A New Blog!

I love blogging...I just never have the time! I have decided that I will make the time. Someone may have to hold me to it. But I am giving it a go. I will be getting a domain name and a new name...a whole new blog.  It will take a while. But I hope it will be worth it!
Steve and I worked HOURS today for a new blog name and domain name that was available. I really wanted Donna.com or DonnaLynn.com but they were taken, as well as everything else I thought of.  

However, Korie came up with a name for us. Tomorrow is her first day of school and I wanted to wash her hair but not do the whole bath thing tonight. So Steve and I teamed together (we are a great team) to get her laid back on the platform and over the tub. Steve was holding her and I was washing the hair. (Can you picture it?) 

Steve was worried about how she was feeling so he asked her if she was doing okay. And she joyfully answered, "Since I have you!" After a minute of silence, Steve said..."there is the name of your blog, Donna!"   The more we thought about it...the more perfect it was. And the domain name was available! We bought it right away.  SinceIhaveYou.com ( and .net and .info) now belong to me!  I can use it in many ways. I can say "Since I have You" ..."YOU" meaning the Lord. Or "you" meaning Korie or Kristin or anyone in my family.  I am excited. It will take us awhile but I hope to be starting my new journey soon....SINCE I HAVE YOU!!!

Handicap parkers!

Hello to all you who park in handicap spots. Some of you can legally do that. Some of you need it desperately. Some of you abuse it...I see you sit and wait while your very healthy child runs into the store but you have a placard so you park there anyway while you wait! Some of you have no business parking there!  I only park there because of my daughter. And if she wasn't in a wheelchair or didn't need to use the ramp, I would park in the farthest spot away from the store or restaurant....really!  There is nothing wrong with my legs and I could use the exercise!

I take issue with some of you though. Did you ever notice that there are certain spots that say "Van Accessible"? Did you ever stop and wonder why some of those zigzag lines are LONG??  It's for VANS and for LIFTS.  I don't know why they put those closest to the store/restaurant. I wish they didn't because then you wouldn't park there!  I don't want that spot because it's close to the establishment...I want it because I can't get my daughter out of our van without it!  Do you think that you could park one spot away in the regular handicap spot? Better yet.....if the regular everyday spot is open right BESIDE handicap parking and you can walk ten extra feet without being in pain (I know of you can't)....could you do that and leave the space for someone who needs it more??

And those of you who park in a HP place "just for a few minutes" while someone runs in to the store, or the post office or the school....those few minutes may be the time someone has come out for the day and needs that spot you are in.  Park somewhere else, please! Even for a few minutes!

WORSE YET! Those of you who part ON the blue lines! Do you know that is against the law?  Do you know that space is for lifts?  I actually had a lady yell at us, in front of Korie...."I'm handicapped, too!!" when we asked her to move her car over one space so we could get Korie back into our van. And she wasn't even planning on getting out...she was just parked there, waiting for someone.  And yes, Mr. Motorcycle Rider...you have a small vehicle but those blue lines are not for you! Find someplace else to park, please.

Just going out can sometimes be a big event to to those in wheelchairs or those who are very ill. Trying to find a place to park should not be so stressful. And if people would think more of others, life would be much easier.

I know this has taught me to be careful of my actions. I don't leave grocery carts in the parking lot anymore and especially, not in the handicap lined spaces....(yes, I didn't even mention that one!).  I try not to inconvenience people if I can help it.  I guess this is more than a rant.  :)  It's a reminder for myself and for others to do the right thing.  THANKS FOR LISTENING!!

Korie's 20th birthday eve

On the eve of my childrens' birthdays, I like to go in at bedtime, lie in bed with them and sing and talk. Kristin outgrew it pretty quick so I am thankful Korie still enjoys it to this day. I have always sung to her, too. Tomorrow she turns 20...so tonight, I was a little emotional as I entered her room as my "baby" leaves her teens and turns 20. In some ways, I am thankful she is really still much younger than her true age because I so enjoy the special times she allows me to have with her.

