He's Alive

Today is Easter. It is a time to remember the truth about this all important holiday in the Christian calendar. It is a day to remember the power of the cross. It is a day to remember that Jesus is alive. He is alive in all of us each and every day.

It reminds me of a song that we use to sing in Youth Choir as a kid. He's Alive was a song that we would sing often. David Phelps does a great job with this song. Dolly Parton has a version that is great too.

In the song it says that Jesus is alive and that we are forgiven. That is so true. I believe that everyday Jesus is alive in me and that I am forgiven of my sins.

We have to believe that. We have to truly believe that Jesus is alive in each of us everyday. That way we will carry with us and be able to live it out to share with others.

Share the power of the cross and the fact that Jesus is alive in you with others so that you can bring more people to know the love of Jesus.

The Reality of Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday in the church calendar. This is a time when we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem before the events of Good Friday took place.

 

It was exciting and new. A parade was forming. The people were starting to stretch their necks to see over the person in front of them. the young children of course, crawled threw the legs of he adults to see if they could gaze upon what was happening. Yet everyone saw it. What did they see? They saw a man riding upon a donkey. And there were people racing in front of the man on the donkey throwing down palm leaves and clothes in the path of the man on the donkey. People started to shout Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The crowd had started to be caught up in the excitement and they began to shout and run along side of that parade that day. 

As they were running someone in the crowed asked Who is this man? Why are we shouting our Hosannas? Is he a king? Another turned and said, Yes we think he is a king. We think that he is the king of the Jews seeing that he is riding on a donkey and it says in the scriptures that the Messiah would come upon a donkey. The two of them ran off with the crowd.

We too can be caught up in the excitement of the moment.

The people of Jesus day knew that something exciting was about to happen as they watched Jesus that day. That Jesus was riding as the Messiah would. They thought that they knew what that meant. They thought that it meant that they would be free from the Romans. They also thought that it meant that Jesus was going to be their king. So they got caught up in the excitement of the moment.

They had a picture of a king that would save them. They had a picture of a reborn nation. They had a picture of a people that would be free from the mighty nation of Rome. So they celebrated.

We all know too well what occurred later that week. That very same crowd would cry out Crucify Him, Crucify Him. The dreams of that Palm Sunday were paraded down the streets of reality.  Jesus was not what they had pictured. In reality Jesus was a heavenly Messiah.

Jesus would soon know pain and suffering. Jesus spoke of the reality of who he was and is. Jesus shattered the dreams of the people that day by telling them of the reality that is to come. That reality was that Jesus was to die on the cross.

The crowd of Good Friday turned on Jesus because he did not fulfill their dreams. Jesus had them to see the reality of who he really was. Jesus was a warrior that would come to destroy death. He gave the people a taste of reality.

Jesus was painting a picture of a suffering Messiah. A Messiah that would suffer for their sins for all time. This is what he came to be. The people felt that they had been let down.

Jesus was to be the lamb that would be the sacrifice. The people of that time missed the point. What about us? Do we get the point? Or are we still waiting for Jesus to be the concurring Messiah King?

God gives us the power of suffering love. It is a power that lets us see the face of Christ in the weak and the most lowly on this planet. It is a power that relates in grace. It invites us to be with him and be one of his special grace givers. It is a power that assures us that we would not be afraid of suffering. 

The people on that first Palm Sunday wanted a warrior king. Jesus came to be a suffering king who came to save us all. The crowd missed the point. Do we get is? Is Jesus the suffering Messiah for us? Or are we looking for a warrior king? Do we see Jesus as the suffering king who did come to save us from our sins?

What do we see?

Do You Believe?

 

 

Today I went to see one of the best and most thought provoking Christian movies today, Do You Believe?  I think that everyone needs to see it. It brings up some thought provoking questions. Do you believe in the power of the cross?

 

The cross is powerful. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. That is powerful. Jesus loved the us so much that he gave his life to save us from our sins. That is some love and power. Do you believe in that power?

 

The cross is central to this movie. The cross is brought up multiple times in the movie. It makes you think about what the cross really stands for. It makes you think about its power.

