I want to ask you a simple question today “Where are you right now? Take a moment to answer that question.

How did you respond? Did you respond in regards to your current location?

If you answered by stating your location, you are like most of us in our response to this question. Adam answered that way when God asked him and Eve after they had done what God asked them not to.

Genesis 3:8-9, "When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”  (NLT)

What I was really asking you is, “Where are you in regards to your walk with God?” Where are you really? Don’t give me, and better yet yourself, the answer “Oh I am great!” The following is a sort of fact finder for you to do a personal review.

On the line below where would you place yourself in regards to your position to God?

You                                                                                                                                                                  God

Are you happy at where you placed yourself on the line?

Do you wish you were closer to God?

What is keeping you from getting closer to God?

Are there habits that are in your way?

What about your attitude?

Is your time management in tune with your relationship to God?

Are there relationships that need mending?

Are you part of a church so you can become stronger as a believer?

What will it take to get you closer to Him than you are today?

Do you talk to God on a regular basis, and in turn listen to Him?

Do you know what the word of God has to say and how it applies to your life?

Make a list of the changes and decisions that need to be made.

Now time to get serious and take action. Do the things on your list!

I want you to take one last look at where you placed yourself on that line. Look again with this thought in mind, God did not move, you did. So move on back and take the first step to getting closer to the one who created and loves you. Take action on that list and start today!

Dear God,
 I do truly love you and I want to change my location on the line to a position closer to you. 
Help me to be honest about the things that have moved me away from you. And then Lord I am going to need your help to take the action to do the things that I put on my list. 
Father I do confess that I need your help. 
Thank you for always being there; no matter how far away I take my self, you are there. 
You are right where I left you when I took my first step away; waiting for my return. 
I humbly ask your forgiveness for the items on my lists, those items that have placed a distance between you and I. 
Help me to turn around and run with all my heart back to you. 
Amen

Water is wet. 
It is a simple fact that water is wet. 
My husband and I were talking about God and his creation and his fingerprints that are all over 
everything that He has made, including life-giving water.

Ecclesiastes 11:5, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” (NIV)

God has left his fingerprints all over this incredible world we call home! 
The evidence of him as master designer is everywhere! 
So Caprice, back to your opening statement, what does this have to do with water? 
Well, I have a challenge for you, are you ready? I want you to go and get a nice, cool, tall, fresh, pure glass of water. 
Okay, now I want you to take the wet, out of that glass of water. 
Well, how is it going?....Not too good?....Try one more time. 
The point here is; that I cannot take the wet out of water. 
If I could, I would be left without anything, water has the attributes and characteristics of being wet.
The same is true of God....God is the creator and master designer of all things. 
People try to take God out of things, but it doesn’t work. 
You see there is one common thread that people sometimes forget. 
Just like we know that water has certain qualities and principles, so does God. 
And one of the most important attributes of 
God...is love.

 1 John 4:8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (GNT)

1 John 4:16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. 
God is love. 
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (NIV)

Jesus spoke the following verses to his disciples in the upper room at Passover, the eve of his arrest. These are his parting words of instruction to his beloved followers:

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: 
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)

So as those who believe and know God through the gift of his son Jesus, 
we understand that love must be part of who we become as we grow as believers and disciples. 
We must become love for others who do not know what God’s love is.

It is humble, and serves those who need serving. 
Love gives unconditionally, without expecting anything given in return. 
We show our love by looking into the interests of others above ourselves. 
Unselfish, kind, patient; God’s love is perfect! 
It is the reflection of the image of God. 
People will know that we truly believe that Jesus was the Son of God, if we love others like Jesus loves us. 
So just like you cannot take the wet out of water; as followers of Jesus... 
the attribute of love should be ever present in all that we do. 
Can anyone see anything but love in you as a believer? 
Are you a believer that follows the teachings of Jesus? 
Then you should be the example of God’s love. 
No one or...no thing should be able to separate or remove God’s love you’re your heart. 
God’s love should spill over from your heart and actions into the lives of others. 
Love should become the attribute and characteristic that marks you as a believer. 

Caprice <><

My dear friend Catherine likes to have her ducks in a row. So when she needed to pick up some bales of hay, she wanted to be sure that she had enough space for them. She hooked up her trailer to her flat bed truck and off she went to the feed store with her empty trailer rattling behind her. As she traveled down the highway she checked her rearview mirror to be sure everything was in order. Confident that all was as it should be, she proceeded to the feed store, parked her rig and went inside to purchase her needs for her ranch.

As she pulled into the back, to have the feed store employees load her hay, she was caught off guard by the fact that they said they could not load the hay onto her trailer due to the type of loader they had. Instead all of the hay would have to be loaded onto her truck’s flat bed.

Catherine was frustrated, but arguing would not get her anywhere. So unto the back of the flat bed of her truck the numerous bales were loaded and stacked. As the guys in the yard tied down the load it was large, over the top and extending beyond the sides. Catherine hopped into the cab of her truck and proceeded back to her ranch. As she was on her way home, Catherine became alarmed when she heard the trailer rattle. She checked her mirrors, but alas she could not see it due to the mirrors being blocked by the load of hay. At first she was startled, where did the trailer go? Because she could not see it, she felt like it wasn’t there. She knew it was, but it just didn’t feel right, until a thought came to her, this is just like it is with God, just because I can not see Him, it doesn’t mean that He isn’t there. I need to drive in faith that the trailer is still there, just like I walk with the confidence that God is there for me.

John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

What this is saying is that no one has seen God, but Jesus has made God known. Because of our relationship with Jesus we know that God is there, even though we cannot see him.

Reflections:

Is there anything blocking you from knowing that God is in your life? Is it you and your lifestyle? Do you allow the business of this world to block you from seeing the evidence of God in your life? Take a minute to evaluate the number of bales in your truck. Are you over loaded? Ask God to help you remove some of the needless burdens that you are hauling behind you. You know what they are, they are the things that are blocking your view and limit your vision. Remember to trust in God that he is there for you…even when your sight is limited.

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to always walk in faith. Help me to not allow the burdens or stuff pile up in my life and obstruct my view of you. Help me to unload the unnecessary bales from my truck bed and instead drive through this life with the confidence that you are there no matter what appears in the way. Thank you Lord for your constant care.

Caprice <><