As we snuggled under the covers, she said to me, "Can you sing to me? And if you will, are taking requests?" Trying not to laugh, I said, "Sure! I am taking requests...but I know which one you are going to ask for!" And I was right! I sang this song to both my girls but it was always a favorite of Korie's and the words are especially true when it comes to her. It is called MASTERPIECE.

Before you had a name or opened up your eyes
Or anyone could recognize your face
You were being formed so delicate in size
Secluded in God's safe and hidden place.

With your little tiny hands and little tiny feet
And little eyes that shimmered as a pearl.
He breathed in you a song and to make it all complete
He brought this masterpiece into the world

Chorus:
You are a masterpiece, a new creation He has formed.
And you're as soft and fresh as a snowy winter morn
And I'm so glad that God has given you to me
Little lamb of God, you are a masterpiece!

And now you're growing up, your life's a miracle
Everytime I look at you, I stand in awe
Because I see in you, a reflection of me
And you'll always be my little lamb from God

And as your life goes on each day how I pray that you will see
Just how much your life has meant to me
And I'm so proud of you, what else is there to say?
Just be the masterpiece He created you to be!

You are a masterpiece, a new creation He has formed.
And you're as soft and fresh as a snowy winter morn
And I'm so glad that God has give you to me!
Little lamb of God, you are a....masterpiece!!!!

(Kristin, in case you wondered, I sang it you FIRST and I mean every word for you as well. I love you!!)

Happy last day of your teenage years, Korie!!

Richardson Christmas Thru the Years at OneTrueMedia.com

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Christmas Songs bring memories

Have you ever heard a song and it brought back memories? That has been happening a lot to me this year. The very first song that comes to mind is Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer! lol My dad used to sing that song to us. But he always started out a certain way....."You know Dasher...and Dancer..and Prancer and Vixon, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen.....but...do you recall.....the most famous reindeer of all?" He always had to start the song that way. Every time!! Though my dear dad has been gone 14 years now...wow, is that possible??....everytime I hear the song begun with the reindeer names, I close my eyes and I can hear my dad singing it.

The next song that I remember, and have not heard since I sung it in choir, is SIMPLE HOLIDAY JOYS. It was a song we sung in our Christmas concert in high school. It was short and simple. A girl played the flute between every verse. I have never forgot a single word of that song!! I really can't explain why...unless somewhere deep inside me, I knew that I was a person who would treasure memories and this song is all about memories. I remember our choir teacher trying to explain what this song was about....to a bunch of self-centered teenagers who thought the world revolved around them! I doubt many of us got it...but somehow...I did. I may not have even realized it then. But because the words are still in my heart, I DO get it now. Here is the song:

Simple holiday joys...boys and girls, smiling faces, toys beneath the Christmas tree and a wreath on the door.
Star of gold, ribbons blue and a few fond embraces...how I miss those simple holidays joys I once knew. (here is where the flute played)
To be young, to believe, to wait up on Christmas Eve, through the night, with delight, O, the spell it could weave. (more flute)
To be young, with surprise, to be not quite so wise...watching snow, never knowing how quickly time flies. Did the years pass me by? Where's the sky full of reindeer? (where are they?) In my mind, the joys grow dim, how unkind that they do.
Though they shine like a gem, only memories remain, dear. But I find those simple holiday joys in YOU!!

I sing that to Korie every Christmas. It makes me smile to think of my old choir and I wonder if any of them even remember that song? I think of Mrs. Jones, our director, and wonder if she has been happy though the years. I know she has had some trials and I wonder if has found those simple joys again.

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus is a song that I was not familiar with as a child when our children's choir sang it one year at church. I remember the church kids and the bus kids meeting on Saturday's to practice. I remember the song printed in black on white sheet music and standing on homemade risers. I rarely sing it even now, but when I do, I remember that Christmas pageant in a small baptist church in Ohio.

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS is a great reminder of the Peninsula Rescue Mission Staff parties. Every year for.....too many years to remember....the staff picks a paper with one of the 12 days of Christmas on it. No one ever wants "A Partridge in A Pear Tree"!! When it is your turn, you have to sing! Steve never sings! Someone always sings off key and everyone laughs and has a good time. What a great song!

