping water a seed that has been planted. They may not want to talk about it at the moment,but most likely as they are alone,they will search and they will seek the truth. We must be who we are, and with Christ in us,He is part of our lives, we can't take Him out to please others. Our relationship should continue to shine before those who do not want to hear.As christians, He is in our speech, our walk, our desires, and our deeds. He is part of us, and we are part of Him.We must know that one day, we will be accountable for those we let pass by and not say to them ,"Jesus loves you." Jesus puts those in our paths to reach out to. My friend has done so. She has shared Christ and she has shared her love. She is being the witness the Lord wants her to be. Once we share the word,we must be broken over those who are lost or have turned away,and continue to pray for them and witness with our love and through our actions. It is between them and Christ whether or not they accept Him as Lord and Savior. My friend must find peace and assurance in her heart,knowing she has done all that God has asked of her. The rest lies upon her brother. No one can save us but Christ, nothing in this world can compare to living a christian life. It hurts when those we love are not only hurting,but do not know the love of God.So as my friend faces another day, I pray she knows the peace of God,the love of God, and placing her brother before Christ is what she can do, and all she can do.I ask those of you who read this entry, if you will please pray for my friends brother, and for my friend. For healing for her brother, for him to seek Christ,and to know His love,and for my friend to gain strength and wisdom from the Lord,and a peace that only Christ can give her. You can even leave a verse for her, a comment,a prayer,so she too can be lifted up as her family goes through this trial. We have all been there, if we havent we will be, and one of the greatest gifts is to know you are being prayed for. God is a God of miracles, He is a God of hope. As we keep walking this journey together,may we continue to spread the word of God to all those around us, and listen to the whispers of God. He will give us the words,He will give us the time as He places those in our paths that need Christ as much as you and I.

Would you like to be someone else for a day?

I have thought about this today, and I have to say yes, I would love to be someone else for a day. Wouldn't it be nice to step into anothers shoes and just see what their life is like? Whether it be good or bad, it would make us appriciate others more,we would respect others more, and understand them. Understand the decisions they make, the love they share, what makes them happy,what burdens are they carrying. We often just live in our own box, and not think of others at times. We get so carried away with ourselves, it would help us to learn about others and not judge them. Often seeing things through our own eyes destorts the view, and we cant see the whole situation clearly. For one thing it would stop our pity parties if we were to walk in the shoes of a woman in Africa or the Congo. Walk in a father's shoes who just lost his son, step into the shoes of a family struggling against satan, a mother working three jobs trying to provide for her children, a father who has lost his job and is finding it hard to stay strong, or a preachers wife, struggling to find her place in friendships, a teacher who loves to teach,but her students don't want to learn,a doctor working long hours and makes a mistake and pays for it for the rest of her life, a person from another country who desperatly wants to come to America,land of the free, a soldier fighting in Iraq, a man whose wife has cheated and now wants a divorce, a young girl who has been abused, a hungry boy with no shoes. That just puts it all in perspective. I sat here today,thinking wow, what would it be like to do something more,be somewhere else. As my husband is still not working and his unemployment is running out,it is frightening. When my medical bills are climbing in stacks on the counter,I think how will we pay these,what is going to happen. I think why is my mother so sick and losing her sight and mind. I look around at all the hurting people, watch the news, and I will shed tears. Life is just hard sometimes and we think we have a bad situation,until we take our eyes off ourselves, and see things could be worse. I go back to all the verses I have underlined in my bible, and I am seeking God for answers, and I am waiting. I am waiting for His blessings. But His blessings may not be the blessings I am searching for,they may be better. Like a friend calling, a text saying I love you, my daughter saying get ready to start planning my wedding, a hug from a sweet friend, encouragement from another. God provides our needs, and I praise His name for that. His blessings are what we are to have. From having alot, and going to a little is hard,but it is a life changing lesson. My shoes fit me just fine, how about yours? Is there something life changing in your life right now? If it isn't happening right now, it will at some point. We need to learn more compassion, more love, more respect, and less judging, less saying,"I would do it this way." No one knows the others situation until they have spent a few hours, a few days or a few years in their shoes. Next time you slip your foot into your shoe, think about those around you walking in other shoes, and see if we can make a difference by praying and searching God's will, and ask Him to open our eyes to those around us, just maybe then we can start to grow...

