The Washing Machine

When I was in my second year of Bible College, my two roomates and I had our first faith victory together. We believed God for a washing machine. Here's how it happened.

We had just learned Hebrews 11:1 Which says: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We were told that one translation of that verse reads, "Now faith is giving substance to things hoped for..."

We latched right on to that idea. At our house, we had a nice dryer for our clothes but no washing machine, so we were hauling our clothes to the laundry mat, and bringing them home all wet, to throw into the dryer. It was obvious to us, that our faith could "give substance" to a washing machine. So we started saying it all the time. We would go to the laundry mat and say, "I"m so glad our faith is giving substance to a washing machine!"

The boys that we hung out with, found this quite amusing. They would usually come over and say something like, "Hey, nice dryer. Where's the washing machine again?"

Without flinching, we were quick to reply, "Our faith is giving substance to one!"

One day I was at the home of one of these boys, who happened to live with his older sister. His sister happened to be one of the instructors at the school. Somehow the topic of our "faith project" came up and this boy chuckled at me again. "I love how you girls are giving substance to a washing machine!" he said.

"What?" His sister had overheard us. "Gina, do you need a washing machine?"

"Why, yes." I replied, "We are believing for one."

She looked right at her little brother. "Scott!" She ordered. "Go get Steven right this minute, get the washing machine that Mom and Dad gave me out of the garage, and take it to the girls."

I was surprised. "You've had an extra one this whole time?"

"I never thought about it! " Scott answered.

Within minutes, the brothers were delivering it to our house. My Texan roomate was so excited to see where it came from that she jumped up and down and screamed, "It's an anointed washing machine!" (That's Christianese for "Really Cool.")

The three of us enjoyed this washing machine for the whole year, and it served as a constant reminder of Hebrews 11:1.

Since then, my faith has given substance to nearly every good thing in my life. I know that every good and perfect gift comes from my Heavenly father, and all I have to do is receive it by faith.

Your beliefs are giving substance to some thing all the time - either good or bad!

Believe for the best!

Gina

Mark 11:24
24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

The Pink Color

Back in the summer of '94, my son Jordan was just 2 years old, and we were living in hot, dry, New Mexico.

Suddenly he was hysterically in need of something. "Mama, the Pink Color! I need the Pink Color!"

I thought this was odd, since he was not coloring at the time, but I grabbed a pink crayon and asked, "Here's the pink color, do you need this?"

"NO! The PINK Color!"

This went on for some time while I tried to comfort him with every pink thing I could find.

Finally, he tore off his t-shirt and ran outside to the SPRINKLER-where he was aching for some relief from the heat. He waved it in front of me, jumped up and down and with a big smile, said it again, "The Pink Color, the Pink Color!"

Well, that was easy enough! He just wanted to run through the sprinkler! (Those were the days!!) so on came the water, and all was good!

So often we hear people through our own perceptions, instead of really trying to understand what it is they are feeling and saying. How much better could our relationships be if we took the time to really listen to people, look them in the eyes as they speak, and hear from their perspective?

Remember, effective communication requires two things - acute observation and personal flexibility. You can make someone's day by giving your undivided attention long enough to really understand.

What does he need? The pink color, or the sprinkler? The difference is in understanding how he speaks!

James 1:19
dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Listen with your heart today, and your ears, and your eyes...

Bless you!

Gina

There is a Healer

A few years ago I came home from a dinner where I was singing and playing the keyboards with our band, and I realized that Paul was not happy. In fact, I was pretty sure that somehow, I was in trouble! Something must have made for a tough night at home with the kids.

"I can't believe we have no children's tylenol in the house!" he finally blurted.

"Oh dear." I thought. Surely that is the kind of thing a more organized mother would keep on hand. " I hardly ever think to use tylenol," I replied. "What happened?"

"Well Nathan has a raging ear infection!" (The twins were four then.) "He screamed in pain for over an hour, just like the last time it was infected."

I winced again. "Ooh. Where is he now?"

"Well," Paul quietly smiled. "He went to Jordan, and as soon as Jordan prayed for him, Nate stopped crying and fell asleep, so he's sleeping next to him right now."

Way to go, Jordan! Big brother was just 10.

This was NOT the time to ask, "Goodness! Why didn't you pray first?" So I mentioned, "When we were little, Mom used to put iced cold water in our ears with a dropper to stop the pain."

Paul just looked at me like Mom was going to lose her nursing licence. "I have never heard of anything like that."

I grinned, "Well, if he's still hurting tomorrow I"ll take him to the doctor."