There is a group of songs that remind me of our yearly youth group caroling. In Ohio, it almost always was cold and snowy in late December. We had a rickety, old church bus that we would board and drive around to older folk's homes. My dad always had a list of people who needed some encouragement and he and my mom always came along. The bus never had time to get warm and we were freezing. We would pile out, knock on the door and always sing O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World, Silent Night and We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Those songs remind me of those days and of being invited in for cookies and apple cider and smiles on those elderly folks faces. They are "caroling" songs to me and I always remember them that way.

One year, when Steve and I had only been married a year or two and we were in Ohio visiting family, we all picked up my grandmother and went to the Ohio Historical Center. It was all decorated up for the holidays with wreaths, Christmas trees, carolers dressed up in 1890s clothes, and hot chocolate. But one thing that I had never seen...an open fire with chestnuts roasting on it! It was so cold that night that we could see our breath! We all gathered around that fire and watched them roasting. I didn't really care for the taste but it sure was neat to see it. Everytime I hear "chestnuts roasting on an open fire....." I can see us around that fire in Columbus, Ohio, watching the fire. It is a good memory in so many ways.

Away in A Manger is a good memory of my girls singing with me in the Christmas Eve Service at our church. Kristin was around 5 and Korie 3. The three of us, for the first...and last time...singing together in public. lol It was a special memory and I enjoy thinking about that evening.

There are many more songs,,,,, songs in our Cantatas, a duet with Jeff of Mary Did You Know?, songs I sing at night in bed with Korie before she sleeps....the list goes on. There are many reasons to enjoy Christmas songs. Mostly, to praise and remember what Christ for us. But there are a few that when I hear them, I can close my eyes and I can go to another place, another time and enjoy a memory from the past. And I know there are new memories to come. I love music...especially at Christmas!

Beth Moore Conference-Baltimore 2011

Beth Moore Conference-Baltimore 2011

THE NET

Main passage: Psalm 25:1-22
Main verse: Psa 25:15- He will pull my feet out of the net.

This is an intertwining. A "network" is a way of being combined knot by knot (like the internet)...it is called a "web"....it is connected by links. We have to be careful not to be caught in a "net".

Things to know about NETS

1. A NET IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE COMING.

We don't realize we are on the net...but it starts to fold up around us. Sometimes we don't even know how we got there. We wonder, "where did we go wrong"....but our "heels" are caught in the net!

A net can also fall over your head. Isa ( I missed the reference...sorry)
The enemy will not cast a net that is in full view. Prov 1:17.
Whole nations can fall into a net Psa. 9:15
When Ecclesiastes was written, this part was written for men Eccl 7: 26-a woman can be a net that is set for the heart.

Is there any way that MY heart has become a net??

2. A HEART CAN TWIST INTO A NET

Consider: Eccl. 7:26 It seems probable a heart that is a net, was born into a net or has always been a net.

Some Examples of heart twisting into a net:
a. Women who have one friend who has to be everything to them....it gets tangled up and causes drama.
b a woman who will not let go....that can be a woman-woman relationship or a woman-man relationship. She wants to "net" you with her affection/love and you feel obligated to her. A way to say this is "ingratiation" or to make oneself indispensable. To bring one's self into favor with flattery or trying to please.
Prov 29:5- Trying to win favor by flattery (vs says laying a net with flattery)
Flattery has a motive. It is always about the one flattering and not about the one they flatter. It's deceptive and we can become addicted to affirmation....or someone continually blowing up your ego. The flattery becomes a net for your feet and can turn our heart to a net.
Be careful of a person who can get you to open up with them about anything and yet you don't know much about them. This is emotional voyerism. Then you can't "leave" the relationship or it is difficult to leave because they know too much about you.

Habakkuk 1: 15-17 Others can become like a "fisherman" by catching you on their hook. In this passage, the Israelites gave sacrifices to a net, burned incense to it and lived in luxury in it. It became hard to say goodbye because it became a way of life to them.

This net will cost you more than you have!

