There is a term or name out that covers me and I don’t like it. It is “disability” and in essence it means “a lack of ability”.

To be honest every person has some lack of ability. Some can do things and some cannot and mostly that doesn’t matter, like glasses. Some can see without them and some cannot but we don’t call those who can’t “disabled”.

As a person who can’t walk, I look at everything to determine if I can or cannot do it. Sometimes I know that I cannot so I don’t and sometimes I try and fail like everyone does. But sometimes I try and succeed like everyone does.

So am I disabled? Not by my standards.

Is anyone disabled? I don’t think so. It’s just like everything else: some can do things and some cannot but everyone can get things done.

Disability also puts people into another and much lower class so disabled people feel like they’re less than everyone else. I am not making this up cuz I experience it all of the time.

I have been called disabled but I write books, balance my bank account, read my mail, pay my bills, live in an apartment, use a computer and take care of my self, so am I disabled? I don’t think so. Yes, there are some things that I cannot do but I have taken care of that.

But there are others that can’t do what I can’t do so what do we do with them? First of all DO NOT LABLE THEM just love them and if you can then help them. They’re no less than you are and do not need a negative label to point it out.

God called each of us to live together and love each other but negative labeling sets people apart from each other and that’s not what God has called us to do.

So I’m hoping that you have read this and learned something that will help your neighbor.

in my last email #7 under actual Christians has been changed and it should read:
They are not interested in anyone or anything but God as far as approval goes. They have compassion and don’t hesitate to show it to others.

After a great deal of very ugly happenings I have figured out that there are these kinds of humans:
1. Normal humans that do not and will not believe in God.
2. Abnormal humans hat do not and will not believe in God.
3. Normal humans that may believe in God. (potential)
4. Abnormal humans that may believe in God. (potential)
5. Societal Christians.
6. Actual Christians.

Humans are just humans but they go by different names like normal and abnormal so I separated them.

But there are those humans who do not believe in God and never will. Then there are potential believers. They may not right now be believers but they may become believers at some point.

But the biggest shock to me is that there are Societal Christians because I didn’t know that they existed! But upon evaluation here is what I have determined:

1. They belong to Churches
2. Churches are like lodges
3. Society puts a very strong reference on them and gives a lot of money to them
4. They think that they run their own lives
5. They work to please themselves or others
6. They are very happy that society accepts them and they work to keep that
7. They are viewed as having made it or succeeded.

However, actual Christians:
1. Belong to Churches too
2. Society rejects them and puts a much lower reference on them
3. They know that God runs their lives
4. They live to please God only
5. They don’t care about Society
6. They are viewed as having failed
7. They are not interested in anyone or anything but God

Each of us falls into one of these categories and Jesus said:
Matt 7:14
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it .
NIV

Are you one of the few?

Every so often I get the urge to listen to some music and about 2 years ago this friend of mine, Roy Tinker gave a CD by Brian Doerkson called “You Shine”. It is about Jesus and from the start it has been one of my favorite CDs.

One song says: in this world we will have trouble but you have overcome the world” and of course Jesus said that same thing! And that means so much to me.

There is a commercial for Travelers Insurance that shows all of these animals playing together and it says: Take the scary out of life with Traveler’s. Now as long as it is covered by their policy then they take care of making things better for customers but if it is not covered then of well.

That’s why I trust God and not Travelers or anything else because He may even make things not happen. He created the founder of Travelers and He will always make things better.

So take the scary out of life with God. I have for 10 years!

Unfortunately the feelings of worry, concern and of course scary come from Satan (the loser) and not God. So faith is much more than just belief in spiritual beings because even Satan and his demons believe in God! No faith becomes how and why we live. It is everything to us no matter what happens in life. And faith takes the scary out of life.

Bad things may happen in this world but Jesus has overcome this world!

Oh no, I just saw a commercial for a company called: Care.com and it said: “How families stay together” and I wondered why this company even exists.

I thought that a Mother and a Father were supposed to keep their family together but this company is only out to make money and they’re not the Mother or the Father!

What is going on?

Are people just too busy to raise their own children or care after each other so we need companies like this?

Who will lead the children and who will train them? Who will do this?

Eph 6:4
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
NIV

Just a very quick trip through the Bible produced this:

Eph 6:1-3
6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

Col 3:20

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
NIV

Is that the way of our Society that we now require something more than a Father and a Mother? I never thought that. I viewed it as MY responsibility to raise my children in the way of the Lord. I knew that I would be held accountable by God for what I did with my children, so why aren’t parents doing that?

I just don’t get it.

Again I say: The Lord is very good to me.

I just found an old very good friend so we’re exchanging emails.

And I just remembered that the name that I chose for the brand new computing department, Production Support was to be a department that would help people.

