Tag: Jesus

Navigating the Bittersweet Journey of Launching Young Adults

There is a drama being played out in our back yard that is also being enacted in homes across the country right now. It is the push and pull of launching a child. You do your best to bring them up to be adults, but there is that bittersweet, and sometimes scary period I call the in between. They look like full-grown adults, but they are not quite there yet. And for parents there is the in between of not needing to remind them to brush their teeth, but wondering if they know everything they need to know. Has she checked her tires? Does he know he needs a job with health insurance? Are they going to church on Sundays.

We have a family of finches who are now fledglings and Mama Bird is trying her best to get them airborne.  They are so tiny! Even Mama Bird is small, but those babies are not much bigger than a good Texas cockroach. The mother sits on the fence and calls her babies all day, and for such a little bird she makes a lot of noise! The babies hop around in the flower bed trying to get aloft, and they sound completely different from the mother. It is almost a small croaking or buzzing sound. 

One got the attention of our Max. Alert to an adventure, he went after the baby bird and I went after him! I kept shouting, “Leave it!” and the frightened little bird would hop, and Max would lurch! The mother bird was upset by the commotion. She was at the in between…wanting the babies to leave the nest, but still aware of all the potential dangers around them. And so wanting to protect them. 

This is where my daughters are with their graduating seniors. The kids are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing right now, spreading their wings. But their parents (and grandparents!) are aware that adulthood isn’t instantly conferred along with a diploma. This is especially true with a high school graduate.

So I am watching my own mother birds as their babies leave the next. They look on with pride, happiness, and a few tears. And we are all so aware of the dangers in our big world. I frequently pray Psalm 91 over my grands:  

Lord, I ask that my family dwell in your secret place and under your shadow. You are our refuge and our fortress and we trust you. Please cover all my “chicks” with your pinions and hide them under your wings. Your faithful promises are our armor and protection. We will not fear the dangers that lurk around us. Thank you for sending your angels to protect us.

Celebrating Life’s Blessings: A Personal Journey

As we come to the end of April and move into May, I am praising God for an abundance of blessings. May is going to be a busy month, with milestone events and celebrations. We have three graduations, three birthdays, Mother’s Day, and we end the month with a 60th wedding anniversary for Jerry and me! My cup runneth over!

My story is a “But God…” story. There is no reason I should be living this life except for the grace of God. I can look back at my chaotic childhood and see the hand of God in it. He was protecting me from danger and placing strategic people in my path. Often I wonder, “Who prayed?” Some of those strategic people were my high school friends who invited me to their church, and I will be eternally grateful. I was pretty allergic to church at that time, but they continued to invite me. At that church I learned that I, like everyone else, was a sinner and deserved punishment. But God. He provided a payment for my sins when He sent His Son to shed His blood as a sacrifice. Jesus paid my debt. My life began to change. It was headed in one direction, but Jesus turned it around. Thank you, Lord!

Jerry and I were nineteen when we married. Smart. I have often said I wish I was as smart now as I thought I was then. But God. He drew us into a Bible teaching church and surrounded us with good friends. We grew in our faith, and I developed a lasting love for the Bible. There were times when marriage wasn’t easy. I often picture marriage as the anvil God placed me on, to chip away everything that didn’t look like Jesus. And there has been plenty of chipping material! Anyone who is a veteran of an enduring marriage will tell you that you are married to several different people over the years. And marriages have seasons. Over time Jerry and I produced three daughters, nine grandchildren (plus two bonus grands), and four greats! It is always someone’s birthday! 

Since I married so young, I had to drop out of college, But God. After my girls finished school, God gave me a desire and a calling. Now it was my turn to go to school and I finished with my doctorate and have been practicing psychology for twenty-one years. 

Ten years ago, Jerry almost died. He was so sick with necrotizing pancreatitis. He had to have what the doctor called “catastrophic surgery.” No one thought he would make it, except our pastor.  Another one of those strategic people! I prayed and prayed and prayed, until I was finally able to say, “Not my will but Thine,” and mean it. I still didn’t have any assurance that Jerry would survive, but I had peace. Since that time, I have been able to turn over so many things to God, and that is a wonderful, peaceful thing. How stupid am I?! I really have very little control anyway! And God promised me years ago that He had a good future for me.

