I have a friend who has worked hard for her salvation. Her commitment to her religion is admirable. She strictly adheres to its teachings, rarely misses a meeting and has regimentally shared her beliefs with countless others. If she works hard enough, my friend thinks that she may just get to spend eternity in bliss. She’s got a great track record of service and that most likely will make her a “shoo-in” right? Strangely enough the words of the Bible would disagree. You see God has flipped things around for us when it comes to salvation. We can’t earn it. It’s a free gift offered to all of us, and the only part we play in the process is simply receiving it. I understand how people like my friend can fall into this trap. I mean most things in life work the opposite way don’t they? We’ve been taught since we were little that the rewards of hard work are great. And many of us drive ourselves into the ground simply trying to measure up. So you see why the free gift of salvation can be a difficult thing for many of us to wrap our heads around. It’s almost like ... By Debra Torres The lake was calm and inviting. And as we started out with our assorted floaties, I mistakenly concluded that the other side wasn’t all that far. It would be an adventure, I thought, to take the kids over. We could say we swam the small, residential lake and had fun doing it. And so, we set off. At first our moods were light and cheerful. I had some of my kids with me and another little friend, and everyone kicked and splashed with their tubes and floats. What a perfect day. But around the time we got to the middle of the lake, I began to sense we were in a bit of trouble. Trying to the get to the other side wasn’t so much fun anymore. We were all getting tired, and it seemed like no matter how hard we kicked, we still seemed to stay in the same spot. And the other side of the lake wasn’t getting any closer. By Debra Torres When I was younger, God was a bit standoffish to me. And even though I held him in awe, respected his holiness and tried like crazy to wrap my head around his Word, I just couldn’t seem to get any closer. God just wasn’t relatable to me. Oh, I believed he was there, but only somewhere in the distance, unmoving and staring – kind of like the statues in my church. At least that’s how I thought about him anyway. And if that’s what I thought about God, then that was pretty much the truth, right? I watched Priscilla from my seat across from her in the classroom and decided that she was cold and distant. She was in a few of my classes back then, and I sure we could never be friends. One day, she asked me for a ride home from class and even invited me in for a bite to eat. But I kindly refused. I wasn’t her friend after all. ... Click here to read more Who is God? It’s amazing how we let our thoughts and perceptions of God shape our understanding of Him. I guess it’s human nature and maybe some kind of “control freak” thing we do having to have him all figured out. What do you think about God? By Debra Torres The stack of magazines caught my eye at our local secondhand shop. They were old copies of “Taste of Home” that someone had collected over the years and finally discarded. I had never heard of the magazine before, but its “home cooking style” looked right up my alley. I had been on a recipe kick at that time, satisfying my usual urge for new ideas in the kitchen with books upon books from our local library. So happily I paid my few dollars and took the stack home with me. Over the next few months, I poured through the old copies, finding many recipes that suited our family of seven well. And whenever I found a winner, I would proudly use a little jingle to tell my family that I got the recipe from “Taste of Home.” When I started to get close to the bottom of my pile, however, I began to wonder if the magazine still was still in print. And after a search on the Internet, was glad to ... Click here to read more Who is God? God loves us so much that he gives us all of the ingredients we need for a good life. Want the recipe? Follow these four-steps for attaining life and health here on earth. By Debra Torres Several servants stood around the newly installed telephone at the Downton Abbey country estate staring. “Do you now how it works?” William the footman asked the butler, Carson, after he came in to shoo them back to work. “Will you show us?” Daisy, the kitchen maid asked excitedly. It was the summer of 1914, and the telephone was already in London, so naturally Downton’s owner, the wealthy Earl of Grantham, felt it was necessary to add this bit of new technology to his house as well. "But why would we ever want a telephone at Downton, my lord?" Carson asked Lord Grantham when he spoke about having one installed. There was an unmistakable edge of disbelief that resonated in his tone. As you can probably tell, my family has just been introduced to the British period drama television series, “Downton Abbey,” and we’ve been having fun “catching up” with the world by watching its past seasons. I’m learning that one of the prevailing themes in the season we are currently watching is “change.” Taking place at the dawn of WWI, the show reveals the differing perspectives on change through the eyes of both the rich and servant classes living in the Yorkshire country estate, Downton Abbey. On a larger scale, the characters are impacted by the war and the changes it brings about in their society. And on a lighter side ... Click here to read