6 lbs. 11 ounces of joy...

This day of July 28,1990 I had my baby girl Whitney. As I carried her each month, feeling her grow inside me, I felt more in love with her each day. All the little turns and kicks. Each one feeling her life inside me growing. From that first kick I knew she was going to dance to the beat of her own drum. My little blond haired, blue eyed baby came and I was so overjoyed. For it was just me and her in the delivery room. No medication, just me thinking this baby is really going to kill me. I remember asking the nurse,if anyone ever died here in this country hospital before giving birth. As she answered no, I stepped up and told her I was going to be the very first,so get ready. In the country things are very different, and my almost 14 hour delivery will always be remembered as the day we conquered the world. Just me and her together taking a step forward, that would forever change my life. As she came into this world, I could hardly hold her myself,for the nurses said she was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen, so they fought to hold her. As she grew, even as a baby she had a friend everywhere she went. I could go into the local grocery store and they would hold her while I did the shopping. We are always so proud of that first step, we want all to know our child took that first step today. Now that she will be nineteen this year, I now know that first step was her first step at becoming independent, and starting to walk on her own, away from home and stepping into her own life full of challanges, tests, trials, and love. She is my strong daughter on the outside, but on the inside, she is still my little girl.She is the girl who was born in the country, loves the outdoors, and is never afraid to get her hands dirty.She is always willing to help others, with her big, gigantic heart. She is my daughter who stands for what is right. She stands for those who cannot stand for themselves. She is a beauty all of her own. She loved to dress up, she did not even like one spot on her outfit. She wore squishy sqauchy pants as she called them. Even in the winter she would bend over and pull them up past her knees. I or her daddy would pull them down, and in the blink of an eye they were right back up again. She dressed in her own little style of clothing. Nothing really matched,but it brought out her personality. She filled our home with laughter and love. She is the girl that can walk into a room and you know she is there. She loves with all her heart, she laughs with her heart, and gives with all she has. She is bold, she is beautiful, and she is reaching for her dreams. She is one talented young lady, who can sing,dance, and come up with any accent you can dream of. If you called our house,and the machine came on,you would hear a girl from England, Mexico,maybe an Indian, a girl from the south, and one of the best, her Australian accent. There were many, even her black girl rap. People would call the house just to hear her voice, only to burst out in laughter. She is the daughter that kissed me each night, and told me she loved me.We stayed up late watching television, laughing and sharing. As those teenage years are difficult, we had many trials. I know the Lord is restoring those with His grace and mercy. Whitney is love. She is a daughter I am so blessed to have. She is forgiving, not holding a grudge, but she is one who will stand her ground. She is the girl you want in your class, the girl you want at the party to laugh with, and she is the friend you want to stand with. As she is growing into a beautiful woman, I see glimpes of myself in her. She has my heart, and her daddies strength. She is a dedicated worker as she is working with the elderly. She is striving for her dreams as a nurse. She is engaged and will soon marry. I am blessed beyond words to get to help her plan her wedding, to watch her each moment glow with joy. As her mom, I am proud of the things she is accomplishing. I pray for her daily, sometimes hour by hour. A mother's love is so strong,you want to love, to protect, and to cherish each moment. She is a gift from heaven. As I watched her take each new step in her life, I too will get to see her take that step into marriage, in her gown, with a smile on her face, and a heart full of love. I have prayed for her each day, and will continue to pray that she will be blessed by God, and that she will continue to grow in Him. To the Lord, I say,"Thank you." I have been so richly blessed by having a daughter such as her to bless our family and to bless this earth with her love. Lord keep your hand upon her, help her in each step,each desision, each trial that comes her way may you give her the strength to face them head on knowing you are there for her. My love will forever be with her, even when we are apart, she is always one thought away.Happy Birthday my sweet angel of love....

In Christ I can do all things.....

