ONE MESSAGE. ONE FAITH.

Whether subconscious or deliberate, many stand at the fulcrum of the old and new years and look back and ahead. I ushered in the new year with fellowship and prayer with friends. As the day progressed it was apparent to me that even though the year just renewed, my plans for 2017 were well under way before it had begun. There were events to plan, classes to take, goals to achieve, and budgets to make. As I knelt in prayer the other morning talking with the Lord about the things ahead, I realized how just a little over a year ago, many of my present plans would not exist. A little over a year ago I wanted to go a different direction, but if I had gone in that direction, (of which I was so sure of at the time), it would have prevented me from my present future. Had I taken it upon myself, to do what I was convinced made sense at the time, I would be facing a different reality. God knew. Jeremiah 29:11.  I recall being upset that I was unable to continue my educatio...

Yesterday I was flipping through the pages of my 4 year old's bible- a Gideon published New Testament- and was pleasantly surprised by what I found in the prefacing pages. A few songs were shared there, anthems, such as "Jesus, Lover of my soul", "The Star -Spangled Banner", "Onward, Christian soldiers" and "America ( My country 'tis of thee)". The songs themselves were not the surprise. It was the verses that are not generally sung or mainstream. We may all belt out, skillfully or unskillfully, O say ! can you see, by the dawn's early light.... Yet the song has this  4th verse: O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation... Or how about this one: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing... Yet take a l...