WISHING YOU A JOYOUS EASTER

I WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME AND WISH YOU A HAPPY EASTER. EASTER IS SUCH A SPECIAL HOLIDAY TO ME, MORE THAN ANY OTHER

HOLIDAY. IT IS ALMOST A PRIVATE HOLIDAY TO ME BECAUSE OF MY RELATIONSHIP

WITH JESUS CHRIST. I GUESS IT IS REALLY MORE PERSONAL THAN PRIVATE.

I CANNOT REMEMBER A TIME I DID NOT TALK TO JESUS. I SURRENDERED

MY HEART TO HIM AT AGE 15 BUT IT WAS NOT UNTIL MY 40'S THAT I

GAVE MYSELF TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY TO THE LORD. I WAS DRIVING

HOME FROM A BUSINESS MEETING AND THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO SET

AND MY LIFE WAS SOOOOOO VERY FULL OF PAIN AND ANGER AND THERE

JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH HOPE. AS I LOOKED AT THE SUNSET, I

GLANCED OVER AND SAW A TELEPHONE POLE AND IT LOOKED LIKE A CROSS

AND I JUST PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND EXPLODED INTO TEARS AND I FELT

LIKE A BEGGAR, A BUM THAT NEEDED THE LOVE AND FORGIVENESS OF

THE LORD. EVEN TO THIS DAY IT MAKES ME CRY. IT MAKES ME SO VERY

GRIEVED TO SEE A PERSON LOST, WITHOUT JESUS. THE BIBLE DESCRIBES A

LOST SOUL AS A "DEAD MAN WALKING". THE PHRASE "A DEAD MAN WALKING"

IS WHAT THEY YELL OUT WHEN SOMEONE ON DEATH ROW IS WALKING

TO THE GAS CHAMBER OR THE ELECTRIC CHAIR. THAT IS A VERY BAD PLACE

TO BE. JESUS SAID THAT IF YOU ARE ASHAMED OF ME BEFORE MEN, I WILL NOT

ACKNOWLEDGE YOU TO MY FATHER. I DON'T BELIEVE IN CRAMMING JESUS

DOWN ANY ONE'S THROAT. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A GENTLEMAN AND HE WILL

DRAW YOU BUT IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS

AND LIVE THEIR LIFE FOR THE LORD. I NEVER TRY TO PASS UP AN

OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHEN I FEEL THE LORD HAS IMPRESSED

UPON ME TO SPEAK TO THEM. MY LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME...IT IS ABOUT JESUS

AND HOW I CAN BE HIS HAND EXTENDED.

MY PROBLEM IS, AS THE KIDS WERE GROWING UP, I TOOK THE RESPONSIBILITY

TO TEACH THEM ABOUT EVERYTHING...I DIDN'T WANT FRIENDS OR SCHOOL

TEACHING THEM THEIR VIEWS. IF THEIR IS A PROBLEM, I DON'T DANCE AROUND, I

KICK THE DOOR IN WITH BLATANT TRUTH....LET'S CALL THIS WHAT IT IS.

I ALWAYS WANTED TO GET TO THE HEART OF THE ISSUE WITH MY CHILDREN

"IMMEDIATELY", LIKE YESTERDAY.

I OFTEN STICK MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH. I YELL, IF I TAKE THE URGE TOO.

I FALL SHORT OFTEN...IT IS SAD BECAUSE PEOPLE WAIT FOR

CHRISTIANS TO FAIL...THEY THINK WE THINK WE ARE BETTER THAN THEM.

THIS IS NOT SO. I STAND AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY, ANYTHING THAT EXPLOITS

WOMEN IS A RISK TO CHILDREN...ANYTHING THAT EXPLOITS CHILDREN

DRUGS OF ANY KIND...REALLY THIS ISN'T ABOUT ALL THIS.....I'M GETTING OFF

ON A BUNNY TRAIL.....BUT CHILDREN ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS LIVES WE HAVE

BEEN ENTRUSTED TO RAISE IN THE LOVE OF THE LORD...TO PROTECT, TO CHERISH,

TO HELP SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE THE GIFTS THAT ARE WITHIN THEM...

