A brief Conversation with God

June 30
This is God's Day. I read, I pray, I meditate, I fast, and at 4:47 I have a
CONVERSATION WITH GOD.
"God, are we saved by Your grace once?”
"How are you saved?"
"By your son dying on the cross.”
"Do you believe that?
"Yes"
You are saved."
"What about people who don't know?"
"It is your job to tell them. Do you love your neighbor as yourself?"
"I hardly know my neighbor."
"I know!"

“A backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.” (Proverbs 14:14)

Take a day for God

June 29
On Monday our men’s group facilitator said, "Take a day this week and let it be God's day. Say, ‘God this is your day, it all belongs to You.’ have no agenda. Let God control the day. Experience His grace.”

Of all the days God has been with me, finally I'm proclaiming a day for God. Tomorrow is God’s day.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

Sunday in a Park

June 25

It is a Sunday service in the park. Paul, a homeless man says, "Man does not live by bread alone." The preacher thanks him. Later Paul is up again quoting scripture and confronts the preacher. The two grab each other and the preacher yells, "Get out of my face man." Mike gently leads Paul off.
After dinner, Paul sees me and says, "I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I am a second Jesus. People need to start paying attention to me.” Later I read:

"I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

Special Giving

June 25

One of my duties while stationed in the Canal Zone was to pay the Panamanian drivers employed by the U.S. Army. I was shocked at how little money each received every two weeks. At the pay table there was a jar for contributions for some cause. Few put anything in it. One day the jar filled. I turned it to read "For Red Cross flood relief for New England families." Someone had written below that; "This is where the Lieutenant is from."

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)

Home Hunting

June 24

When we arrive in New England I ask Joy how she feels about that house we saw in Florida. She suggests offering what we can afford and leave it at that. Steve, our realtor, presents our offer and the other realtor laughs. That is that, we'll look again in the fall. A month later Steve calls, "The owner wants to know if your offer still stands?” I’m stunned but Joy isn’t at all surprised.
"I have been praying about that house since we saw it."

In three weeks we have our new home.

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24)

Positive Strokes

June 23

I call God's positive strokes, “attaboys” or “attagirls.” We all need encouragement.
We are attending a new church. The pastor is inexperienced. One day we agree not to second-guess this young enthusiastic pastor but to become part of his support team. At the next service we sit in the second row smiling. We beam during the young pastor’s sermon. He pauses, and says, "At times I see the radiance of God in other people...like right now I see God in the faces of Mal and Joy." It is an Attaboy! Attagirl!

"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29)

A Special Driver

June 22

We are hungry and tired when we reach our Sturbridge Ma. at 2:30 p.m. We stop at the Country Kitchen. I’m eating when a man in a UPS uniform picks up my bill, says, “dinner is on me," and leaves. The waitress explains on payday he pops in, finds some tourists and buys their meal.
Back at the table Joy has tears streaming down her cheeks. "That was Jesus showing us there are still good people in our country."

“He has told you what he wants, and this is all it is; to be fair and just and merciful and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)