Gunfire in Colorado

What could be more innocent than going to a movie theater to watch a new thriller?  A lot of people went to the midnight screening of  "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, Colorado. Shots rang out and killed 12 moviegoers and injured 60 or so more, some critically. Those shot included men, women, and children, even a baby. 

A deranged man (not going to give his name; his victims are more important) imagined himself as the villain of the Batman movie, the Joker.  He dyed his hair bright red and amassed an awesome arsenal of explosives, guns, and other weapons.

  

Century 16 at Town Center at Aurora

He also rigged his apartment to make it a killing ground for police conducting a search.  Then he told them about it.  Whether this indicated a change of heart or a crazed mind is yet to be determined.

The scariest part of this whole scenario is that any of us may be victimized.  We do not know the secret life of anyone else or how they plan to carry out their devious fantasies.  That puts us all at risk. 

Yes, the news is mostly bad.  It grows more horrific as the years pass.  Crimes grow more bizarre and escalate in violence and senselessness.  The good news is that God is always there, ready to provide your every need, and never let you down the way people often will. 

 

Armed with that knowledge, we can reach out to others among our family and friends to comfort and calm them.  We need to let them know we love them. Some ways are to hug your children every day, take time to send a note, or email, make a phone call, or set up a time to do something together.

Who do you need to spend time with, get to know better, or just tell them of the hope you have for a better day?  Now is a good time, they may not be here tomorrow. 

In the photo, President Obama spends time comforting a victim and family members.  All photos are courtesy Wikipedia Commons.

                                                                                         

Photos from Wikipedia

In the Garden

I think God loves gardens.  He planted the first garden and called it Eden.  When he made the man and woman, he appointed them as the first gardeners.

Working in a garden brings us closer to the creator.  Digging in the earth, planting seeds, and coaxing the green things to grow strikes a chord in all of us.  I think we love it because we were made in His image and he loves it.

 Planting seeds reminds me of the Bible passages about a sower of seeds.  Matthew 13in the Bible tells a parable that Jesus spoke to a crowd.

He said that some seeds fall on the wayside. Some fell on rocky ground but could not get a good hold on the earth and were scorched by the sun.  Others fell in thorns that choked them. The seed that had good soil made the seeds grow and bring forth good fruit.

 I think He was not just talking about gardens.  We can plan our lives on the same basis.  Most of us go astray at some point and many are scorched by life.  We all find difficulty along the way, thorns ready to poke us on all sides.  When we finally find the good soil, we start bringing forth fruit in our lives.

Through it all, God provides us with indescribable beauty in all his creations to remind us of his presence and love for us.  When you can, get outside and enjoy the beauty of the park, a garden, or the flowers and tomatoes in the corner of your yard.  Don't forget to show God your gratitude and appreciation for all the good things He made.

To read some fine garden adventures, check out Glory’s blog at http://glory-garden.blogspot.com/

And God Saw that it was Good

1. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."    






11. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed,
and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so."



14 "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years."




21 "And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth
abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

 27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."



28 "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."


 31"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."

 

Genesis  2:1  "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made."








Photos:  Public-Domain-Images.com
Star Photo-courtesy J. Schlicker
Bible Quotes from Genesis Chapter 1 and 2  KJV

Come Just as you Are

Are you a murderer, a thief, or a hooker? Do you feel that you did something that God cannot forgive? I want to tell you that nothing is too hard for God. 

 Most people are not any of these things.  Some may enjoy gossip and running people down.  Or lie just a little bit, or seethe with jealousy, carry a load of resentment, or hate someone who did us wrong in the past. 

Murder or hatred, lies or gossip, murder or robbery are all the same in God’s eyes.  Romans 3:23 in the Bible promises that all sins are forgiven when you turn to God.  He no longer remembers the bad stuff but sees a new creation.

 Many people think of God as an imaginary, invisible friend in the sky. I had a vision of God as a very old man with a long white beard throwing lightning volts while sitting in a cloud.  In an adult Sunday school class, I remember someone talking about a personal relationship with God.  I wondered how such a thing was possible but said nothing.

 Do you feel like you would have to change if you accepted Jesus as Lord of your life? Perhaps you plan to get around to it sometime, when things are different and you clean up your act.  I used to think the same thing. I knew I had no will power and could never live a perfect life.  I never knew that once you invite God into your life that He changes you.

Jesus wants you to come just as you are with all your sins, faults, and good points too.  How do I know this?  The Bible is full of stories about His relationships with people. 

 In John 8:11, Jesus forgives a woman caught in adultery.  Stoning was the penalty for that crime in those days. A group of men asked Jesus if they should throw rocks at her until she was dead.  He said that the man without sin could cast the first stone.  One by one the angry men slipped away, all had sinned.   He told the woman to go and sin no more.

In Mark 2:15-17, Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors, which angered the people.  “Did you see that Jesus eating with sinners?  How dare he do that?” they might have said. Jesus told them that those who are sick are the ones who require a doctor, not those who are well.  

 Romans 3:23 says,  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  The good news is that God forgives those who turn to Him. It is not too late.  Just come as you are.

 Photos from Public-Domain-Image.com