Tag: Justice

War On The Horizon 

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War On The Horizon 

It’s been over a month since Russia invaded the sovereign country of Ukraine. I have had so many feelings about this, and as my heart breaks for the innocent people of Ukraine, I cannot help but have concern for my own nation and the potential fallout from what may come. Since the dawn of nuclear weapons there has been many who have written about a post-apocalyptic nuclear world. The entire series “Fallout” is based on what happens to the world after people come out of their fallout shelters to find what’s left of their world. The movie “The Book Of Eli” also based on what happens in a post-apocalyptic world. One thing they all have in common is how people treated other people that led up to the destruction of the planet and most of its inhabitance. While I’m not saying we are on the brink of nuclear war, what I am saying is I believe we are a few steps closer today than we were two months ago. 

I have seen the horror unfold on the news as many of you have as well, of all the refugees running, fleeing their country for their lives as Russian forces destroy homes, and non-military targets. I have seen as the Russian forces are being pointed to attack refugee convoys, and civilians. It has broken my heart, and as I continue to find a way to help, I find myself praying daily for this war to end, and those responsible are brought to justice. What would justice be? I honestly feel mans’ justice would be a trial at the world court for war crimes and imprisonment of those held responsible for committing war crimes. I fear justice from the Lord because I think, we are all guilty and complicit. I don’t feel Russia shares complete blame in this. We have sat idol while those who wish harm upon others reigned and grew in strength and power. We have offered deals and money and continued to allow those in power to get rich and build their weapons of destruction. No, we are not innocent in the sufferings of the Ukrainian people. Justice, true justice if delt by our Lord would significantly affect us here at home, and I fear, much like the days of Jeremiah, and Habakkuk, the outcome would not be favorable, for us. 

It’s true that we are on the brink of world change, what that change looks like, and what will it be like when the dust settles, I wish I knew, but sadly I don’t have the gift of prophesy. I will however continue to pray, and continue to go about my day doing the best I can with the time the Lord has given me. Jesus said this, Matthew 6:34 NKJV “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” I know that the day tomorrow will worry for itself, and I remind myself every day that while prudent to plan for the future as we have been taught. You cannot grow food without planning for the harvest. You cannot build a tower without first planning for its construction. While of course we have little control over the future, we have the ability to consider it and plan for it. Planning for the future and doing so blindly is not what we are called to do. In fact, while we plan for the future, plant the seed, tend the grounds, tend the crops, we must pray for rain. Planning for war and having assets to protect ones self is prudent, but expecting events to unfold as we think, is folly. James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow [a]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

It’s not certain what tomorrow will bring. While President Putin may launch a full-scale attack on the US, or a cyber-attack, or some other incident, as we were ill prepared for the attacks on 9/11, I say it’s prudent to prepare for yet not worry about tomorrow. We all have an expiration date. We cannot stay in this world one moment longer than our appointed time. Are we liken to the virgins in Matthew 25, that poorly planned? Do we expect the gates of Heaven be opened for us, yet we have not truly counted the cost and given Christ our hearts? Do we have just enough oil to make it look good, to just get by, or do we fill our hearts with the oil, the light of the world, the Gospel, preparing us for tomorrow, as well as today. We must not just prepare our hearts with the oil to fuel us beyond today, but plan for the toils ahead. Jesus told us there will be hardships in the world, and we must prepare ourselves for them. Mankind is a violent race, cruel, and sinful, and when unleashed, justice comes such as the Babylonians to Israel. We must be ready for the coming judgments and while this is not to cause fear or panic, Justice is what we deserve. True justice is our death, and Grace is being saved despite what we deserve. Mercy is saving us from what we deserve, while Grace is the gift freely given that we don’t deserve. Do we understand the difference? Do we understand the gifts given to us by Jesus, and the gift of Jesus from the Father? We have squandered them, and let those of idol worship, heathens, take over and run freely in the land, as Sadam before us, as Israel before us as seen in Judges 21: 25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. We are at a dangerous tipping point I fear. Will judgment come today, or years and years for now, I do not know, but I do know, it is better to be prepared, storing up grain for the famine, preparing the soldiers to defend the castle, preparing for the inevitable hardships. If left unprepared those who have squandered their time will not manage crisis well. Those who do not study and know scripture will not have a full lantern for the day the Bridegroom comes. Who are we? Are we ready for war on our doorstep? Are we ready to serve with our full hearts? We want a savior, but do we want the Lord? We are comfortable being saved, but are we comfortable being surrendered to Jesus? There is a time for peace, and a time for war, a time to live and a time to die, and in all these things is the Lords time. The United States may not always be the United States if we are not vigilant and protect this land and hold to the principles in which we were founded. Whether we are, or are not the US of old, whether we fall to a foreign power, or those from within, we Christians have a duty, and an obligation to stand upon the Word, and hold fast the principles given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Do we have faith like Daniel in the Lions Den? Do we bravely go to the Furnace in defiance of Mans laws? Are we going to stand on God’s word, or kneel, bow down in fear of man? Sin is not something in a vacuum. Sin ripples through our lives, and through time. Sin affects not only ourselves, and those around us, but those in our future. Sin can very possibly affect our children, and our children’s children. We cannot go on sinning like we have a license to do so. Sins carry weight and dire consequences. Are we ready for what may come because of them? 

Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. And as I have stated in the past, the philosophy to live by, “Make a plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan.” (Snart, The Flash)  Go forth and be bold in the word of God. 

MOB JUSTICE

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Mob Justice

This really grinds my gears! How we have become a society of mob justice. In this country, the law was designed as an innocent until proven guilty. I was watching Good Morning America (GMA) and there was a call to boycott all R. Kelly music. The call was to delete all music you’ve ever had for the artists, to remove record labels, commercials, etc. Currently K. Kelly is not facing any criminal charges, just an investigation, and is not certain they will ever make it to court, and that being said, how can we as a people put together this lynch mob and pretend like we are the ones to determine guilt, and how we determine guilt now based on rumor, conjecture, and popular opinion.

I remember loosing my job because I was accused of something a few years ago. I remember being charged with a crime, but there was more to it then what was told to the powers that had the choice to sign a warrant or not. The sad part was, being accused cost me my job. Not being convicted mind you, and just al allegation was enough to fundamentally destroyed my career. We have become a society that a rumor, or allegation is just the same as a guilty verdict. We are not in the days of pitchforks and witch hunts, but instead we are in the twitter and Facebook accack world. Public opinion can be everything in our world, and I must say, how sad that is.

Scripture is clear about how we are to act as Christians, and sadly if you look at the percentage of Christians in America there is supposed to be around 70% of the population. Proverbs 17:4 (NKJV)4 “An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.” If we are not part of the case, or apart of the witnesses, we need to learn to keep our mouths and opinions to ourselves. Exodus 23:1“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” If we do not know if a report is false or true, we really should just keep our mouths shut. Leviticus 19:16 “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” Rumors can destroy lives, and we seem to have so much power, it’s ridiculous. 

We are Christian and although it’s necessary to call out sin in those we see, we are supposed to only speak things in which edify others. We have become a society in which one off color joke, or one rumor, can cost someone everything. We’ve become a society in which a Christian having a beer in a restaurant is a treasonous sin, and then everyone knows that (someone) had a drink with dinner. Rumors do truly hurt people, and judging people not only hurts feelings, but can destroy lives.

We need to take a step back from the social media uproars, and allow justice to happen within the court of law. We are not privy to investigation details, and we are not informed of everything in the media, and the media itself is often biased to juicy details even if they aren’t exactly true, because it builds ratings. We have a responsibility as Christians to watch what we say and that’s not just verbal word, but also on social media. We have a responsibility to spread love, not dissention. We have a responsibility to truth, not rumors. Let us not get swept up in the social media crucifixions of people. Let us wait for facts before passing judgments of guilt or innocence. Let us not be at home jury’s. During the last decade, we saw this during the Michael Brown case, the Zimmermon case, Bill Cosby (who was found guilty), and many more. Let time evidence speak the truth, not conjecture and rumors. Regardless if R. Kelly is guilty or not, it’s not our place to determine that guilt, especially just based on what we hear over social media, or the news, or through our friends.

We are not Batman, and while I respect the idea of some vigilante justice, Batman does not attack those who are innocent, and he does not just make judgments without first obtaining evidence. We have a responsibility to the truth, and to seek truth. We must realize that when we gossip, when we spread rumors, when we judge quickly without the facts, we are talking the Devils language, half-truths. We are all guilty of this I’m sure, and we all need to be more conscience of what comes out of our mouths, or fingers.  

Blind Justice

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Blind Justice

We spend so much time trying to fight what we cannot see, smell, or touch. How do we prove something that happened 2000 years ago, and how do we face that truth if it were to flip our world upside down? The truth is we often hold anger and resentment early in our life that forces us down a path of quantifying what we see and what we fan feel, the problem is when that pain forces us to a feeling that there is nothing out there, no God, no grand plan, just cosmic chance.

