If it’s Free … it’s for Me

Last week a nationwide sandwich chain restaurant had a four-hour promotional special, offering all their sub sandwiches for a measly $1.00. Wanting to cash in on that deal, I drove to my neighborhood franchise and was shocked to see that the line to get in the store was wrapped completely around the building. The parking lot was so filled with cars, patrons were parking in the empty, dirt lot adjacent to the restaurant. I opted to drive right on by thinking I didn’t need a sandwich that bad.

Folks love a good deal – especially those, if it’s free – it’s for me promos. People go to great lengths to get what they want with regards to material possessions. They will camp out overnight for Black Friday shopping deals; they will wait in the heat for a couple of hours for an amusement park ride; or they will stand in the rain or snow to purchase concert tickets or see a first-run blockbuster movie. On the day of the sandwich promotion — it was in the mid-90s, yet people waited to get their $1.00 foot-long sandwich for quite some time.

I personally don’t get it.

As I was driving away from the sandwich shop, I started thinking about the effort people put in just to save a few dollars or to get something for nothing. People willingly sacrifice their precious time and comfort in order to be entertained but when it comes to things that really matter, those people don’t have the same time or energy.

It’s a lot harder to find people who are committed to a relationship with Christ or who will attend regular church services. And people wonder why our country is lacking in moral character these days; it’s because so many people can’t be bothered to give God the time of day unless they have a personal crisis in their lives?

Saying ‘yes’ to Jesus is considerably easier than camping out at the electronics store on Black Friday; yet so many people postpone a relationship with God – thinking they’ll have time for that “whole religion thing” before they die. That logic is terribly flawed given the fact that few of us have the luxury of knowing exactly when our time is up.

O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow. Psalm 144:4 (NIV)

We are never guaranteed a tomorrow. Accepting Christ as your Savior isn’t about being religious or even joining a church. Jesus Christ is about the relationship between you and the Lord of Lords. Plus, when you say ‘yes’ to Jesus, you’re guaranteed to spend eternity in Paradise with the Creator of the universe rather than burning in the lake of fire for all eternity.

Any way you spin it – an eternity in Heaven is way better than burning in Hell forever and ever and ever. A relationship with Christ is far better than a big screen TV and way more exciting than the most state-of-the-art amusement park attraction. In the long run, saying ‘yes’ to Christ costs far less and the return on your investment is immediate and guaranteed.

If you haven’t already accepted Christ as your Savior – don’t delay. You never know when your number will be up.  Simply confess you are a sinner in need of a Savior and turn your will over to Jesus. Say YES today; there are no long lines and you will secure your spot in Heaven today. Salvation is a free deal and will give you way more than you ever expected. If it’s free — it’s for me … and YOU … no long lines, no reservation required!

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. James 4:14 (NLT)

Blessings in Christ and as always … happy reading!
Kathy K.

“Ugly” is in the Eye of the Beholder

The timing was perfect. The traffic light changed at just the right moment so I’d have to stop abreast of the towering prickly giant. The multi-armed Saguaro Cactus stood proudly in the late day sun dressed in its full Spring bloom. I managed to snap a picture before the traffic light changed and considered my good fortune for being forced to slow my pace in order to enjoy such a wondrous sight. My camera phone photo didn’t begin to do justice to the splendor of the Saguaro covered in beautiful blossoming flowers.

While some might call the Saguaro – or any cactus for that matter – ugly; I see only God’s handiwork and creativity. A cactus draped in vibrant colors, the velvety softness of their petals are a stark contrast to the intimidating thorns of the sharp, threatening desert succulents.

If you’re someone who has ever struggled with low self-esteem or has a skewed perception of your body or face, you may at times feel like people see you as “an ugly cactus.” Many of us – especially women – find it almost impossible to refrain from comparisons with regards to our looks. Some days we wake up feeling ugly because we’re not as thin or pretty as “So-and-So.”  Beware, your enemy roams about looking for someone to devour … (1 Peter 5:8)  The enemy can be very quick to jump on those negative feelings and only reinforce what we see reflected back at us from our mirrors. His harsh criticisms in our brain can torment us causing us to have an unreal image of ourselves.

If we’ve spent years listening to the lies of the enemy with regards to our appearance, it can be difficult to see ourselves as anything other than the ugly trolls we imagine ourselves to be. In order to overcome the lies of the enemy we must first stop with all of the comparisons. Yes, the Kardashians are beautiful in their own right – but if there is no personal relationship with Christ – that’s all they’ll ever be … just another pretty face, with no substance and no hope of spending eternity with the Creator.

The good news for those of us who have made Christ Jesus Lord of our lives is that Christ loves and adores us and not because of our appearance. He sees only the beauty of His creation: YOU.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. Psalm 139:13-15 (NLT)

Don’t fall into the trappings of the world and fixate on what the world sees:  the superficial outer shell you are housed in. CHOOSE instead to focus on how your Heavenly Father sees you:

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

It may take some work, but in time if you renew your mind daily as the Word instructs us in Romans 12:2, eventually you can put away the things of man – like self-destructive comparisons and superficial beauty and begin to see yourself as God sees you and all that He created you to be. You were created in HIS image and He thinks you’re fabulous!

Blessings in Christ and as always … Happy Reading!
Kathy K.

God is Good … All the Time

We’ve all done it. Social media has turned us all into a bunch of shameless braggarts. When something good happens we want to extol our good fortune on Facebook proclaiming God’s good graces for answered prayers.

What happens though, when someone posts about an answered prayer and your similar prayers go unanswered?

Recently my friend prayed for a miracle to sell her house above listing price because she had little or no equity in her home. God answered her prayers and she made enough money to move across country and pay off her credit card debt. She posted that she is “blessed beyond measure.”

My husband and I were in a similar situation, but not only did God not answer our prayers for a “miracle,” but our home sold for below asking price. We didn’t even make enough money to pay our closing costs and realtor fees.

I couldn’t help but feel like God loves me less than my friend because He answered her prayers and not mine. She was “blessed beyond measure;” I felt punished by God.

Does God love some more than others? Is God punishing me and favoring my friend?

For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 (NLT)

Because of social media, it can be very easy for us to compare ourselves with others. We must resist doing that at all costs.

“Let everyone be sure to do his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work done well and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.” (Galatians 6:4 LB)

God is good whether He answers our prayers or not. We must come to a place in our relationship with Christ that we believe God will answer our prayers according to His will and not ours.

If God never answers our prayers … He’s already done more for us than we will ever deserve.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

If you must use social media to brag about anything, let it be this: God is good … all the time — answered prayers or not.

Blessings in Christ and as always … happy reading!
Kathy K.