We were still in bed the next morning when we heard the triumphant yelling from Jordan's bedroom. It was Nathan. "Hey everybody!!! I'm healed!!!"

He tore into our bedroom and said, "Guess what! Last night Jesus came into the bedroom and he poured something in my ear, and he healed me!!"

I looked at Paul, "You went and put something in his ear?"

He was just as surprised, (and we are faith people!) "I didn't do it - it must have been Jesus."

Nathan turned into an evangelist - he had seen the Lord!

After telling all of the family members about his supernatural encounter, he got on the preschool bus with Matt, and joyfully told the whole bus crew, "I was sick with a bad ear ache, and Jesus came to me last night and healed me!"

After school was out, he saw all the school kids descending from their bus stop, and he ran out the door to holler out to them, "Hey guys, there is a Healer, and his name is Jesus! I know 'cause he healed me!"

For two whole days, Nathan had no other song but "I was in pain, and Jesus healed me."

It was a wonderful lesson for all of us. Why do we so often pray last? Would we possibly pray without believing for a miracle? Why bother?

Lord! Thank you for the faith of a child.

Matthew 18:3-4
And [Jesus] said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

The Benevolent Universe

Man has made some remarkable discoveries about the world around us. We know that all things are composed of matter - smaller and smaller and smaller particles of matter. But what makes up the matter? Energy!

Everything you see with your eyes, as well as everything you can't see, is really just energy. Even solid things that you can hold in your hands, are made up of energy, held together in a certain order.

This begs the question to me, "What is holding everything together?"

"The Benevolent Universe," some will reply.

Yes. That is the Eastern mindset - that all is energy and all is one, and all is ultimately the Universe - the Benevolent Universe, the Divine. It's like The Force on Star Wars.

Oh! That is so beautiful, but the Bible elevates it even more. The Great Force is not the Universe, but the Creator of the Universe, who wants to fill you with his fullness and call you his friend, make you his child.

Colossians 1:16-17
For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.

Who exactly is this Creator? Well, it is Jesus, who is also called the Living Word of God.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word.

Yes, He is "benevolent," because God is love. He does not posses love. He is love. He is light. He is life. He is Holy.

When you live in the presence of this Living God, and when His Word lives in you, you finally understand the meaning of Life. You operate on a supernatural level. You see miracles. You are more than a mere man or woman- you are a loved child of God, who has access to everything good in the universe!

It is all just energy! So fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen - you can see farther that way.

Bless you.

Gina

Sowing "Good Seed."

I was very pregnant with twins, exhausted from shopping, freezing cold, and ready to get my other tired children home. Paul was driving.

Suddenly, we noticed a woman was blocking traffic with her broken down car. Paul, true to form, jumped out to offer assistance.

"Honey!" I protested. "She already has a cop there to help her."

He leaned back in towards me, "Gina, one day it will be my sweet wife whose car gives her trouble, and I will want to know that someone is there to help you -so I'm sowing good seed!" and off he went with a smile.

As Paul and the officer moved the car out of the street, I marveled at how quickly the job was done. It took less than 3 minutes.

Only a few weeks later, I was coming home from a youth event, when I ran over something in the dark and felt my tire go completely flat. I pulled into a driveway where a woman was in front of her house talking on her cordless phone. I asked if I could use her phone to call my husband.

She smiled and nodded, and signaled that it would only be a minute. In that moment, her husband popped out of the house and changed my tire. He was so fast, I thought he worked for nascar!

He laughed and said, "I own the body shop down the street. I do this a hundred times a day."

When I got home and told Paul about it, he threw his jubilant hand in the air.

"Oh yes!" he exclaimed, "It's because I sowed good seed for that!"

I had to smile. Good seed indeed.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The Famous Flight of the Bumble Bee

I was thinking about the bumble bee today. I have heard it said many times, that aerodynamically speaking, it is impossible for a bumble bee to fly, and yet it does.

The joy of the internet, is that now one can google such a subject, and read from a dozen physicists argue as to why we now believe a bumble bee can indeed fly. Isn't that a marvel?

There are two lessons there for me:

1. A bumble bee can fly even though his body is big and his wings are small, and he doesn't obey certain laws of aerodynamics.

2. Many scientists can study such a mystery and come up with different laws of physics that supercede certain other ones. Science is always evolving. New answers come through new ways of looking at things.

I find both lessons inspiring. Either way, if the bumble bee quits flapping his wings, or if the scientist quits looking for new answers, motion is halted.

