Mary and I once knew a precious lady from the Salem Church of Christ who had little difficulty loving people. As a matter of fact, her face would brighten up every time we had opportunity to see her. Her husband had passed a few years before the time I’m currently referencing. Her body was wracked with pain because of her rheumatoid arthritis. We knew she was in terrible, agonizing pain most of the time. Although she suffered greatly, she did her level best not to complain, but to approach each new day with a smile. I still remember a particular conversation she and I had one day. She told me that she couldn’t wait to get to heaven so as to receive her new body; a body void of pain, deterioration and misery. Although she longed to see her husband (Lester) once again, she soooo looked forward to receiving that new body….the one with no pain, no tears and no worries. Noni was one of the most precious Christians I ever had opportunity to know. She’s now with Jesus, free from any pain, arthritis or worries. But the only way that was made possible was because of what Jesus Christ did for her on the cross. While I believe each of us are appreciative of what Jesus did for us at Calvary, there’s something we don’t often think about.  Jesus still bears the scars of his crucifixion. Thomas was shown Jesus’ pierced side, hands and feet as a way to prove Jesus’ identity post crucifixion. He still bears the scars so you and I can have brand new bodies void of scars, free from pain, exempt from temptation or worry. Just knowing that he still bears the scars for my sins gives a whole new definition to, “by His stripes we are healed.” Thank you, Jesus, for the incredible gift of eternal life. And, thank you for bearing my scars so I don’t have to!
 
Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you!                                                                                           Kevin

We’ve all seen it; maybe even experienced it. It’s that point in time when someone goes above and beyond what’s expected. Someone has gone “the extra mile”. They’ve done something that wasn’t expected, something extraordinary. But, what makes someone do that? Are the seeking notoriety? Are they longing to receive a pat on the back? For those who like the praise of men, they will do things to receive notice from others. But, why does the Christian go the extra mile? What motivates us to go above and beyond the call of duty? Think about these passages of scripture. Philippians2:4-8 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!” The greatest motivator to go above and beyond to help someone else is none other than Jesus Christ. Walking the extra mile helps us to put others before ourselves. It’s a discipline taught by Christ Himself. We can allow prejudices, biases or even misunderstandings to keep us from going the second mile. When these factors weigh down on us, entitlement is the result. It’s unfortunate we live in such a “consumer-minded” society that most folks concentrate on what’s only best for themselves. Listen to the words of Paul found in 2 Corinthians 5: 14 and 15. “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Do like Jesus did. Put other’s needs before your own. Go the extra mile. Going the extra mile brings happiness that only comes from serving like our Savior did.
 
Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you!                                                                                 Kevin
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"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
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An unfortunate truth is that we can be spending so much time doing things FOR God that we can miss spending time WITH God. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to be industrious. He desires that we work with our hands. He wants us to work for our living and not to be dependent upon others to sustain life, but we can be so preoccupied with doing things that we miss the joy of experiencing alone time with our Creator. We live in a world of constant activity. We’ve mistakenly bought into the lie that if we stay busy enough God will be pleased with our relentless activity. After reading this text in Luke 10, Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen to take part in what was “good”. Life is busy, to be sure. But, don’t allow the busyness of the day steal time away from communing with the Lord. Just a few minutes each day getting to know Christ better can make each day better all the way around!
 
Have a blessed day and remember the One who gave it to you!                                                                                Kevin