Feb 15

I've been in and around church most of my life. I knew a lot. I've lead a pretty decent life. But I didn't really want to get 'carried away'. You know what I mean? I mostly wanted a nice life, good friends, a decent home, my kids to stay out of drugs and not have babies before they were married..........

Oh I BELIEVED, and prayed and I even led my sister in law to the Lord. But God was never FIRST PLACE in my life till about 3 years ago. A family crisis hit. A big one. Not the first one ever.....but this was BIG. Literally, front page news-and even TV news. I very clearly remember looking at myself in the mirror and saying, "Well, time to get serious". I KNEW that I had not been doing what this passage said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength".

The words rang over and over and over in my mind. I began to panic as I wondered where my Bible was. I thought right then and there that if I was going to be of any help to my family, I would first have to make sure I was doing what this verse said. So I started to study and pray and read like never before. And I did help my family, a lot. And I learned not to really care what people thought or said about me or my family. And I fell in LOVE with God. I'm carried away, crazy, nuts, head over heels in love with God and His word. And it has had the most amazing side effects: peace, joy; I have a better life than I have ever had. I have better friends than I have ever had. Some people that I thought would be there for me, really were not, but God replaced them 10 fold. It's been an amazing journey!

I would encourage you to really look at yourself and ask how well you are measuring up to that verse. Now, don't get me wrong......I have a loooooooooooooooooong way to go. But I'm pressing toward it. Give it a try....you will NEVER be sorry. Don't wait till a crisis......start enjoying God now!!