You ever get tired of doing good?  Doing good things for your family, your friends, your coworkers, or your neighbors.  Let’s be honest, it can wear you out, especially when no one seems to notice.  I know you’re not asking for a parade in your honor celebrating every time you help someone out, but wouldn’t it feel good if someone validated your actions?

It’s your flesh that seeks this recognition.  If you received the few minutes of gratitude here on earth each time you did something good, then there might not be anything for God to reward you for in heaven that will last forever.  So ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?”  Is it really to share God and His love, or is it for you?

God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.  “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or–worse!–stolen by burglars.  Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars.  Mat. 6:18-20 (MSG)

Keep doing the things that bring God glory in secret.  For there will be a day when you stand before Him.  Let God validate your ticket.  Hopefully you will hear these words from Him, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” (Mat. 25:21)

“Quick, God I need your helping hand.  The last decent person just went down.”  This quote is from my daily scripture reading this past week in Psalms chapter 12 verse 1.  (“The Message“(MSG) translation by Eugene Peterson.)  After I read that verse I paused and wondered, am I a decent person?  Also I had the thought, what would cause me to go down?  Probably my go to sin.  You know it.  The one Satan uses most often to trip me up, to pull me away from God.  To be honest if my actions today were the only ones used to answer that question then the answer would be, “No!”

Fortunately for me, and for all of us, God forgives us of our transgressions when we ask, and He “chooses” to remember them no more.  I hope He chooses to not remember today’s words and actions rather quickly.  I am so blessed to have such a loving heavenly Father.  He made me, therefore he understands me.  Now I am just crying out to God the first part of verse 1, “Quick, God I need your helping hand.”  I really do need His help to someday (soon I hope) learn to face my go to sin and turn away.  Thank you Father, for though I am not always faithful to you, you’re always faithful to me.

She has taken on average 815,731,200 breaths as of today.  Every breath has gone in and out of a person that today celebrates her ninety-seventh birthday.  Every breath has contributed to a life lived well.  She has been there breathing through the good times, the fun times and the hard times.  There was a breath taken when her two younger brothers were each born.  A breath taken with excitement when her to be husband first kissed her.  A breath sighed heavy when her mother passed, when her husband passed and when her first brother passed.

With every breath has come and gone a lot of friends, a lot of family times, a lot of working hours, some hard times, disappointing times, a lot of love, but a lot of life.  I once told my great aunt she is living so long her friends who have passed on before her are going to start thinking she died and went to hell, for she is not with them in heaven yet.  She came back with, “My bags are packed, but I’m just not ready to leave yet.”  You could always count on my great aunt to have a zinger or two to share.

Never having children of her own, she has treated my mother as a daughter, and my sister and me as her grandchildren.  Believe it or not, she still lives alone in her own home.  She is an inspiration to all who know her.  Her body may be putting in overtime, but her mind is still sharp.  She loves to relive and share the moments when her breaths were associated with happy times.

So you see “life” is in every breath.  Make the most of each one.  Every breath comes from God, from when He breathed into Adam’s nostrils, to the first one He gave you.  Happy 97th birthday Great Aunt Betty!  I love you.

I was emailing one of my writing friends this past week for the first time this year.  I wanted to wish her a “Happy New Year”, but what came out was even better.  (And it surprised me as well.)  I wished her, “Happy New God-Filled Moments Year”.  Good, right?

As I thought some more about this statement of faith I realized in order for one to know if they are having God-filled moments they have to see them, they have to feel them, and they have to recognize them.  Not every moment is God blessing you either, but many God-filled moments can be you blessing someone else in His name.

This year try your best to open your spiritual eyes, so you may see when it is “Only God” doing something in your life, and so you may see when God wants to touch someone else’s life through you.  It may take time, but one thing I have learned is this: God can use anything the devil intends for harm and use it for good.  Another thing I have learned is: When you are helping someone else your own life’s troubles seem to fade.

So will you make this faith acclamation?  Will you say, “Here’s to God-Filled Moments”?  As this year progresses I would love to hear about “God-Filled Moments” in your life.  I will most likely keep a journal of them and who knows even share them with others with your permission.  Email me at: bradymarka@gmail.com

In the mean time, “Happy New God-Filled Moments” to you!

In the video link below you will witness 4 year old Lea taking her first acrobatic flight with her dad.  She sits back and enjoys it tremendously, and I don’t know French (I think it is French), but I swear she is begging for more.

Laughing in the midst of things upside down, bouncing around, and rolling from side to side?  Could we ever accomplish such emotion as this little girl while going through life?  Yes.

Yes we could.  You see the secret to Lea’s giddiness is she knows her father has control.  He is going to get her through the upevil and plant her feet firmly on the ground again.

Can you say you trust your heavenly father that same way?  I hope so.  When life gets bouncy sit back, tighten your seat belt, and I dare you to laugh, because you too can know that your heavenly father will once again set your feet on solid ground.  (Ps. 40:2)

I don’t wish for a job,
I don’t wish for a car.
I don’t wish for a home,
I have all that so far.

I don’t wish for a friend,
I don’t wish for a wife,
I don’t wish for a church,
I am content with my life.

I don’t wish for more clothes,
I don’t wish for more to eat,
I don’t wish for more money,
with the Jones’ I don’t compete.

There is nothing that I really need,
but there is something I want done.
Receive more of God’s grace and love.
May it “change” the world, one by one.