 

I have never really thought about the power of the cross till I watched this movie. I always wear a cross around my neck and often have a cross hanging from the rear view mirror in my car. I even draw pictures of crosses all the time. I have never thought about the power of the cross.

 

John 3:16 talks about the power of the cross. It is a central verse to those who are new to the faith or to those wanting to share their faith with others. This is the first verse that I learned as a child. My great-aunt Virginia always said that this verse will be one that you can use to bring others to Christ.

 

Romans 5:8 says But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Christ died for us on the cross. That is powerful. When the movie began it started with a bible verse that would make you think. James 2:17 says The same is true with faith. Without actions, faith is useless. By itself, it’s as good as dead.  

 

That says that if we believe in the power of the cross we need to act on that faith. We need to live a life full of the faith in the power of the cross. If we don't then the power of the cross is meaningless.

 

So if you are interested in a thought provoking movie that will make you think about the power of Christ and the cross then you need to see this movie. It will make you think and change your life. 

 

Do You Believe? 

 

 



Put It In The Masters Hands

Sometimes in life we go through things that make us question why it happened. That is when we just need to stop and give the situation over to God. He will see us through. When I have hit a ruff patch of sorts then I go to the Master and he will hold my hand.

Jesus will see us through the storms of life. We just have to have faith. God is good all the time. When you are going through storm have the faith to give those storms of life to God. God has us covered. He will see us through.

If you have faith when you put your trust in God you will see great results. God will never let you down. He is always right there with you. That is awesome. Never give up on God cause he will never give up on you.

Broken Faith

Chapter 3

 

 

I got to school early that morning. Sue never showed up on time. I had spoken to her about it. It seemed like even thought I was the teacher and her supervisor that Sue never wanted to do what I asked of her. She always thought she knew what to do. I had been a Preschool Teacher for 10 years now and had worked with Sue for 2. I worked hard at getting along with Sue. However, she seemed to have a big mouth and wanted to get me in trouble. This was about to change.

 

As I sat at my desk going over my lesson plans I said a prayer. I wanted to do my best job and get along with Sue. That was something that we struggled with. I had noticed lately that when Sue was upset with me that we ended up in Principle Jones office. I never understood why she would not talk to me directly.

 

One thing that we struggled with was Sue knowing what was her job and what was my job. She often crossed the line and tried to do my job. This was a fact that I hated. I had tried to over look it. I said another prayer as Sue walked into the room.

 

I had as I always did left Sue a routine list of things that she had to do each day. She resented me for it. However, she needed it. Sue found the list and grumbled as usual about it. Then she got to work. I set back to getting my things ready for the day before the buses arrived. Sue had bus duty at 7:45. She was to go and greet the children as they got off the bus. She was not pleasant at all with it.

 

Once she was done we started our day. Then when naptime came I noticed that Sue had left the room. Here we go again. Sue had gone to see Principle Jones. She came back into the room. Ms. Annabelle, Mr. Jones wants to see you. I knew it. She had went to tell on me again. I was going to have to talk to him about it.

 

I went to the office. Miss Lora the secretary said that I could go in to see him. I took a seat and waited. Ms. Annabelle, I know that you are tired of coming to my office and frankly I am tired of having you come see me. Ms. Sue was here again to complain. Do you even talk to each other? Yes, Mr. Jones I talk to her. I give her instruction of what she is to do. The problem is sir that she refuses to follow my directions. She goes off and does her own thing. I have spoken to her, but she doesn't listen.

 

Mr. Jones looked concerned. Mr. Jones sometimes she crosses the line and tries to do my job. We have spoken about this, but she storms off mad. She just will not listen. I know that I should have come to you before now, but I thought I could fix this problem on my own. I realize now that I can't. Ms. Annabelle, I think you were wise trying to work this out on your own, but now it is time for me to take over. I am going to come in tomorrow to observe what is going on and then make a decision. I have heard from other faculty and staff that Ms. Sue is over stepping and that needs to be taken care of.

 

I walked back to the room. I knew that this problem had gone on too long. The next day Mr. Jones came to observe during Center Time. He told me that he wanted to speak to me and Sue after school in his office. My nerves were a mess. I was in a knot wondering what was going to happen. After school I told Sue we were expected in the office.