Some modern day examples: the internet. Your phone. The TV. A person. Anything in which you are not able to leave it/them alone.

3. SHAME CAN KNOT UP AN INSIDIOUS NET

Psa 25:15- Where we look with our eyes had a lot to do with where our feet end up.

Psa. 25:1-3, 19-20 The psalmist was scared of being put to shame. Think about how shame itself can become a net.

SHAME
a. the innate fear of bringing shame
b. the innate fear of being shamed

How much shame is mentioned in verses 1-10?

In Heb. 12 it says to despise the shame. Jesus despised the shame and yet He took it upon Himself on our behalf.
Shame can pop up anywhere:
Socially, psychologically, occupationally, financially, professionally, and religiously. The enemy is at work!
Psa 25: 7, 11, 18- The writer had shame. He said: Do not remember sin but remember ME! We are pre-ordained to do something on this earth. But Satan wants us caught in a net to keep us from our purpose.
vs 11 and 18-Shame keeps us embedded in sin long after the repentance. If you have repented and still feel shame them something is wrong. Then you start to think that since we have the guilt, then we may as well just go back to it...this is Satan's thinking.

Shame is Satan's mockery to God's children. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Shame can even affect your posture. (downward). Luke 21: 27-28 says to LIFT UP YOUR HEAD.....when the ultimate Redeemer returns...we will see Him when we keep our eyes UP!
Psa 130:7 Hope! Hope keeps us from shame. Full Redemption! We can have it!

The POWER of all we have been through can be used for testimony and for full release!! Not only difused but USED! Make the enemy sorry he messed with you! God will not only HEAL but you will TESTIFY!

Guilt is when you KNOW it but shame is when you WEAR it. Don't wear it!

BUT---how much shame is due to unconfessed sin? Our redemption comes from Him. Confess your guilt and sin. We are all called to such authenticity of life, that if our worse sins were exposed, it would not contadict our public testimony!

Choose to believe what God says over how you FEEL.

The net of negativity.

To get out of this net....we need only lift our hand up. God's power will lift you.

Satan is too good of an aim to try something new on you. He hits your repeatedly where you are uncovered. Be aware of him and of your weaknesses and be ready.

The nets in the New Testament are cast in a positive light.

4. THE GOSPEL CASTS A NEW KIND OF NET
Luke 5: 1-11
Jesus turns from the crowd and speaks to Peter. Jesus had met Peter in chapter 4:38, 39. Peter had asked for Jesus help and Peter had believed Him to heal his mother in law. When Jesus asked Peter to cast his net again, Peter believed Him and obeyed. He could have talked himself out of a miracle but he followed Jesus's words.

The miracle at Peter's home in chapter 4 probably would have affected women more. The miracle at Peter's place of employment caught his heart more. Jesus was better than what Peter was best at...fishing.

What Peter did at work, better prepared him for the ministry of fishing for men. What WE work at, will help us prepare for our ministry.
2 Cor 5-Paul talking about a body being like a tent...Paul was a tentmaker...he used what he learned at his work to minister to others.

5. GOSPEL FISHING IS CATCH AND RELEASE.

Some don’t accept Christ because they feel they will be in religious bondage for life. But we are released from all that holds us...we are free.

Jesus knew what He was doing when He called md. If we fall, it is time to get up.
Luke 5:10 says...from now on, you will catch man. "from now on"..... if you have sinned, get up and say..".from now on......" (this may be her next study).

Give up that net! What is done is done! Jesus has redeemed it! Vs. 10 in Luke says do not be afraid. Leave it from now on. I Cor. 2:9...this is what He will do!!

Remember in relationships....."BONDAGE ATTRACTS BONDAGE"
Ezekiel 47:1-2 A vision is given to Ezekiel. It is prophecy. It is literal but it is also symbolic.

Be careful of condemning and worrying about Denominations. These are "rib" issues. We should only stand in the "spine" of Christ. The non-negotionable issues are spine issues....such as salvation is thru Christ alone and the death and resurrection of Christ. This leaves a lot of room for loving one another. The rest are "rib" issues...such as the 1000 year reign, etc.