You and I have opportunities every day to find ourselves stuck. Maybe you would like to fly out of an uncomfortable situation. Maybe you would like an answer to a puzzling dilemma.

I am convinced, that if you refuse to quit, anything is possible. Nobody needs to explain the reasons for your success. Only you have the ability to reach inside of yourself and develop the seeds of greatness that God put there.

You can live your dreams, even if the whole world says it can't be done.

The truth is out there.

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." -John 8:32

Lessons from Aladdin

I love to watch Disney's story of Aladdin.

It is a tale of a young orphan who dreams of finding himself in a better place with the woman of his dreams. The woman is of course, the princess.

The real show stealer is the genie, who would like to convince the boy that magic carpets and princely clothes, and mighty elephants are not what make him a prince worthy of the princess. It is his ability to be himself, brave and true.

Because the princess is already true royalty, she has the perception to see that this "street rat" belongs in the palace, despite his humble upbringing. She sees his royal qualities, even when he does not.

In the end, Alladin becomes the prince, not by the power of the genie, but by the power of his selfless love. His character was proven in the face of danger.

Many people see themselves as unworthy street rats, when in reality, they have been called to be royalty, seated in heavenly places.

It is said that you don't know what is inside of a teabag until you put it in hot water. The same can be true of a man or woman. Whether you are a prince or a pauper will be evident when the tough times come your way.


James 1:2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,(royal) not lacking anything.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light

The Baseball Glove

My youngest son's baseball glove had been missing for over a week. We had turned every corner upside down looking for it. In our house, the loss of a beloved glove is quite painful. We are not quick to run out and replace one. It was with sadness that I watched him play his games with a borrowed glove. Who in the world would take such a thing?

Yesterday, happiness filled the home when the glove was returned. While the children played out front climbing the trees, a stranger drove up and hollered out to them. She was someone's mother. She looked at Nathan and asked, "What is your last name?"

"Parris." He answered.

"Did you lose a glove?"

"Yes!"

She handed him the treasure, inscribed with his name, and drove off.

I love it when people do the right thing!

This morning, I looked at the dear glove, at home in the family room, cradling a baseball, and I rejoiced again.

Luke 15:8-10
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

And again I say, rejoice!

-Gina

What do you see?

"A man without a vision is a man without a future. A man without a future is destined to repeat his past."

What is vision? Vision is the ability to look at what is and see what could be! Vision is that creative force that lies within the child of the Creator and designs a better reality.

Every thing that we see and behold with our eyes, existed first in someone's mind. It was vision.

God the Father is a God of vision. He looks at a childless old man named Abram, and calls him a Father of many nations, and it comes to pass.

He looks at a restless, compulsive young man named Simon, and calls him a Rock, and the man affects history.

He looks at you and sees not what you are, but what you can be in him. His reality is greater than your senses.

The best thing you can do for your life, is get in touch with a Vision Statement from Heaven. How? By getting to know the God of the Bible. If you can quit being self- conscious, and instead, be God-inside conscious, you will start to walk out a new vision of who you really are.

You are who He says you are - a royal, faithful, loved, child of the King. You were created to rule and reign in life by Christ Jesus.


Proverbs 29:11
18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.(A)



Be blessed.

-Gina

Time is Not Your Master

I decided to write a post this past weekend on "Time," but I ran out of it! Nonetheless, I am boldly proclaiming to you today that time is not your master. Let us stop complaining that we don't have enough time, or that something is taking too long.

Time is a funny substance. Sometimes it "flies" and sometimes it "drags." When I am with certain friends, the time definitely flies, so I refuse to look at my watch when I'm with them. Why be time- conscious during a good thing?

But what about things that take too long?

Some of you have spent much time wondering, "When will my longing be fulfilled? Should I just quit hoping?"

No! Do not throw away your confidence! Build your faith for that desired thing. Expect it - do not be afraid of disappointment. Fearing is the worst thing you could do.

"Fear not. Only believe."

"At the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not faint."

Too many people quit before their miracle manifests because they just get tired of believing, of hoping, of waiting. But not you!

You consider it done. And then wait for it to appear.

Wait? Yes, wait. There is a Hebrew word that we interpret "wait," as in "wait on the Lord." It's the word "chiyl." One meaning of this word is to dance, whirl or twist!

For heaven's sakes, don't wait in agony! Do the dance of expectation! Dance upon the head of time...which tries to tick along to test you! If you are not there yet, there's no condemnation. Just get back into the Word and dwell on the promise that applies to you...until thinking of it causes you to dance and rejoice. Then it is on it's way!

