Life and Death

For my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ:
Life (on earth) is short! Don't waste your life!
Live for God, not selves...for His kingdom, not yours.
Live in the light of eternity.
Live life with purpose and passion.
Live by faith in Christ Jesus.
Live a life of love (love God and others).
Live to tell what Christ died to do.
Live each day with a heart of gratitude.
Live to make an eternal impact in this world.
Live to bless and bring joy to others.
Live fearlessly with blessed assurance and confident hope.
Live and rest in God's constant presence.
Live.

"Don't be afraid of death...Be afraid of the unlived life." (quote from the movie, "Tuck Everlasting")

Death has no dominion over those who are in Christ!

"Life is your business--not death!
Your only concerns are...
living on Christ;
living for Christ;
living like Christ; and then,
living forever with Christ!"
(James Smith) 

When the Puritan Richard Baxter lay dying, he said to his friends who visited him: "You come here to learn to die. I can assure you that your whole life, be it ever so long--is little enough to prepare for death. Beware of this vain deceitful world, and the lusts of the flesh. Be sure that you choose... 
 God for your portion,
 Heaven for your home,
 God's glory for your end,
 His Word for your rule--
and then you need never fear but we shall meet with comfort."
He also said, "Lord, what is man? What am I? A vile worm to the great God! God may justly condemn me for the best duty I ever did. All my hopes are from the free mercy of God in Christ!" (taken from Grace Gems)

For those who have not surrendered their lives to Christ:

Life (on earth) is short! Do you know where you will spend eternity after death? There are only two options: Heaven or Hell. I hope and pray that you will choose Christ and Heaven. To not decide now is to decide against it. None of us is promised tomorrow or another second for that matter.

"To be almost saved--is to be altogether lost! There are many in Hell who once were almost saved--but who are now altogether damned! Think of that, you who are not far from the Kingdom. It is being in the Kingdom that saves the soul--not being near the Kingdom." (Charles Spurgeon) 

Jesus is the Answer; He is the only Way
Surrender to Him; don't delay
There may not be another day
I love you so this I must say
You'll choose Jesus I hope & pray

Thinking Through Grief

I feel things very deeply; therefore, I tend to get emotional easily. However, I also like to process my feelings and thoughts through words/writing. January went by as a blur and a nightmare. My mother-in-law went to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 22. It was very unexpected. We had her celebration of life service on Monday, January 30. It's now a new month...a new day. I hope and pray that we all learn and grow through grief and other trials or storms of life.

- Value the gift of life. Each life is a precious gift from God! - Be thankful for families; cherish them now; show & tell them how much you love & appreciate them. Don’t wait to say, “I love you.” - Live for God, not self...for His kingdom, not ours. Live life with purpose and passion. Don't just go through the motions. God leaves us here for a reason. - Keep an eternal perspective always; life (on earth) is short but eternity is forever. And don't sweat the small stuff! Read Ecclesiastes every now and then; it's a great reminder for us all. - Trust God even when we don't understand. Trust in His infinite wisdom and loving heart. - We cannot change the past but we can do something about the future. Love God more. Love people more. Serve more. Pray more. Share the gospel more. Spend time, treasures, and talents more wisely and for God's glory. Keep shining His beautiful light wherever we go. - Open our eyes to see beauty everywhere and give thanks to God for all the blessings in our lives. Be more appreciative of what we have right now. - Be quick to listen and forgive. Be more patient. Be more gracious. Be more compassionate. Follow the example of Jesus Christ. Open our eyes to others' needs and provide support & comfort. - Don't compare our own unique path/journey with someone else. Stay strong and faithful to what God has called us to do. - Without Christ, life is meaningless. Without grace, life is hopeless. - We shall never lose hope when our hope is in Christ alone. Our eternal hope of being in Heaven with Him gives us strength, comfort, and courage to go on and assures us of our future reunion with our loved ones who are saved by grace through faith in Him. - Be a blessing. Enrich other people's lives. Love like Jesus...unconditionally, selflessly, & sacrificially. - Choose our thoughts, words, actions, and reactions wisely. May they honor and glorify God and draw others to Him! - Seek God in each moment and dwell & rest in His presence at all times.