God Help Us!

God help us in our country to get focused on you.

Today a little girl's body was found. Having been kidnapped by a drugged up sexual predator, she was murdered by him of his own admission.

At the same time decisions are being made about the life of Terri Schiavo who has had at this time been removed of her life supporting feeding tube. So many questions flood my mind about this. I don't have the answers.

All the while these things are going on, our country is at war in other countries. Men and women are laying their lives on the line for our freedoms and the freedoms of others.

In our community in the Shoals area there have been kids with guns in the school where my children attend. A former doctor has been arrested for forging prescriptions and threatening a family if they told about it. A man was run over and killed by car while riding his bicycle. The person who hit him is still at large. The Shell station just a few blocks away was robbed and the thief was picked up even closer to that near our house.

So today Lord, I cry out to you to help our nation turn to You. You are the only answer to the problems and questions that fill our world. May Your Holy Spirit fill us as Your people so that we might begin today taking very seriously our place in all of this. Lord help us!!

(Psalms 34:17 NCV) "The LORD hears good people when they cry out to him, and he saves them from all their troubles."

Friendship Equals Loyalty

I never cease to be amazed by people. I even amaze myself sometimes. Ha! I don't mean that in a cocky way, but I do surprise myself quite often. Whereas I think I am a pretty good guy, Satan tempts and I so often fall. So before I write this BLOG about being mistreated, don't misunderstand me to say that I am above anyone in this matter.

Have you ever heard the saying, "He really stabbed me in the back." The phrase has several ideas in mind. There is obviously pain involved. Being stabbed physically or with words has got to hurt. There is also the word "gutless" that comes to mind. After all, it's bad enough to stab someone, but in the back? Come on, that is gutless.

The feeling that I felt today was not a physical stabbing, but the feeling of disloyalty in friendships. Snubbed by those I thought loved me. Shunned by people who believe in the same Jesus I do. Treated as an outcast by people I once respected as real Christians. Even more sad is the fact that this treatment has been done for no spoken reason. Oh, I think I know why, but there has never been any discussion. "Gutless snubbers" seldom express there reasons for snubbing.

Friendship is truly about loyalty. Solomon writes, (Proverbs 18:24 NCV) "Some friends may ruin you, but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother." A REAL FRIEND, now there's a wonderful concept. Real friends will be there for you. Even when you are wrong REAL FRIENDS stand by you. They don't even have to agree with or support your views, but a REAL FRIEND is loyal. Yes, there are even times when a REAL FRIEND has to correct and rebuke us. But, when a person is a REAL FRIEND that is done in love.

I want to surround myself with real friends--those who will sit with me because they love me--those who will be strong enough in Jesus that they will talk to me about my wrongs--those who will love me in spite of the flaws I have. For that is the way God loves me--worts and all. Let us all share that kind of love with one another.