The Sweetest Frame

I love those verses that remind us that God is near, but this one tonight comes with a condition. God isn't near to all. Look closely... Psalm 145: 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth . God is near to all who call on him in truth. There is a condition. You must come to God on His terms. Lord, help us as we call, to call in truth.

I'm sure there are many reasons why Jesus came, but one has stood out to me lately - He came to save. 1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners , of whom I am the foremost. Lord, my life may be about a lot of things, but please let it be about helping others to find salvation.

Sorry it's been so quiet here lately. But I'm listening and the Lord is speaking. If you don't mind...say a prayer for me. If you'd like for me to pray for you, just leave a comment.

Actually it's not so much a job as it is a calling. Calvary Free Will Baptist Church in Salem, Illinois is officially searching for a new pastor. If you, or someone you know might be interested in leading a great group of people, please have them contact me or one of the deacons at our church. For contact information and other details, you can check out our Church Resume . We are trying to get the word out to as many as possible. We'd appreciate all the help we can get. I'm confident that God has the right person for the job, we're just trying to find them. ;) We'd also covet your prayers for the transition. Thanks for your help.

Thankfully, I don't have any "bad news" to share right now, but these verses stood out to me this morning... Psalm 112:7 He is not afraid of bad news ; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord . 8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries. Lord, please help me to be the righteous person that is spoken of in this passage through the power of Christ.

Psalm 103: 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. Lord, forgive me when I forget that you are the only frame worth leaning on.

Singing with Stacey (Click the thumbnail for a larger picture) We had a really great time on Thursday night. We went to Moweaqua to give my cousin Stacey her own private "concert." Her son Trevor is a good guitar player and he picked out some of his mom's favorite songs. The rest of the family showed up and surprised Stacey and sang and played for a while. It was an evening I won't soon forget. Stacey has been such a blessing to me. She has reminded me about how to live. She has been through a lot and has faced her cancer head on. I know there has been sadness and questioning along the way, but Stacey has constantly reminded all of us to keep the faith. The Lord's name has been hallowed because of her. She has made such a difference in my life. I'll try to put up a small gallery later on, but for now you can check out Kellie Penn's blog . (Thanks for taking the pictures Kellie.)