"This is not a dress rehearsal... this is it." -- Tom Cunningham

Contrary to what some think, we only have one life. There is no dress rehearsal. We're playing for keeps.
Don't be flippant about your days, you never know how many you have. Don't take your loved ones for granted. You never know when the last time you saw them was the last time you would ever see them again. Life goes by so fast. When you raise children, you blink and they're gone. And if you work full time, there's even less time. If you read my blog a lot, you know I'm always talking about time, because we can't get it back... I'm trying to save you the regrets that I have. If only - if only- if only....... I wish I could get all that time back knowing what I know now. God blessed me with a lot of things, and I took them for granted and wasted so much time.....

I'm not going to blame it on my parents, but I will say that they had a different outlook than me. They thought that we were put here to just enjoy ourselves but I disagree. I think that God put us here to help people, and to share, and to tell others about God's goodness. Yes, I'm a devout Christian, but that sounds so trite. I don't see how people can live without Him... well, I guess they do it with a lot of crutches and possible addictions to blur the pain of life. Life doesn't make sense unless you see it in the context of how God meant it.

I believe that God was lonely way back and He created some company. He didn't want to just make puppets, or robots that did what He said. He gave us free will, so that we can CHOOSE Him. We get to decide. And if we do, then He says we are His friends, and His children, and not His slaves or subjects. And if we choose Him and choose to follow Him, then He will be with us. And when our number is up, we get to be with Him for eternity. It's our choice.

I heard once, that God wants us and the devil wants us, and we have the deciding vote. It wouldn't be near as meaningful for Him, if we didn't have free will. Even the spirits had a choice. A third of them rebelled and followed Lucifer. It evidently was their choice too. And Adam and Eve had a choice. And when they didn't do what God told them, then Lucifer was allowed to rule this world. From then on, people had to follow laws and had to sacrifice animals with blood to be in good standing with God. Until He sent His son, Jesus, to be the ultimate sacrifice to redeem us. And if we accept this gift, that Jesus took our punishment by dying on the cross, then we are His children. But it doesn't stop there. It was never a 'once saved, always saved' situation. That's why His word says we have to take up our daily cross. We have to depend on Him, and trust Him, that He will keep the promises He gave us in His word. It cannot be just words only; it has to be actions. We cannot live like hell and expect to make heaven. All through the Bible God has lots of 'if/thens'. If we keep His commandments, then we are His children. We have to do our part, and He will do His. That's a covenant, an agreement. Yes, there are hypocrites in the church (where else would they be?) God says to be hot for Him, or be cold for Him, but the lukewarm (hypocrites) he will spit out.

I think life is a test. If we fail the test, then there is a hell waiting. But God says in the Bible that He wants everyone to go to heaven. It's your choice. Pass the test - eternity is a long time...