 

Ms. Sue I came to observe the class today. I found that the problems that are occurring in the class are your fault. I have decided that since you make a habit of coming to my office to complain on top of the fact that you refuse to do what is asked of you. Not to mention that you over step your bounds. I am going to take disciplinary action against you. This may mean a suspension for a period. We will just have to wait and see.

 

I could not believe it. Sue was going to get it good. I walked back to the room to finish a few things and said a prayer. Sue was not a bad person by any means. It is just that she has to be in control. I prayed that she would be able to control herself and do her job right.

 

Then I heard crying. Sue was upset. I am so sorry Ms. Annabelle. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that I was helping. I didn't realize that I was making things worse. I gave her a hug. I know you meant well, but you have to understand that you can't do my job. You have to do your job. Ok I will try. You can't just try you have to do. Then I asked her if we could pray together.

 

After saying a prayer we went home. Things were going to look up one way or another.

 

Next week: Chapter 4



Do You Believe?

Do you believe in the cross? That is a powerful question for Christians today. My response is yes. Then if so what are you going to do about it? That too is a powerful question. The most powerful verse in the entire bible is John 3:16-For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus death on the cross at Easter is one of the main points of the Christian faith. To me if you don't believe in the power of Jesus death on the cross then you really are not a true Christian. Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin. That is a powerful thing.

If we truly believe in the power of the cross then we need to share the story of the cross with others. We need to share with them that Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life for us that Good Friday on the cross to save us from living a life of eternity in hell. That if we have faith in the power of the cross that we will one day spend eternity in heaven with Jesus.

In today's society it is hard for Christians to share their faith with others. For some of us we can't even share it with our co workers. I work in the school system and would love to share my faith with my students, but that is simply not allowed.

In the years that I have worked in the school system children have talked to me about their faith. They tell me about going to church, who their preacher is, who their Sunday School teacher is, and even what they learned in church. I love to hear them share their love for the Lord.

Sometimes even students will come up to me and tell me about how I made a difference in their life as I shared my faith. They tell me that I was a great teacher at church camp and that they will be back again because of me. I am so glad to hear that.

We need to remember the cross everyday. We need to live the cross everyday. If not we as Christians will miss out on the true meaning of what being a Christian is all about. We will not be able to witness to others about the love that Jesus has for us.

Yes, I know that the manger too is an important part of the Christian faith. However, it does not play as big a role as the cross does. The cross symbolizes our new life in Jesus. It represents the fact that our sins have been washed away and that we have been made new. We need always remember that.

This brings us back to the beginning. Do you believe in the cross? If so, what are you going to do about it?

The Cross by The Crabb Family sums this all up.

Happy Birthday Kaylee

I was blessed for 5 years to have a wonderful little girl named Kaylee as a part of my family. Kaylee's mom Allaina was my mom's goddaughter and like a big sister to me. I considered Kaylee to be my little niece. Kaylee was tragically taken from those who knew and loved her on October 24, 2009. Our lives are empty, but our hearts will always be full of the love and memories that we have of Kaylee.

I have so many memories of Kaylee. She loved to play with my orange cat. She loved to sing Jesus Loves Me and Away In A Manger. We would sing those songs over and over. She loved to blow bubbles with me. She loved for me to read her books, color with her, and even play games. We had lots of fun.

Today would have been Kaylee's 11th Birthday. It seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating her 5th. At the time I never realized how soon everything was going to change. I look back now and wish that I would not have taken those days for granted.

My biggest memory of Kaylee comes when she found out that I had Autism. "Annie, God made you special." "He sure did Kaylee." That little girl accepted everyone for who they were no matter what. She had a heart so full of the love of God.

Another memory that I have is when Kaylee asked me if I would share my Granddaddy with her. I told her that I would and that he would love that. Granddaddy sure did love Kaylee as much as she loved him.

Kaylee loved butterflies. At this time of year when I see a butterfly I know that it is Kaylee watching over me. She is telling me that it will be ok.

I am sure that Kaylee is in Heaven now watching over all those that she loved. She is up there singing her favorite songs. I take comfort in the fact that one day I will see her again in Heaven.