Friday, March 27, 2015

Shut the (Bleep) up About Jesus!



"Jeanie, stop talking about that Jesus guy! It's bugging the &%$@# out of me."
Photo courtesy of Gualberto107 @freedigitalphotos.net


Yeah, it did me too.

Just hearing his name annoyed me. I'd mentally scream, "Stop it already! Shut the (bleep) up!"


It never failed. Whether it was moving to a new neighborhood or starting a new job, somebody would be there talking about Jesus.



wooden blocks spelling "Jesus"
block photos courtesy of Stuart Miles @ freedigitalphotos.net


Grrr! Stupid Christians. Stop it already. Shut up!


And they'd stop talking about Jesus.
But they kept acting like him.



They kept showing me love, and extending friendship. No strings attached. Just love.


I'd point out all the good deeds I was doing to tip the heavenly scales in my favor. "I'm a good person. I do more good things than bad."

They'd open a bible and show me what God said about it. Verses like


We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Is 64:6


I didn't like God's answers. They didn't line up with my thinking, so I refused to listen.



But his people kept showing me love anyway. They'd bring me cookies and invite me to picnics.



courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS @ freeigitalphotos.net

A church picnic? No way. I expected an ambush by those Jesus people. I pictured them springing out of the woods, armed with bibles. I steered clear.



It bugged me to watch those Christians. They were more than happy. They were joyful. And they didn't pretend to be perfect.


Their methods of working through their problems sat at the opposite spectrum from mine. They were always forgiving people instead of taking my advice, which ranged from intricate schemes of revenge to old-fashioned butt-kicking.


But they just kept loving me. And all their love finally got through.



Courtesy of graur razvan ionut @ freedigitalphotos.net
Plus, I figured God couldn't made a bigger mess of my life than I already had.

So I prayed,


"Jesus, I'm sorry for the all the wrong things I've done, the messes I've made. Please forgive me. I want to be yours."


And at that moment, I became His.


God welcomed me into his amazing love. It was a supercharged version of the love his people had been showing me all along.


I received a new life. A fresh start.


Has it been easy?

Not always.

Has it been easier than when I lived without God?

Totally. Absolutely. Infinitely.

photo courtesy of Naypong @ freedigitalphotos.net

Even when I slip up, God gathers me up, brushes me off, loves on me, and sets me on my feet. His crazy amazing love never changes.


If you've taken the time to read this far, I suspect you're ready for some of that love yourself. Here's how.

Jesus is the gateway to his father, God.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6

To start a relationship with him, speak this life-changing prayer:



Lord, I'm sorry for doing things my way instead of yours. Please forgive me,
and be my savior.


If you prayed that with a sincere heart, you've just become his child. Buckle in for an explosion of crazy amazing love.

And if you prayed it, please let me know. I'll celebrate with you.


It's a life-altering decision. To get a clearer understanding, check out this link to the PeaceWithGodwebsite and take 3 minutes to watch this awesome video.

Shut the (bleep) up about Jesus? No way. There are too many folks who need to know about His love for them.


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Gain Victory Today

                --I wish I could...
                           --If only... 

                                --Maybe one day...






                 Great news. "One day" is here.

                              Today's our Victory Day.


  • Maybe it's putting out the cigarette before the final drag.
  • Or turning off the TV before the next show starts.
  • Or putting away the bag of Cheetos before it's empty.
  • Or signing up for that class.
No matter how large, no matter how small, today let's celebrate every victory. 

Let's lift each other up, not beat each other up.


And that includes our spouses, children, friends...and ourselves. We're often our own harshest critics. Instead of focusing on what we did wrong, let's celebrate what we're doing right.



Feel like you're doing nothing right? Each moment is a new beginning. Start
fresh right now.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  Lamentaions 3:21-23



Still feel like there's nothing to celebrate? Grab hold of this awesome promise: 


 God has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." Hebrews 13:5

The God who created the universe loves us so much he'll stick with us always. That's something to celebrate.

What victories spark your world today? I'd love to hear. 

My victory is walking away from the chocolate covered strawberries.

Update: I ate them all as I went to put them away.

Ok, my NEW victory is being honest about eating all the strawberries.

How about you? What will you celebrate today?

Photo of girl under the trees courtesy of PhotoKanok @freedigitalphotos.net