Watch this video:
https://youtu.be/9DXL9vIUbWg

Photo by Cathy Wang

There is a Christmas song I really like titled, “Mary Did You Know?” written by Mark Lowry.  The song ask Mary did you know your baby would… and it goes on to list a lot of the great things that Jesus did while here on earth.

Mary birthed “Hope”.  But did she truly realize the magnitude of the one she was giving birth to?  Does any parent ever know who their child will grow up to be?  My question for Mary would be, “When did you know?  At what point?  After which miracle, did you believe your son was the One the angel of the Lord first told you he would be?  Mary, when did you believe that your son was indeed God’s Son?”  Everyone will be asked the same question.  “When did you believe?”  I hope it’s not when you are standing before Him being judged for that will be too late.

Another thought: Not to minimize the importance of Mary, but she too was a sinner who needed the gift of salvation that the son she bore came to give.

Birth “Hope”.  Give people the greatest gift that was ever given to you.  Deliver the hope we have in Jesus Christ with everyone you can this season and every day, so like Mary, they will know.

Merry Christmas to all of you.  May you know God, a little better every day.

There are many stages to life.  I once heard a great sermon by pastor Mike Breaux titled, “From Walker to Walker”.  He showed how we go from a baby walker to a walker used by the elderly, and all the stages in between.

My ex-wife and I were at a company party at a skating rink.  I wanted my son to enjoy the evening as well.  They wouldn’t let me carry him around while I skated, but they let me push him around in his walker.  One problem: the plastic wheels got hot from the speed and melted.  It’s hard to use a walker with one side of each wheel flat.  Although by using it after that evening we always knew where he was in the house; right where we had left him.

Two train buddies, Judy and Jan, are retiring this month.  I’m happy for them, but a little envious, for now they get to do what they want to do, and not what they have to do to survive.  This should be a good stage in life.

Then there are the stages of cancer.  I have another friend going through that right now.  She smiles, and says she is doing okay, but I wonder when she looks at herself in the mirror is she really okay?  I struggle with finding the right words to say to her.  I can tell her I am praying for her, but how do I show her I really care?

As we walk through the stages of life, which is like a vapor that passes before our eyes (James 4:14) it is important to make the most of each one.  The only way to do that is to trust God as you are in that particular stage and to be content in it.  No matter how you are walking through life know this; if you are a child of God you are not alone.  You may be single, married, have lots of friends, or just one, but there is indeed one who is always walking with you.  His name is Jesus.  Whatever stage you are in He may walk beside you, in front of you leading the way, or He may be carrying you, but He is indeed there with you.

Have you ever wondered what life would have been like if you had never been born?  Okay Mark, “Did you watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” again this year?”  Yes, I did.  I do every year.  It’s a … well a tradition, but back to my question.  Have you?

I think it would be a travesty for anyone who is a disciple of Jesus Christ to have not been born.  You see when we do our best to be like Jesus we too are light that shines in a very dark world.  Perhaps the majority of us don’t save lives, or give our entire savings to those in need, but the little things we do would go undone, because you would not be here to do them.

The staying a little longer to help out, the written note showing your gratitude, the holding of a door while sharing a warm smile.  If you weren’t here who would do those things, and all of the other things that you do?

I know whether spoken or not the things you do for others in the love of Christ are noticed and appreciated.  And for some, the things you do make a difference.  You, yes you may be the brightest part of one’s day.  Without you in their life there possibly would only be darkness.  Please never underestimate the impact you have on people.  The same people that matter to God.  Who knows?  He may have orchestrated your life intersecting theirs so they feel Him and His love for them that day.

When you are in the family of God you have the unbelievable privilege of being a part of the greatest thing God does on earth…touching lives and building God’s kingdom for eternity.  So you see, when you are a child of God you really do have a wonderful life.

You read in Genesis the true story of Noah.  In Noah’s day the people were out of control.  The people did whatever seemed right to them in their own eyes.  God had had enough.  He was going to judge the ones who didn’t believe in Him and accept His means of salvation.

God told Noah rain was coming.  A lot of rain.  Enough to cover the entire earth and its tallest mountains even though it had never rained before.  God gave Noah a means of escaping the judgement.  Build a boat.  Noah believed, and while he was building this boat he told others what God had said, and no doubt everyone heard the message.

The boat was finished.  Two of every kind of animal was on board.  It started to rain, and Noah with his family entered the boat, their salvation from judgement.  When the people saw it was actually raining THEN they believed, and THEN they wanted saving, but it was too late.  So I wonder, how long did some of them float?  How many days did they last while hanging on to anything that would keep their head above water?  Then how far did they sink before their lungs filled up with water, and their life was over?

The Bible says in the last days it will be worse than in the days of Noah.  God has provided a boat, meaning a way to escape judgement.  And one doesn’t have to look around very far to see that people are living however they want to.  The boat, who is Jesus Christ, hasn’t left yet, but some are already drowning.  How long are you going to be able to keep your head above water?  What devices in life are you clinging onto thinking they will save you?  Are you sinking?

You don’t have to.  God has made a way of escape through His son Jesus whose death forgives you of everything wrong you have ever done if you believe and accept.  Accept this salvation before it is too late.  The first judgement was with water.  The second will be with fire, and I assure you God has just about had enough of the way people are living today.  He is only waiting for the last person to have an opportunity to hear the message.  Please don’t wait too late BEFORE you believe, for only God knows how long.