Everyone in America, football fan or not, knows about the Super Bowl.  If one doesn’t know a play, or the name of the teams that are playing they know about the commercials, halftime or the Puppy Bowl.  America loves her football.  But has the air gone out of the game this year?  I certainly feel deflated about watching.  I’m all about the food, the party and the fun, but truthfully when you deliberately choose to break the rules it makes the prize less valuable.
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Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

There is joy in doing things right.  There is joy in knowing that when you look back over this game called life you played fair and did your best.  Everyone may not see what we do in private, but on the field of life the truth has a way of exposing itself. 

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Proverbs 20:11 Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.

What will this Super Bowl be known for?  Personally I will remember it for, "the year they let the air out of the balls."   The title Patriot and cheating seem to be oxymorons. They don't go together in my mind.  As an American I want to continue the tradition of my youth with America standing for what’s right and good.  However I realize America is made up of individuals and if each of us doesn’t do what's right as individuals then the nation as a whole will no longer be known for who it was originally.  I repeat the pledge of allegiance and realize we have changed.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it

I encourage you today to make the hard choices and the right decisions, not just for yourself as an individual but for your family and nation as a whole.  There is another generation that is rising up and it has its TV camera on you.  Its news reporters are writing it down and telling it like it is.  How is it in your home? In your family? How are you? Stand with what is right! The world is watching us one life-one decision at a time.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Idle time does not get us any further than a car does when it is idling. Some refer to idle time as free time. But as far as I can tell, the only thing really free on this earth is Salvation; and it is a free gift from God.  But even salvation was very costly.  Someone paid the price.

2 Samuel 11:1 (NKJV) “…, at the time when kings go out to battle … But David remained at Jerusalem.”

What do you do with your free time? We hear it often, “free time”. However, we are each given the same 24 hours and I don’t hear anybody getting any “free time” added to that 24 hours.  How we spend our hours determines the kind of life we live.  Notice in the scripture above it says, “at the time when….”.  When it’s time for work-be at work.  When it’s time for school-be at school.  It’s not when you’re down and out and in the basement of life that temptation comes- because you have all this idle time on your hands. No, we barely stay alive in the basement times of life.  It’s when we are on the rooftops of life, with idle time on our hands we get in trouble.  Usually not the first year of marriage but about the 7th year of marriage when we start to have a little extra money and a bit of idle time we get our rooftop moments.

Most people think they work 7-3 or 9-5 and then they can have free time.  If that is all you work and then come home and turn on the TV and call that free time it will cost you.  It is what we do after work that makes the difference.  It’s the time you write that book, learn to play that instrument, invent, dream, create and make lasting memories.  Even vacation time is not free.  More than likely you worked to accrue those hours and you pay for a hotel or whatever and then you invest in your spouse, children or refresh yourself. 

Think about what you are doing with your rooftop time.  Remember King David was not where he was supposed to be -when he was supposed to be there.  Ask yourself the hard question.  Are you where you are supposed to be? Can you be trusted with a rooftop moment?

You get paid for the problems you solve.  The bigger the problem the more you get paid.  God is in the solution business. That’s why God made you and me. God wanted problems solved. If you find your assignment from God then you will find the problem you are to solve.

I heard Myles Monroe say, “King David solved the problem of Goliath and Moses solved the problem of freeing the Israelites. If you want to go from Prison to Prince solve the problem of the dream, Joseph.”   I began reading through the Bible and found that it was filled with people who were unknown until they solved a problem.  When I read the Bible, people are remembered for the problem they solved whether it was a battle, a dream, a deliverance, wisdom, or freedom.

When you think of the people in our own country that solve problems and bring solutions, they are the ones with the money.  Bill Gates solved a problem and we all know who he is.  What is it that you were born to solve? My dentist solves the problem I have with my teeth.  My dentist doesn’t work for money he works to solve problems and gets paid for his solutions.  He therefore has to take care of his hands and continue to study his calling.  The better he does that the longer he will be in business and the wealthier he will become.

1 Chronicles 9:23-25(NKJV) “23 So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, the house of the tabernacle, by assignment. 24 The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions: the east, west, north, and south.”

Proverbs 18:16 (NKJV) “A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.” 

