Life's Journeys

When I was about twelve years old, Mom and I were introduced to a new member of her church. A man, about thirty-five or so, and his four young children had just moved to the area from West Virginia. The Pastor asked Mom to help him with childcare, housekeeping, and cooking so that he could work. Mom was happy to serve and I was happy to have some new friends. Then I got to know them. The kids were three boys and one girl. The boys were closer to my age, so we built a treehouse platform low in a big live oak in the woods in the backyard. It was fun to play with the older boys and just enjoy being kids. The girl was spoiled and a definite "Daddy's girl" who could do no wrong. She hated that I would rather play "cowboys and Indians" instead of "dolls." She told her Dad all kinds of awful things about what the boys and I were doing out in the woods out of jealousy, even though we were innocent. Their Dad came storming out to the woods, found our treehouse...

What law? God's moral law. Not the ceremonial laws written by Moses' hand, but the fiery law of God, carried inside the Ark of the Covenant; the Ten Commandments. They were carved on stone by the very finger of God! The Law of God is a mirror that shows us our sinfulness. It cannot save us, but it can show us ourselves and how much we need God's forgiveness. The first four deal with our relationship with God while the last six deal with our relationships with each other. The Law is as valid in the New Testament as it was in the Old Testament.  Let's take a look: Our Relationship with God: 1. a. OT. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. -Exodus 20:3  b. NT. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. -Matthew 4:10 2. a. OT. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. -Exodus 20:4 b. NT Little children, keep yourselves from idols. -I John 5:21 3. a. OT. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the...

I believe. Deep in my mind and in my heart, I believe. There is nothing else in Heaven or earth more imminent than the return of our King. He is coming. We don't know the exact day or hour, but we are closer to His return than ever before, and prophecy is being fulfilled at a faster pace as if time itself is speeding up. Very soon we all must choose: life or death, blessing or cursing - which will it be? Jesus said, "He that is not with Me is against Me..." in Matthew 12:30. So which will we choose? It seems a strange question. Who wants to live a cursed life that ends in death? Yet, there are some who are so engrossed in the materialism of this world that they shut out any voice that may whisper in their ears, "choose life!" It's so sad. It makes me weep when I come across a young person, perhaps my son's age, whose eyes glaze over when I mention Jesus or God. I want to shake them and yell, "WAKE UP!" I long for them to get serious about th...

When I was a young girl, we played outside and entertained ourselves when we were bored. I don't remember ever being bored when I was very young. I never thought about crying or pitching a fit when I didn't get what I wanted. I know that if I had, my Dad would have applied a sharp swat to my backside, and that would have broken my heart.  Sometimes I wonder how different my life was and what in the world happened to today's children? I think I know. We allowed ourselves to become indoctrinated to the idea that the government knew better than we, as parents, knew about raising our children. Between theories of child psychology and pressure from public education, the government gave children "rights" and basic brainwashing at school taught children that their parents don't know what's best for them.  Now, granted, that is true in some instances, and something does need to be done to protect children from abuse and neglect. Beyond that, such as teaching ch...