Grace.

When we don't get what we deserve, it's a real good thing.  When we get what we don't deserve, it's a real good thing. These last two sentences sum up what the word "grace" means to me (and they are from an old Newsboys song called Real Good Thing).

When we don't get what we deserve.  You may ask, "what do I deserve?"  Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, and Romans 3:23 says that ALL have sinned...Revelation tells that there is a lake of fire set aside for Death and Hades and all those whose name is not in the Lamb's Book of Life. This place is called Hell. It's real. So, the Holy Bible tells us that we ALL deserve Hell. We should go there for eternity. Never ending, never quenched fire burning, completely separated from God and all of his goodness. GRACE IS WHEN WE DON'T GET WHAT WE DESERVE, and it's a real good thing.

When we get what we don't deserve.  Well, what is it that we don't deserve? What is it that contrasts the eternal torment of Hell mentioned above? There's a place called Heaven, it's the Holy land of God, it's where all of everything began and has no end. It's the place where God the Father resides, where Jesus was resurrected to, and where Holy Spirit operates from. Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven is here, now upon his arrival, and he demonstrated how to live in that reality. We have a glorious eternity that we DO NOT DESERVE, and it begins with turning our old, sinful lives over to Christ.  Revelation 21 tells us about what we have to look forward to, and that God is indeed making all things new.  That means me and you, under the blood of Christ, we have been made new!!! So, instead of getting what we deserve, Hell, we get a brand new life of Kingdom glory. It has been said that Jesus died and sent us Holy Spirit so that we can become Love and walk just like him! GRACE IS WHEN WE GET WHAT WE DON'T DESERVE, and it's a real good thing.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. For God so loved the world that he gave...a gift, the gift of grace. Unmerited favor, to save us from ourselves, to free us from ourselves and in turn, freeing us from each other; because if God be for us, who cares who is against us! Grace is the vehicle from the dredges of a life separate from God to Kingdom life, and it's a real good thing!

Kingdom Life!

David Webb

Of Broken Hearts and Broken Bones

In 33 years I've learned that life isn't easy...for anyone! Sure, some may seem to have it easier than others, but trust me, everyone has their demons.  Mine, well they usually look like the guy I see staring back with a bewildered look from the other side of the mirror every morning.  I think if we take an honest look at ourselves, our problems with everything and everyone else typically will lead back to an unbalanced part of our very own lives.  This is where I believe the Scriptures referred to as Holy Bible have something to say:

"Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality,impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." 

(So, there's that, I'm a Christian! *GASP* I'm not here to judge you, if you're wrong, you probably know where you fall already, besides, THAT'S NOT MY JOB! My job is to love you, and I do.)

This passage makes a lot of sense to me. We Christians get hung up on Devils and demons and get totally unfocused on Jesus, you know the guy we're SUPPOSED to be like. According to this passage, it's us who are really in our own way, and we have work to do; "Put to death (that's harsh)", "rid yourselves", "take(n) off", & "put on". Three times this specific passage tells us to get rid of EVERYTHING our past says about us!!! THREE TIMES!!! Only once do we "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge (your brain) in the image of its Creator." So, our minds, our thoughts are being renewed? Can we be angry with something that is already done? Sure! But does it do us any good? Nope.

Here's where the Broken Heart comes in.

Let's hop in the time machine. Before there was me, there was my mom and dad, who shortly after my triumphant entry into this plane split. One did not love the other, and there was much brokenheartedness. Fast forward a few years, I didn't see my dad much, not because he's bad (he's actually a great man), but because he just couldn't. However, the men in my life seemed to see me as a problem, an obstacle between them and my mother, so they took that out on me and my mother in ways that I won't mention because it's in the past. However, this caused much much brokenness in hearts and minds and bones (see my thumb).  Needless to say, most of my young life was spent hurting, being hurt, and hurting myself and occasionally others (I don't care what you say, words DO hurt). It wasn't until just a few years ago that this lesson finally sunk in: Everything that has happened in the past can not be changed, no matter how much you hurt or use other people. There is only one person who cares about the pain of your past, his name is Jesus and he took that pain and died for it. No one else can take that pain. So, I had to stop dishing it out. You see, I thought that because I was hurt, that it was okay for me to hurt others, or I did it without realizing what I was doing until it was too late.

Fast forward: Today. Every morning I wake up with the wrongdoings of yesterday still on my mind. Every morning I have to take off the old self of yesterday and put on the new self of today and grow in the knowledge in the image of my Creator, YHWY (the old Hebrew term for the name of God which was not to be spoken), through the blood of his son, Jesus who took all my yesterdays, he was perfect, I am not; and by the power of his Holy Spirit who teaches me, guides and directs me. Sure, I screw up, I've even made Christianity look bad, but thank God he doesn't hold that against me. This is called grace. Grace is available to all of us, and when we have grace we can extend it to everyone we meet.

So, whether you share the same spiritual views as me or not, I gladly extend my hand, my heart, and a smile and the same grace that I've been given. I don't care who you are, what you believe, what you've done, if we share the same air, we are made in the same image and we are brothers or you're my sister too!

The past is to be learned from, today is to be LIVED, and the worries of tomorrow will take care of themselves. In the words of Matthew McConnoughey, "Just Keep Livin'"

You're Invited!!!

Greetings, friends!

I've decided to blog, but it's more of a journal for me. Although, I am intentionally putting myself out into the interwebs for all to see. I hope that if you're reading along that you can find some hope, some solace, some peace in my journey. I've been through a lot, I've seen a lot, and I've experienced a lot, but this isn't about the past,(however we will hop in a time machine and revisit occasionally to see the lessons learned) this is about right now, this moment, and how I've come to learn to engage the moments, good or bad, and get the most I can from them. This is my journey, and this is your invite to walk life's road with me for a while.

Welcome and Shalom to you!!!

P.S. Grab some coffee or tea, stories are better with a good, hot beverage.