We often want answers as to why bad things happen to good people. We want to know why people get sick, or why babies die, or why there is evil in the world? The idea that there is evil in the world because of a cosmic or divine standing such as sin is hard for some people to believe. Some people believe that sin is just the nature of man and man is only the wirings within the mind, the nature and nurture argument that a compound of events molds a person into the way they are and thus sin is nothing more then biology. While many compare this in adults, we fail to recognize the sin that spawns in children at an early age. The sin, or nature to lie, or to steal, or harm animals, or even other children is nature are it’s earliest stages but if it’s nature and nurture then what’s the cause? If human behavior is not inherently sinful and evil is a learned trait then where do children at this young age learn such behavior?

We want to think that we are in control of our lives, and that there is no one else, and nothing else at work. We want to believe that we are all we need and nothing else can dictate policy for our lives. Many view the Christian faith as a faith of rules, of guidelines in which a cosmic fairy tells us what we are doing wrong, as it takes the fun out of life, and in turn threatens us with some imaginary fiery torment for all eternity. So instead of putting any credence to this nonsense, people walk their walk and live their lives however they want, and while some live their lives in complete peace of others, there are some who find the cross so distasteful, so offensive that they cannot help themselves but to wage war with Christianity.

For those who wage war with Christianity, what is the main piece of contention? As it has been said by both Lee Strobel and J. Werner Wallace, the linchpin of Christianity rests with the resurrection of Christ. If the resurrection didn’t happen then the followers of Christ were liars and died for a known lie and Christ was just some profound Rabbi. If it did happen, and Christ did raise from the dead, then how would we be able to prove it happened? There are manuscripts that date back to within 30 years of the resurrection of Christ, and there are thousands of manuscripts that can all be cross-referenced to prove validity. That being said, there is still the question of how to prove or disprove the case for Christ. There are 5843 surviving manuscripts of ancient texts that is far more then those of the Iliad, and other early writings. All of these things further the evidence that this was not an isolated account. How can we expect to find truth if we are unwilling to truly add up the facts that all point to one truth, Jesus.

Women were not allowed to be legal witnesses, and every account of the life and resurrection of Christ does not show discrepancies, it shows a different perspective, different pieces of the puzzle that all point to the same overall story, despite the small variances in story, the overwhelming evidence points to the empty tomb that the Romans, and Jews were unable to prove foul play. The first account of the missing body was reported by women, and the fact that would only hurt the case for Chris, yet that did not detract the Apostles to tell the truth. There is no way 500 people would have been under some joint hallucination, or mass psychosis. This is just simply not possible. Yet, so many people discount the 500 eye witness, the truth does not just come from followers of Christ, yet Romans and Jews alike. The accounts of the empty tomb and the death of those followers of Christ has accounts on both sides who wanted nothing more then to prove the stolen body theory. Jesus did not survive the cross as many have proven, that his death was most assuredly accurate.

Scripture is not the only account out there but scripture is the only truth, the others just collaborate the truth. Jesus was thrust with a spear at the end of his life by trained killers, killers who if failed would be executed themselves. Jesus died on the cross from his injuries sustained in a flogging, beatings, hanging on the cross unable to breath, and bleeding to death, Christ would not have survived his ordeal. The cross is offensive to so many, but even for sinners and atheists alike, the cross is a symbol one so many find distasteful or are afraid of. So many people allow their anger and hate to blind them from a truth they don’t want to see. The truth is, it doesn’t matter if you are Atheist, Buddhist, Muslim, Pagan, or any other faith sins are equal at the foot of the cross. Jesus dying on the cross for the love of all mankind was a gift, one that was given freely and for all those who seek Him to use. A gift without application is worthless, but for those of us who seek Christ, who seek to have a relationship with the Father, we understand that the justice of the Father is blind. We understand that before the cross all sin is equal, and so long as we seek the Father through Jesus Christ the sins we have are washed away because Christ alone took the punishment, the wrath of God for them. As we know from our own legal system, justice holds the scales and is blind to anything but the facts. Our Heavenly Father does not see our color, our creeds, our nationalities, even our flaws, for the scales are level for each of us. Our hearts which turn to Christ, to be made a new creation, to burn away the sins of the past, to be reborn with a new heart, washed by the waters in baptism showing ones faith to the world, starting a path as a new person.

