One of the things I love about the epistles is the fact that Paul never knew he would be writing most of what we call the New Testament today.  He had such a heart for the church and he struggled in prayer constantly for those he couldn't personally be with.  For those he could not be with, he sat down and wrote those letters and sent them off and they contained so much!  They were letters influenced by the Holy Spirit and were intended to rebuke, minister, and encourage. 

Paul was so real.  His heart is so evident in his writings.  I really like the Message bible version where he says, "Know that I'm on your side, right alongside of you.  You are not in this alone".  I don't know about you, but I have several friends I don't get to see very often but I know they are praying for me, and they are right there with me when I need them.  I am also reminded that I am not alone.  There is nothing so powerful in a friendship as a prayer warrior friend!  Prayer moves the hand of God!

Nothing binds people together more than having Jesus Christ as common ground.  There is no distance when it comes the the Holy Spirit.  Being "united in love" as the NIV says, or "woven into a tapestry of love" joins people together like nothing else.  Choosing to be a part of the family of God is the best choice I have ever made.  I have some of the most amazing "family" I could ever ask for.  I know they love me and cover me in prayer.  I had one awesome friend tell me just this week that she had my back like a sweater.  That made me feel so good because I knew she was praying for me when I needed her. 

To those of you I don't get to see, or I have never met but yet you take time out of your day to pray for me, I thank you.  To those of you I don't get to see that often or I have never met, I also want you to know I am praying for you too! 

Beloved, let us love one another...

I love you all
Cathi

This post is more for those who are Christians, Christ followers, those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who laid down His life for a world He loved more than Himself.  I just wanted to share from my heart to believers for a few minutes about some things I have observed.

I live in the south right smack dab in the middle of the bible belt.  Here in Georgia where I live, there are so many churches it is unreal.  I jokingly say we have more churches than Waffle Houses and that is a lot! 

What I don't see here, however, is change.  I do not see much change in our communities.  I do not see much change in our society.  You would think if there were so many Christians in all these churches that there would be significant changes going on concerning morality, crime, addictions, divorce, you name it, but there is not.  Why is that?  I have been observing a lot this past year and here is my own personal opinion.

I think for the most part, Christians go to church because that is the acceptable thing to do.  Church is part of the culture, it's what you on Sundays.  They key word there is Sundays.  Folks go to church and that's it.  There is no real change in their lives because of what they might learn in church.  They go to church but live however they want to.  To me, what is even worse are the churches who stay "safe" within their own walls and keep away from what they might call sinful people or people with sinful behavior.  They judge and criticize the way people look, or behave and never try to make a difference in their lives. They don't try to reach out. You can't show me one time in the bible where Jesus criticized those who were lost.  The ones he criticized were the religious leaders of the day.  What does that tell you?

We can not call ourselves Christians and not love what Jesus loved.  He loved people.  We can not shelter ourselves in a little cocoon and be effective in a broken and lost world.  This generation faces more than my generation ever had to face.  They face more violence, more drug abuse, more temptation when it comes to sexuality, and even more hatred toward what is good and godly.  This, however, does not give us an excuse to bury our heads in the sand or to judge and run away from  it all.  Jesus walked among those who were lost, He prayed for and ministered to them right where they were.  We have to be willing to do the same.  We cannot judge people or get offended by them living out their true nature.  We have to understand the times and respond accordingly.  We respond with love, patience, kindness, and by considering others even more than ourselves.  This sounds completely opposite of what the church is doing today it seems, don't you think?  We must love even the unlovable.  We must love the unlovable whether they are someone who does not know Christ, or a brother or sister in Christ who is having a difficult time staying on track.  Love covers a multitude of sins and real love doesn't hide from the challenge of the unlovable.  Let's not hide, let's not judge, let's be proactive and be purposeful in evangelism and in love for a world Jesus chose to lay down His life for!

I love you all
Cathi