This Is The Life! – Jude 1: 20-21 (The Message)

20 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, 

21 staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

– Jude 1: 20-21 (The Message)

This Is The Life!

Do you want to know the secret to true happiness and a full and rich life?  Do you want to find out the "secret" for calmness and peace in the middle of life's storms?  Do you want more than anything to know God's will for your life?  The answer is simple . . simple, and hard, at the same time.  It's simple because it's available to and for all of us. It's hard because it's too simple, and our minds have a tough time making sense of it. In fact, it can seem downright  foolish to some folks.

The answer is . . . Praying In The Spirit!

That's it! 

That's all!

Pretty simple huh? 

By praying in the Spirit, and making it a daily habit, or lifestyle if you will, the Bible tells us that we can "carefully" build ourselves up – by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . to live the life that our heavenly Father designed for us. A life maintained in the center of His Love, and in His Favor. A life that moves, and breathes, in His Love and Forgiveness. A life of Strength and Victory, of Power and Dominion, over our past pitfalls and failures.  The Holy Spirit, when we pray IN Him, gives us wisdom, and abilities, and talents, and insight so that we can make the decisions that are going to propel us, and help us navigate the mighty flow of the River of God that is taking us from point A to point B - the River of Life . . . OUR Life . . . IN Him.

But praying in the Spirit can be a scary thing at first. I mean it sounds like a bunch of babbling, and it just seems silly to those who aren't accustomed to it. BUT, when a person takes the plunge, and removes the fear, and the doubt, and all the preconceived notions and ideas, and they open their hearts and let the sounds of praise escape through their lips – by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . their life will be transformed.  What seemed silly and contrived at first, will soon become a comfortable friend and a powerful weapon against the enemy.  Praying in the Spirit will be like a good breakfast – the most important meal of the day!

So open your arms! Stretch them out wide, and get ready as the Power of the Holy Spirit leads you, via the mercy of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this unending life. This REAL life. This life designed especially and specifically, just for us, by our Father in Heaven, who (by the way), Loves Us VERY Much!

Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding me that I need to continually be building myself up by praying in Your Holy Spirit. My arms are open and stretched out wide as I receive Your Mercies today. I pray for my brothers and sisters who are tentative about praying in the Spirit and I ask that You give them a boldness and a confidence to take the plunge into Your mighty River of Life, and let the Spirit move them as He wills . . . according to Your purpose, in Jesus' name!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

A Prayer For You All! – Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer For You All!

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

15 from whom His whole family 

      in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

16 I pray that out of His glorious riches 

      He may Strengthen you with Power 

      through His Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

      And I pray that you, 

      being rooted and established in Love, 

18 may have Power, 

      together with ALL the saints, 

      to grasp How Wide, 

      and How Long,

      and How High, 

      and How Deep, 

      IS the Love of Christ, 

19 and to know this Love 

      that surpasses ALL knowledge

      that you may be Filled 

      to the measure of ALL the Fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who IS ABLE 

      to do immeasurably More 

      than ALL we ask, 

      or imagine, 

      according to His Power 

      that is at work within us, 

21 to Him be Glory in the Church 

      and in Christ Jesus 

      throughout ALL generations, 

      FOREVER AND EVER! 

      AMEN!

 – Ephesians 3:14-21

Nothing I can add can top this one – I pray this for you ALL today!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

When Your World Goes BOOM! – Luke 24:17-21

17  He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 

18  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 

19  "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 

20  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 

21  but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place."
– Luke 24:17-21

When Your World Goes BOOM!

Have you ever had your "world" pulled out from under you?  Everything is going great, things are looking up, the future looks bright and everything you are doing seems to be right in line with what you believe God wants for you and then Wham!  Like a bolt of lightning striking way too close, your "world" explodes around you and everything you thought you knew has been turned to dust.  And worst of all, God doesn't seem to be answering your questions why.

It could be any number of things. The loss of a loved one; the loss of a job; the infidelity of a spouse; the bad doctor's report; the natural disaster that took all of your possessions; the old habit or addiction that has retaken your sanity.  It could be any number of things that while we are in the midst of it all, seem to be the end of the "world."  I think it is safe to say that we have all experienced this a time or two in our lives.  And every time, it is a brand new level of anguish and despair.  Where is God? Why did He allow this to happen? Can't He see what it's doing to me? 