It is because of Christ I do not fear death, instead I know that when my work here on Earth is done I will be welcomed home with open arms. It is because of Christ that I have any hope at all within this life, and the hardships I’ve endured seem to mean something. It is in Christ I know that my suffering as not been for naught and I trust in my Fathers plans for me. I know that love is more powerful then my sins, and that sins albeit cosmic treason against an almighty, all powerful God, love concurs death itself. My works are but filthy rags to the Lord but my heart is worth all eternity. It is the heart in which Christ died for, the gift for each and every one of us to choose to have that relationship with Him in our hearts. How lucky are we to have a God who cares about us, who cares about our well being, and wants only what’s best for us. How gracious are we to be to give God nothing short of our love and devotion. Jew and Gentiles we are all welcomed into the Kingdom, and the price of admission is love. We are to have a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Christ changed my life two years ago, and while it hasn’t been an easy road for me, I know that Christ has plans for me. I was angry with God for the way everything had happened with my ex-wife. I was angry that I was made to go through such an awful even not once, but twice in my life. God though doesn’t make people do bad things, they are more then capable of doing that on their own. God does however promise to see us through those bad times. God promises that He would never leave nor forsake us. God didn’t just promise those things to me in passing, but when the odds were stacked against me to survive, God put a stop to my own death, assuring me my sins were forgiven, and breathing new life into my chest. A miracle to say the very least, and not only did I survive, I have come so far under the guidance of my Heavenly Father. Christ lives and as one of my favorite movie series points out, “God’s NOT DEAD!” No God is not dead, and the empty tomb and over 500 eyewitnesses proves that. We have so much evidence for the existence of Christ’s miraculous life, all we have to do is accept what we find. Bad things happen in and around the church and this often pushes people away. People judge God by the actions of people. People hate God or despise the very existence of God because they often feel hurt or betrayed by God, or deny that a God could be so careless to allow such evil or bad things to happen. The truth is, we don’t always have the answers of God and the why, but we do understand that we have free will to love or hate. We have free will to build or destroy, and it’s in those decisions our actions are born, thus we do amazing or awful things. The pursuit of power, greed, or sexual lust are the three basis that people do most things wrong in adult life. God does not need us, but wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

Jesus Dies 

Luke 19:44-46“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.”

John 19:34“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”

The Empty Tomb 

Luke 24:1-12 24 “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, [a]and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were [b]greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like [c]idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths [d]lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.” 

John 20:4-7“So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the [a]handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.”

Jesus Resurrected 

John 20:24-29 24 “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Jesus said to him, [f]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Reasons to Believe 

The eye witnesses had power, had prestige, and money. They had nothing to gain giving up their life for Christ, except for the truth of a Heavenly Father. Every eyewitness was willing to die for the truth. That puts their testimony in a different category then you or I.

The chain of evidence is there if people actually look at it. The writings and teachings did not change from writings within 20-30 years, till the counsel in which the bible was assembled.

Christianity is true because the evidence points to truth. God is truth and the scales are equal for each and every one of us. 

The Boss is Bigger

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The Boss is Bigger

What problems do you have? Do you have money issues, bills pile up, drowning in debt? Are you in an abusive relationship, mental or physical, or worse both? Are you being sexually assaulted on a regular basis or even just once? Have you lost your job or are unable to work? Are you ill and you just can’t get well? Do friends turn on you, treat you badly or just don’t care about you? No matter what your problems, or how bad it seems, God our boss is bigger then any problem we might have.

Psalm 145:3 (NKJV)“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.”

The word unsearchable is to examine, to seek out, and if we are to consider God is so big the mystery will never be found. God can handle any situation, Romans 11:33 (NKJV) 33“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

We want to put God in a box thinking our problems are too big for Him to take. We want to think we can handle any of our own problems without God. If we think we can handle life without God we will often find ourselves seeking something missing in our lives. On the flip side I have often blamed God for my sorrows. I have fought with God looking for answers to my suffering, and wondered why I had been made to suffer in this life. I have often found myself going from one crisis to the next. A line from Deadpool seems to sum up my life pretty well, “Life is an endless series of train wrecks with only brief commercial-like breaks of happiness.” The thing is though, it’s not God who brings the rain, it’s God that sees us through.

How do you measure your days? How do you measure your pain? How do you measure your joy? There’s always the next storm brewing on the horizon, but in the sunshine do you give thanks for the moments of peace you have? Are you praising the God over all, the God of all creation, and the King of the universe? We must remember that this life is a gift from up above, and we must measure life in love. There’s so much love in this world, and even though the darkness is widespread, and seems like it’s everywhere, you cannot truly snuff out the light. All it takes is a tiny spark to give birth to a wildfire. We must keep the spark of God alive in our hearts, and trust that if we tend to the joy God has given to us, we can burn away everything we aren’t, and what’s left is a beautiful creation reborn in the light of the Lord.