Jerry began to get well and a few months later we realized that we could not remain dogless. We decided to rescue an older female dog and came home with puppies, a male and a female. Our Max and Ruby turned ten yesterday, and we count them as blessings for sure. They make us laugh every day.

Our upcoming anniversary seems like a culmination of all these life events. The cherry on top. How do I say thank you? These words, and even my prayers, seem so inadequate. I hope you know this Jesus of mine. If you don’t, you can. Simply acknowledge your sins and ask for forgiveness. Thank Him for paying your sin debt, and tell Him that from now on, you want to follow Him.  And then hang on! Your life will change.

So this is my story. It would be more accurate to say, this is God’s story. I am just a tiny piece of it. I thought I invited Jesus into my life, but he actually invited me into His.  How is that even possible? But God.

Reflections on New Year’s Day: Hope Amidst Tragedy

New Year’s Day!   I awoke early this morning, at about 5:30, thinking “A new year!” I thanked God for allowing me to live to see the dawning of another year. I am having a birthday in a few days, and at my age, another new year is not a given. I stayed down for a few minutes, talking to God and thinking about plans and goals. And then I turned on the television.

Only three hours into 2025, and already humans are killing each other! Why?!

A man drove a truck into a New Year’s Eve crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and wreaking havoc. People were celebrating the new year. People with plans and goals. Maybe some were getting engaged or celebrating other life events. Many were anticipating the Sugar Bowl later tonight. Officials are using phrases such as “IEDs,” and “terrorist attack.”  Such a tragic way to begin a new year.

I am remembering past Sugar Bowls I have attended. The Ritz Carlton, just a block away from the crime scene.  A New Year’s Eve dinner at Antoine’s, brunch at The Court of Two Sisters, a parade down Canal Street. As I write these words, the French Quarter is virtually shut down and the Sugar bowl is a question mark. 

It has only been one week since we celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace. My mind goes to the words penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
    “For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song 
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.” 

God is not dead. He saw it and He weeps. And miraculously, He is not finished with us. The peace Jesus offers us in this lifetime is peace in the midst of sorrow and tragedy. We will not know perfect peace on this side of Heaven. Until then, we live in a fallen world with broken people. So for 2025, I hold to the promise that He is with me, nothing that happens to me takes him by surprise, and that someday He will make all things new (Rev. 21:5).

Embracing Christmas Spirit Everywhere: A Prayerful Message

If you know me, you know I love Christmas music. So much so that I start playing it at Halloween and don’t get tired of it. My current favorite song is Let It Be Christmas by Alan Jackson. In addition to the hyperlink I am posting the lyrics and invite you to read (or sing!) them. The words are so beautiful! 

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the hearts of all people
Both near and afar
Christmas everywhere
Feel the love of the season where ever you are
On the small country roads
Lined with green mistletoe
Big city streets where a thousand lights glow

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing
Let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas, Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
With the gold and the silver, the green and the red
Christmas everywhere
In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds 
In the eyes of young babies 
Their first fallen snow
The elderly’s memories that never grow old
Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing
Let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas, Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the songs that we sing
And the gifts that we bring
Christmas everywhere
In what this day means 
And what we believe
From the sandy white beaches
Where blue water rolls
Snow covered mountains and valleys below

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing
Let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas, Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere

This morning, I was singing along with Alan as I was getting dressed, but I sang it as a prayer.  I prayed the hope and joy and peace the song speaks of.

Let it be Christmas everywhere.  Let it be Christmas in the hospital where my dear friend is having a scary procedure. Be present in all hospitals and strengthen those who care for the sick. Let it be Christmas in the heart of my friend who will leave his home and enter a nursing home today. Bless all who care for the elderly.

