One More For JC

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  (Matthew 11:28-30) I’ve learned the hard way over the past couple weeks just how hectic life can become two months before a wedding.  There’s invitations to mail, flights to book, hotels to reserve, and honeymoons to plan.  Things get so hectic so fast, it is easy to lose perspective on what the wedding day is all about.  However, I don’t want to get so caught up in the pressure of the moment, that I lose sight of what is truly important – my relationship with Dee, my relationship with my family and friends, and most importantly my relationship with God. I want my wedding day to be a day of smiles not frowns.  I want to be able to relax enough where I can enjoy being in the company of all my family and friends...

I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.  (John 3-3) “Born again.”  “Saved.”  They’re words most people shy away from or apply a negative connotation to.  Personally, I do not like describing myself as “born again” or “saved” because I think it gives off an “I’m a part of the exclusive club” air. The truth is, the club isn’t so exclusive.  God extends an open invitation to ALL to reconcile themselves to Him through His son, Jesus Christ.  Just as through one man’s disobedience (Adam) we were all separated from God, through one man’s obedience (Christ) we can all be reconciled to Him.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  The choice is ours to make.  If we feel we can stand before a perfect God on our own righteousness – God will respect that decision; He has given us all free will.  However, be warned....

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.  (Philemon 1:6) One year ago today “Frank’s World” was born.  It started with a Verse of the Day and Sports page, and has grown considerably ever since.  I’d like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement for there have been times when I wished I never made this daily commitment.  I’ve had files corrupted and spent days completely rebuilding the pages from scratch.  I’ve anguished over the design of the site and struggled to find ways to make it more interactive.  I’ve encountered hotels with no dataports and lines that refused to keep a connection. But all these battles are something I’ve come to embrace.  I take too much joy in sharing the gifts the Lord has provided me with to allow these things to affect me.  I also take great pleasure in watching the Lord work within me:  I remember ...

I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.  (Jeremiah 10:23) Twenty nine years ago today I breathed my first breath on this earth.  Little did I know then what my life would be like or what type of man I would become.  Fortunately, from an early age my parents rooted a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ within me.  I developed a quick sense of right and wrong, and I tried to live my life as Christ would want me to live it.  However, too many times I came up woefully short.  I was judgmental, envious, proud, and selfish – a far cry from the man I knew Christ wanted me to be.  In college, I got involved with a service organization that helped instill a desire within me to serve someone other than myself.  I visited nursing homes, served at soup kitchens, and worked at shelters.  One of the most fulfilling days of my life came when I was serving at a Christian shelter in New York City....

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it.  He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.  (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5) This verse pierces me deep down to the soul.  It forces me to think about all those times I brought empty promises before the Lord:  “Dear Lord, if you could please help me through X, I’ll do Y in return.”  Time and time again, the Lord helps me through X, but I never even attempt to fulfill Y.  Why on earth do I do that??  Do I not take my promises to the Lord seriously?  Do I consider Him so loving and forgiving that I find it acceptable to break my vows to Him?  The truth is, I would do almost anything to avoid breaking a vow to a family member or friend, but when it comes to the Lord I am considerably lax.  This is something I must make every effort to change – not for the Lord’s sake but for my own.  The Lord doesn’t need an...

Should you not fear me? declares the Lord.  Should you not tremble in my presence?  I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.  The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.  But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.  They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’  (Jeremiah 5:22-24) Do I fear the Lord?  Do I tremble in His presence?  I love, praise, and respect Him, but do I fear Him?  There are times in my life when I take the Lord’s goodness for granted:  “Oh He’ll forgive me!”  There are other times when I defiantly disobey Him. Fortunately for me, the Lord and I have come to an understanding.  When I take Him for granted or I defiantly disobey Him, He punishes me - swiftly.  Fo...

What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.  (Ezra 9:13) This verse provides a wonderful example of how I should be communicating with God.  Countless times in my life I’ve come before Him with a shopping list of needs and desires I fully expect Him to fulfill, whether it be for good grades, a good performance on the baseball field, a good job, a wife, etc.  Other times I’ve come before God questioning His goodness:  “How could you do this to me?  How could you abandon me?  Will you ever answer my prayer?”  On the contrary, I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I’ve come before God acknowledging a well-deserved punishment.  I can’t remember the last time I got down on my knees and said “Lord, thanks for the whipping you gave me!  I was clearly disobedient and yet you were just ...