Rom 8 says the earth is groaning as it waits for it's King. Isa 65:20-we shall all be like Him. And the earth will be exactly as He designed it to be.

Read Ezk. 47: 7,8. This is the Dead Sea. The Jordan River constantly empties millions of gallons of water into the Dead Sea but the surface doesn't ever rise because it is so dry. This will change at His return. Fresh water will come to the Dead Sea (vs 8). "Fresh" in Hebrew means "human healing". But even the waters in the Dead Sea will heal. In 47: 3-5... It will first be ankle deep, then knee deep, then up to the waist till the water rises and cannot be crossed! No matter how deep our sin goes, Christ will be a Healer and you will flourish like the Dead Sea!

6. NETS WILL ONE DAY BE CAST INTO MENDED WATERS.

The full extent of it's fulfillment is yet to come! Take heart! It all turns out very well!!!
Our prince is coming on a white horse and we will live happily ever after!

In these difficult days, all is going according to His plan! Ezek. 47:11-after the waters are healed, God will leave some salt to be used for domestic purposes.
vs 13- Water is flowing and healing. The Holy Spirit in us is our earnest deposit. Now this verse turns to the inheritance of His people.

From the beginning, the Israelites had had an inheritance on the OTHER side of the water. In the New testament, there is no more parting of the waters. Jesus didn't have to part them. He walked on them!

Then..in verse 5 of Eze. 47-we are swimming in the river!! We inherit the RIVER!! The River of living water in us.

So don't get caught in the net!

Beth Moore's Live Simulcast Notes from Sept 10, 2011

Passage: Luke 1:1-4 -"So that you may know the certainty of the things you've been taught."

Luke-a little about him.
2 Tim. 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
"along with those who call on the Lord" The New Ehglish Version says "in the company of others". We are meant to pursue God in company with others! We aren't alone in our pursuit....do it alongside others!
In 2 Tim. 4:9-12 in vs 10-11 Paul has been abandoned by others. He said only Luke was with him. Luke may have been the one taking Paul's dictation here. Could Luke tell Paul's time of death was near? Luke was Paul's BFF!

Who was Luke? Col. 4:10-14
He was the loved physician (called the beloved physician in some versions). He was a man of means. He shows up in Paul's life in Acts 16:6. In Acts 16:10-15 the "we" and "us" includes Luke. In between verses 8-10, Luke shows up.
Church historians tell us that Luke and Paul met in Antioch, so we can assume that may have been Luke's hometown. Years have gone by since the time of their meeting. In Galatians 4:13-15, in Paul's letter to the Galatians, Paul is ill. His illness is bad enough that it effects his eyes. If Luke is a doctor there, for Antioch is in Galatia, then it is possible Luke met Paul there. (All fun to think about). Paul goes through Galatia in Act 16 and it is after this Luke starts the "we" and "us" in Troas. So Luke may have joined them in Galatia.

Luke put the "company" in the "accompany" and stays with Paul until Paul's end.

7 Things We Can Learn From Luke

1. We were created for good company.
2 Tim. 2:22 -Keep company with those of a pure heart.
I Pet 1:22 says you are purified by obedience to the Truth. And pure hearts love deeply!
We are purified at salvation but Peter is talking here about surrender to obedience....walking in God's way. If we walk in God's way, we do not fall into the cycle of repeat sin. Surrender is the key!

Disobedience to God deforms the heart. Obedience to God reforms the heart.
There may be people we love who are not believers, and we should love them, but our close walks and relationship should be with those who obey Christ. Even if it is a person who needs your help and wants to spend a lot of time with you. Being constantly one on one with an unhealthy relationship can mess us up, too. It is better to minister to this type of person in a small group context so that you may hold each other accountable.

2. An individual calling can only be fulfilled in a "we" context.
Acts 16:10 Throughout the book of Acts, you see "we" and "them" or "they".
Luke stays anonymous-that is meant to be all of us! We cannot fulfill God's destiny for us on our own. It takes a band of believers praying, supporting and upholding one another.

We don't have a "wee" calling but a "we" calling.
Your calling is as blessed as the people in your life you are blessed with.

