Peek-A-Boo Jesus Loves You!

Wow! it's finally Halloween!

Do you feel special all dressed up in your costume? Jesus thinks you're special too, just like you are because he loves you.

Jesus loves you when you wake up with a big yawn in the morning.

Jesus loves you when you're playing or singing or laughing with friends.

Jesus loves you when you're quietly reading in your room or outside jumping in the leaves.

Jesus loves you when you stretch and sigh and fall asleep at night.

You see, Jesus loves you ALL the time, just the way you are!

Did you know that Jesus loves you even when you do bad things?

The Bible says anyone who does bad things (sin) will be punished and won't get to live with Jesus in heaven. But Jesus loved us so much that he died on the cross and rose again to save us from being punished.

The Bible says:

The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Roman 6:23

If you want to live with Jesus forever, say a prayer like this:

"Jesus, I'm sorry I do bad things. Please forgive me. I believe you died and rose again to take away my sins so I can live with you forever in heaven!" AMEN

Do you cook your Pancakes?

Pancake breakfasts have become a Wednesday morning tradition at our house. One morning, as I prepared a batch, my older son proudly told us he had cooked the pancakes for his Scout Troop on a recent camping trip. He’d never cooked anything at home, so this was a surprise to me. He was also pleased to report that they had liked his pancakes!

Well, the next time we made pancakes my younger son wanted his brother to make them. My older son did a great job making pancakes for all of us and each turned out perfectly! But we had to wait very patiently for our breakfasts because he cooked just one pancake at a time. I suggested that he could speed up the process by cooking more than one but he said that this was the way he did it.

We certainly cook pancakes differently. I cook several at a time and while waiting for them to cook, I try to multi-task by rinsing out the mixing bowl, pouring drinks and doing whatever else needed to be done. In just minutes I’d made a whole batch of pancakes and would have other tasks done too.

However, I quickly learned that productivity and efficiency weren’t the only differences in the way we made our pancakes. The results were different, too. His were better than mine! He had taken the time to tend to each pancake, making sure it cooked just right. I, on the other hand, tried to cook too many at once while juggling other tasks and my pancakes were inconsistent. Some were done perfectly, but others were too done or not done enough.

It occurred to me that results in life often parallel the lesson I learned from making pancakes. Whether tending to my family, church matters, school needs, assisting others, or just doing things for fun, the results are better and more consistent when I allow myself to tend to each task properly, treating it as if I want it to be a perfect pancake – not over-done and not under-done.

This lesson is especially important to me as I seek to serve the Lord. I want to do my best to serve Him and not compromise my efforts by taking on too much, or distracting myself with other tasks. For me, this is best accomplished by seeking God’s will and keeping my priorities in tact as I decide what to do and when to do it. I also must be patient in my efforts, taking the necessary time to do things well.

Dear Lord, Help me to serve You and manage my life and family, too, in a way that serves up satisfying and consistently pleasing results. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Here I am again, Lord

I had resolved the previous week to be consistent in exercise and healthy eating. I had made this resolution many times before, only to revert to old patterns before the week’s end.

As I sit outside on the patio with my Bible and journal, I feel discouraged as I remembered the previous night’s overindulgence in, once again, my favorite chocolate chip and m&m cookies.

I wanted to have a quiet time, I wanted to talk to God in prayer and to read Scripture, but I felt somewhat ashamed. I thought to myself, Here I am again, Lord, with the same old problem. Aren’t you tired of me, Lord? I’m tired of me, so of course you must be, too. I’m tired of dealing with the same old problems over and over again.

Then God whispered to me, Talk to Me. Just pray and see what I can do. So I did. In the quietness of the morning, God reminded me of His thoughts toward me, not my own thoughts. God never gets tired of us, and His compassions are new every morning. As the verses in Hebrews 4 remind us, God understands. What comfort in knowing this.

Better yet, as we look at today’s key verse we’re invited to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” Sometimes when I feel ashamed of myself, I am tempted to run from God rather than come humbly to His feet. I’m tempted to believe the lie that God is tired of me or has much more important issues to deal with. However, if I believe and act on these lies, I am missing out on the truth of whom God is and the reality of the kind of relationship He wants to have.

If I mistakenly believe that God is just tired of dealing with me, then I go away with just more of the same - more discouragement, more anxiety, more fretting. Worse yet, I’ll be missing out on what He is ready to give. I’ll miss out on His love, His grace, and His power.

Whatever problem we face, God’s very own power, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, is available to us. Our God is intimately acquainted with us, gracious and patient. He is ready to give all His resources to us, His children. Isn’t that amazing?

Let’s press on in truth and faith and “take the mercy, accept the help” (Hebrews 4:16 The Message). Then we’ll see what God can do with a heart that trusts Him.

Dear Lord, help me not to run from You when I feel ashamed or discouraged. Help me to believe that You always love me and are always ready to give me Your Help. Thank You for Your patience and Your lovingkindness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sometimes we don’t turn to God because of independence or self-reliance. Take some practical steps to stay dependent on God. For example, resolve to pray about the situation each time you think about it. Ask a friend to hold you accountable. Memorize a verse that will help you apply God’s truth to your situation. Take one small step each day to remedy the problem.

Thoughts to Ponder:

Are you facing a recurring problem or challenge, which leaves you discouraged? Have you actually asked God for His help, or have you just been thinking about the problem?

Have you been running away from God?

Have you been still before God lately?