When my first wife left me I was lost.  I didn't even know how to breath.  All of the good intentions and advice from friends and family offered me no comfort.  All I know was that I was serving God faithfully and I didn't understand how my life could be destroyed and the world as I knew it, no longer existed.  I was a total mess for several years.

I couldn't see it at the time but God was right there with me.  Jesus was praying for me and all of the angels in heaven were fighting for me.  I had to learn some lessons and I had to go through those dark times in order to appreciate the blessings that were going to come my way.  I had to shed all those tears and experience the pain of rejection and fear and loneliness and betrayal.  And worst of all, I had to endure for way longer than I thought was necessary and I thought I would never make it.

It was only when I turned it all over to God that I started to see breakthrough.  I started forgiving and praying for other people and asking God to bless them.  I took my eyes off of me and my problems and asked God to have His way in my life, and I thanked Him for the love He showed me while I was hurting.  It was then that I started to live again.  God gave me a new "world" and I could see things in a new light as He healed my wounded heart and gave me a renewed love and a passion for Him.  He also brought me a beautiful and loving wife who fits me perfectly and makes me a better man.  Everything that was taken from me was restored in ways I could never have imagined.  I am who I am today because of the lessons learned from that trial, and I am able to thank God for His wisdom in allowing me to grow through that experience.

That's not to say that I won't be devastated when my current world implodes and is pulled out from under me . . . and I know that it will happen one day.  After all, we all live this crazy thing called life, but I have learned that God has my back – and Jesus is praying – and the angels in heaven are fighting, and even though I know I will surely have a huge pity party when the time comes, I have experienced His grace and goodness and most importantly His perfect timing, so I hope that when the time comes, I can lift my eyes towards heaven early on in the trial, and proclaim victory over whatever the enemy throws my way . . . and my faith will be strengthened (again), and my Hope, will once again be restored!

Prayer

Father, help me to trust in You when my "world" is torn apart.  Thank You for bringing me through those times in my life when I felt that all was lost.  Help me to stand firm in the hope that You can bring good - both now and eternally - out of even my most painful experiences.  I pray for the safety and continued blessings for all my friends and my family Lord . . . and I ask that Your guiding hand be on them today as they face this world head-on.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Ask for Something - His thing! – John 16:24

24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
– John 16:24

Ask for Something - His thing!
Over the years, I have learned to listen to my Father during prayer time, and I have heard Him speak to me (no, not in a James Earl Jones, R-I-C-H-A-R-D . . . THIS IS GOD SPEAKING . . . way, but in a silent confidence kind of way), and I am slowly becoming more in tune with what and how He wants me to pray. After all, He already knows what I need in my life, so anything I can come up with is no surprise to Him.  My goal for prayer nowadays is to find His will in the everyday walking through of my life.  How does He want me to see His children?  How does He want me to act – in good and bad circumstances?  Where does He want me to position myself in my home, my church, and in my community? Who does He want me to be available to and to pray blessings over, etc.?

I believe that God wants to use our quiet time with HIm (if we let Him), to speak truth into our hearts – the truth of what He wants Us to do to create change in our world.  After all, we are His hands extended here on earth.  We are how He gets things done.  We have to be willing to step outside of our neat and controlled lives and be willing by faith, to be a miracle.  It needs to start somewhere right?  It might as well be here with you and with me.

Today's scripture says that until now, I/we have asked "nothing" in His name.  Oh, we all know that we have asked for plenty, and in my case, most of it has been selfish desires.  It's time for me to start asking for "something" – something that will bring glory and honor to our Father.  We need to stop thinking of what we want and focus on what He wants.

We can still ask for the kinds of things that we all want and need, but just do it from a different perspective:  

Do you need a new job? 

Ask for the position that our Father (who loves you) has all ready set aside for you – and then be prepared to rejoice when maybe it isn't the job you were looking for but it will be the job that will bring you the greatest joy and fulfillment in your life, if you accept it with gratitude and praise.  

Do you need a relationship restored? 

Pray that God would bless the other person and bring joy and abundance to their life that they might see Him in everything they do – their coming back to you will be a result of them realizing God's goodness and grace on their life, and restoration might not come about the way you thought it would – but it will come in a way that God is glorified.  