Let it be Christmas on college campuses where my grands and many others are taking final exams and finishing the semester. Let it be Christmas on the highways as they travel home to be with loved ones. Protect all who are traveling during this busy holiday season. Let it be Christmas in homes where families are fractured, marriages on a fault line. Oh please restore love and peace and joy. 

Let it be Christmas for the working mom who tries to do it all. Let’s face it…it is the moms who make Christmas. Help her to remember what we are really celebrating.  Bless the hard-working Dad who is doing his best to provide for his family. Let it be Christmas for schoolteachers. And bless them! Let it be Christmas for the children who think that there is too much time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and for the adults who feel like we lost a week this year! 

Let it be Christmas in busy malls and stores where shoppers exhaust themselves and their bank accounts looking for just the right gift. Let it be Christmas for those who deliver packages and holiday mail, and then the bills that follow in January. Let it be Christmas for those who work in restaurants, serving sometimes grouchy customers.  Let it be Christmas for the men I saw this morning who were digging a ditch by hand in the cold December drizzle, and for those who pick up my garbage. Lord, help me to be aware of others; help me to see them with your eyes.

Let it be Christmas in a middle east that is on fire. For those around the globe who are in war-torn places or who are oppressed or imprisoned. Let them come to know you as Messiah, our only hope.

Let it be Christmas in our YOUR churches. Let the words of the Gospel ring out and fall on listening ears. Let those of us who have been Believers for many years wonder anew at the story of Your birth. The music, the lights, the parties, the food and the decorations are all nice, but help us keep You at the forefront. Let it be Christmas in our hearts.

Embracing God’s Peace Amid Life’s Chaos

Today’s post was written by a guest writer…my 26-year old granddaughter, Hannah Herrold. Her church in Colorado compiled an Advent study written by different writers from all over the country, and one even from Africa. They are all different ages and at different stages in life. Hannah was asked to contribute and to say I am proud would be an understatement. Proud is probably the wrong word. I am awed by what God is doing in her life. I hope she continues to develop here gift for writing, and I hope you will enjoy what she has to say about peace.

Philippians 4:67 –

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Reflection:

We all have moments in our lives when it feels like peace is just out of reach. Whether you’re juggling school, starting a new job, or managing family life, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the demands placed upon us. The pressures of relationships, finances, and daily stress can leave us feeling anxious and exhausted as if we’re caught in a whirlwind with no clear path to calm. In these times, it’s crucial to remember that true peace is not found in the absence of chaos but in the presence of something greater—a quiet trust in God’s unwavering support and guidance.

Philippians 4:6-7 offers a powerful reminder: peace isn’t just about having everything together – it’s a gift from God. Paul encourages us to bring our worries to God in prayer, emphasizing that this act goes beyond merely listing our problems; it’s about establishing a deep, intimate connection with the One who truly understands what we’re going through. In this sacred dialogue, we can exchange our anxieties for His tranquility, allowing His presence to envelop us and fill our hearts with a peace that surpasses all understanding.

When we pray, we shift our focus from our stress to God, who holds everything in His hands. This change in perspective can be life-changing. Our worries may feel heavy, but God’s peace is constant and available, even in the chaos. It protects our hearts and minds, giving us a safe space to breathe.

When peace feels impossible, remember that God is with you, no matter what you’re facing. His peace is not based on the circumstance but rather on His love. As you seek Him, you might find what seems impossible becomes possible. He’s the ultimate source of peace we all need.

Optional Reflection Questions:

1) What specific worries or anxieties are currently occupying your mind? How do they impact your sense of peace?

2) In what ways have you experienced God’s peace in the past? How can you recall these moments to encourage yourself now?

3) How might bringing your concerns to God in prayer change your perspecave on them?

4) Are there specific practices or habits that help you cultivate a sense of peace that you could incorporate into your daily/weekly/monthly routine?