Time is not your master. You will receive.

Carpe diem,

Gina

Gratitude Walk and the Turtle

This morning I went on a walk. This is my daily "gratitude walk." I highly recommend this - for mental and physical fitness.

While I raced along the few miles, I gave thanks for all the beautiful things that I noticed - the freshly cut grass, the honeysuckle and daisies, the blue sky, friendly contractors (who never seem to be working! ) and the three different friends who honked and hollered out my name, reminding me that there are worse things than living in a small town.

And then...as I was cruising along, thinking about all I have to do today, a turtle nearly tripped me. Yes, he was almost crossing the paved walking path. I picked him up and he tucked his head and legs into his shell faster than you could say, "slow and steady." I did not know that turtles make a vacuuming sound when they do that. I must have stressed him.

I stared at his beauty and contemplated bringing him home. He could be my token reminder to slow down. I wondered if he belonged to the orthodontist, from whose multiple acres he was emerging. I considered a phone call:

"Hey Doc? I wondered if I could have this turtle in exchange for the four grand I just dropped on Jordan's already perfect teeth..." That could be fair.

But alas, I carefully placed my beautiful frightened buddy back on the huge lawn, and thought about his pace. Slow and steady, slow and steady.

Today, I take my lesson from the turtle. I will win the race. I will stay peaceful and diligent, and if I get stressed, I'll vacuum!

How about you?

Did you take a gratitude walk today? If so, or even if not...let's hear some things for which you are thankful! You can post right here.

Yours,

Gina

The Power to Choose

We were created with an amazing free will. The angels long to look into the things available to us, for they were not made in the image of God, were not given the power to choose, and they do not sing the song of the redeemed.

To you God says:

"See, I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live..."

No matter what you are facing today, there is the opportunity to choose life. Death may call out to you in the form of loss, defeat, resentment or struggle, but at any moment, you can choose life. How?

"...by loving the Lord your God, listening to his voice and holding fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he promised..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

If you have a promise for something, than refuse to accept anything less than fulfilment of it. For the Lord is your life. If you hide yourself in his love and his power, than death cannot consume you, for He has already conquered death, and Jesus' victory is your victory. Loss cannot overtake you, for abundance is within you.

Stay in faith! Keep faith- filled words on your tongue. Stay thankful! Stay in the precious present. Right now, the Life within you is creating the thing promised.

bless you!

Gina

photo by Ann Carrier

Love and Marriage - No Emotion Necessary

For the past 16 years, I have been married to the most attractive man I have ever met. That is a great feeling. What surprises people who know us, is that even in a marriage as wonderful as ours, the "great feelings" come and go!

I was amused last week to realize that both Paul and I have been equally influenced all these years, by the following story. It's a story I've told dozens of times, but I don't remember us ever talking about it. If there is a secret to our success, it lies in this tale:

One day there was a wife who was wickedly angry at her husband. She was hurting bitterly from years of unmet needs, and disappointment in her husband's behavior. She dreamed of ways to get back at him, to make him hurt in return.

Somebody told her about a very old wise man, who sat atop the nearby mountain. Surely he would have a clever idea for her.

At the suggestion, the woman climbed the mountain and found the wise man.

"Sir," she told him. "All I want to do is to cause heartache for my husband. I don't think he even has feelings, but if he does, I want to hurt them!"

"Aaaaah, of course," he responded with great empathy. "I will tell you what to do. For the next 2 months, I want you to just pretend that you actually love him. This is just for a short time, and there is no emotion necessary. Just ask yourself often, 'what actions would I take if I loved him?' and then do those things...then, come back and see me, and I'll tell you what to do to hurt him fiercely."

"Okay," said the bitter wife. "I guess since it is just for a short time, and no emotion is necessary, I can act like I would if I loved him. Oh, boy!"

In the following weeks, she enacted the plan wholeheatedly. She faithfully acted like she was in love with her husband, and then she returned to the sage on the mount, for the rest of the plan.

"So you followed my advice? Good!" said the wise old man. Ready? Here is what you do next. You climb back down that mountain and you just leave your husband. That's it. He will be so shocked after your kind actions, that you will break his heart!"

"leave!" gasped the woman. "I can't leave now!"

"But why not?" he asked.

"Because..." she began, stunned at her own discovery. "...because now, I love him!"

"Aaaaah, yes." smiled the sage. "I suppose you do!" and he said no more.

