On our way home!

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:1-4 NIV)

I thank God

• If you have never felt that you failed "so bad so often" that there was no hope for a future, I am truly glad for you. If, however, you struggle with that feeling, I understand because I have been there.
  
  I learned from experience: I cannot fail enough to cause God to give up on me. Not possible. I can give up on myself, but He will not.
  
  If you are at that hopeless point, trust His grace, mercy, and unlimited, unconditional love. For me, it felt like it was all I had left. (More than "felt"--it was.) I discovered it was all I needed.

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Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!" Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven." (Isa 6:5-7 NLT)

God cares

"There are very few certainties... but one of the absolutes is that we will experience hardship and stress at some point." - Dr James C. Dobson

I think of prayer as a "pressure relief valve" when the pressure of stress rises: it keeps me from blowing up. It reminds me that I am not alone and that I do not have to handle everything by myself.

And another thing: Did you know God cares about how you feel today?

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"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34-36 NIV)

God knows

• It is easy to hide things from other people. Very easy. We do that.
  
  We hide things from ourselves too--more often than we realize. We usually do not do it consciously or intentionally. But we do it.
  
  We cannot, however, hide anything from God. Not even the deepest, most private things. But we try anyway, and He loves us anyway.

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Look at them! They try to hide things from the LORD. They think he will not understand. They do their evil things in darkness. They tell themselves: "No one can see us. No one will know who we are." You turn things upside down. You think the clay is equal to the potter. You think that something that is made can tell the one who made it, "You did not make me!" This is like a pot telling its maker, "You know nothing." (Isa 29:15-16 ERV)

Choose good today over evil!

This is the day the LORD has made. Let's rejoice and be glad today! (Psa 118:24 GW)

Some where sent and others just went.

Ministers, too, must be serious. They must not be two-faced, addicted to wine, or greedy for money. They must hold firmly to the secret of the faith with clear consciences. But they must first be tested. Then, if they prove to be blameless, they may become ministers. Their wives must also be serious. They must not be gossips, but instead be stable and trustworthy in everything. Ministers must be husbands of one wife and must manage their children and their families well. Those ministers who serve well gain an excellent reputation for themselves and will have great assurance by their faith in the Messiah Jesus. (1Ti 3:8-13 ISV)

See yourself as God see's you

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--the moon and the stars you have set in place--what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? For you made us only a little lower than God, and you crowned us with glory and honor. You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things--the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth! (Psa 8:3-9 NLT)