Embracing Gratitude

As the years go by, I become more aware of my many blessings.  That may be why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In my younger years I loved Thanksgiving for family and food. Oh, I was thankful for all the obvious things, but I had not lived long enough to learn how fragile and fleeting “obvious” blessings are. I am watching my friends, fellow Baby Boomers, gradually lose health, spouses, and even children. Jerry and I tell each other every morning, “We got another day!”  After his brush with death a few years ago, we do not take  “another day” for granted. 

As I write these words, we have a granddaughter driving home from college on busy I-40. I have prayed Psalm 91 over her, thankful that God has given his angels charge over her. To have my loved ones under my roof and at my table is more precious than the crown jewels. My grandmother used to say, “I wonder how many more times we have to be all together.” I would fuss at her when she said it, but now I get it. When you are in your twenties time stretches ahead indefinitely.  

The other reason I prefer Thanksgiving is the lack of commercialism, although that is now being tested.  It is not about shopping or giving gifts.  It is not about the making or spending of money, although prices at the grocery store can leave one with sticker shock! Thanksgiving is about gratitude for what I have instead of thinking about what I want or need.  It keeps me God-focused rather than me-focused.  It fosters contentment.  

Psychologists who have studied gratitude have found that gratitude is directly correlated with life satisfaction, peace, and joy.  Individuals who cultivate and express gratitude have fewer health complaints, reduced stress, and are generally less self-absorbed.  Dr. Robert Emmons, the world’s leading expert on gratitude states, “The fabric of gratitude is deeply woven into the human experience.”  He has found that there are two parts to gratitude: acknowledging the goodness in life and recognizing the source of that goodness.

Even if your Thanksgiving Day is not the picture perfect day you imagined, there is always something for which you can give thanks. Gratitude is more than a feeling; it is something you express. It is a discipline. Give it a try, even if you don’t feel like it. I know there are some who are experiencing deep pain this year. A first holiday with an empty chair at the table, fractured families, old hurts. I have spoken with you and I feel your pain. My suggestions: go for a walk and give thanks for legs that move and lungs that breathe fresh air. Notice the colors on the remaining leaves and give thanks for eyes that see. Start a gratitude journal and make five entries. If you can’t think of five, start with one.

I believe God created us with not only the capacity to experience gratitude but also the need to express it.  Our Father knew that his children would reap psychological, physiological, and interpersonal benefits by cultivating a grateful heart.  He does not need our praise; it is we who need to praise Him.  I have noticed something in my own life.  Maybe it is not a scientific fact, but it is something I have observed.  The more I praise Him for His blessings, the more blessings I receive.  Maybe that is not actually the case; maybe I am just aware of more of the blessings I already have.  Either way, it fills my heart with joy.    

I think there is something wonderful that happens with corporate praise when we thank him together with our families, our church families, and our nation.  It binds us together. This year Jerry and I joined the prayer team at our church, I have noticed how we have grown close to the others on the team. Prayer does that. It brings us in touch with the things we have in common and directs our attention away from the things that divide us.  That is why we need a National Day of Thanksgiving.  When we gather  on Thanksgiving Day, let us thank God for our blessings and acknowledge that He is the Source of everything good in our lives, in our families, and our country.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits.

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases.

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.  Psalm 103:1-5 (NASB).    

WHAT’S YOUR STORY

Someone was asking me yesterday about my training and background in psychology. I was recounting how most of my graduate school preparation was in neuropsychology. That is the direction I was headed, and while that is an interesting career, it held a drawback for me. When doing a neuropsychology evaluation, you take a history of the patient, and during this time they will tell you about their lives. For example, one of my assignments was at the Parent Child Center, where I would do evaluations on parents who had lost custody of their children, but were hoping for re-unification. I remember wanting to know how things went. Did they make changes in their lives? Were they able to have their children back? But I only had one day with them. If I were going to have a career in neuropsychology I would never know the rest of the story.