Do you a need financial miracle? 

Pray that God would bless those around you who are in greater need than you. Pray that your finances would be met according to His plan and then rejoice during your time of lack. Your miracle will come, but it will probably come in a way that you never could have dreamed.

Let us ask for things and pray according to what God wants!  THAT will bring us answered prayer.  THAT will bring us the fullness of joy that He wants so much to give us.  THAT will bring about  a glorious change to this crazy world.  THAT will honor our Father in heaven!

Prayer
Father You are so great and I offer praise to You right now.  For far too many years I have offered half-hearted and selfish prayers to You and I know and am so thankful that You have forgiven me for that.  This year and on this day, I seek Your will in my prayers.  I will no longer bring an offering of fools to You but I will wait on You and I will listen for the Holy Spirit to guide me in fervent and effectual prayer. Thank You for reminding me that in Your name I will find my joy and my life will be fulfilled.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Jesus is praying for you! – Luke 22:31-32

31 "Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. 

32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers."
– Luke 22:31-32

Jesus is praying for you!
What comfort to know that our Lord prays for us.  He knows that we are going through many trials, both from the world, and also the trails that we put on ourselves – out of pride, or fear, or doubt, or anger, etc.  He cares that we overcome and that we get through it all so that we can stand strong in our faith.

The scripture also implies that we will surely be tested and that the enemy will even be given permission to try our faith.  And that's OK – because we have an intercessor (Jesus), who has a direct line with the Father.  Jesus' prayers for us are powerful, and if we are faithful to not turn away when things get tough, He will hold us up to the Father, and He will present us worthy.  As long as we hold on to Him, every day, He will pray for us, every day.  And every day – for that day – we will have victory over the enemy. Praise Jesus!

Now here's the important part . . . the scripture tells us (and this is so important), He (Jesus), expects us to encourage (strengthen), one another with our victories.  In fact it says we Must strengthen each other.  The victory that we receive shouldn't be hidden or hoarded like the "precious" in the Lord of the Rings movie.  It needs to be out there – shining brightly for all to see.  Your victory, or healing, or sobriety, or restored relationship, or new job, or paid bills, or whatever the situation might be, need to be told to everyone, so that they can receive encouragement, and so that they can know that we serve a God who cares – who loves us so very much that He takes the time to see to our every need!  No matter how small or insignificant we may think it is – Jesus covers it in prayer. People need to hear that so that they can have confidence when they face the same thing . . . or their own thing. They need to know that Jesus is there for them too!

I don't know about you, but I need His prayers every day, because when I open my eyes in the morning, I am waking up to a world that is out to destroy my faith.  I need Jesus to be speaking life to the Father . . . about me.  I need Him directing His angels before me (and after me), because I can leave a messy trail wherever I go.  I know that I need Him . . . believing in me . . . each and every day.  How about you?

PrayerLord Jesus, Thank You for being my Prayer Warrior.  Thank You for speaking to the Father on my behalf.  Thank You Lord for taking the time to see me through this day and for believing in me – so that I will persevere; so that I will overcome; so that I will stand victorious – this day – over anything and everything the enemy can devise to throw my way.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Sometimes You Just Have To Do It Yourself! – James 5:13

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
– James 5:13

Sometimes You Just Have To Do It Yourself!

We all believe in the power of prayer right?  So why is it that we believe in other people's prayers over our own?  I mean no one knows exactly what we need better than we do, and God knows exactly what's going on with us (now and in the future), so why is it that when we are hurting, or sick, or in need of a miracle, we go to others to pray for us before we pray for ourselves?  We should be crying out to God as soon as the need arises, with the faith that God (who loves us by the way), is listening and ALWAYS has our back.

Now, before you get your tail-feathers ruffled, please know that I know that it is scriptural to go to the elders of the church and to be prayed over and anointed with oil . . . BUT, I believe (and it is just my belief mind you), that before going to the elders, we should be seeking God ourselves and believing with all the faith and conviction we can muster, that we have just as much, if not more, healing power in our petitions to our Father than anyone else does . . . but the key is faith - not in the prayer, but in our Father who is hearing that prayer.  It is always good to get the elders and the saints praying and interceding, but I believe that it should start with us.  WE need to be praying for our needs, our healings, our desires, and our mountain-moving miracles.  Our Father (who loves us by the way), wants each one of us to trust in Him so much that He is the first one we go to when we need something . . . anything . . . everything!

