Caught any tadpoles lately?

Sing - along  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4KVwX44Z9A

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Cor. 5:17

I love camping. I love to watch the lightning bugs and listen to the night sounds of crickets and frogs. Speaking of frogs, have you ever thought about the change that takes place in their lives? First the mother frog lays the eggs in the water. They look like little balls of jelly. Then they hatch into tadpoles. They have frilly gills and breathe water like a fish. Then as they begin to grow their legs begin to appear. Their tails begin to disappear. But what you can’t see is their lungs are beginning to form. There is a bigger change on the inside than on the outside. When the frog is fully developed, he can swim in the water but he can no longer live in the water. He must come up for air. He must get his food outside the water. He is a new creature, a land creature. He will never be a water creature again. His old life has passed away.

How about people? We need a change too, a change that will make us new creatures. When we first begin our lives, we are sinners. We live our lives our way. We make wrong choices. We are in need of a change. Then, when we realize that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross, we make another choice. We either choose to continue to live as we always have and die in our sins or we choose to give our lives to Jesus, repenting of our sins. Our family and friends will notice some changes in the way we live our lives but the biggest change is on the inside where no one can see but God. He doesn’t give us new lungs like the frog. He gives us a new heart, a heart that will love Him and serve Him the rest of our lives. We can never be our old selves again. We are new creatures in Christ!

Why not catch a few tadpoles this summer and place them in pond water to watch them grow and change. Be sure to take them back to a pond once they become frogs.

Also why not let us know how Jesus has made a new creature out of you. What changes have you noticed in yourself since Jesus made a change in you.

Blessing, Gail

Sing

Catch the Vision



Picture couertesy of Free Christ Images



Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18

This week we spent a few days camping in the Great Smokey Mountains at Cades Cove. It’s a very different place where no one and nothing feel afraid. Little sparrows literally hopped around our feet collecting the crumbs we dropped from the picnic table. A deer grazed at the side of the ranger station. People walked by. Cars passed. Nothing caused the deer to startle. Butterflies landed on children’s fingers. And I wondered, why can’t life be this peaceable every day? Then I remembered there will be a time when life is peaceable. God tells us in Isaiah 11 that there will be a peaceable kingdom on earth, a time when animals and children play together without harm. We got a small vision of that time for a few days this past week. How nice it will be to see that and feel the peace every day.

But what is the key to peace on earth? Isaiah 11:9 holds that key. There will be a time when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Jesus gave us a command just before he sparrowleft. In Matthew 28:19,20 He told us, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

How can I go into all the world; we might ask. Just by starting where we are with our family, with our friends, our neighbors, or even on this site. The internet reaches into all the world, even to closed countries where missionaries can’t go.

What do I say; we might ask. All we need to do is tell someone how Jesus changed our lives. Tell someone how Jesus died for you. When you see a butterfly, tell how that butterfly is a new creature, totally changed from a caterpillar. When you hear a bullfrog croaking, tell someone how that frog is totally changed from a tadpole. We can show someone by our actions and our words that Jesus has totally changed us. Let me be the first. I was 15 years old when the Holy Spirit began to nudge my heart that I was a sinner. He made me begin to realize that if I died, I would not be in heaven. At a campmeeting on a hot summer night, I went to an alter and asked forgiveness of my sins. I asked Jesus to save me. He changed my life that night. I am not perfect but I am a very different person now who loves that Lord and seeks to keep His commands. He has given me a vision for my future.

Tell someone in person, in a letter, on the phone, or join a discussion on this site so the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord.

Sandcastles

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalms 127:1a

Summer – Sand and sandcastles – whether you’re at the beach or in your backyard sandbox, building with sand is the name of the game. We used to make “toadyfrog” houses by piling damp sand over our feet and trying to drag our foot out to leave a sand cave. Then we would get clover and twigs and stuff to decorate around the house to make it nice for the frogs and toads that might hop by. But… the next rain that came along washed our houses away. They were not made of anything substantial.

Our lives are like that. No matter how hard we try to make a house a home if it is not built on the things of God they will come crashing down. Jesus tells the story of a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rains came and the water rose and the wind blew but the house of the rock stood firm. A foolish man built his house on the sand. The rains came and the water rose and the wind blew.  The house on the sand came crashing down. Jesus is the rock of our salvation. We may see wicked people who look successful but one day their world will come crashing down around them.  Whatever we do if it is not Jesus plan for us, the plan will fail.

Have your tried making sandcastles? Is Jesus making you aware of His plans in your life or family. We would love for you to share with us. Leave a comment, please.

Blessings, Gail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMev6nS6Ppk