more Who is God? God is steadfast. And it says in his word that he does not change. I'm glad that God doesn't change his mind on his love and commitment to us. Aren't you? By Debra Torres I was watching the instructional webinar on my computer when I heard the speaker mention church. Hmmm, I thought and considered what this meant. This man was a leading spokesperson in his area of expertise, and I considered contacting him and having a little chat. I love connecting with Christian professionals. They show their true colors now and then in my field, and sometimes I can spot them by what they choose to say or write about. I remember discovering that a fellow copywriter was a Christian by seeing an image of a Bible in her “best reads” list on her blog. And recently, I connected with a prominent Canadian Christian after reading one of his emails where he included a small financial appeal for a mission trip. I dream of one day writing for a large online Christian ministry, and you never know who has connections where. So I emailed the man from the webinar and introduced myself, telling him about my faith and asking him about his own. When I read his reply message however, it was like I had been punched in the gut. Click here to read more Who is God? We serve an all or nothing God. One that likes his children “stinging hot” in their loyalty to Him. The world wants us to think that there is more than one way to heaven, more than one way to living the righteous life. But God says he is jealous for us. By Debra Torres The profanity came out of Claire’s mouth hard and fast that day in our high school locker room. I was a new Christian then, a wannabe athlete and mediocre at best on our high school swim team. I was a bit awkward and self-conscience, but I had a light growing inside me that was beginning to show through the cracks in my reserved personality. Claire was a good swimmer, tall, blue-eyed and confident with the boys. But she had a mouth that could beat any sailor, and she especially favored bashing God’s name. And that day in the locker room, I had had enough. “Stop saying that,” I said, challenging her while she and her friend Beth laughed and carried on about something. When Claire asked why, I told her that God didn’t like it. ... Click here to read more Who is God? God loves us all so much and he desires that not one would be lost. He has chosen you and me to go and tell others about him. It's a tough road lined with persecution, and he knows it. I think that's why there's such a great reward waiting for those who choose to obey. By Debra Torres The insult flew in like a stealth bomber and skillfully found its way into a small, sensitive area of my heart. Ouch. The woman’s words stung whether she meant them to or not, and I did what I hated to do – I let it get under my skin. I so wanted to “be like the duck” and let it roll off my back. But her words stung and they scattered my thoughts. Scenarios on how I was to respond – or not respond invaded my mind and threatened to ruin my day. Later, I made a smart decision to ... Click here to read more Who is God? God doesn't expect us to do something that he hasn't already done for us. We need to follow Jesus' example in forgiveness. "...even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye" Colossians 3:13. I know it can be tough, but it's an incredible step towards freedom in Christ. By Debra Torres There’s a little status indicator light on my dishwasher that lets me know when I need some more rinse aid. In bright yellow green, it tells when things are getting a bit “lo.” The sign bugs me. I don’t usually have any rinse aid, so it often catches my eye when I enter the kitchen. It’s a constant reminder that I’m lacking in some way. And who needs that? The man I bought the dishwasher from told me that the light would go out after a few runs of the washer. But it’s been over a year now, and the glowing message still let’s me know that I’m a bit “lo.” Sometime back though, I rethought my dilemma and gave my problem a spiritual upgrade. You see ... Click here to read more Who is God? The good and the bad, God wants us to share our lives with Him. He is a loving God who waits to be invited into our day. So many times we go along with life, forgetting. Take a moment now and invite the God of the universe into your present situation. You'll be so glad you did. By Debra Torres The smell of bacon makes me think of my grandmother. And I told my daughter this while making lunch the other day. I explained that Grandma would often have it frying on the mornings we visited when I was a girl. Bacon and eggs, hot buttered toast, juice and sweet red grapes was her signature breakfast for our family. “I think they ought to put those kinds of smells in scented candles,” my daughter said. “They always have sweet smells like cinnamon bun or hot apple pie. How about a bacon candle or a friend chicken one to remind people of their grandmother’s kitchens?” Her idea made me smile. She just may be onto something, I thought. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we make others feel lately. Just like the way the smell of bacon frying connects me with ... Click here to read more Who is God? God is so powerful that when we spend time with Him and in His Word, others notice. We change in many ways, and we even have a different "fragrance" about us. The Bible says that we are the "sweet fragrance of Christ." Isn't that beautiful? |
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