this little light of mine

how old do you have to be?

How old do you have to be to make a difference in the world? There are those who might try to tell you that if you are not yet of "adult" age, that you can have no voice for making a difference. That is simply not true!! You do not have to be an "adult" to have a voice and make a difference. Living in today's world, with technology as it is and especially with the global internet access that is available to people, should help you realize the impact that anyone, regardless of age, can have in our world today.

In biblical times, the Apostle Paul writes to the youth, Timothy, as to how he might instruct others in the Christian faith. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul says: "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." [The Bible: 1 Timothy 4:12 New Living Translation].

Young people, regardless of age, can make a difference... choose wisely the kind of difference you will make. I challenge each of you to make a difference for GOOD!! And I welcome your comments, sharing what you are doing to make a difference for good in our world!!

seeking God...

Vacation Bible School at our church this summer was titled "Camp E.D.G.E." where the word "edge" was an acronym for "Experiencing and Discovering God Everywhere".  I kept thinking that it should have stood for "Experiencing and Discovering God Everyday"...  but it really doesn't matter which, because both are important ideas....  we should remember that God is with us everywhere we are and that we can experience God's love everyday in our lives!!  The Bible tells us that we will find God when we seek with all our hearts!!  [Jeremiah 31:13]  What a wonderful promise....   

But what exactly does it mean to "seek God with all our hearts"?  Although many things could be said in answer to this question, I will let you think about and pray over this question for yourselves...  and if you are not yet seeking God, I encourage you to do this...  to seek God with all your heart!!  It's a safe bet that while there may be many things you might do in life that you might later regret, seeking God with all your heart will not be one of them!!

skateboards... and God's Kingdom...

I did a little checking online and found out that skateboards have several parts to them... there is the deck... and then there are the trucks... and then we have the wheels... and of course there are the bearings... and then there is the grip tape, bushings and risers... all of these things go into the construction of a skateboard... and while a couple of these might be considered extras, most of the items are very necessary for a skateboard that can actually be used!!

In God's Kingdom, there are all kinds of people, each with different talents and abilities. In the same way that each of the parts of the skateboard are needed and work with the other parts so that the board will function as it should, each person's gifts and talents are needed and valued in God's Kingdom. God gave each of us special abilities, talents and gifts so that we could use them to help make God's Creation a better place... and so that we could use them to let others know how much their Creator God loves them!!

So I challenge you!! Take those gifts, talents and special abilities and offer them back to God by the way you use them!! After all, it is because of God that you have them in the first place... God gave them to you... so use them in ways that will honor God!!