1BlessedNatural Experience: God's Blessing from Senior Day on Sunday

American culture promotes the fountain of youth like it is the answer to all things that are important. Wrinkles and grey hair are shunned and excommunicated by serums and hair color boxes. Very few people actually "see the beauty in growing old" like India. Arie said. Every day that we turn on the television, there seems to be more and more people that did not get a chance to see those wrinkles in the mirror or decide that the grey strands could stay a little while longer. This fact makes our lives precious, and those issues that we viewed as being rivers become ponds.

 Yesterday during Senior Day, we received the honor of showing our appreciation to the seniors in our congregation. At the end of the service, one young woman stood up from the crowd of seniors and revealed that she was 71 years old. I was shocked because she looked like she was in her 40's. Her presence confirmed a lesson that God had been trying to teach me lately. I had been stressed out about an issue, and I was letting it get the best of me. But, I realized that I wanted to live to be a senior; I wanted to be blessed with longevity. In order to mature in my relationship with the Lord and in life, I had to go through some hard tests. But, I had the choice of adapting with the help of the Lord or giving up with my situation. I realized that I could not "die in my situation" as my pastor would say. '

The miracle woman continued to talk about some of the tests and trials that she had been through. The list included her surviving being hit by a car and car accident. They also included her being shot and stabbed. While the woman described examples of the situations that herself and the women went through, I knew that they had been through more than I went through. But, by the grace of God they were still standing there, and I hope to be standing in that same place one day celebrating my senior years :-) God willing, I will. 

His Dominion "Daniel 7:14" One Nation

"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and kingdom, that all people, nations, and language, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed".- Daniel 7:14

Good afternoon everyone :-) The verse above stood out to me while I was reading Daniel Chapter 7. During my college years, I did not,understand the Lord. I used to believe that as long as people believed in one god, no matter what they called him, it was okay. My grandmother would disagree with me. Now, I know that Jesus Christ being our Lord and Savior should be the thing that we should all be in agreement. But, that is not the case.

We have a separation of church and state. The Pledge of Allegiance's verse "One nation under God..." has been removed from schools. When God has been removed from a situation, that leaves many people to feel that the success of a thing is due to their own power. For example,  in Chapter 4 of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had his dream interpreted by Belteshazzar or Daniel. Daniel 4:30 says, "The king spake, and said Is not this great Babylon that I have build for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty". This verse highlights the fact that the king did not want to give the honor to God. As the chapter continues, we are made aware that the king went crazy and lost his kingdom until he realized that God was the cause of his success. In Daniel 4:34, it says, "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praise and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion , and his kingdom is from generation to generation." The king regained his power when he realized that God was the reason why he was successful. It's all about His dominion :-)