WHEN I FACE GOD...

Dear Ones,

Having gone back to journaling this morning, I ran head first into the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Corinth. He said, "It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment."
I wasn't quite ready to face that statement remembering that my faith walk was teetering on the brink of despair just day before yesterday. Yet, I persevered and kept reading to find Paul saying, "That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God.  God alone knows how  well we do this but I hope you realize how much and how deeply we care.  We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you.  We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are." (The Message)

I read this and gave a whoop!  My craziness took over, I'm afraid.  Then I read on, "If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you.  Christ's love has moved me to such extremes.  His love has the first and last word in everything we do."

There! You have it! Now you know me. I am a bit crazy, but I do love Christ and He has shown me ways that I can show that love to those around me. So I blog. And secondly, this scripture passage just might be a perfect introduction to a new Small Group that will be formed very soon and will begin meeting at our little house the week after Thanksgiving.

In this passage, I find hope.  In this passage there is hope and part of my hope is that each one in our new small group will want to adopt it as their own. And for those that may read this blog, I hope you may want to adopt this passage as your own, too.

I must remember that we...the few people I know and myself...are small stuff...not  comparable to St. Paul and his messages, but in our love for Christ, Christ's love for each of us and for the world, we are BIG.  Yes, big. Each one of us is a big deal to God.  We are His hope, His hope for each other and for ourselves.

I really must pray at this point....Lord Jesus, I pray that each person who reads this and those who plan to enter our home in two weeks will want to have a heart for You, Lord Jesus.  And that we will continue to have love for each other and all those we are yet to meet. AMEN

Crazy for you and those I meet...Your Jo