Are You Free?

I'm certain my parents didn't plan it to be so, but I was born on the Fourth of July. God meant for me to be born on that date. He knew how much I would cherish my freedom. When I think of myself, I'm like a wild mustang running free, enjoying each lung-filling breath. When my husband proposed to me he said something that some would consider a contradiction. He said, "I want to marry you and set you free." He meant that he loved me so much that he wanted to claim me as his, but not squelch my spirit.

I am priviledged in many ways, none the least of which that I was born in a free country. I love my free time. It's a precious commodity to me. I enjoy doing what I want to when I want to unfettered by anyone or anything. I get really defensive if anyone plans my time for me. I enjoy speaking my thoughts when I feel like it without fear of being arrested, beaten or imprisoned. It's a charmed life, for sure. However, I am human and make many mistakes. Sometimes I sin...okay, often I sin. It is then that I turn to God the Father and ask His forgiveness (sometimes this requires my asking others to forgive me as well--sometimes not). He freely forgives when I "woman up" and own my transgressions (Psa. 32:5; 79:8-9; 86:5-7). My personal favorite verse about His removing our sins is Psalms 103: 11-12 which states, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." That is what makes us truly free for John 8: 34-36 states, "Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Galatians 5: 1 tells us, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Are you free? Do you want to be? It's yours for the taking if you'll but ask Him for it.

Love Ya,
God Bless

Loving Others Just One More Day

Our Sunday school class has been studying the book of John for some time now. We were in chapter 15 today. Jesus was saying to his disciples that if they loved him they would keep his commandments. The teacher asked an open-ended question: What is friendship? Most responded that it's when you share similar interests with others and you check in and are present for the events in their lives and vice versa. You care for them on a personal level and are interested in their welfare. I agree that that's what I consider the ideal for friendship. He asked if we are to put stipulations on our friendship like Jesus did in this statement. I don't think so because we're not deity. However, I've found that friendships don't always develop and you sometimes have to abandon the effort because you cannot carry on a one-sided friendship. You can open yourself to inviting someone into your inner sanctum of trust and try to build a relationship with them, but that doesn't mean that they will want to or that they will reciprocate. One person responded that she thinks you're supposed to love people regardless of whether they love you or not. I agree with her. I told her later that I did, and that I love lots of people who don't love me back. I can't help it. I'm just turned that way. I do get discouraged, disappointed, and my feelings hurt when dealing with others; but I remember that the Lord loves me even when I've let him down too. He's never given up on me. Likewise, I just refuse to give up on people. What if one more day would have made a difference? Would they have finally obeyed the gospel? Would they have finally been restored? Would they have finally started mending lives broken by past bad decisions? One more day could make a difference with so many people.

Diamond Rio has a song that came out years ago called "One More Day." It talks about wishing for just one more day with someone who's now gone. I don't like songs or movies that make me cry, but that song does and I love it anyway. When another day has come and gone and things remain unchanged, I think to myself, "just one more day--just love them one more day."

Love Ya--Mean It,
God Bless!