Take the time today to seriously think about what God has gifted you with.  What are you really good at?  What do you love? You can’t learn a gift you polish it.  God has assigned you to bring your gift to the Body of Christ and solve the problem that you are gifted to solve. The world is waiting for your gift.  Your gift will make a place for you in this world and you will fulfill your assignment.

My father just passed away on October 13, 2014 at 11:36PM.  Now the paper and all legal documents will say he died October 14, 2014 because that’s when Hospice arrived and declared him legally deceased.  I know, because I was there the time and day he left.  I know, because I saw him take his last breathe and I looked down at my watch and said to myself, “My father has just passed from death to life.”  Others may have said, “Rena’s father passed away”, or “Rena’s father died.”  But see I know Daddy is very much still alive.

A friend of mine sent me a package.  In it was a little acorn, a bag of dirt, a pot and some moss.  The note inside told me to water it with ½ cup of water once a week.  The package came about a week after the funeral or, more precisely that’s when I found it (more on that story in another blog).  I planted it right away.  Due to the nature of the acorn and my finding it late we all wondered if it would live.  Christmas Eve about the same time my father took his last breathe I went by the window to close the blinds and saw the little oak tree had indeed survived.  Tears streaming down my face I looked up to heaven and said, “Thanks Lord, You knew it was my first Christmas without my father”. The Lord cares for you and He cares for me.  He reminded me there is life after death.  The darkness of the grave cannot keep life from rising.

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”

My Father knew the Lord as his savior.  Daddy believed in Jesus and he died, so I know he lives.  Do you know you would live if you died? You can.

Romans 10:9 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you already know this truth please share it with a friend.  No one is promised tomorrow.  We thought Daddy would live a few days longer.  He surprised us and left early.  Help your friends be ready should they surprise those they love and leave behind. But also assure those who love you that though you died, yet shall you live.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else´s life.” Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs and I shared the same birthday. He was born February 24, 1955, I was born in 1956. Steve was an American entrepreneur, marketer, and inventor, who was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. He died October 5, 2011 of respiratory arrest related to the pancreatic tumor.  As I was reading about him this is what caught my eye, he was described by someone as "the master evangelist of the digital age."  The master evangelist was the part that caught me.  What most don’t know he was given up for adoption after being born.  The father that adopted him was a carpenter and a mechanic.  When Steve was in college he returned coke bottles for cash and got weekly free meals at the local Hare Krishna temple. When I think of an Evangelist I think of Jesus, but evangelize and Jobs? Yes he did evangelize the world with Apple computers. That got me thinking.  What am I evangelizing the world with? We need to take what God has given us and do the most with that as possible.  I learned a lot about Steve including he owned Pixar and one of the films they produced was Nemo.  He was a smart man and he used his smarts to create not fret and worry what others thought of him and did not let failure stop him.

We always heard someone else’s head is no place for your happiness. With that being said how many of you are stressed out and worried and burdened over what others have said or think?  What is really going on in their head is really not known unless they tell you.  For the most part we think we know why they said what they said and what they are thinking.  Really? When you put it like that it really sounds crazy. Yet we do it every day, unless we renew our minds and think His thoughts over our own.

God is a creative God and inside of all of us there is something He created us to do; a problem He created us to solve. We are answers to questions and gifts to those with needs.  Today seek the Lord for the reason for which you were created.  Don't let what others think stop you!

"Remember, the sixties happened in the early seventies, and that's when I came of age; and to me, the spark of that was that there was something beyond what you see every day. It's the same thing that causes people to be poets instead of bankers. And I think that's a wonderful thing. I think that same spirit can be put in to products, and those products can be manufactured, and given to people, and they can sense that spirit."
—Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

Exodus 9:16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

When navigating a new territory it is important to assemble not just the facts but consult the 
Lord in all things including His timing.  My mother used to tell me, "Haste makes waste."  No one has time to spare.  As I approach my birthday I thought about how many Christmas's people get.  Even if you live a long time there are still very few yearly events one accumulates in a lifetime.

The Message Bible says this in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:."


If there is an opportune time to do things and a right time then that implies that there is a wrong time.


