I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
You’ve been set free!
If you’ve ever been in debt (or known someone who has), you know the impact it has on a person. When you’re in debt, your money, time, or resources aren’t your own—they’re continuously being taken from you, and often with interest.
No one wants to be enslaved to a lender, and yet—every one of us has owed a debt we could never pay off.
The ancient Greek word for “sin” means “to miss the mark.” It was originally used to describe an archer’s arrow that didn’t hit the center target. In archery, it didn’t matter whether your arrow was close to the mark or far from it. If you didn’t hit the center, you lost.
In Scripture, the “mark” is the standard God asks us to aim for—but we all miss it. We miss it when we choose selfishness over humility, and anger over gentleness. We miss it when we lie, cheat, steal, slander, complain, and gossip. We miss it when we tear people down, and disobey God’s command to love others. Sin prevents us from becoming the people God created us to be.
But the good news is: Jesus saved each of us by sacrificing Himself for our mistakes. We couldn’t pay off our debt of sin in a million lifetimes, but He freed us from it in one moment.
And because He paid our debt, He wants us to live as free people.
When we pursue anything that separates us from God’s Spirit—whether through legalistic actions or lawless decisions—we act like Jesus hasn’t set us free. But when we choose to love others like Jesus loved us, it shows we value Jesus’ sacrifice and want to embrace the freedom He bought for us.
So how do we live free?
We accept that what Jesus did was enough for us, and then we commit to loving Him.
As our love for God grows, His Spirit helps us unconditionally love others. Instead of holding a grudge, the Spirit helps us forgive. Instead of hurting someone, the Spirit helps us encourage people. Instead of using people, the Spirit inspires us to humbly serve.
The more we love, the more we embrace our freedom—and because of God’s love, nothing can take our freedom away.
Remembering God
Have you ever been awestruck by a sunset? Or left speechless by the meticulous details of the living cell, the human eye, the mysterious ocean, or the vast universe? How often do you think about what God has made, or the ways that He has worked?
The psalmist Asaph, wrote:
“I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy, What god is great like our God?"
Psalm 77:12-13 ESV
One of the best things we can do is remember God—how He gives good gifts, writes the best stories, and is constantly making beauty from ashes. He created us, pursued us, and even gave His own life for us.
But remembering God takes intentionality.
Remembering God doesn't happen on accident, which is why we have to intentionally commit to reflecting on Him each day. Purposefully remembering God’s bigness helps us recognize our smallness. Deliberately recalling His goodness helps us understand our deep need for Him.
Pondering God’s work and meditating on ...
“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Beth-el. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth-el. And the sons of the prophets that were at Beth-el came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, ...
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something. Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building their career, or amassing possessions.
While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation are so great that nothing on this earth is as important as God’s work.
Paul says that nothing in His life matters as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission ...