The not knowing was a frustration I thought I could live with until the day my dissertation chair told me I needed to do a therapy rotation. “You will not be able to get an internship if you don’t have some therapy experiences,” he said. So I reluctantly took his advice and never looked back! Psychotherapy came so naturally to me, but grinding out neuropsych evals was laborious. I quickly realized the therapy room is a sacred place. It is a privilege when people share their stories. Together we walk through the hard and look for solutions. Occasionally, the most I can do is weep with them. I remember one of my professors telling me that I would need to be able to sit with pain. Oh the pain some people experience! People ask me how I am able to do it. I don’t do it alone. I invite the Holy Spirit to come along side me.  

Even in my private life I want to hear the story. Before I ever even dreamed of going to school in my forties, strangers would approach me at the grocery store and begin telling me their life stories. I can remember a woman crying over the frozen food aisle. “How does that happen to you,” my husband would ask. I try to make a point to chat with the “invisible” people in my life: checkers, waitresses, etc. Even if we only have a few seconds, there is something powerful about being seen and heard.

We all have a story.  I used to think of my story as my story, but in later years I recognized that Jesus invited me into His story. It’s all about Him. Even though my story is not important, it is an honor to even be a line or a footnote in His great story of redemption. I was talking with my former pastor a few days ago. He is recently retired and we were discussing the fear many retirees have of becoming irrelevant, and then having that aha moment. We are irrelevant! And being at peace with that! My story is not even a blip on the world’s radar, but what an honor to have a tiny part of God’s story. I believe that God is still writing my story. What’s your story?

GRACE

I am still basking in the glow of Easter Sunday.  Our church, like many, offered multiple worship times on this holiest of weekends, but for me, there is something so special about going to worship at 8:30 on Easter Sunday.  Calls of, “He is risen!” Answered by, “He is risen indeed!”  The atmosphere is one of joy, especially in contrast to the heaviness of Good Friday.

Our choir sang the most beautiful song on Sunday, one that was new to me: Jesus, I Give You Praise.   I quickly looked it up on the Internet, and I have been playing it over and over. Even this morning (Monday), I have tears as I sing along. While all the lyrics are beautiful, there is one line that captured my heart. “Your grace, it changed my life.” I have been thinking about those words and meditating on the grace of God. As only He can orchestrate, my Bible study group is studying Ephesians, a book that is saturated in grace. Also, I keep a Bible journal, and my word for this month is “grace.”  So I was primed to hear that line.

“Your grace, it changed my life.” So true! My life was going in one direction, and when I was 18, Jesus changed my trajectory. Although at that age I gave little thought to the course of my life, looking back I can see that I was headed down a path of destruction. I do not deserve to be where I am today.  Happily (but imperfectly) married, with a big (but imperfect) family. And most importantly, I have the privilege of being in relationship with Jesus. I get to share Him with others, write about Him and speak about Him, things I would never have done on my former course. His grace changed my life!

His grace showed me that I was a sinner, in need of a Savior. Even though I did not deserve it, He paid the price for my sins.  That is grace! His grace gave me hope and a new identity: Christian. His grace gave me a hunger for His Word. The old Fran couldn’t even understand the Bible; it might have well have been written in the original Greek. His grace gave me a desire to know Him more deeply. His grace planted me into a fellowship of Believers; my best friends are the ones I can pray with and with whom I can discuss the things of God. It is by his grace that I enjoy the blessings of and endure the trials of this life. His grace secured my final destination. I know that one day I will go into His presence and live there for eternity.

I invite you to find this song and sing along. Lift up your own holy hands and worship Him. His grace truly is amazing!

DREAM HOME

This morning as I was drinking my coffee and trying to come to, a random memory popped up.  I don’t know why, unless it was because I was at our granddaughter’s middle school last night. She was being inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (Go Livvy!), but my memory had nothing to do with NJHS. It was a junior high school memory however. I had a flashback to an assignment out homemaking teacher gave us. We were to create a Dream Home notebook.

Armed with scissors, magazines, and glue, I went after that assignment with a good deal of enthusiasm. I don’t remember exactly what my dream home looked like, but I know it was over the top! Downton Abbey pales in comparison. I had some serious delusions of grandeur! But it made me think, what is my dream home today? Immediately I realized, I am living in it.

