Today as I drove by the house I spent the first 18 years of my life in. I saw that it was in much disrepair. The paint was peeling, the yard was overgrown and there were dead appliances in the driveway. I barely recognized the place I grew up in or even the neighborhood. The miles of empty farm land had turned into a sea of houses, developments every which way one turned. The berries and cows and horses and sheep were all gone. What farm land was left was unkept. The small town that was near by, was now a booming metropolis. The realization hit me that the farm country I was raised in was gone, the place I had known as my home for 18 years no longer existed. Most of it had been swallowed up in city, the land that was left was sadly neglected. With the passing of my parents, I realized was also the passing of a lifetime of memories. All Gone, but not forgotten. I am thankful that my life is not based on those memories but on the Lord. It saddens me to know that everything familiar to me is gone, but it does not overtake me. When the Lord saved me, I began a new life with a new home that awaits me, sometime in the future. That home will bring all the joy and safety that we wish for on this earth but can never attain. Everlasting peace, joy comfort and most of all, foreverness with my Savior who died for me and is always loving and faithful. Hallelujah!
Gwendolyn

Who Do We Trust In

Has anyone noticed lately that the new money our government is printing has an important omission. I have not had the newest money, but have been told that the words "In God We Trust", have been conspicuously excluded from the face of our coins. When did this decision occur? I didn't hear anything in the news alerting us of this fact, if it is a fact. It does not surprise me that this kind of decision would insidiously creep in. It would be noticed mostly by those who care whether or not God is pre-eminent in our culture.

It is a logical step to expunge from our money any reference to our God, since it has already been taken from our institutions of learning and our court houses. Should we really be surprised when it disappears from the face of our money? An attempt to ignore the existence of God has been little by little stealthily overtaking our land.

Some of the Christians who were angry about the ten commandments leaving the courthouses, were not obeying the Word of God themselves, at least not in a way that anyone would notice. I believe God removed them, because we don't really care about them anyway, the stones they were written on were as idols, the words were not principles to follow.

It is frightening to be "in the hands of an angry God." When New Orleans was hit and when the twin towers were demolished, we as a nation, took note of God for a couple of weeks or so, then went right back to our old ways. The only change that could be seen were lots of words. Words, words and more words.

There is a terrible misunderstanding in our land, that is, that we think if we only say something that is good enough, there doesn't actually have to be a change, it's just enough to say so. There are some musings that I have learned over the years from some of the elderly folks I know. They go like this, "Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word your saying." Another is "I would rather you do what you say than for you to just say it." (unknown authors) AND still another for the believer is this one, "the non-believer will not read the Bible, but he will read the Christian." (author unknown to me)

If we as a nation think that all we have to do is speak of God, when trouble comes, He will come to our rescue. But He will come to the rescue of those who love Him, and those with a broken and contrite heart. If we don't love or follow Him we have no reason to expect Him to be there when we are in dire need of help.

This nation is in terrible danger, not only by terrorists, but ultimately by the angry hand of a Living God. The only solution is brokenness over our sin and repentance toward Him.

This should be our prayer, not for more blessing but for repentance of a worldly, selfish and out of control people who, most of the time, think they don't need God.

Gwendolyn