Free Gifts

I want you to close your eyes and imagine for just a minute that you have it all - Two cars, a house (maybe even a vacation home) a boat, a house full of nice things, money in the bank, and cabinets full of food. The list goes on and on.....

Now I want you to picture a life with little to nothing - A car that you can barely call reliable. An apartment (for now) that you're a month behind on in rent. A few things here and there that you acquired such as a couch, a table, and a used mattress that sits on the floor. The cabinets are anything but full and you're not sure where your next meal will come from. The kids complain that their feet hurt because their shoes don't fit and the littlest one is crying because the kids made fun of her dirty and torn clothes today at school.

Now in your head, I want you to ask yourself a serious question....You're only asking yourself so there's no one to judge, no one to argue your thoughts, no one to question your honesty - 

Ask yourself:  If you were in the first situation, how much would you give to others? Are they even your problem? I mean, you work hard for what you have - why is it your fault that others have needs? And if you did give, is it anywhere near what you COULD give? Could you spare more?

Take a minute and think about your answer and then ask yourself this question ~ 

What if you were in the second situation? Not of your choice, of course, but some things went wrong somewhere along the way. Maybe you lost your job, made some bad decisions, fell on some hard times, or had some medical issues that set you back. How grateful would you be for the help of others? Or how disheartened would you be to see others who obviously had more than enough just pass you by and get more for themselves?


We have each been blessed with the ability to give - Some of us financially, some spiritually, some physically. Whatever your gift is, GIVE IT. I would hate to think any of us would purposely live a life knowing we could have helped but didn't.

Above all else, try to live a life where everything you do is a reflection of God and continues to provide hope for those who do not yet know Him.....

There's always room for one more...

Today is Thanksgiving, yet there are people all over the world who will fail to recognize anything to be thankful for. They will focus on things that have gone wrong in their life, the things they DON'T have, the imperfections in their life, past mistakes, and what they feel to be a lack of promise for the future......

The truth is, every day you wake up it means God is not done with you yet. If you can't find anything else to be thankful for, be thankful for a God who is full of love, grace, forgiveness, and second chances.


"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest" 

"Fear not for I am with you" 

"I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me" 

"Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day"



Man to his Friend: "You should come to church with me"

Friend: "The church is full of sinners and hypocrites"

Man: "You're right.....but we always have room for one more"

You don't have to be perfect to have a relationship with God - you just have to be willing.....

This little Piggy paid more taxes and now he's mad....

foun·da·tion

 

[foun-dey-shuhn] noun

1.

the basis or groundwork of anything

Provided you haven't been living under a rock all your life, you've likely heard the story of the Three Little Pigs. One built their house of straw, one built their house of sticks, and one built their house of bricks. Spoiler Alert for those of you who haven't heard the story.....The big bad wolf blows down the houses made of straw and sticks and everyone runs to the house made of bricks (which incidentally the wolf is unable to blow down).

The moral of the story? Besides the fact that 2 out of 3 pigs cannot built adequate houses.....A house built on a strong foundation - solid, dependable, built to last - cannot be shaken. 

This years election has me thinking about what OUR foundation is, meaning us as individuals. Let me start by saying that I am one of the least political people you will ever meet. I'm not here to argue about who should or shouldn't have won, who had the best stance on what issue, or the state of our economy for the next 4 years. I'm here to ask you where you have put all your faith and trust? I'm here to ask you what drives the foundation for your day to day life, your family, and your thoughts? 

I'm sad to say based on the comments I'm reading on Facebook, Twitter, and the internet,  the foundation seems to be driven on one of two things for a lot of people....It's either hate or money. 

When I read things that include the sentences "I don't think I should have to give MY money to xxxx group of people" or "I'm not working hard so xxxx can take MY money" it makes me sad. Truth is, none of it is OUR money. The bible is clear when it comes to helping others and allowing God to be the one who judges....

• "If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles" - Matthew 5:41

• "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink - even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk - It's all free!" - Isaiah 55:1

• "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink" - Romans 12:20 

• "Freely you have received, freely give" - Matthew  

• "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" - Timothy 

• "For God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden whether it is good or evil" - Ecclesiastes 12:14

• "Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love" - 1 Corinthians 13:13

• "Whoever wants to be the most important must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else" - Mark 9:35 

• At the gates of heaven God will say "Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters (no matter how unimportant they seemed) you did for me" - Matthew 25-40 

So I will ask you again....Where is your foundation? Have you put all your faith in your paycheck? Is money causing you to stir up hate or have hate for others? 

Or are you putting your faith in God and asking him to guard your heart and guide your actions? Are you allowing him to be the one to place judgement when your kindness or generosity is abused or have you taken that role into your own hands? 

I can sum it up with one verse from the bible: 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. There are no other commands greater than these" 


Rich or poor, on welfare or not, from this country or from another country, lower class, middle class, upper class, on disability, working 50 hours a week, etc - It doesn't matter. We are all God's children and we should love one another. Let God handle the rest...