Over the years my ideas about my dream home changed. I have lived in many different homes in my long life. Some were nice, others not so much. But all have been better than those of most of the world.  And larger for sure. I read that about half of the world lives on $5.50 per day. If you don’t believe you live well, go on a mission trip!

So let me tell you about my house. By American standards, and especially those of south Tulsa, it is pretty average. If you were to drive by, you wouldn’t hit the brakes and say, “What a fabulous house!” Although, in the spring you might ooh and ahh over Jerry Carona’s beautiful yard. The inside is nice, but not posh for sure. Not even fashionable. Southern Living is not calling to do a photo shoot. We just re-did our kitchen, but we need new floors and our master bathroom is outdated. In fact we are not even supposed to refer to it as a “master” bathroom any more. The house is beginning to show her age.

So why is it my dream home? It is not because of the design or the contents. It is not because it is beautifully decorated. I have friends who can work magic in their homes. I tend to put things in one place and leave them. It is not even because of the love or the memories we have created. It has to do with contentment.  

I have been thinking a good deal about contentment because of a talk I have been giving. I will tell you it has taken me a lifetime to get here, but it is a lovely place to be. Don’t get me wrong, I still like nice things, but I have enough.  More than enough! Jesus has taught me that my true dream home is in Him. Contentment and gratitude work together. One breeds the other. It is hard to be aware of and enjoy your blessings while you are wanting more and more, bigger and better. When God leads me into green pastures beside the still waters, I want to enjoy them! I don’t want to miss that peace and contentment by thinking about the next mountain I want to climb, or the next set of china I want to acquire. (Dishes! My kryptonite!)

My remedy for discontent is to keep a gratitude journal. The more blessings I record, the more come to mind. I realize how very blessed I am.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into thee world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 1 Tim. 6: 6-8  

Plans Interrupted

Amanda and Jay have been on a weeklong vacation in California with their friends Chris and Kristi.  Jay and Chris are both firefighters and work together in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Chris is also a paramedic. Their plans to return home were interrupted by what meteorologists are calling an atmospheric river. In short, California is experiencing record-breaking rains, heavy snow in the mountains, and widespread floods. The drive to the airport Sunday was harrowing due to so much water on the roads. So they knew there was a good chance that their flight would get changed and that is indeed, what occurred. Instead of their original flight, they were re-routed with a layover that would not get them back to Tulsa until about 2:00 AM Monday morning. With full workdays on Monday, this change of plans was an inconvenience to be sure.

It was on the changed flight that an emergency occurred. Chris and Kristi were seated near the front of the plane while Amanda and Jay were further back on the emergency exit row. With their earbuds in and engrossed in their iPads, neither Amanda nor Jay noticed a commotion at the front of the plane. But Amanda happened to look up and saw Chris gesturing and calling for Jay. She pulled out Jay’s earbud, he looked up, and bolted into action.

A man across the aisle from Chris had passed out. Not knowing what was wrong, Jay and Chris got him out of his seat, laid him in the aisle, and prepared to begin chest compressions. It took a few minutes but they learned from a traveling companion that the unconscious man was diabetic, and this was a case of severe hypoglycemia. Jay and Chris were quickly able to get his blood sugar regulated and return him to his seat. 

As Amanda was telling me this story, I was thinking about how our changed plans can actually be God’s divine appointment for us. Some might say that the man was lucky, that there just happened to be two EMTs on his flight. I would say it was God-ordained. How often do I get irritated at interruptions and inconveniences, when God might be opening a chance to share Jesus. Lord, help me to see my interruptions differently, as your ordained opportunities.

It also occurred to me that as Christians, we are all certified EMTs. We received our authority in Matthew 28 and Mark 16, where Jesus tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to a dying world. As humans, we will all face death. Some of those around us are in danger of entering eternity without a relationship with Jesus. The Bible tells us that they will spend eternity in hell. Lord, open my eyes to those around me who need to know You.

Jay and Chris, you are heroes!