Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

So who is God?  Can I trust Him to take care of me?  How much time do you have?

The weather changes—but God is UN-changing!   Fashion changes.  Even change changes. But Hebrews 6:17 says, God is always the same—yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

So can we trust God?  Is He powerful enough?  You and I are limited—I think that goes without saying!   One sneeze in my direction, and I’m contaminated, sick with a cold and out for a week.  No one can soil or stain God.  No sin contaminates Him.

We’re limited by brain capacity, time, relationship overload, and responsibilities—you can only be at one soccer game at a time after all!  And patience!  But God?  He has no limit to his time, power, knowledge and love.

Check it out for yourself in Psalms 147:4-5

He counts the stars
and names each one.
Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.

So—can God take care of you?   I’ll let you answer that!

MaxLucado

Warning Signs of Future Mother-in-Law Problems

In a recent poll, one quarter of divorced couples report that in-laws are “somewhat” responsible for their marriages ending, and the mothers-in-law get most of the blame. Finding a way to get along with your husband’s mother is crucial for the long-term success of your marriage. “People think ‘Once we get married, that will all go away.’ No, it won’t,” Dr. Phil says. If you want to know ahead of time if you’ll have in-law issues, read Dr. Phil’s warning signs:

• Mother-in-law is insensitive; doesn’t respect boundaries
• Mother-in-law is overly dependent on son for emotional and lifestyle support
• Partner clearly puts mother-in-law needs/requests ahead of yours
• Partner talks to mother daily; drops everything when she calls
• Partner values mother’s advice and opinions over yours
• Partner runs to mother when arguments occur
• Mother-in-law attacks your character
• Mother-in-law treats her son like he’s still a child/competes with you
• During family gatherings, you’re overlooked or ignored by mother-in-law
• Mother-in-law actively campaigns against your marriage
• Dr. Phil

Fixing a Broken Marriage

It is not too late: You can rescue your relationship and reconnect with your partner. It may not be easy, but here’s Dr. Phil’s advice on where to even begin.

Much of life is spent getting out of bed. Fixing lunches. Turning in assignments. Changing diapers. Paying bills. Routine. Regular. More struggle than strut.
You thought marriage was going to be a lifelong date? You thought having kids was going to be like baby-sitting? You thought the company who hired you wanted to hear all the ideas you had in college? Then you learned otherwise. The honeymoon ended. But at the right time, God comes in the right way, He appears, so don’t bail out. Don’t give up. He is too wise to forget you, too loving to hurt you. When you can’t see Him, trust Him. So what does God do while we’re enduring the pain? Mark 6:46 says, “Jesus prayed.” He prayed for His disciples when they were in the storm. And when He heard their cries, He remained in prayer. He’s praying a prayer right now that He Himself will answer at the right time.

“Jesus is able always to save those who come to God through him because he always lives, asking God to help them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

by Max Lucado

There are a lot of lying voices that make “noise” in our world!  You’ve heard them.  They tell you to swap your integrity for a new sale.  To barter your convictions for an easy deal.  They whisper.  They woo.  They taunt.  They flirt.  They flatter.

“Go ahead, it’s okay.”  “Just wait until tomorrow.”  “Don’t worry, no one will know.”

The voices of the crowd!  The world rams at your door.  But Jesus taps at your door.  Scripture says, “the sheep listen to His voice.”  (John 10:2-4) The mark of a disciple of Jesus is the ability to hear the Master’s voice.

Which voice do you hear?  Let me state something important.  There’s never a time Jesus is not speaking.  Never a place in which Jesus is not present.  Never a room so dark, that the ever-present, ever-pursuing Jesus is not present.

Never!  If we will but listen to His voice.

By Max Lucado

He doesn’t promise sunny days, just rainbow at the end of a storm.

He doesn’t  promise silver & Gold but to promise for your needs.

He doesn’t promise to make your life trouble free, just to give you the strength to see things through. He doesn’t promise all the answers.

Just that He’ll direct your path. He doesn’t promise you understanding but faith that will see you through. He doesn’t promise freedom from despair only joy and peace in believing.

He doesn’t promise that you’ll never fail, just that your strength and hope will be renewed

He doesn’t promise you’ll have no fesrs but that He is always there.

Most of all He promises unconditional and everlasting love . Have Faith.

Faith is the answer to every doubt every fear, and every question. Faith assures you that you can and you will.

So many hurts.  When teachers ignore your work, their neglect hurts. When your girlfriend drops you, when your husband abandons you, when the company fires you, it hurts.  Rejection always does.  People bring pain.
Sometimes deliberately.  Sometimes randomly.
So where do you turn?  Hitman.com?  Jim Beam and friends?  Pity Party Catering Service?  Retaliation has its appeal.  But Jesus has a better idea!
Grace is not blind.  It sees the hurt full well.  But Grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more.  Hebrews 12:15 asks us to, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds.  Where grace abounds,  forgiveness grows.  Forgiveness may not happen all at once.  But it can happen with you.