The Crayon Box

Ok, think back to the time when you actually used crayons to color. (You know, when coloring outside the lines was cool?) Now, think about those crayons that you used. Some were short, some were tall, some were sharp, some were dull, some were red, some were blue. They were all different in one way or another. Now think, where did you put all those different crayons when you were done with them? You put them all back into one box. The same box. They were all different, but they lived in the same box.

Now think about us as Christians. Some of us are tall, some of us are vertically challenged. Some of us have been given the gift of encouragement, some of us have been given the gift of preaching. We are all Christians, but we are all so different. We are all different and we all have to learn to live in the same "box." We have to learn to live together and accept each other's differences for who God made us to be.

We are all Christians, but God has made us all differently. We need to be mature enough to accept those differences and learn from each other.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

-Peace

Baby Birds

Have you ever seen a newborn bird? It is naked, blind, and utterly helpless. It must rely completely on its parents for protection and food. As the days pass, the bird begins to grow fuzz to cover its naked body, and its eyes begin to open and see things. Soon, the baby bird has grown feathers and is learning how to fly. Not long after that, the parents force the bird out of the nest, and it begins a new section of its life on its own.

When we first become Christians, we are naked, blind, and completely helpless. We are forced to rely completely on God for our protection and nurishment. Then, as He guides and leads us, we open our eyes and start to see things we never saw before. We begin to grow "baby fuzz" to cover our nakedness. As God continues to provide and care for us, we graduate from "baby fuzz" to "feathers." God starts teaching us how to "fly." The only difference between baby birds and us is that our Father never kicks us out of the nest, never forces us out on our own, never abandons us to wild animals. We must always rely on God to care for us and protect us from Satan and his evil attacks.

We are never alone. God is always with us.

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." 1 Peter 2:2

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

-Peace

The Love Triangle

In light of Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I would say something on relationships.

Some people think that relationships are between two people and two people only. But this isn't really true. Think about your relationships as triangles. You are at one bottom corner, your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend is at the other bottom corner and God is at the top. Now, notice, as you and your partner travel along the sides of the triangle closer and closer to God, you are also getting closer together. But if you travel back down farther and farther away from God, you and your partner also get farther and farther away from each other. So when both of you are focused on God and growing closer to Him, that's when you will grow closer to each other.

Relationships should be centered on Christ. When they are focused on God, relationships grow and thrive.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:5

-Peace