Prayerfully consider what you are doing right now and ask the Lord if this is His timing or yours.  Whatever decision you are considering seek the Lord and His direction.

Lust and love look the same.  They both touch and kiss.  They both want to be around one another.  They both do a lot of the same things.  However one cares about the other person to their own hurt. The other cares only for him or herself not caring they hurt the other as long as their own desires are met. One give the other takes.  One last the other looses it’s “lust-er” (emphasis intended) and fades over time and even turns into hate.

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

When my children were little it seemed everyday was a whirlwind. Everyone up, breakfast, out the door, everyone home, eat baths and bedtime.  Throw in some soccer, T-Ball, music lessons, dance lessons, birthday parties and sleepovers and it seemed the whirlwind of activities would never end.  It seemed at the time I would never get enough sleep and naps…well they were a thing of the past.  But then as quickly as it began it was over. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

You can’t see it when it’s happening to you because you’re too busy trying to keep all the plates spinning, your sanity, your marriage together, the bills paid and forget about trying to stay in shape and eat healthy. But sooner than later the season will change and you will realize you should have enjoyed the ride more.  Held up your hands and just enjoyed the roller coaster ride that life was providing for you.  Too often we go through life with our eyes closed or worst yet screaming through the entire ride while our eyes are closed. 

Let go of all your preconceived notions of what life is supposed to look like. Who is supposed to do what? Aren’t they supposed to eat now, sleep now, talk by now, walk by now, and cut teeth by now? Shouldn’t we have a house by now, a new car, a better job?

Stop. Just stop.  Thank God for where you are right now; for what you have and what you don’t.  Breathe.  Write a gratitude list.  Forget about all that is yet to be and enjoy the moment.  Take pictures with you in them, you with your loved ones-really someone else can take the photo.  When the rollercoaster stops there will be plenty of time to dust yourself off and take a nap.  

Psalm 19:7-9 “The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.”(Message)

When talking about God and His decisions there is never a question about whether He is right.  We know that all of His decisions are correct, in our best interest and fair.  But what about our decisions? What do we base our decisions upon? 

Psalm 119:73-80 “With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what’s true and right. Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised. Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to. Let the fast-talking tricksters be exposed as frauds; they tried to sell me a bill of goods, but I kept my mind fixed on your counsel. Let those who fear you turn to me for evidence of your wise guidance. And let me live whole and holy, soul and body, so I can always walk with my head held high.” 

When we search God with all our hearts and ask Him to direct our paths then He hears us and leads us in the right direction.  We allow the Holy Spirit to be our umpire and then the peace of God leads us away from destruction to the plans and purposes of God. Seek wise council, read the word of the Lord.  Begin to know the language of the Bible so you can understand what God is telling you.  His word is His language.  Don’t allow yourself to be paralyzed when making decisions.  Faith begins where the will of God is known.  You find His will in His word.  Decisions determine destiny.  Decide today whom you will serve then set about getting your life in line with the one whom you have decided to serve.  I have decided to follow Jesus….no turning back, no turning back.

Lots of people ask me this question. Why do bad things happen to good people?  Usually folks say their child ask them and they weren’t sure what to say. The first scripture that comes to my mind is always Matthew 5:45 NKJV “… for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”  My second thought is to tell them the whole story of Adam and Eve.  To tell them about how the deed to the earth was Adam’s and he handed it over to the devil. However, in my heart I realize they are usually hurting and need answers.  I have found asking them questions works better.  For me to assume anything and think I have the answers to their question has usually been wrong.  Until they tell me I really do not know what they think or what they know or even how they feel.  To ask questions and listen to them talk usually brings an entirely different set of questions up that need answers.

Whether you are a seasoned Christian that has read the bible over many times or still considering this Jesus when dealing with people asking questions is wise to make sure we understand what’s being asked before we let them know how smart we are.

Proverbs 18:17 NIV reads, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”

James 1:19 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,…”

One of the kindest things we can do is listen when others speak. To give another human being our time and attention is a gift.  It is giving of our self to another in order to allow the other person to be heard. I encourage you to listen to someone today.  Listen with no other motive except to allow the other person to be heard.  Then pray for that person as you would have them pray for you.  You will be amazed how much you will learn not just about others…but about yourself.