"For God so loved he gave..." John 3:16

HOW TO GET RICH

It seems to be the obsession of the industrialized world - GET RICH! Americans seem to be the wealthiest citizens on the planet, and also the most crazed for financial gain.

I work in a business that is especially appealing for its apparent promise of riches. I trade stocks on Wall street. Fortunes are made and lost all the time in the stock market. But you don't have to trade the markets to have financial gains and losses. You just have to live in a world with money.

The question is -why do some people win while others lose? Why do some become rich while others stay broke? It is all in the mindset.

If you are a believer like me, then you have a Father who promises you "the power to create wealth." He is not at all opposed to prosperity. If He were, then heaven would be a ghetto, and it is not. In fact, we are instructed to pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

What is remarkably lacking in heaven, are the two forces that drive men to poverty...even if they somehow attain financial gain. Those forces are Fear, and Greed.

Jesus said, "Watch out for all forms of greed. A mans' life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Some have taken that to mean that we can't have stuff. The point is that the stuff should not have us!

Freedom from greed was the Master's secret to you for wealth. Greed is born out of fear. A greedy person is the opposite of a prosperous person. She is like that little pauper that we set before the banquet table. She stuffed her face till she was sick, and hoarded food for later, because in her heart, she was poor, afraid that tomorrow would not come with its own provision.

What a sad way to live one's life. What a sad way to trade the markets. What sad way to build a career!

The wealthy or prosperous soul, has no fear of tomorrow, no striving to attain something that is far off. The wealthy soul is always receiving ideas to create more value.

How do you really get rich? Paradoxically, it is by knowing that you already are rich. You become a giver, not a taker, and the value you create, promotes you on every level. Riches flow to the rich! Money is the manifestation of a prosperous soul.

I can see we'll have to spend more time on this later!

3 John 1:2
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

also see: Deuteronomy 8:18, Matthew 6:10, Luke 12:15

Growing Up as Royalty

The story is told of a young princess who stood on the castle balcony with her family one day. Thousands of people stood below, cheering the presence of the royal family. This princess would soon be queen.

"Mummy," She asked, "Do all these people belong to me?"

"Of course not, Darling!" her mother laughed, "You belong to all these people!"

Oh, to grow up as royalty! If only the children of God would recognize their own royal blood, instead of living like paupers. There is a marked difference in the mindset of each:

A princess grows up knowing that she is special. She has nothing to prove.

A pauper grows up insecure, fighting to avoid getting hurt.

A princess can serve from her position of honor. She knows she has something to give.

A pauper feels like a slave as she serves, resentfully striving for approval.

A princess grows up knowing that not everyone will love the royal family, but that is their right, not her problem.

A pauper assumes that people look down on her, so she shys away from authentic relationships.

If you put the princess and the pauper in the same room with a banquet table loaded with food, the princess will eat until she is comfortable. Abundance is all she knows.

The pauper will steal and hide food for later, and eat until she is sick, for fear there will be only lack tomorrow.

The truth is that every child of God is a prince or a princess. His kingdom is not of this world, but it supercedes this world! We are called to serve as members of the "royal family," while here on earth. In our heavenly palace, every thing we possibly need for life is available. No resource is ever lacking. We are loved and cherished, and we have something to offer the world - abundant, faith -filled life here, and in the life to come.

The psalmist said it this way:Psalm 37:25
25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

Say this out loud, "I am a princess (or prince) today. I am not a pauper. I am a believer, not a doubter, a giver, not a taker!"

Enjoy the good life!

On Speaking Well of Your Friends

"Gina, if you really knew her, you would like her, I promise. She has a good heart, and she is super loyal."

Those words were spoken to me by my friend, Jen, when we were 16 years old, about a mutual acquaintance. The girl she spoke of drove me nuts. I found her arrogant and offensive, and I really did not like being around her at all. That is, until Jen spoke highly of her.

"Hmm," I pondered, "Well, if you say so, I believe it." So I chose to believe the best about the girl and I treated her kindly.

It was a full TWENTY years later, when I ran into that other girl, Kris, in the mall. I had not seen her since her wedding.

"What are you doing now?" I asked.

"Well, you won't believe it," she replied. "I am a children's minister! I've thought of you often over the years."

"Wow!" Talk about a changed life!

Later, I visited her at work to see the amazing ministry she oversaw. Everything was excellent and beautiful. She had a volunteer staff bigger than most churches.

As she gave me a tour, she excitedly introduced me to other staff members, saying, "You remember my testimony, about the two "real" Christians in my high school? This is Gina. She is one of them!"