" I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Is this not one of the best,most amazing verses we can read and apply to our lives? To know that all things can be done through Christ should strengthen our faith in Christ Jesus. Where ever I go,He is with me. What ever I do, He is with me. Whatever I face, He is there. I can walk this earth knowing God is with me each and every step. The plan God has put before me, the path that He has chosen for me, can be accomplished with Christ. Whatever you are facing today, you can do so knowing Christ is there. Trials come and trials go,but we can overcome all with Christ. We can have peace knowing we have a God who strengthens us. In troubled times, we do not have anything to fear. We can face anything that comes our way with Christ. He never says," I am too busy".He never says, "No not right now." We are the most important thing to Him. Whether we are facing cancer,attacks, struggles with sin, raising children, working with those who do not love Christ, not having a job, we can be sure we can face those head on, knowing God is with us. Each test at the hospital, walking up to the grave site of a loved one, facing accusations that are false, giving birth to a child with disabilites, knowing you only have one year to live.Anything we face we are never ever alone. You may be a missionary in a far off country, a teacher with a class of forty, or a homeschool teacher struggling with a subject, you may have a child leaving home, you may be taking care of an aging parent. All things that we are facing today can be done with Christ. He will give us the strength we need, when we are so tired. He will open the doors inwhich He puts before us. Maybe someone has offended you, and you have to face them. We can do so knowing that Christ will see us through all things that come into our lives. That is a power verse. That is a verse inwhich we can stand on, knowing He is forever with us. We never have to face anything alone. When we turn to Him, He will give us peace when we are fearful. He will calm the storm, or calm us while we are in the storm. Whatever you are facing today, give it all to Jesus. Allow Him to move in us, allow Him to be strong in us, and whatever comes our way, we can know without a doubt that He is with us.The closer we get to Christ, the more we feel His presence and His love. What are you trying to do for Jesus? What are you facing? Do not fear, and do not tremble, for God is near, and with Him on our side, is there anything really to fear? Take today and live it fully for Christ, placing each step in His hands,and have the comfort and peace knowing we can do all through Him....

Having Faith When the Attacks Keep Coming...

I am going to share one of my favorite verses today.It is from Psalms, and it is also in a song sang by Clay Cross. It is a verse that we can stand upon and know all is well, for God is on our side when the arrows keep coming from all directions. Are you going through attacks today? I am, and I have,the Lord is always there, and I nor you have anything to fear with Him at our side in battle. We can get scared at was is coming. While being under attack at times we may not be sure of which way to turn,but I can tell you from my life,that Christ is the way to turn in times of attacks. He is our Redeemer, He is our God to stands before us giving us strength. Nothing can touch us, when we turn to Christ. He puts all things in perspective, He shows us which way is best, and how to have faith even when our enemies are at all sides. "In the Lord I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, 'Flee as a bird to your mountain'? For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the ones who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals;Fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the Lord is righteous; His countenance beholds the upright." Psalm 11:1-7 When we have a troubled day, a week, a month, a year or more, we can have confidence that God is standing with us.He is fighting those battles for us. We can flee to His loving arms. He will provide protection in our times of trouble. He will give all He has for His children. As the wicked hunt for their prey, we can be strong in knowing God sees all and is there for us always. There is no fight that we must battle on our own. He is there fighting the evil that is trying to attack and bring us down.But nothing, can bring our God down. Nothing is more powerful. We are blessed beyond measure to have a God who is there for us, knows what is going on, and stands for us. Just as a mother is there for her children when they are attacked, standing for them, God is there for His children that come to Him and love Him. All can be destroyed around us, but God is our sure foundation,and nothing can break that. When we face adversity, when we face our trials, when we face the attacks that are untrue,we can forever be faithful, putting our trust in a Almighty God who will fight each battle for us. There is no bow stronger than God. There is no attack bigger than our God. He is there for you and me. We can be sure and trust in His power and love. God will take care of the wicked, we don't have to fight that battle. We are not to judge,nor take out revenge, for God will do so. We have nothing to fear. We can praise God, and give glory to Him, for always fighting those battles for us none stop, standing for us. That speaks volumes of His love. To be taken in under His arm of protection speaks His love to us, and to those who are attacking. Today when the enemy bends his bow, know that God is there taking each arrow, and shielding us with His mighty power and love.

Are we living what our mouths are saying?

