Mike's Musings: Spring is a beautiful time for Jesus and family

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone is doing well. It is exciting to think that we are getting close to spring. It won't be very long until the grass turns green and people will be planting gardens.

Spring break is just around the corner so the kids and young people will be taking a small vacation from school. Let's not forget about our teachers and administrators who will get a much needed break also. Spring time is a good time. 

There are many activities and events that create excitement and give us encouragement to look to the future. We need hope and a positive outlook to help us everyday as we move forward in life.

What happens when we don't have the hope that tomorrow will be good? What happens when our outlook is negative and everything looks bleak? We should always call on God for help in making our futures meaningful.

 It is important to remember that God has a plan for each of us. From experience I know that what God wants for me is probably different from what I was planning. I have no doubt that is the case for each person reading this.

You may ask "Why doesn't God give me what I want?" The truth is God's plans for us are much better than what we want for ourselves. We tend to set our expectations too low. We usually want only what we can see in front of us and sell ourselves short of the things we could accomplish. 

The Bible tells of many people who were able to do things they thought were impossible but yet with the help and guidance of God Almighty, their achievements were beyond what they could imagine. Take for instance Noah. He was directed by God to build a giant ark to save his family and two animals of every species. Noah was a skilled carpenter but his knowledge of boats was non-existent. Still, with God's guidance, the ark was built and man survived.  

We also have the story of Daniel who survived in a lion's den. The story of David and Goliath is another example of God providing for His

people. David was just a boy and Goliath was a giant who was opposed to David and the Israelites. With God's guidance, David defeated the giant and saved his people.

There are many examples in the Bible of how God provides for people. Also in our society, there are many, many people who have followed the Lord and are blessed for having done so. I also know of many people who were too stubborn to follow God's guidance and missed great blessings.  

God always leads us through the rough spots in our lives to get us to the place that's better for us.

Many times it appears that where God leads us is a mistake or a misstep, but I assure it is not. It seems that our lives would be better if God would just "fix" things but we have free will as humans to either follow our Lord, or not. It takes strength and faith to be a follower of Jesus.

It is not always easy but it is always worth it. As a Christian, we need to exercise our faith and grow in the Lord. I always tell people it is like working out at the gym. We must practice in order to gain strength and muscle. As believers, we must grow our faith in order to fight evil and spread the good news that Christ is King.

If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, pause right now and ask Him to come into your life. Admit to Him that you have committed sins and you want him to forgive you. When you do this, your sins will be forgiven and Jesus will be with you through the good and the bad. Jesus will lead you and grant you mercy. As a believer, your life will never be the same.

 Blessings to all.