I had a talk with somebody that I love yesterday about couples living together before marriage. I wasn’t too articulate. I should have prepared more for this time. The Lord woke me up at 4:00 asking me to clarify myself. He didn’t like my sloppy work here, and I am supposed to be a Christian Communicator. I did my homework, and revisited the concepts that I knew, but hadn’t done a very good job of conveying. Of course, the day before your loved one moves in with her boyfriend isn’t exactly the right time to bring this up.I hope that you are systematically teaching these principles to the young people that you love by example and words. I hope this blog will help you communicate the value of marriage and family, and why it’s worth waiting for.

Decide What You Believe

This might seem way too basic to you, but I have to put it first because it is the underpinning of the home and family, and really Western Civilization. If you say that you are a Christian, then what does that mean? It means literally “Christ follower.” I am sorry if anyone gave you the idea that there is such a thing as “fire insurance”, where you can repeat a prayer, or go down an aisle, or even add a baptism ceremony, and become a Christian if you do not want to follow Christ. What I mean is, that God looks on the heart, not the outward appearance. Jesus never said, “Come, get a free ticket to heaven by repeating these words or going through a ceremony.” On the contrary, He said, “If any man wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Matt. 16:24) Jesus also said that anybody that didn’t want to do this is not worthy of Him. (Matt. 10:38) In another place Jesus asked, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) He also said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15).

What does it mean to “follow Jesus?” Does it mean that you never do anything wrong? No. The point here is not that a follower of Jesus is perfect, or never needs correction or Godly discipline. It’s that when we realize something we are doing goes against what God teaches in the Bible, we ask God to help us fix it. We turn away from that thing and turn to God. If your life is not marked by this willingness, do you truly feel you should be calling yourself a Christ follower? Evidently Jesus doesn’t think so. ” Read this passage from Matthew 27:

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” 28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

A person who really believes in Jesus has to know what He taught. Then he or she is responsible to live His way, which is written down for us in the Bible. Next we will explore what the Bible says about relationships. But before you go, let me assure you that there are many totally secular reasons backed up by research to avoid living with someone without being married to them. We’ll get there!

We had a party last night! I called my best friend/book designer Paula Corley of Jot ‘n Tittle Editing Service over to celebrate the birth of our new picture book from Little Light Press, BiC’s Baptism. That is the sample copy with us and our diet root beers. We are so excited because the book is gorgeous and has turned out to be worth every one of those six million revisions! My only regret is that Kevin Collier was not able to come down from Michigan to share a root beer with us. (Only his root beer would not be diet because he is skinny.)

I am praising God today for His guidance and blessings. I pray that He will help me be a good steward of this beautiful story for children about baptism.

At the Federal Transfer Center on Sunday God blessed us as we worshiped. The Federal Transfer Center is a holding prison.  All of the prisoners there are on their way somewhere else.  They are either awaiting sentencing or being moved to a different facility for some reason.  About 14 women showed up for church on Sunday.

Church is held in a tiny room that was actually originally a TV room.  It can be quite clostrophobic, in fact if you had the mildest case you could not stand to be in that room.  But we pack in there for church.  I just go as a substitute when one of the regular leaders has to be gone.

We sang and had Bible study and prayed. After everybody left a young woman came back in to the little room. I was busy putting the Bibles and songbooks back on our cart. “Can I ask you something?” she said.

“Sure.”

“How do I get saved?”

We knelt down in the corner and her tears of repentance splattered on the concrete floor.  I felt like I was driving ChittyChitty Bang Bang all the way home! So the doxology is appropriate, Praise God from whom all blessings flow. What a lovely Lord, is He who loves prisoners and poor people and sinful folks like me.

We had a great time yesterday at the West Side Women’s Connection Luncheon!

Jacque Jarnigan of Signature Interiors, taught us how to discover our Deco Signature. I’m ready to re-do my house now!

Michael Jones, the grandson of Mrs. Dehn, the new club President, entertained us with his viola. What a talent!

I really enjoyed getting to see Mrs. Kollmorgan! I grew up with her daughter Linda, and actually did Jeanne’s hair a few times.

Two ladies took the “New Beginning” book from me. I praise the Lord for letting me share and get to know these beautiful ladies!

How can you watch one of the “Remembering 2007″ shows (like was on Dateline NBC last night), without thinking, “The world has gone crazy!” Just the natural disasters in 2007 are mind boggling.

Looking at the pictures of these disasters is overwhelming. I used to think that there were not more disasters these days, just more reporting on them, and more pictures and fast traveling news. But the statistics say that these disasters are on the increase. Munich Re, a leading reinsurer, said that, in all, 950 natural disasters were recorded this year — up from 850 last year, and the highest figure since the company started keeping systematic records in 1974.

Factor in fires in California, Floods in Indonesia and Britain, Ice in Europe, Storms everywhere, drought in southeast U.S., Earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and fires and you’ve got a real recipe for, well, disaster! Dateline even showed pictures of the ice storm ten days ago in my own dear Oklahoma. This was the biggest power outage in the history of our state.

How about the Tornadoes in Canada and Kansas? I knew that Kansas was in tornado alley with us Okies. But who would have thought they got tornadoes in Canada? Somehow the south side of Oklahoma City was spared a twister this year. Those folks get it nearly every year!

In addition to natural disasters; figure in political corruption, moral corruption of our people, mass shootings and the demise of the family structure and it makes a real scary world. I have to remind myself that God is holding the world in His hand. Just like He did in the days of Noah. He has a plan and we need to be faithful like Noah was. I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. I just know that in 2008 I need to turn my heart to my Creator, the Creator of the universe, and help others do the same.

Merry Christmas! (Notice I did NOT say Happy Holidays.) I am on my own personal, even though not really original, mission to put Christ back in Christmas. There are no words for the fact that the people who benefit most from this holiday, (merchants and Hollywood), are the ones who have decided to make it generic for us! I promise you, if Christians started telling these stores that we were not buying any more gifts from them because of their secularization of Christmas, or going to see their “Christmas movies” they would all turn on a dime. But really. It gets down to the fact that we should be focusing on Jesus so much that what the stores do would be immaterial. I am telling them all “Merry Christmas” after they wish me Happy Holidays.

My favorite verse for Christmas time is Isaiah 9:6. I learned this verse many years ago while teaching sixth grade Sunday School. It was our memory passage for December and I learned it with the kids.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So the whilrlwind of Thanksgiving is past. Today was a zoo. It’s amazing how a holiday weekend can put you behind. So much housework to do, so much business to do. Everybody has been sitting around and watching football and vegging out and making messes for 4 days. So this morning I seemed to be so very behind. But then I decided to stop worrying. I consulted with my Advisor, and he told me to trust Him, and not lean on my own understanding. Just to acknowledge Him in all my ways, and He would direct my paths. I felt a lot better after that. He knows my family is messy. He knows that I still have 2 boys at home. So, I’m gonna trust Him, stop worrying and be thankful!