As the song Hard Love by Needtobreathe says “it takes time to make your courage strong.”  We must be patient but we need to remember that God is with us, and we cannot expect something without us working. We have to hold on tight, and fight for the change we want. Change doesn’t come without sacrifice and we must move with purpose for the Lord. Let that fire burn inside you, and let it become a raging forest fire in your soul. This life will test you, it will try to break you, but if you allow God to forge you, you will become something so strong nothing can break you. Be the Kings sword forged in the pits of hell on earth, and able to go to battle every day. This life is hard, but stand tall, stand firm, and scream from the mountaintops that you ain’t done.

No matter what struggles you have, God is bigger. God can get us through anything, and use everything to teach lessons, to make change, and in all things we can find purpose. God wastes nothing. Everything we experience is an opportunity to grow in faith, to show faith, to experience faith. The question is who are you? Who do you want to be? Do you want to be someone that crumbles every time something tough comes along? Do you want to be the one who sinks in the water with little faith? Who are you in Christ’s light? It’s because of who our Savior is that we have hope, that we need to find our joy in this world. Don’t let Satan win the battle. The Lord will always be with you and if you remember that the next battle Satan brings to your door, you will emerge the victor over the prince of darkness. Satan couldn’t bare the love God showed to humans and his jealousy, his anger, his hatred makes his actions, his attacks are those in emotion. Stand back and think, use calm, use joy, use love to withstand the blows of the Devil. Martial Arts can teach us a great deal about fighting back against Satan’s attacks. First, don’t be tempted into a fight. A man can’t fight if it’s just them in the ring. Second, allow your attacker to expel energy as you simply move out of the way. It takes twice as much energy to swing and miss then to swing and connect. Third, use your attackers own weight against them. When the Devil throws all he has at you, respond by taking his attacks and turning it into something good for yourself or others. Lastly, when the time is right strike back. Show Satan you cannot and will not be bullied, or beaten down. Show Satan who you are in the light of Christ. You may not be able to control the battles that come your way, but you can control how you respond to them. With God in your corner you cannot loose.

David brought down a giant and won every battle sometimes with overwhelming odds against. Gideon won along against thousands. God sent Jesus and concurred Sin, and no matter what happens, we are saved. God changes hearts, and saves lives. Don’t underestimate the power of God. No matter what comes, as long as you have breath in your lungs, you aren’t done, and even if the odds seem against you, remember who’s King, and who’s in your corner.

My God, by Go Fish

“My God is so big, and so strong, and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!”

 

 

The Good, The Bad, The Ouch

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The Good, The Bad, The Ouch

No matter how nice you may be, no matter how much you do for someone, sometimes people just suck. Yes that’s my official position. Sometimes people are just mean. Sometimes there isn’t a reason for the good and the bad people do. Sometimes people just want to watch the world burn, even if it’s just a small corner of it. Satan loves chaos, he’s the prince of darkness, and the stain of that chaos rings throughout the entire world.

t’s a sad day when some people’s humanity seemed to be stripped away. Some people change and when they do it’s not for the better. When I returned home from Iraq I knew I had changed. The way I looked at the world was different, the way I looked at relationships and love where all different. I came so close to death I gravitated to people and when I cared for someone I cared deeply because I had realized I never knew when the end would come. Because of that I often held on much tighter then those around me. I don’t know if that’s why I’ve struggled to find and keep the love of another in my life, but the heartache and heartbreak that have plagued my life keep things very difficult for me to continue moving forward.

No matter how far someone falls we must always keep hope that redemption is possible. We must always remember that God is always working on every situation and one-day justice will prevail. Patience is something we all struggle with from time to time. As the struggles come to keep the wound sewed shut on my pieced together Frankenstein Monster looking heart, the day will come when the blessing of the Lord will make the wait worthwhile.

While patience of the heart may be the toughest thing we face, we often don’t have a choice. The day will come when the blessings of the Lord will be gifted to the faithful. Proverbs 10:22 “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” We may suffer but it can’t be forever. As much as the pain hurts, you must remember to reach out and continue to reach out until the pain is bearable again. Every day I wake I feel the sharp stabbing pain in my chest. I feel the burden of my cross so heavy I feel like it’s dragging me to my knees. No matter how hard I’ve tried this last year I still feel like the wound is fresh and not healing at all. I’ve attempted, but I feel as if I’m floating in stagnant water, barely keeping my head above the murky water. I feel like I’m drowning every day of my life, and every attempt I’ve made at making my life better, and every attempt to improve my path have failed and have left me searching for answers, searching for an absolution.