Look at it this way – when you have something very good happen to you, you don't go to someone else and ask them to rejoice for you do you?  You don't go to the elders and sheepishly ask them to sing praises to God for the good things that are happening to you do you?  No!  You rejoice!  You sing praises!  You shout to the Lord with a mighty voice and You give Him thanks!  You have the same ability to praise Him as you do to pray to Him.

Today's scripture tells us . . . are you suffering?  Then YOU pray!  Are you happy?  Then YOU sing praise!  I think a lot of times we stay in our suffering for far too long, simply because we don't have the faith that God (who loves us by the way), will hear our simple petitions.  I'm here to tell you that He does and He will!  He wants you to come to Him with every aspect of your life; when you are happy, when you're sad, when you're sick, when you're grieved, when you're worried, when you're stressed, when you're freaked-out, when you're mad, and sad, and scared all at the same time.  He wants to be a part of your life – EVERY part of your life (not just on Sunday mornings).  He wants you to trust Him and to know Him and to have faith in Him.  He is your Father, and He loves YOU unconditionally, and completely, and without exception.  Won't you show Him that you understand how this relationship thing works and call out to Him today – no matter what's going on with you?  Oh and by the way, in case you didn't get the "subtle" message, our Heavenly Father Loves us . . . He loves me . . . and He loves you too!

Prayer
Father, Thank You for ALWAYS being there for me.  I know there have been times when I looked to others to do the asking for me instead of asking myself because I lacked the faith that You would hear my prayers, and I'm so sorry for hurting You like that.  How disappointed You must be when I do that.  I just want You to know how much I love You!  I just want You to know that I am learning to trust and to have faith, not only in my ability to get Your attention, but in Your desire to show me how much You love me!

Have a blessed day everyone!

–Richard 

What Shape Are You In?

3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel.
4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
– Jeremiah 18:3-4

What Shape Are You In?
Ceramics was my favorite class in high school – OK, I know it was a "skate" class and I probably should have been taking my core studies more seriously, but I thrived in that class.  I loved everything about it.  I loved the way the clay smelled; I loved the cool feeling of it in my hands; I loved the way I could squish it between my fingers; I loved its forgiving nature, and most of all I loved the way I could shape it into interesting and cool things.

I would get lost in the clay – my imagination coming to life in the figurines and sculptures that I was able to skillfully produce.  Each piece would take on a life of its own and it usually came out completely different than what I had initially planned for it to be – usually for the better.  Not so much because of my lack of vision or skill as I started out, but because each piece of clay had characteristics of its own and so it would kind of dictate what I could do with it.  I quickly learned however, that I could work the clay into submission, and by kneading it, and twisting, and punching the air bubbles out of it, I could reconstitute the clay to get it to be what I wanted it to be.

Our lives are very much the same in the hands of our Father.  He has a plan for our lives but because of our will and sinful nature, we fight against His craftsmanship.  And, if you are anything like me, it usually takes a lot of reshaping and twisting, and punching the air bubbles out, before the Lord can get you to a place where He can mold you into something beautiful.

For me it took years of painful experiences, culminating in a nervous breakdown, 2 divorces, and a lot of lost brain cells, before I was at a place where God could work with me.  The beauty is that He was patient, and He was willing to let me try to work things out on my own until I got to a point where I needed Him.  He knew the plans that he had for me – the plans He STILL has for me, and He waited until I was willing to submit to his waiting hands so that He could take my life, and begin to work out all of the "air-head" bubbles.  And now, when He sees that I am starting to work against Him, He skillfully kneads my back into shape – it isn't always gently, but He knows which areas of my life need to be worked on, and He holds me gently in His hands while I go through the lesson.  I always come out with a brand new perspective on the direction He has designed for me, and I become more pliable as He continues to mold me into the masterpiece my life will become.

He is working on your masterpiece as well – He is working to shape you into His unique and wonderful design.  Will you submit to His touch on your life today?

Prayer
Father, You are the master Potter and I am so willing to allow You to mold me and to shape me into the man you want me to be.  I am so thankful that You understand just how to work the clay that is my life in order that I can become pliable in Your loving hands.  Shape me Lord – take out all of the impurities like lust, and pride, and conceit, and stubborn unforgiveness.  Mold me Lord, so that I can become what You have designed and then I can make a difference in my world . . . for You.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

What Are You . . . Anyway?