TOO MANY CHILDREN, AND ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRLS ARE

BEING KIDNAPPED AND MURDERED. LITTLE 8 YEAR OLD SANDRA CANTO IN

CALIFORNIA WON'T HAVE AN EASTER BASKET...HER MOTHER WILL NEVER SEE

HER GO TO THE PROM OR BE MARRIED BUT HER MURDERER WILL ENJOY EASTER....

LITTLE HALEIGH, LITTLE STACEY, LITTLE JESSICA LUNSFORD, LITTLE DANIELLE,

THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON....FAMILIES CHANGED FOREVER...A PRECIOUS

LIFE GONE...........

THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

GOING A LITTLE FARTHER, HE FELL WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND AND

PRAYED, "MY FATHER, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, MAY THIS CUP BE TAKEN FROM ME.

YET NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL."

~MATTHEW 26:39

DURING THE DAYS OF JESUS' LIFE ON EARTH, HE OFFERED UP PRAYERS AND

PETITIONS WITH LOUD CRIES AND TEARS TO BE ONE WHO COULD SAVE HIM

FROM DEATH, AND HE WAS HEARD BECAUSE OF HIS REVERENT SUBMISSION.

ALTHOUGH HE WAS A SON, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE FROM WHAT HE SUFFERED

AND, ONCE MADE PERFECT, HE BECAME THE SOURCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION

FOR ALL WHO OBEY HIM AND WAS DESIGNATED BY GOD TO BE HIGH PRIEST IN

THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.

~HEBREWS 5: 7-10




IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSMANE, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS HAD PRAYED

SO HARD TO HIS FATHER, OVER WHAT HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO ENDUR HE

SWEAT DROPS OF BLOOD. THAT WAS A MAN THAT EVEN KNOWING HE WAS THE

SON OF GOD, HE FELT EVERY EMOTION WE WOULD EVER FEEL TO PROBABLY

THE THOUSANDTH POWER.

WHEN HIS WORD STATES THAT HE IS CLOSE THE BROKENHEARTED, HE MEANS

IT. WHEN WE FEEL ALL ALONE, HE KNOWS...THE DISCIPLES COULD NOT

EVEN STAY AWAKE AND WATCH AS HE CRIED OUT IN AGONY WHILE HE WAS

HOPING THE CUP WOULD PASS BUT HE KNEW HE HAD TO DO IT.

WHEN WE FEEL BETRAYED, JESUS KNOWS...HE WAS BETRAYED BY JUDAS.

WHEN WE ARE IN TERRIBLE PAIN, HE KNOWS PAIN...HE WAS BEATEN AND

HUNG ON A CROSS BETWEEN TWO THIEVES....AND THEY GAMBLED OVER

THE CLOTH THAT COVERED HIM.........

FRIDAY LOOKED HOPELESS...THERE WAS SUCH GRIEVING AMONG THOSE

THAT LOVED HIM...........

BUT

SUNDAY WAS COMING...THE GROUND TREMBLED...IT GREW DARK......AND

A NEW DAY DAWNED...JESUS AROSE...OH GLORY TO GOD.

NO MATTER HOW DARK OUR DAYS MAY SEEM...OUR HOPE, MY HOPE IS IN

JESUS.

THIS EASTER SEASON WHILE WE ARE WATCHING OUR CHILDREN HUNT

EGGS AND WE ARE SO JOYOUS, SHARE JESUS WITH SOMEONE.

BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS EASTER SEASON.

WE MAY NEVER MEET IN PERSON IN THIS LIFETIME BUT WE WILL IN HEAVEN.

I WANT TO TALK TO JONAH AND ASK HOW HE HANDLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE

THAT MADE FUN OF HIM. I WANT TO TALK TO MARY AND ASK HER HOW

LONG IT TOOK HER TO CONVINCE JOSEPH SHE WAS HAVING A VIRGIN

BIRTH.....TODAY OF COURSE YOU WOULD BE IN RESTRAINTS IN A PSYCH

WARD.

THE BIBLE IS NOT A FAIRY TALE...IT IS OUR BLUEPRINT FOR LIVING.

LOVE

HUGS

debbie