Luke wrote two books. In the book of Luke, he wrote about things he didn’t witness and in the book of Acts, he was there but he didn’t name himself. What would happen if we took the "self" out of our study of God's word. Stop approaching it as to what God has for ME, but as for what God has to SAY. Just study the Word and say "God surprise me!"....we are to self centered. Let God work as He will.

Hermeneutics means a "method or a principle of interpretation".
Do you see the word "her"? Do you see the word "me". If the "her" is in "me", I will miss what He has to say about Himself.
See the word "he"? We should want to know about Jesus!

At the same time, look at point #3.

3. God never overlooks a single "me" in the bigger "we".
Scholars believe the book of acts was written in Ad 61 -63.
Acts 28:30- Luke is with Paul and may have written the books at this time...the time close to Paul's death.

Just as Luke may have been thinking he was just "along for the ride" or "lost in the crowd" (Luke stayed with Paul for two years)....God inspires a man (Luke), who is caring for an apostle, to write the longest canon....with more verses than any other. With Luke and Acts, Luke wrote 2157 verses. Paul write 2032 verses. Luke wasn't just along for the ride, God used him greatly!
Luke 1:3 says...it seemed good to me to write an account of"....... God didn't do a BIG miracle or speak outloud to Luke, it just "seemed good to Luke" to write the book of Luke. But God was in it.

Let's take a new looke at Luke 4:1-4

If you have heart for God's will, you won't have to worry about missing His will...He will reveal it to you.
Jesus became a friend of sinners so that we could become a friend of God.

Luke 4:3 "It seemed good, also to me to write an account"....there had been other accounts of the times of Jesus on the earth. Luke did not mind being an "also".
Other passages in scripture that uses the word "also".
Luke 8:1-2, 12:8, 16:10 John 10:16, 14:3, 19, Rom 1:6, 8:30-32, I Cor. 6:14, Eph. 1:11, 13, 2 Tim. 2:2, I Pet. 2:5, I Jn 1:3, col. 3:14 and 2 Tim. 4:7,8. O, blessed also!

Also-another life standing out, sold out, sticking out, spent out
(side note)single women-Luke was single. He served the Lord without distraction...no wife and children to tend to. He had flexibility in ministry that a married person wouldn't have.

In Luke 4:1-4 and in Act 28:28-31, Luke uses a High Greek beauty and artistry in his writing. It is a greek language for the educated and those who investigate. The rest of the two books are in layman's writing. These books would be written on a scroll and at the top of the scroll you could only see the first four verses:
(read them...it is a neat thing to read to introduce the scroll)

Luke 1:3 and in Act 1: 1-2 --Both books are written to Theophilus. Theo-means Friend of God and Philos means Friend. Friend of God.
Three ways of thinking about this:
a. It's written to all of us symbolically (we are all friends of God)
b. it's a pseudomyn- (I know I spelled that wrong) "fake name" because it was too dangerous to reveal who
c. it was a real person.

Beth thinks it was a real person. In Luke it says "most excellent Theophilus" which was a way one would refer to those in prominient positions. Later, in Act...it is just Theophilus. Some think perhaps he was not saved when Luke wrote to him in the book of Luke but later, when Luke wrote Acts, Theo had become a believer and had dropped the formalities with his friends...but this is just something fun to think about.

Another interesting fact...Luke makes reference to friendship more than any other writer of the bible.

Luke 7:31-35 This "proverb" Jesus was telling means sometimes you don't know what is wise until it shows it's reaping or it's end.
The Pharisees did not understand that THEY were the sinners that Jesus was a friend to. The "outcasts" (like the "sinner" woman who Jesus went to right after he told them this story) became the "insiders'....Jesus, Himself, was an outsider. Jesus spent time and loved the Gentiles, the poor, the publicans, the outcasts, and WOMEN. Jesus was a friend to them.