1  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 

2  If I have the gift ofprophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge ; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 

3  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
– 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

What Are You . . . Anyway?

Are you a lover? Or a "clanger?"  Are you something?  Or are you nothing?  I must admit that I am still a bit "clangy," and the Bible says that makes me "nothing" and that the work that I do, even though through my obedience God can do miracles so that others may benefit from it . . . I don't benefit at all.  Pretty harsh you say?  I don't think so.

Before I became a Christian I was not a nice person at all.  In fact, I pretty much hated everybody.  The events of my childhood and the consequences of my behavior as a youth, and on through my early 30's, left me with a warped view of the world, and an especially twisted opinion about God.  Basically I was full of hate, especially for myself, and I was headed down a steep path of destruction.

When God decided it was time, and He called me out of the "cozy" little hate-filled life that I had made for myself, He healed me of many things, and He delivered me of my 15-year drug addiction.  He left many things for me to work on though, and one of those was learning how to love . . . but first I had to learn how to forgive.  Forgive the priest for molesting me when I was 8; forgive those charged with protecting me and nurturing me in my childhood, but instead ended up hurting and scarring me both physically and emotionally; forgive my "friends" for all the things they convinced me to do that caused me to make bad decisions (hey, I had to blame somebody right?); but mostly I had to forgive myself.  I had a lot of self-hatred to deal with.  It has been a process, but now, with forgiveness from my past taken care of, He is continually working with me on learning how to love . . . everyone.

Everyone?  Are you kidding?  How can you possibly love everyone?  To tell you the truth, I don't have the answer to that one, but the Bible tells us that we are to love as Christ Loves us – and that means everyone.  In my own capacity it is impossible.  In my own limited understanding of "humanity" and what makes us tick, it cannot be done.  But God!  God can show us how, if we let Him.  He can bring us to a point of seeing beyond the obvious; seeing past the exterior; seeing His children (everyone), as equal to ourselves and equal in His eye.  He can show us how to love because He IS love.

So how about it?  Is there someone out there who just rubs you the wrong way?  Do you start to get angry at the mere mention of their name?  Clang! Clang! Clang!  Every time you call on God, He has to listen past all the clanging to hear what you are trying to say to Him.  I struggle with this Clang-itis every day, and I'll bet that most of you do too.  It's just our humanity, and our sinful, and selfish nature that we need to learn how to control.  We need to learn how to let God turn even the slightest bit of dislike into a pure and holy love – for everyone – even those who in our eyes, don't deserve it.  They are the ones who need to experience God's love the most . . . through you and through me.  Then, we will be Clang-Free, and that, will truly be something.

Prayer
Father forgive my prideful and selfish ways.  Forgive me for the times when I see Your children as enemies, and for thinking evil thoughts about them.  I need You to help me see them as You do.  I need You to show me how to love because I must admit that I am having a difficult time trying to do it on my own. I don't want to keep hurting You and sinning against You Lord, and I pray that I can start showing Your love to everyone, and that by doing so, it might just turn them towards You.  Thank You Lord, for loving me despite my clangy nature.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Reach Up! – 2 Corinthians 1:8

9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
– 2 Corinthians 1:8

Reach Up!
When I was a kid, my brothers and my friends and I would all gather in front of my house and we would sit on the curb on summer evenings and we would play the "cut" game.  We would all take turns "cutting each other down" to see who could come up with the funniest "cut" line.  It was ALWAYS funny when someone else was the target (not so much when it was my turn), so when it was my friend Alex' turn, someone came up with this line in reference to how short he was (and he was VERY short):  Alex is so short - he has to look UP to see DOWN!

For some reason, that line has always stayed with me and it came to my mind again when I was doing my devotion time this morning and I read this scripture.  In order to have to look up to see down, a person would have to be at a real low point – I mean rock bottom – having to look THROUGH themselves in order to see themselves. I picture it as someone who has been slammed down so hard that the force has jammed their top side down past their bottom side, and now they are inverted by the shear power of the slam.

