We all look at the past as something cherished. Even if it was the most horrible time in our lives. We all compare our lives now with what we had. It isn’t fair because the past is gone and can’t be changed. No matter how good or bad it was, it will remain the past. The only thing that is real in our lives is change. It can be good for some and bad for others. But it will happen. God designed us that way for our benefit. He wanted us to have the opportunity to be able to improve our lives. Sometimes it looks like what we are doing is just useless. But there is a plan for our lives and it does unfold in our lives. Whether you can see it or not. It is funny to watch people who think that they can stop God or His plan. Yet people think that they are greater than God. They tried even to the point of death to do their thing. You have heard me talk about a death spiral. It is the last effort of someone or something to stop what they put into motion. There is only one person who can stop a death spiral. That is God Himself. God designed this world to the very detail of life. There is no one that knows what to do except God. We are the image and likeness of God. He wanted to share His life with us. Our spirit, who we are, will never die. We are eternal beings. That is where we get the idea and sometimes misguided that this flesh will live forever. This flesh that we wear will return to the earth where it came from. Our spirit will go on to be with God or not. That is the question that every person must answer in this life time. As we say, it is time to pick your choose.

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Today actually turn out like the weathermen promised. Surprise, Surprise, it was a beautiful day with no clouds and plenty of sunshine. But it didn’t get above 37 degrees. Right now, it is at freezing. We are talking about the deep south. I have said over the past few days, that I feel sorry for the people up north, with white outs, blinding snow, and blizzard conditions. If the temperature got over 0 degrees, they were doing good. The weatherman said that by Tuesday, it will be 70 degrees and rain. There is an old saying in Louisiana, if you don’t like the weather, wait a couple of hours and it will change. This crazy weather is only a symptom of a greater problem. There has been tsunamis’, droughts, floods, hurricane, typhoons, tornados, and every kind of destructive weather every year now for 16 years. It isn’t going to stop any time soon. Until the root cause is weeded out, we will have no peace. There is every explanation in the world out there. But there is only one reason. And I am not being simplistic about this. If you look at every nation in the world that has risen and fallen. There is only one reason why they fell. Most people didn’t want to hear that reason until it was too late. The answer is found in the bible in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (KJV).

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I live in the deep south and it rarely snows. An artic front came through today. It pushed the warm front out of the area. This only means one thing, rain. This morning when I got up, it was 35 degrees F, outside and raining. This is a perfectly miserable day. You can’t escape the wind, the rain and the cold. Unless you stay inside and don’t go out. But if you work that isn’t an option. People should be slowing down as they drive, but no. I fully expect a lot of accidents on the road. The front is supposed to blow the rain through by tomorrow. The weathermen predict sunshine and 30 degrees tomorrow. It would be a blessing. I like cold weather, but not the rain. The cold and the rain are depressing. I am not sure why that is. But a good book or video and hot chocolate would be nice, in a warm place. It is funny how weather affects people so drastically. People who live in areas with less sunlight, need light therapy. This is where they sit by a bright light for hours. I have always known that the full moon affects people. And I am not talking about vampires or werewolves. There is a major increase in violent crimes during a full moon. People do the strangest things during a full moon. So, we are physically affected by the changes on the earth. It is too bad that we aren’t affected spiritually by the changes in our lives. God place the earth and stars in motion to help us. it was not only to tell time or seasons, but to be able to see the hand of God changing lives. For all creation groans for the revelation of the Son of God.

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Trust and Respect are 2 things that have to be earned. I greatly value both trusting and respecting someone. I have never given those 2 attributes freely to anyone. I have always been friendly and congenial to most everyone. I will start with a smile even if the person growls at me. It is funny, I find people who show their emotions are easier to talk to. Even if they are angry and yelling at me. Now I may back away if they are really angry. But it doesn’t stop me. If a person will talk to me, within minutes of our conversation I’ll know who they are. Everyone will tell you who they are if you will just listen. When I began with God, I was shy and didn’t say much. People would walk up to me and ask questions. God would always open the door. Then I would see who they are and talk to them. God knows in advance what we need in our lives. He always goes before us to make the way for us. God’s word says that it is better to have a good name than riches. I have always tried to be trustworthy to anyone. I don’t say that it is easier, but it is what is necessary for people to hear the truth. Trust and Respect is what you need to earn and give to those who earn it.

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What is exciting to me is that each day is new, a new beginning. It gives me an opportunity to accomplish what I didn’t yesterday. Each day doesn’t mean that I will accomplish something significant. There are plenty of days, that I just slept or read a book. But I have a drive inside of me that won’t let me stop. I have always had a project to do. I could never just sit idlily by and watch the world go by. I have been studying my family history for at least 10 years. I studied the New Testament of the bible. It took me 25 years. Then I studied the Old Testament which took me 5 years. I have written 5 books. I haven’t published them. But I am hopeful for the last one. That book took me 2 years to write. My projects have never been about busy work. I was interested in a subject and studied to learn for myself. I like to read to understand things. I never take anyone’s word at face value. I always proved it to be true. I want to know it is real. Once I proved a truth to be true, I will believe to the end. I was raised in a good home and went to church. But I didn’t believe what people said God was saying to me. I began to prove what God was saying for myself. You know what I found that God isn’t a man that He should lie. What God has said is the truth and can be trusted. You that have ears to hear and eyes to see, believe that God is real. And He will prove it to you. Just like He did for me.

