The Master of the waves

The Master of the waves
Come, and Serve the peace giver!
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

March 8 2011 - Back on line at last!

Well, I am finally able to get back on-line since my computer broke down! I can't believe I have lost EVERYTHING!! SILLY ME I DID NOT BACK UP EVERYTHING TO DISCS. I had a lot of my stuff "backed up" but not everything, and I could not afford to pay for one of those online services where you can back up all of your data! I still cannot afford to do that but I definitely will be backing up my stuff on discs at least.
         Here we are coming into spring FINALLY! I am so tired of winter and the cold. God is so good. I know we need winter for the cycle (circle) of life to be fulfilled but the older I get the less I can handle being cold and all that the winter weather brings with it. Leona and I suffered through three weeks (actually four) of illness! We both had temps over 103 degrees for many days and then ran temps up and down between 99 and 103 for almost two weeks solid, and then just generally felt awful for the rest of the time; coughing up the most nasty stuff you can imagine. We are still fighting it off but are doing much better. God has made us stronger though so we can be thankful. 
       I am brought to mind of James 1:2-4 where it says that we are to count it all joy when we face various trials because the testing of our faith brings perseverance so that we can be complete and lacking in nothing, and also growing in maturity. I am sure that means Christian maturity. I love the book of James because it also teaches us about when we ask God for anything we must ask in confidence trusting and believing that God will answer our prayers, and NOT being of a "double mind". That is a mistake I think a lot of us make, me included sometimes, by putting limitations on God! God is ALL powerful, ALL seeing, ALL knowing, and He does want the best for us, His children! I think it hurts God, just like it would hurt an earthly father, if we asked for something and didn't believe that He (he) would provide what we had asked Him (him) for. Personally speaking, I definitely don't EVER want to disappoint God. Unfortunately, I do it all the time. We all do because we are human, and because we are human we all have those human failings. We all have "feet of clay" sometimes. We know what we must do to please God, and yet we constantly let Him down. The beauty of being a "Born Again" believer and having Jesus as our Lord and Savior is that even though we are not perfect and never will be, we are forgiven! Jesus died for us so that our sins would be washed away! We strive for perfection through Jesus Christ, striving to be more and more like Him as we grow in Christian maturity, knowing that we can only attain that perfection when we finally leave this world and wake up in heaven. The wonder of it all is that we are washed by the blood of our Savior and Redeemer, and we are "Saved"! Saved by GRACE and not by works. Our salvation is a gift, given freely by God the Father. We don't have to be perfect, we don't have to be holy! We must not ever give up trying to grow in Christian faith and maturity we MUST strive toward that perfection . . . but even though we are not perfect or perfected . . . GRACE covers us! Thank you God!! When we have stood the test, we will receive that "crown" that was promised to us by God to those who love Him. (James 1:12) I encourage you all to go to the book of James. It is right after Hebrews, and before 1 Peter.  Read it all. It is a great book. Martin Luther also thought it was a powerful book and one that every Christian should read over and over. Don't ever give up. Don't ever stop "striving" for that perfection that we can find in Jesus Christ because that is the Christian walk we all must make. Trust God! Do not ever limit God or His powers! God the creator made all things, created all things, and as the creator He has dominion over all things; so NOTHING is impossible for God! EVER!   

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