Luke left us an example of the art of curing souls.
Luke 15:17, 31-we are all inspired to be a "doctor'.
Luke 13:10-14--When Jesus heals the woman who couldn’t even straighten up..and he heals her on the Sabbath which makes the Pharisees in an uproar.! Luke is the only one who fills us in on this story. The Pharisees think the Sabbath is not a day for healing! The are indignant. In verse 15, Jesus calls them hypocrites. They would rather be "comfortable" than see healings that are "against the rules".

Beth says she was the like the woman who couldn't stand up....her sin was so great. Anyone with habitual sin or addictions can memorize scripture and when old thoughts or images come, spout off the Word till the go away. I Pet. 1:22 My abundant life comes from my obedience to God. Take addictions one day at a time, Your victory is in His authority. Jesus has the art of healing souls.
Ezekiel 16:4-7 No matter what your sin looks like, God will bring you to beauty!!!
We have been graciously graced and forgiven and has moved others to give us grace. But we don't grace some because of our bitterness and unforgiveness. Forgiveness means to send something forth.
Maybe if we don't have "good company" we should take a look at ourselves.
But the "I" back in the "Luv you"....saying I love you exposes ourselves or may not be returned. So instead of "Luv ya"...say "I love you!"
I Cor 12:31c says "most excellent way". To LOVE. Love is the excellent way.

(back to the 7 points)

5. We can revel in the certainty of the things we have been taught. Luke 1:4.
"taught" in Greek is ketecheo Sounds like catechism. Salvation through Christ. Everything God teaches us is to reach us...to get us to know Him.
Our heart aches for those trying to live godly lives without God. A relationship with the Creator is why we are taught. It is why we learn. 2 Tim. 1:12- Know HIM. He is our certainty.
Our faith is based on facts.
If you are not sure that "God is good" then know that God is great. The more you need Him, the more you will see Him revealed. When it is darkest of all, maybe you are in the cleft of the rock and covered by His hand. God is faithful.
John 20: 29 is talking about US. We are blessed because we haven't seen Him but we believe.

In Acts 1:1-4 Jesus had died and come back to those He loves. They kept seeing Him but then He would go away for a time. He did this for 40 days. How hard this must have been for them!! 40 days is an important number in the bible. There were 40 days of testing for Christ, 40 days of rain for Noah, Moses was on the Mount 40 days, the spies were out for 40 days. Elijah was fed for 40 days, Jesus on earth for 40 days, a child is in the womb 40 weeks.

But in Acts 1:4, Jesus is eating with them. In John, He made them breakfast and ate.
"eating" is a compound Greek word synalizo syns means together and lizo is to salt...to SHAKE with salt.
Jesus had them "shaking the salt" together! He tore break and they ate from the same piece. They drank from the same cup.
Salt is preservative. A cleanser. We are the flavor. We are not meant to blend in. We don't have to be unlikeable to be spiritual....they need to "taste and see that the Lord is good". We are called to the Dining table to commune and fellowship. Stop the divisions between denominations and spiritual gifts. If we have received Christ, then we are family. They will know us by our LOVE. Our witness is at stake.

In Acts 27:20, 33-35 Luke and Paul are on a ship together. It is dangerous. Paul told then it wouldn't go well but they didn't listen. After 14 days, Paul tells them to eat something. He break bread and gives it to them as Jesus did in Luke 22:19. It was a unique communion on the ship. It may have been just a meal to most there but to Luke and Paul it was Communion!

6. Jesus has passed us the salt, also.

The early church and Christ's followers are long gone, but we are here and can be used. We have the salt shakers.

7. We can be the many convincing proofs that Jesus is alive.
Act. 28:28-31 The last word in the book of Acts (in it's original language) is "unhindered". We are called to a life that is unhindered. God calls us to be unshackled to preach Jesus.
We don’t have time for bitterness, unforgiveness. Do whatever you have to do to BE FREE. We have the power through Christ.

Tradition says that Luke died at 84 years of age filled with the Spirit.
He had been the great narrator where Jesus was the main point.
Beth's grandson, Jackson, was suppose to write his story in K5. That age has a small vocabulary and weak writing skills. Jackson's life story was "I love you, Mrs. Marino" (his teacher).
I love you, Jesus was Luke's story. Is it ours??