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Faith is believing and trusting in something greater than yourself. I know that our faith in mankind has been tested beyond the point of trust. Many times, our faith begins to wane. It is because of the horrible things we see what people do to each other. We didn’t start out being faithless. We had hope of a bright and wonderful world. We wanted everything to work out right. We believed that things would correct itself so our faith would be justified. If you look at the situation with man, you have to look at how we started out. Why does a baby know how to lie, steal and cheat? You would think that a proper upbringing would correct those defects in man. But it doesn’t. Man is born corrupt with sin. Only God can change the heart of man. There is no hope that man can be disciplined, educated or made to change into a non-corrupt human. The only way is through God Himself. When we ask for forgiveness and walk with God, things will change in our lives. God will begin to change our heart into His image and likeness. This is where our faith is renewed and we begin to trust again.  We understand that through faith the worlds were made by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

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On December 7^th, 1941, the empire of Japan attacked the United States. Everyone knew that war was coming, but no one knew when or where. The United States was unprepared for war. No one wanted to hear or even consider that war would come to the US. The US had to use what it had to defend itself. It took them almost a year to be able to take the offensive to the enemy. Yet all the signs were there for war. We all want this world to be safe and secure so we can live a good life. God established governments to keep the peace in this world. But they are human beings and are as good as the people they serve. You ever heard of the expression, holding their foot to the fire. It means making a person accountable for their actions. If you want different results, you are going to have to do things differently. It can’t be the same old same old. In 1941, there were people who knew that the Japanese were going to attack, but they were shouted down by the fear of the people. The military has an expression, you prepare to go to war to prevent it. There is truth in the saying. It says in I Corinthians 14:8 “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (KJV). There is a battle raging and most people don’t even see it. And what is unfortunate is that they don’t want to hear about. The trumpet has been sounded and will be sounded until the end. So, who will prepare himself for battle?

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I have never been known as the most socialable guy around. I have always tried to be congenial to everyone. It was always hard for me to reach out to people, but I had to do this for my sake let alone others. Not being so socialable, it didn’t endear as one of the boys. I went to a new church and really no one was talking to me. I asked God what do I do? He said, if you want friends, show yourself friendly. So, the next Sunday I stood in the lobby of the church and greeted everyone who walked through the door. It’s funny, I wasn’t the only person who felt that. People began talking to each other and sparked a comradery amongst the members of the church. I have strived to greet and introduce myself to anyone who was willing to talk to me. Then I began to work with the socialably unacceptable people. This change me in more ways than I can describe. Everyone, from the most important to the least of all, wants to be loved and accepted by someone. I will still shake anyone’s hand who looks at me and greet them. I still open doors for people and try to be as polite as I can. I wasn’t always like this. My brothers and cousins can attest to this. But when I met the Lord and began to follow God, it changed me. It changed me so much that I wanted to reach out and to love beyond a reason.

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Each day, when we sleep, we are renewed. As we are renewed for a new day, we have hope for that day. It is funny how that works. It is the New Year and there is hope again that things will work out. We are hoping against hope for a different result. I like the cartoons in the newspaper. I was reading one that talked about resolutions. It was making fun about people making new year resolutions. Do you know the definition of insanity? It is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Do you know why new year resolutions never work? Because we are unwilling to change to make it happen. Change is the key word here. We have to change to acquire different results. A new vision for the new year means that we will change and this brings new hope. It is important that we are wanting and willing to change for the better. I am not making fun of the wanting to change. I am making fun of the willingness to change. It is a struggle that we must all face. The only constant in this world is change. It is how we get from one place to another. God is the God of the second chance. Where we can have hope that things will change for the better. We can get a new vision of the kingdom of heaven and have hope for the future. Because it is God that designed us to be renewed each day that we would have hope for our future. I wish and pray for hope in your life and with the hope in God a blessed new year.

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Wisdom is defined as a combination of understanding and experience. I knew when I began to walk with God that I didn’t know or understand enough to do anything. So, the first thing I asked for was wisdom. Learning has never been a problem for me, but stepping out and experiencing the knowledge was new to me. God took me through most everything that I had problems with. It started with boldness. I have always been a shy, introverted person. Then my lessons moved on to faith. Trusting was always an issue for me. I walk out to the hairy edge and back. Sometimes it scared me until I shook with fear. And another lesson was overcoming fear. God says that fear will bind people like rope all of their lives. You wouldn’t believe what I had to do to overcome fear. But that one made me a warrior. God says that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. And that discipline will drive it far from them. One of the most important lessons I had to learn was discipline. Because of the fear in my life, I didn’t listen to many people. I did what I wanted and anyways got into trouble. I needed discipline in my life, badly. I have walked with God for a long time. And I have come to one real truth in my life, that I know and understand very little about God. It will take an eternity to learn everything about God. But where I began with God, was that He is alive and loves me unconditionally. And you what, He still loves me after knowing me.

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