"My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For is our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things." 1 John 3:18-20 While we walk today, is our mouths just speaking, or are we walking what we are saying? Do we just speak of God,but in our lives we are walking a different path? Our minds,bodies, and actions must all be in tune together. If we are to make beautiful music for our Lord and Savior,then our actions must be the same as the words coming out of our mouths. We cannot speak words and then stop short of our actions. Our actions speak much louder than words. I can say I love you,but am I showing you love? I can say you are my friend,but our my actions showing friendship? I can say I am praying for you, but when I am alone am I praying? Actions must follow our words,as do our words must follow our actions. They go hand in hand. If we are showing love,then we are walking in Christ. If we are just speaking love,then we are walking in ourselves. What our tongue says, our body must follow in actions. We can tell a friend yes, I will be there for you, and never show up. We can say we will do a project, and never even get started. God knows if we are doing what our mouths say we are doing. He knows why we are doing the things we are doing. We might say we are doing them to bring glory and honor to God,but we can just be doing to bring that glory to ourselves. Are we going to church to be seen, or are we going to church to worship and grow in the word? Are we mowing our neighbors grass out of love, or do we do it,just to be able to say we did? Our mouths, our actions all have to line up with Christ. What one says,one must do. Just as our actions speak louder than words,there are times when we are doing the action,but our words are nowhere near Godly. Our actions really show where our hearts are. So, what can we do? We can live our lives for Christ. We can have a sold out life for Christ and His kingdom. We can change our mouths to fit our actions, and our actions to fit our mouths. What are your actions saying today? "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" 1 John 3:16-17 For as we see here in this verse, if we are not showing love,its not there just by speaking it. Let us allow God to abide in us today. As each moment today passes let us think on God's word and love, that we might be a reflection of His love to others.... "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.....

A Reflection of What?

Our lives all reflect something? What is your life reflecting? As I sit today and think upon this question,my hope is that my life is a reflection of Jesus Christ being the center of my being. I have to be honest and humbly say,its not always the case. I want so much to be who Christ wants me to be,but sometimes I allow the world to seep in,bit by bit. Many times I fail and fall into the traps of this world. It can be easy if we are not awake to what is going on around us. We must not fall asleep, waking to find ourselves lost in a hopeless world of evil. "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." 1 John 1:11We are to stay clear of what is evil. And evil is anything that takes our eyes off Jesus. Evil is not only murder,it is living a life in the world,living a life to feed our flesh. We don't even have to be christians to know right from wrong. But as christians we should be walking a different beat to the world. We should keep our eyes and ears open and ready to hear the voice of Christ. We need to put our whole faith in God,not the things of this world. So many times in my life I have let my needs and wants come before God's and what does that say? It says I think I am more important than Christ. When we live our lives selfishly, we are putting ourselves ahead of God and His desires for us. When we meet people,how are we treating them? Are we walking with love? Many times we are not. We can be one way at home and another out in front of people. What we are willing to do in the open, speaks volumes about what we are doing when no one is watching. It is so easy today to turn on the television and watch instead of changing the channel to things we know we shouldn't be watching. To tune into a radio station that is not bringing glory to God is not being good,but allowing evil to come into our homes. What we think of as little,satan thinks of as major. If he can creep in just a little at a time,we will be way over our heads with sin,before we know what hit us. We must stay in the word, we must see those around us, and have other christian friends to help us be accountable for our actions. The more we leave the word out of our lives the more satan is coming in. Just like if you miss a Sunday of church,then next week you deside to stay home,then that third time doesn't feel so bad. Before you know it,you are out of church altogether and have replaced it with something else. We must fill our lives and our minds with Christ and Christ-like attitudes. To be a great example to others, we must begin with ourselves. Our actions, and the way we choose to live speaks volumes of the lack of God in our lives, or shows our lives are totally commited to God. So where do you stand today? Which side are you living on? We can't have it both ways. We can't have good and evil in our lives. One will overshadow the other. Today as I take in this verse I pray my life will be a reflection of Christ. I pray I will put all that is in this world out of my life, and allow Christ to shine through. To live for Christ we must give up the world. Are you ready to make a difference for Christ? May we stand together, learn together, grow together, and let Christ shine in this dark world we live in, pray for evil to stay clear of our lives,and pray that God will give us the strength to overcome evil...