"Just Be Real!" says the Grinch.

Goodness, I feel like the Grinch today and I wish I could act like him a little; when he goes to Whoville and "wows" everyone with a dose of realism.
In todays Social Media craze, i have come to realize without a doubt, life is perfect for some people! It's "days of joy" and "thankfulness countdowns" and "look at what my family is doing; rather look at what I am doing" and "so blessed" and blah, blah, blah . . .

See, I am the Grinch.

OR

Do I want real people in my world who are grateful, are full of joy, are thankful, are blessed and are REAL because this world is HARD for even the most joyous Christ Followers!

I LOVE Jesus. I WANT to honor Jesus. I TRY to be more like Jesus. And Jesus was not always joyful.

He grieved; he was angry; he pleaded; he hurt for Jerusalem; BUT He always loved. Always and no matter what.

So, in a world gone bonkers over instagram posts, twitter feeds, facebook status updates, blog following . . . let us not forget what it is really all about: LOVE. Loving. As Beth Moore would say, it is a "present active participle" (did I get that right Miss Beth?). It is an act of doing, even once done, even done a thousand times, it is continuing to do now and always.

We might be grateful, thankful, blessed, full of joy and blogging to our hearts content, but let us not be so caught up in Posting what we are and/or want to be that we forget to put our Talk to the Walk. Like the brother of Jesus said, "Faith without works is nothing" (thank you James for the reminder and the reality check). If we are not loving in a way honoring to Jesus, it really doesn't matter how many followers we gather. It's not about us; it has never been about us; it was always and will continue to be about Him.

HE is the begining, He is the ending. He is everything.

This Christmas Season, above all else guard your heart by keeping Christ the center!

KLOVE had this as the encouraging word of the day last week, I feel God gave this directly to me in a time of bombardment of this World. It is from Hebrews 10:36 and reads,

"Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

It almost makes me laugh, as "patient endurance" seems upside down and backwards in our world today. But, I know the promise that God's word stands forever, is useful for building up, is steadfast and true, that it Saves.

Patient endurance to fight the good fight; run the race set before us; to stand firm against satan. We are "told" and (me guilty too) and we mostly do, buy what we need, if it's not dvr'd, we don't watch (who wants to waste time at commercials), we don't leave messages, we just text, we are a now society and I'm not sure we are building a generation who will find value in working for something if there is not immediate gratification. I do not know of any tower being constructed to reach the heavens like in the days of old. I do know of towers that enable this to be connected to virtually anyone, towers that send signals back and forth allowing us access to virtually anything. Our towers weren't constructed to reach God . . . maybe they should be.

Jesus, help me to be more like You . . . fill me, every place in me . . . let Your love overflow in abundance through me. I am so thankful, so grateful, so blessed . . . let me live like it!

~amen