Ever felt that way?  I have.  What did you do when it happened?  Did you wallow around in the muck of your own self pity like I used to do?  I was a champion at it – oh, poor me . . . I might as well not even exist because nobody loves me . . . wah, wah, wah – whine, whine, whine – boo-hoo, boo-hoo!

So what changed for me?  One day, when I was in a particularly low-low-low spot (I had to get a step ladder so that I could climb to a place where I could look up to see down), I noticed that despite my best efforts to convince them otherwise, nobody would climb down to join me in my pity party.  So instead of trying to see down, I decided to look up to see up.  I decided to cry out to Jesus.  You know what?  He reached down and He pulled me out of my despair.  He changed my heart and He changed my mind.  He changed the way I looked at my situations.

Notice that I didn't say He changed my situations.  We are ALWAYS going to have situations.  We are always going to face adversity and we will ALL always have to go through our trials.  He changed my attitude and my outlook when I am facing those situations, and adversities, and trials.  He let me know that when my world comes crashing down around me and I am feeling pressed down to a point where I feel as if I've been handed a death sentence, all I have to do is look up – and reach out – and call on Him.  He raises dead people up, and He can, and will reach down to you, and He will be your portion in time of need.

He is Jesus!  He is the risen King!  He is Lord, and He loves you so very much!  So next time you are feeling your world crashing in around you, look up to see Jesus – HE IS ALL YOU NEED!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for always being there when I call Your name.  Thank You for being the one constant in my life, and for showing me the way to overcome my trials.  I pray for my brothers and sisters who are going through adversity right now.  I ask Lord, that You would put an urgency in their heart to look up.  Compel them to reach out and take hold of Your hand.  Show them that they can move up out of despair, and into the abundance of Your wonderful blessing. 

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard 

You Just Gotta Do It! – Philippians 3:13

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,...
– Philippians 3:13

You Just Gotta Do It!
There are a lot of distractions in our lives and sometimes, it seems that we try to address all of them at the same time.  Distractions aren't necessarily a bad thing but in order to bring things into perspective, I think I should probably use another word or phrase . . . how about "GottaDos" – yeah, GottaDos, we've got a lot of them don't we?

I mean think about it – what do you GottaDo today?  For some of us, the list would take a couple of pages and if there were more hours in a day, we would probably keep adding those GottaDos.  It's absolutely exhausting sometimes isn't it?  GottaDo this, GottaDo that, GottaGo here, GottaStop there, GottaBuy this (and that), GottaGo to work (work has it's own set of GottaDos), GottaPut gas in the car, GottaPay the bills, GottaCall the plumber, GottaGet a hair cut, GottaWater the plants, Gotta, Gotta, Gotta . . . Good Grief!

While some of those things are important, they can distract us from the one thing we really GottaDo.  We can make ourselves so busy that we don't have time for the Lord.  Our time with Him should be the number one GottaDo in our lives and everything else should only come AFTER we have spent some time loving on Him, and ministering to Him, and letting Him Minister to us.  This one GottaDo is His way of ministering to us and giving us direction for our lives.  This one thing . . . this one GottaDo, will get us past the stresses and pressures of the day, and it will help us get perspective on and for our lives, so that we can be effective witnesses for the kingdom.  It will help us heal past hurts, and it will allows us to find grace in our hearts, and forgive the people who have hurt us.  It will also help us to find the grace to forgive ourselves (wouldn't that be nice?).  This one GottaDo is the key to successfully having the time, resources, energy, and desire, to take care of all the other "things" in our lives.  

Are you hurting? GottaDo Jesus!  

Are you sick? GottaDo Jesus!  

Are you still looking for work? GottaDo Jesus!  

Whatever and wherever you are in your life, the One and Only thing you GottaDo, is spend time with Jesus.  He will help you take care of everything else.

What do you GottaDo today?  Have you done it yet?

Prayer
Lord Jesus, I know that I have not given You the time that I need to lately.  I have busied myself with so many other things that I have neglected my time with You and I am so sorry.  Please forgive my petty and seflish desires.  Lord, I will not neglect You anymore – I will spend time with You first, and if I run out of time to do some things as a result then so be it – I know that there is nothing more important than spending my time with You.  Thank You Lord for being patient with me and for opening Your arms wide for me to come running into each and every day – I will no longer leave You standing with empty arms.

Have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard