How We Should Live pt.3

How We Should Live

Pt. 3

     Have you ever done something that has hurt someone you love? Have you ever spoken harshly in anger and as soon as the words were out of your mouth, you wish you could take them back? We’ve all been guilty of hurting someone in this manner.


     Ephesians 4:30 reminds us to live our lives in such a way that we will not grieve the Holy Spirit. 30-" And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[b] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption."  Have you ever thought about how your speech or actions hurt God? To be truthful I had never given it much thought in relation to my day to day living.

     There have been times in my life when I’ve really messed up big time. I’ve since repented and ask God’s forgiveness of my sins. Not only has he forgiven them, but he has forgotten them. I use the general phrase, ”forgive me of my sins” in my prayers each day but I’ve rarely given those sins much thought. The phrase was just a blanket to cover things I never really repented of or thought about. Not only did those sins grieve the Holy Spirit, but I’m sure my lackadaisical attitude hurt him even more.

     Verse 30 tells us to live our lives in such a way the world will know we are a Christian. Being human we are still going to sin from time to time, but we should be so in tune with God that the sin we’ve committed should prick our heart. Right then and there, at the time we commit the sin, we should repent and ask for forgiveness of the sin. If you’re like me, there are so many ‘little things’ we do to grieve the Spirit each day we don’t even notice them.

     A harsh answer, letting our thoughts dwell on something we should not be thinking about, gossiping or telling a little white lie are just a few of the ways we bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit. I think this article was written just for me because this morning I was trying to figure how to deal with a situation that has recently come up in my life. The plan I came up with was not one God would be proud of, while writing this piece my conscious was pricked and I had to stop and ask forgiveness. I also asked for strength to live my live in such a way there would be no doubt that I’m a child of God.

     We are told to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, and all types of evil behavior. We should live our day to day lives in a way that is pleasing to him. 31-" Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32- Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you".

     We’re to forgive others just as God has forgiven us. Wow, that’s a powerful statement. God has forgiven me of so much, it would take a book to list all those many grievances. He expects me to forgive others who have hurt me and be kind and compassionate toward everyone. That’s a pretty tall order, to love the unlovable and forgive those who have hurt us. But if we are truly his child, we should reflect his image so that the world can see Jesus in us.

     Dear sweet forgiving Father,  Please help me to reflect you in all I do and say.  Forgive me for all the sins I've committd and never gave a second thought.  Fill me with your loving spirit so that I may never grieve your Holy Spirit again.  Fill me with your love and compassion for others and help me to forgive them as you forgave me.  Let everyone know that I am your child by my words and deeds.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Paint each day with God's love,
Frankie

Orphans of God

Liberia Mission Trip 2010

Here is a video my daughter, Ginger, just posted. It shows what we did in Africa this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCJoLw1VQJY

How We Should Live

How We Should Live
Pt. 2

     Today in part two of “How We Should Live” Ephesians 4:25 NLT gets right to the point with the following words: “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.” If we want to live our lives the way God wants us to live them, we need to do all he tells us to do. He tells us to speak truthfully to everyone, all the time.

     I know it’s easier said than done, all of us have told a little white lie a few times in our life. Most of us have told out right fabrications from time to time. God says to Stop It! That means stretching the truth as well as not saying anything and letting a faults idea go uncorrected.

     You may say, “That’s all well and good but what about the questions like: Do you like my new hat, or Do these pants make my back side look big?” We are told to speak the truth in love even when called on to answer tricky questions like those mentioned above. The key is to do so with LOVE.

     Jesus spoke the truth everywhere he went, some people didn’t want to hear it, and others accepted the truth because Jesus spoke in love. God is the way, the truth, and the life, he is also love. Satan is the father if lies. The next time you are tempted to stretch the truth, or tell a little white lie, stop and think who you will be honoring with your speech.

     The next few verses talk about anger, 26- "And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”[a] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27- for anger gives a foothold to the devil". How can you give the devil a foothold in your life and still say you are living for Jesus?

     There is a lot of anger and rage in today’s world. We hear about cases of ‘Road Rage’ where someone has become so agitated over some real or imagined driving incident, the enraged person pulls a gun and kills the offending driver. I think that a spirit of rage has been set loose in the world. We need to guard ourselves against letting anger control us. It is possible to be angry and sin not with God’s help.

     Verse 28 explains itself; “If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.” We need to find something useful to do with our hands. Work hard and help others who are in need.

     Paul wrote in verse 29, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”  Foul or abusive language, I wonder what Paul would think if he could hear our speech of today? Well, guess what, Jesus does hear, is he pleased with the words you let slip from your mouth?

     We also need to be careful of how we talk about others. We should season our speech with love and not be critical of others or speak hatefully to one another. The old saying about sticks and stones could not be farther from the truth. Words can and do hurt especially those spoken in anger. Hastily spoken words have the power to crush the spirit especially the spirit of a young child.

     Have you noticed that most of the scripture used today dealt with the tongue? Lying, letting our anger control our speech as well as our actions, and not use fowl or abusive language was a common thread in today’s study. God knew we would need help and gave us a lot of good advice on controlling our speech found all throughout the bible. If you have a bible with a topical index, you will be able to find many more verses dealing with control of the tongue. Better yet, go to biblegateway.com or Google and you’ll find enough verses to keep you busy reading for hours.

Until next time, my friends, keep living your lives in a manner pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
Oh, by the way, does this hat make me look silly?

How We Should Live

How We Should Live
Pt.1

     On my last trip to Africa, I met a lot of baby Christians. They may have been saved years ago, but no one was there to teach them how to live their lives as a born again believer. A large percent of the country is illiterate and cannot read the Word for themselves. They must rely on someone else to tell them what the bible teaches, and some of the teachings they receive are pretty twisted. My experience in Liberia drove home the point that I need to study my bible and seek God’s answers for how I should live my life.

     As Christians, we are called to be set apart from the ways of the world while we are living here on earth. We are called to be a peculiar people, and living a Godly lifestyle in today’s society will certainly make us look weird in the eyes of the world.

     Have you ever wondered just how you should live your life? We all know we should keep the Ten Commandments and love Jesus, but have you ever wondered if there is more to it than just a set of ten rules? A few weeks ago I was reading in Ephesians and found a blueprint of how a Christian should live. Over the next few weeks, I plan to bring you a devotional beginning with Ephesians 4:17-32 and then move on into chapter 5. Today we will start with verses 17-24.

Ephesians 4:17-24 (New Living Translation)

Living as Children of Light

17- With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18- Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19- They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

     Does this sound like Paul was writing about society today? He wrote this to the Christians in Ephesus, while he was imprisoned in Rome, around 60 A.D., but it fits so perfectly with our generation. Today’s society has a hardened heart against God and his people; they would rather live a lie that hear the truth.

     The NIV translation verse 19 reads, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” We as Christians must keep up our guard not to lose our sensitivity to immoral behaviors, in a world that bombards us with commercials, television shows, music and even billboards. Do you remember the children’s song, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see?” We need to apply the words of that song to our lives today and be careful what we see, hear and say.

     It seems everyone is trying to outdo the other to see how low they can sink. Look at the way the world acts, dresses, talks and boast of sexual conquest and practices. Even some children’s shows encourage disobedience and bad language. Unless you work in a Christian environment, you probably see and hear enough in your workplace to curl your ears.

     The apostle Paul is urging his fellow believers to stop living like the unbelievers in their society. Verses 20-24 tell us how we should live. 20- But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21- Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22- throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23- Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24- Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

     Did you catch the part in verse 24 where it said we were created to be like God, righteous and holy? Do you blend in with the world or do you stand out as one of God’s children?

_____________________________________

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to live as children of light. May we stand out as a ray of hope to a dark and fallen world. Help us to guard against the onslaught of the world’s lifestyle that we may not lose our sensitivity to the wickedness that surrounds us. Give us wisdom for how we should dress, talk and live our lives. Help us to grow to be more like you - truly righteous and holy.


In Jesus precious name I pray,
 Amen.

Paint each day with God's love,
Frankie

Tomatoes and God's Love

I painted this Lazy-Susan at a Delange Lange seminar a few years ago.

Tomatoes And God’s Love
“Oh taste and see that God is good.” Psalm 34:8a NKJV

     As I sit here with my fresh homegrown tomato and salt shaker, I think about how glad I am that God gave us the sense of taste. I read somewhere that we have about 10,000 taste buds and right now I think everyone of mine are jumping up and down in anticipation of this first wonderful bite of my big juicy Mister Stripy tomato.

     Have you ever thanked God for your taste buds? I know I haven’t. I seldom think about them unless I have a cold, then I’m complaining that nothing taste right. Why did God give us taste buds in the first place? He didn’t have to give us such a delightful gift. Other than to tell us that our food is spoiled, and we can usually tell by looking or sniffing, why do we have them? I think taste buds are just one of those wonderful little gifts that God designed in us just because he loves us.

     Just thinking about how wonderfully and fearfully we are made, each of us with our own genetic code and billions of cells and chromosomes, its mind boggling. You would think that God had enough to do without taking the time to giving us the sense of taste. Why should he care if we can’t tell the difference between asparagus and chocolate ice cream?

     Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against asparagus, I’m just happy that we have a variety of good tasting foods. A slice of ice cold watermelon on a hot summer day, or a nice hot pot of chili when fresh snow is falling, is a special delight. God could have left off our sense of taste and then everything would have tasted the same, or not tasted at all. I think I might be skinner if that were the case, but I’m so-o-o glad God designed us with all of our five senses.

     God’s love is so amazing. He cares for us in so many ways, most of which go unnoticed. Well, I for one am very glad he has given me the wonderful gift of taste. I hear more tomatoes calling my name out in the garden. I think I’ll go taste and see that the Lord is very good indeed!

Paint each day with God's love,

Frankie



God's Masterpiece

God’s Masterpiece

      Have you ever noticed something and marveled at God’s handiwork. I can picture God smiling and saying, “It’s is good” as he looked at his creation. All summer long, since the leaves have filled in on the trees, my family and I have been blessed with a reminder of God‘s greatest masterpiece. There is a filed and a church behind our house. This past winter I was able to get several beautiful photos of the church covered with snow and marveled at the beauty of winter.

     Spring came and new life began to stir, flowers bloomed and leaves grew on the trees. Once again I was blessed with a beautiful scenic view as we looked out from our deck. Summer is here and we have been blessed to see a constant reminder of God’s love. The leaves of the tree on the far side of the church, or should I say the lack of leaves, have formed a cross. In the middle of the tree there is a cross shaped space where you can see the blue sky surrounded by beautiful green leaves.

     My mother was the first to notice it as she sat in our living room one morning. I looked up and there it was, a perfectly shaped cross. We’ve looked at the cross all summer long and pointed it out to family and friends who’ve been to visit. Everyone has been amazed and they usually whip out their cell phones and take a picture or two.

     We’ve had several strong storms and lots of high winds that have changed the shape of several trees in the area, but the cross is still there. Trees are growing, more leaves and branches are filling in and leaves have filled in all around it, but the cross is still there.

     When storms assault our life, illness, loss of a job, your car breaks down, divorce, or even death we can take comfort in the fact that what God accomplished through the cross is still there. Our faith may waver from time to time, but what God did through his son Jesus will never change. God’s love for us will stand forever.

     Today our lives get hectic with day-to-day living and other things that come up to fill our time. Our ‘branches’ get full, not only with school or work, but with ball games, the kids dance rehearsals, play practice, piano recitals and other ‘leaves’ of activities. The things just mentioned are not bad things, but if we get so involved we let other things crowd out time with God, we’re just too busy.

     I wonder how many squirrels are in the tree with the cross image? They are so close to the cross, but they just run round doing what squirrels do. They live their busy little lives never knowing that they are living so close to an amazing display of God’s love. Does that describe you?

     Have you ever watched a squirrel? They are rarely still; they rest a few minutes and then they're going again. I’m a lot like a squirrel. I need the words of Psalms 46:10 ever before me so I can read hourly, “Be still, and know that I am God”. I’m always busy doing something and I have to remind myself constantly to “Be Still” and spend some time with God. I need to ’Be Still” and talk to him, but I need to spend even more time listening to him.

     I’m so grateful that God has placed a reminder of his love before me. I’m always in awe as I look toward the cross and I can feel him smile and say, “I did this for you, my squirrelly child.

Paint each day with God’s love,
Frankie

Just A 'Walkin' On The Water

This design by JoSonja is called "Autumn Winds". I 'tweaked' her design to fit on my oval tray by painting more fruit and flowers on the border. I really enjoy painting her designs and I used the birds and fruit pattern on several accent pieces.

Just A ‘Walkin’ On The Water
Matthew 14:22-33

     Recently I taught the story of Jesus walking on the water to my kindergarten Sunday school class. As I studied the lesson, I could see it in my mind. It was a dark stormy night at sea, and the disciples sat in a little fishing boat as lightening streaked through the sky. One of the disciples probably noticed something out in the distance and called to the others. As they watched, they could see Jesus walking toward them on the water.

     Now, this must have been an amazing and scary sight; being fishermen they had seen a lot of things at sea and knew that people could not walk on the water. But Jesus came closer and closer, how could this be explained? Picture this, it was a dark stormy night, just right for a scary story, and we usually think of Jesus wearing a white robe. With every flash of lightening his form was probably illuminated on the water. They probably thought it must be a ghost, an apparition of some kind and they were terrified. Storms can be scary, especially when you’re out on the water being tossed about by the waves. The boat might capsize, they could drown; can you imagine how you would feel in a situation like that?

     But Jesus knew of their fears, he loved them and did not want them to be terrified, so he called out to them “Don’t be afraid, it’s me, Jesus”. Peter shouted back, “Lord if it really is you, and tell me to come to you”. Peter must have been thinking, "Wow, I want to walk on the water too; I know I would have been thinking along those lines. Jesus, probably smiling, told Peter to come to him.

     Now Peter had a choice to make, he could sit in the safety of the boat or he could step out on the angry waves. As the disciples murmured behind him and you know there had to be at least one who was saying, “Don’t do it, you’ll sink and drown”, Peter stepped out in faith. Would you have enough courage to step out on the water? Could you leave the safety of your boat?

     Peter took one step, then another; he straightened up and let go of the side of the boat. He was walking on the water. You k now he had to have felt the thrill of a life time. Behind him the others were still probable calling out, “Get back in this boat, what will we tell your mother when you drown?” He was probable listening to them when he begins to look around at the size of the waves. He knew how far they were from the shore and he knew how deep the water was.

     He took his eyes off of Jesus and what happened? He started to sink, that’s what! It’s the same with me, when I take my eyes off Jesus and starting looking at other things, or start listening to other people, I get into trouble. Realizing he was probable going to drown, Peter called out to Jesus for help. The bible says immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is just a breath away? He is always waiting for us to call out to him.

     The next line, “Oh, ye of little faith” is one used often around our house. Jesus said, “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Why did Peter doubt? Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat, but he became discouraged by what his friends said and what he saw around him. He took his eyes off Jesus and that’s when the trouble started! Sometimes we focus more on our problems than on Jesus.

     The bible goes on to say when they climbed into the boat, the winds died down. The storm stopped and everyone on the boat fell down and worshiped Jesus, saying,” Truly you are the Son of God.” Whew Wee, don’t you know that there was some kind of praisin’, singin’ and shoutin’ going on in that little boat? I can just see that boat bobbing around out there on the water as they praised God. Their eyes were opened and they knew that Jesus was truly who he said he was. The Son of God was in their midst!

     I’m reminded of a story I once heard of a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest who loved to fish. Their friend, a Baptist preacher begged the other two to take him with them to their favorite fishin’ spot and all three set out early one morning. They had rowed the boat to the middle of the lake when the priest remembered that the bait was left sitting on the picnic table. “Don’t worry, I’ll go get it”, he said as he stepped over the side of the boat and walked on the water to the shore. The Baptist preacher was too stunned to say anything. He had just witnessed a miracle, he sat staring as the priest got the bait and walked back to the boat.

     His two friends didn’t seem to notice that he sat there slack jawed, dazed, and in a state of shock. A few minutes later the Methodist minister realized that he had left his sun screen in the car. “I need to go get my sun screen”, he said as he hopped over the side of the boat and walked to the shore. When he returned the cuffs of his pants were not even wet.

     All at once the Baptist preacher let out with a shout and said that he was going to walk on the water! If a Methodist minister and a Catholic priest could walk on the water, a good ol’ Baptist preacher should be able to do it to! He stepped out of the boat and quickly sank to the bottom. Turning to the priest, the Methodist minister said,” Recon’ we oughta’ tell him where the rocks are?”

     Do you know where your rocks are? Or better yet, do you know who your ‘Rock’ is? Jesus is my rock and my salvation says the psalmist David. Like Peter, Jesus keeps me safe when the waves of an angry world come crashing in about me. When I seem to be drowning in my troubles, Jesus lifts me up. I just need to keep my eyes on him and he will see me through.

     When life is trying to pull you under, who lifts you up? My prayer today is that you and I will stand on the same 'ROCK'.

Paint each day with God's love,
Frankie

Psalm 23

Here is a tray that I painted. I love this design by JoSonja and I have painted it several times. I changed the traditional colors to blues and greens to match my bedroom.

Psalm 23

     Most everyone has heard Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd…” Some of you may have it memorized. I’m sorry to say, I could say it only if I were saying it along with someone else, but not alone. I used to have it memorized, but the old gray matter is not what it used to be; and it doesn‘t help that they keep changing translations on me. This year I plan to re-memorize a lot of the verses I’ve forgotten over the years.

     As I was looking over the passage, I thought about David writing the verses. He could relate to God being a good shepherd more than I can. I’ve never owned sheep, but I do have a cat, and she has taught me a lot about my relationship with God. I would love to tell you that I’m a good little kitty, I climb up in God’s lap every day and spend time just loving on him and purring. I could tell you that, but I would be lying.

     David said that God cares for his people like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Just what does a shepherd do? They feed, water, and keep their flock safe. I’ve heard that sheep are very dumb and need to be watched over carefully so that they will not wonder off a cliff, get lost, or get attacked by wild animals. I wonder if the sheep are appreciative of all this attention.

     “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul.” (V.1-2) Miss Alli Cat is not like a lamb. Sure I feed, water, and keep her safe; but she is not thankful. She thinks it’s her right to be taken care of, and if we’re slow to get her food to her, she loudly voices her opinion on the situation. Oh, forgive me Lord, how many times have I grumbled because I thought you were to slow in answering my prayers, or when you gave me an answer I didn‘t want? How many ‘green pastures’ and ‘quite waters’ have I missed because I went my own way?

     “He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake.” (v.3) Have you ever tried to herd a cat? Impossible, cats are very independent! If you want them to go one way, they will turn up their little feline noses, and go in the opposite direction. The story of Jonah comes to mind, and I hate to tell you I’ve done the same thing to God. There have been times when he wanted me to do something, but I wanted to do something else. I’ve turned and gone my own way when the Good Shepherd only wanted to lead me in paths of righteousness. How much better off I would have been if I had followed him. Lord, please forgive me, restore my soul and guide my path.

     Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The only thing Miss Alli seems to fear is the grand kids and I’ve never taken the ‘rod’ to her. She is just being a cat and that’s the way God made her. But for us, sometimes, being corrected can be a good thing. How could we ever learn to do what is right if we were never corrected for our mistakes? God loves us and that is why he corrects us. He wants us to be the best we can be. This verse also lets us know that God is always there to comfort us in our grief and gives us rest.

     “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (v.5). My husband and I often talk about the fact that Miss Alli is treated better than some children, and she considers being under the table in the presence of her enemies a good thing, that’s where the grandkids drop their food. As a beloved member of the family, she has it made, she is loved, well cared for, and all her needs are met. Sometimes Miss Alli will grace us with her presents, but only when it suits her. How often do we take God’s blessings for granted? I try to thank God for everything; I even caught myself thanking him for allowing me to see a ‘possum’ walking along the road one night. Then I thought, will God think I’m crazy? But then I realized that he would know I’m crazy long before I do and he was probably just glad to hear from one of his kids.

     “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v.6). We adopted Miss Alli from the local shelter and she has been with us now for over 13 years. Since she is an indoor cat, we expect to have her many more years until she is called to 'Kitty Cat Heaven'. We will continue to cater to her wishes and be her people. As a child of God, I know that my Heavenly Father will continue to lavish me with his goodness, mercy and love and when it’s time for me to leave this earth; I will dwell with him forever.

Lord, please help me, after writing this, I just realized that I’m your stubborn independent cat!
Paint each day in God’s love,

Frankie

Here is a photo of  Miss Alli Cat

Masterpieces

     When you hear the word ‘Masterpiece’, what comes to mind? Do you think of Rembrandt, Michelangelo, or Picasso? Most people think of something wonderful, a beautiful work of art. A beautiful tall skyscraper may be an architect’s crown and glory, his ‘Masterpiece’. My cousin is a pastry chef and I’ve seen and tasted several of her ‘Masterpieces’, yum! Webster gives the definition as 1. An outstanding work of art or craft. 2. The greatest work, as of an artist. 3. Something superlative of its kind. But did you know that you are one of God’s masterpieces?

     In the Garden of Eden after God made Adam and Eve he said, “It is good.” If God says something is good, you had better believe it, he knows good! In Psalm 139:13-14 we read, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Again we are told that we are made by God and that his works are wonderful. I believe that the bible is true so that means that we are wonderful, a ‘Masterpiece’ of God.

     Just think you and I are considered ‘Masterpieces’ by God. A few years back there was a saying, “God made me and God doesn’t make junk!” The next time you are thinking, “I wish I had strait blond hair instead of this bright orange, curly stuff on my head” or “I’m too fat and ugly, I want to look like a supermodel.” Just remember, most supermodels weren’t born looking that way; God made you the way you are and he considers you pretty special. So special that he gave his own Son, Jesus, to die for your sins. He loves you and wants to spend all eternity with you.

How can you spend eternity with God, who made you and loves you?

     It’s as easy as A B C. Admit that you are a sinner. Have you ever told a lie, cheated on a test or took something that did not belong to you? Everyone has done something wrong at least once in their life, some of us have done so a lot more than once. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The first thing you need to do is admit to God that you’ve sinned and ask Him to forgive you.

     The next step is to Believe that God sent his only son to die for your sins and that he rose again on the third day. Put your trust in him that he has forgiven you for your sins. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall never parish but have everlasting life.”

     If you have Admitted your sin, Believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that he died for the forgiveness of your sins, the next step is to Commit your life to him and follow him in baptism. Give your life to Christ and make him the Lord of your life. You can do this by reading your bible and taking God’s words into your heart. Find a good bible believing church and there you can learn more about God’s love for you. It’s important to have good Christian friends to pray for you and help you in your new way of living. Spend time talking with God each day and he will become a close personal friend to you.

     If you have followed these steps and accepted Christ, I would love to hear from you and welcome you into the family of God. Now you are really a ‘Masterpiece’ of God.

Paint each day with God’s love,

Frankie