My jaw dropped, as I felt like Schmuck- of -the- Year. "You thought I was one of just two 'real' Christians?...I'm in your testimony?"

"Yep, you're part of my testimony!" She affirmed.

I thought of that day when Jen (her other 'real' Christian), spoke so highly of her. Jen's encouraging words caused me to act a little more like Jesus. What if I had kept my ugly opinions instead...and acted on them? What kind of influence would I have had then?

I will never forget the power of those kind words, spoken so long before, by one friend about another.

I hope that the people in my life will always be built up by my words, never cut down...especially when they are not around to defend themselves.

Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Be blessed!

Jesus is Alive!

I suppose I was nearly ten years old the day it hit me. I was getting ready to attend mass with my family like I did every week, except this week was Easter Sunday. The religious babble was meandering through my mind. "Jesus is alive today...Jesus is alive today...Jesus is alive today..."

Suddenly it became revelation to me, no longer a dead, religious idea in my head, but a truth to my heart that forever changed me. I knew that in reality, Jesus, as history points out, came, lived, died, and rose again...and then he never died again!
If he never died again, then indeed, He is alive right now, living for me, with me, in me, and I am in Him, with all the glorious love and power that He displayed in the Gospels.

Some have said for years that he didn't really conquer death, that his disciples stole his body, to fabricate this religion (which turned the world upside down.) I don't know if you know how those disciples all died, but they were brutally tortured to death for their faith. No one does that for a lie.

Still, it wouldn't matter to me, what any unbeliever might say, because for nearly three decades I have had the privilege of living with the reality of a risen redeemer. My life is a testament to his goodness. If I am wrong, then I have lost nothing. I have gained a life worth living - in fact, worth sharing, and beyond that, I have assurance of what waits for me on the "other side!"

Happy Easter!

The Lord of Your Breakthrough

1 Chronicles 14:11 *
11 So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand." So that place was called Baal Perazim. [Lord of the Breakthrough.]
There are times in your life when you just cry out for a "breakthrough!" You feel something needs to change big, where you can finally look at the defeat of your enemies of lack, and fear, and despair.
Well, there is good news today! The Lord of the Breakthrough is here for you. When you trust in him, and decide to do things his way, He can change things in a moment. He is the Lord of the Breakthrough. By His own hand he can open doors that no man can shut. He can shut the mouths of lions. He can bring promotion. He can totally change your perception of reality. He can bring deliverance, healing, restoration. He is More than Enough.
I will praise Him today because of all He is able and willing to do. I rest in the fact that everything I see can change in a moment, but His love endures forever. HE IS THE LORD OF THE BREAKTHROUGH!!


1 Chronicles 14:11 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

After the Storm

Several tornadoes rolled through here last night. Unfortunately they turned out to be deadly in Nashville. Times like these keep us grateful for all the things that really matter in life. This left me thinking about a story of peace:

An artist was comissioned once by a wealthy man to paint a picture that portrayed a sense of peace. The artist worked and painted a beautiful image of a rolling countryside, blue skies and sheep grazing. The painting was rejected. The next painting reflected a calm quiet lake in a beautiful hilltop. Again this piece was rejected. The artist tried several times to portray a peaceful place, but each time, it failed to impress the commissioner.

Finally, in a burst of inspiration, the artist painted a picture of a raging storm upon an ocean. The waves broke onto the beach with a fury, but there, in the midst of the storm, was a small bird, safely waiting out the weather in the cleft of a big rock. Not one of his feathers was blown out of place. He was safe.

"Yes! Yes!" Exclaimed the buyer. "This is what I was looking for." He paid a handsome sum for the marvelous art.

Where do you go for peace when life rages against your house? There is One who is called "The Rock of Ages." He will be your strong tower. You can run to Jesus, hide yourself in His perfect love, and be safe, restored.

Peace,

Gina

A Thankful Heart

"A thankful heart is a happy heart!" These are the lyrics to a song my children sing very often.
Indeed, gratitude is the healthiest emotion we can possess. Gratitude is the opposite of self-pity - the most destructive emotion we can embrace!

I choose to be thankful. I am thankful to live in the South today, where Spring has already sprung and the sky is sparkling blue. I am thankful for my chores, for it means I have a lovely home to clean. I am thankful for the children's messes, for one day they'll be grown and gone. I am thankful for my friends who stop by and distract me, because it means I am loved and needed.

I am thankful for my challenges, for they make me stronger. I am thankful for baseball, even when it seems to take over our lives! I am thankful for places to go, people to see, and the value that I give and receive from each.

Bless you!