As spending season is upon us... how do you rate?

http://whoarethejoneses.org/

Is His grace enough for you?

Please first listen to this song>>


Have you ever recieved a gift you thought you didn't deserve? Did it make you feel uncomfortable? Honored? Blessed? How DID it make you feel?

One gift I know I don't deserve is God's grace. Time and time, again and again, He gives it me however.

This time, I didn't want to take it. I knew I was underserved of it; I wanted to refuse it. I wasn't worthy. Does this make me pridefull? I guess it does...

But that's the greatest thing about God's gift of grace: It's a gift! Gifts are a choice. They are given whether or not the recipient wants it or not. And we have the choice: to humbly and thankfully accept it, or to be proud and reject the gift. Speaking of the latter, how would that benefit us at all?

Sometimes, accepting God's gift of grace is easy. And yet other times, we need to humble ourselves before the Lord and thank Him that His grace never fails us, and that we can always come before Him and He will give it to us.

Please go back and listen to the song if you haven't already, and really think about the words.
Run into His arms of love!

And now listen to this song as well>>



Come before Jesus, lay at His feet and surrender all.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefor come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to halp in time of need." Hebrews 4:15-16

Could you give up your computer?

I could never be a business major.

Want to know what makes me cringe, guaranteed?
This happens frequently actually, as of late.
The other day, I went into that new store in GP, Rue 21, I'm sure all you GP fellers know of it. It was crowded with youngins, and mothers in their twenties with little children hanging off of them.
I cringed.
I watched the news tonight. They showed video clips of the latest car Toyota (I think it was them...) is making; some sort of hybrid. It was a speedy little car; cute and fast it was. And the reporters were so excited about this new car, almost as if we have been living in the dark ages without it.
I cringed.
Then they showed how the stock market of something or rather had gone up.
I cringed.
And yet they continued on another story of a GAP store soon to open in Brazil, like it was the newest and most exciting thing that could ever possibly happen and how did they ever live without it before.
I cringed.

Do you see a pattern in any of these things?
Materialism.
The love of money and the love of things.
Something has changed within me over the last few months.
I don't enjoy shopping as much. And I nearly hate shopping in a store that is playing the latest pop and/or autotune songs, or is selling bright and tacky clothing, or ones that sell clothing that give off the vibe of "you need me, without me you will not be good enough, this is the best thing you will ever own." Maybe I'm crazy?
Maybe it's because I didn't go shopping much over the 6 months that I was gone?
Who knows.
But am I only one who sees how materialistic our society has become, in EVERY area, in such a short time?!

And I'm not going to plead innocent always either.
I have thought about this on many other levels.
My computer; is it neccessary? Not really. Have I become dependent on it? Yes. Would I give it up? I sure wish I don't ever have to.
Are there better things I could be doing with my time and money? You sure bet there is.

If I can struggle with materialism, and I actually acknowledge it, and am not being blinded by it, how many of us out there are not even realizing our growing dependencing on money and owning things?

A lot, I can tell you that right now.

You and Me Together

Do you ever feel alone, when you're not? Or maybe, you physically are.

Do you ever feel hopeless, when you shouldn't?

Do you ever feel like something is lacking?

Do you ever feel stuck? Like you have all of these things you want to do, and you would do them in a heartbeat, but you have no idea how to get there?
Or maybe you know how, but that how is nearly impossible seeming.

Do you ever feel like there is no one there with you pushing through it all? And you're going all along the road called life by yourself, your lonely little self.

Do you ever feel like you have no answers?

Thing is, you're never alone, you shouldn't feel hopeless, or like something is lacking; you shouldn't feel your dreams or goals are impossible. And you CAN find answers, sooner or later.
There IS Someone there with you going through it all, Someone striving for the same things you are.
It's just hard to remember that always.
And even when we know it, it's hard to grasp.
And hard to understand.
And accept.