Tears.

So...it's nights like tonight that I wonder how people without Jesus make it through. I mean where do you find your hope!? What do you hold onto when things hurt? Why bother when things really suck? I mean are you really okay with this world if things were up to "chance". HOPING you make it through another day!? We actually just spoke about God's Providence on Wednesday night, but my heart just hurts for my Hollie. Her sister Heidi, went to be with the Lord this week...it's sad. She has 2 kids, she was only 38, and she was great. And Hollie, has to be the strong one. The thing is too? People say "she's in a better place"....you know what? SHE IS! And she is because of her belief and relationship with God. Someone wrote on facebook that she'll be with her folks in heaven...except? That her father wasn't a christian...so he's not there. My point of that is!? If you aren't a christian....you don't go to heaven. That's it. That's all. It's that simple. So if you believe you go to heaven when you die?! Be sure. Know. NOT EVERYBODY WILL! Funerals...for believers...hurt, but are celebrations-knowing they are with their Lord and Savior. Funerals for unbelievers, are the saddest most helpless things in the world. My friend Nate's mom passed away this week....more sadness...but she was SUCH a woman of the Lord....and they are calling it a graduation to heaven service, and it's true...so we miss her here, but she's dancin' with Heidi, Hollie's sister up in heaven. My hearts heavy with the loss, but I know they are in a better place. I KNOW THAT. If you do NOT know Him, Jesus...you are NOT going to heaven. There IS a hell, it IS eternal...and you'll stay there. Even if you are "good". It's about the relationship with Jesus Christ. It's about your belief in Him, and acceptance of Him in your heart....and that's it. You can't be "good" enough. We're sinners, every single one of us. We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.

The Bible says...

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Where are you?
1.Admit your need (I am a sinner).
2.Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3.Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
4.Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

How to Pray:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Step 4 God's Assurance: His Word

If you prayed this prayer,

The Bible says...

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Romans 10:13

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

Step 4"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:12-13

Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."

This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deepen this relationship you should:

1. Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.
2. Talk to God in prayer every day.
3. Tell others about Christ.
4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.
5. As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

It's not a simple life, being His...but it's certainly full of Hope and Grace, and knowing that EVERY single thing is for a reason and His Providence, and that NOTHING is left to "chance"...I mean it's ENCOURAGING! It's worth living for. He died so that we might have life, and life more abundantly. He made us in HIS likeness, we're HIS. It's heavy on my heart, being in trials and not knowing Him. So I pray that you as a reader, are blessed, encouraged, something, with this, and I hope and pray that you choose Him, as your life. He chose to give you life. And you as a believer...be encouraged that Christ has a perfect plan, even when there are lots of tears and terrible situations. He loves us, we need to trust and obey. And feel free to email me, I'm no expert but I'll pray with and help all I can. God is faithful. The picture is Hollie and I in July. Pray for her, Heidi's kids, and Heidi's husband.

So...maybe you know...and maybe you don't...but I've declared war on my basement...it's STAGGERING the amount of CRAP I have down there...and NO NEED! It's not like I have a house! Or like I have kids I'm saving it for....argh...if only I'd met me now...THEN! Oh well....so...eBAY! Oh the joys. Sure...it's a lot of work, it's a little annoying, packing packages is a CHORE...but for a little extra cash, SCORES more than a garage sale, and in the name of "making cleaning fun"....I'm selling. Anything and everything. I LOVE what people will buy! It's CRAZY! And then of course...I buy too...but not NEARLY what I could be buying....that's got to count for something right!? Well, at any rate...I research a little on somethings, you know accurate description, pricing, RECALLS! RECALLS!? Yeah...so I listed my "Mini Lite Brite Keychain" tonight, and it said to check the Consumer Safety website...which, incidentally....is STILL loading, as I type this. So I gave up, I mean I already warned people not to eat the pieces or let their little ones eat the pieces, what more can I do!? BUT, in researching this....I found this write up about old school lite brites-which I still have, and will be eBaying shortly-though not a high value item....and not that any of my items are, but I'm just sayin'. I found this blog "stuff that was cool" and this cats write up about the lite brite was HYSTERICAL...and the Larry King part was great, AND? He made me want the lite brite with 4 sides and BATTERY POWERED! OOOOOoooh! Things like this...make me want kids...a little. Anyway, I remember the Christmas when Curtis and I got our lite brite, we were in Montana...and laying on the floor...I feel like we played with it all day...you'd have to ask mom and dad if that were true. Good times. And it was like cheating if you turned the light on before you were done matching every single light to every single dot or x or whatever! GOOD TIMES! Well...I had hopes and dreams of being in bed before 3 tonight...looks like it might actually be before 1! So...in closing...here's a picture of my lite brite keychain that is being sold on eBay right now.....bid bid bid!

Terrible...

I'm absolutely terrible at keeping this up, I have great ambitions, but alas....to no avail. BLAH! So...here I am...plugging along. I just got back from 3 weeks in Cali....2 tours, and some chill time with the Swaynes, which was great, really great. So now I'm home, it's fall, and I've officially declared war on my basement. EBAY for all! So hopefully, I'll fight a good fight, and eventually, own nothing but what I might need. I'm over the "somedays"...as who knows what will happen, and if I haven't used it in like 7 years...chances are slim I will ever use it! All this is ramblings, my body is still jacked on west coast time, AND I took a nap today! Viva the freezing fall! So for warm feelings...I leave you with this gorgeous rose that I found at V. Sattui, a winery in St. Helena, California. It may very well make the 2010 calendar. We'll see. And? For some tour guide trivia!? Do you know why there are often rose bushes around the vineyards!? They predict disease, and bugs, and all that. So they are the canary of the grape world! Cool right!?