I also just created a resume to possibly help me to start volunteering!

So the Lord has been very good to me!

Today I wrote an email about all the problems I’m having with people and I was very upset.

But after some time, thought, consideration and some advice I am reconsidering what’s going on and the options that I have. And I am now preparing a resume for volunteer work.

To have gotten to the point where I was just paying attention to what people think instead of what God chooses to do is just where the enemy wanted me to be and not where I am and it’s not where God is.

I have got to remember that the reason that I’m alive at all and the reason that I’m really wanting to do anything and living in an apartment is because God is so good to me. So to even think that humans are leading me in the wrong direction or having a viable say in what I’m going to do is just silly. God will choose a place for me to volunteer no matter what people think.

It’s interesting to realize that Satan has tried so hard to kill me or screw me up and it’s good to be able to say that I will not allow Satan to do anything with me because I am with God. And God has won.

So now I will win because God lives in me. It may take some time but I will win and I will work.

Where do handicapped people fit into this world?

This is on my mind more than anything else and I cannot answer that question.

For me it’s been 10 horrible and hard years with literally no success.

We are very different and although it seems ok it’s not with other people. God is constantly very good to me but human people are not.

What I’m trying to do is move on through life but other people will not trust me, let me, try me out or anything. Now some people have but they total less than 1% of the population and that’s just not enough to satisfy anyone.

I have tried many things but I still have a desire to work this out so I have had a BLOG for a number of years and when people kept moving to Facebook I opened an account there. I have created two groups there but no one has entered anything and I don’t know why.

I’m beginning to think that this is the reason that I am still here: to teach normal humans to recognize and encourage other humans with handicaps.

So instead of just ignoring us as if we aren’t there they would take a moment and think:
How can I make this person’s life better?
What can I do to help this person?
Is this person my neighbor?
Is it my Christian duty to help this person?

I hurt and I’m very much alone. Most people would be shocked I they found out the things that I take care of by myself on a daily basis along with trying to do good things and make non-handicapped people happy. It’s a lot, but I have to keep it to myself because everyone else has something more important to do.

This will probably sound somewhat futile but hear me out please.

In Moses day God told Moses:

Ex 3:14

14 God said to Moses , "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
NIV

And in Hebrews it says:

Heb 13:7-8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
NIV

And God made sure to put this in His word so we know that it is true.

But humans don’t think that God can do anything unless they tell Him what to do very specifically hence there are “prayer chains” at Churches that people call to tell them what the need so that people will pray and ask God to do it or give it to them.

So what them does this mean?
.
Ps 139:1-6

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in — behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
NIV

Does He know everything? YES!

This coincides with the scriptures that we have read. And it coincides with life.

And Jesus said:

John 16:33

33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble . But take heart! I have overcome the world."
NIV

So He knew that we would have trouble and so He said But take heart! I have overcome the world.

He is there—always and He has overcome the world so He is capable and He is our Father doing MORE than an earthly father can do.

Could you have conquered the world? No but He did so relax.

But how should live my life?

Praise Him and honor Him and relax cuz He’s got your back.

Why do people think that disabilities have anything to do with a person’s place in God’s Kingdom? Disabilities only apply to how people are viewed by Society but God views our faith. That’s all.

So the question becomes can handicapped people have faith? And the answer to that is YES.

Nowhere in the Bible is there any reference to disabilities. Now why do you suppose that is because God’s omni so He knew that disabilities would exist so what is the problem?

I think that for God there isn’t one but for society there is a huge problem. Society also governs fashions and hairstyles so is God’s kingdom like fashions or a hairstyle? NO! Those are of this world and God is not of this world.

Churches however seem to have a huge problem with disabilities so why is that?

Churches are supposed to be like God but they’re more like Societal organizations and people with disabilities are both different than and not accepted by society.

I have dealt with this type of problem before at a Church and I was kicked out!

But there is a big fear regarding peoples societal view that it may have a negative effect on things like attendance and contributions if people with disabilities are included so to avoid that happening people with disabilities are not welcomed and are excluded.

This IS a societal issue and nothing more so that is why this is such a huge problem.

In the Bible there was a similar societal problem with race. If you were a Jew then fine but if not then no way!

And thanks to Jesus we no longer have that problem but others have developed which have nothing to do with God but have everything to do with Society and unfortunately God’s people are following that.

So if I’ve said nothing else then let me say: STOP IT NOW OR YOU WILL STOP IT LATER!

I was just watching TV and this commercial came on to show me how I could win something and I wondered why I would want to win anything? And then I realized that most people would want to win something because if you win anything you become a winner and there’s nothing better than that! Everyone wants to be a winner!

Well that’s if they think that they have to be a winner.

I was supposed to die but I didn’t.

I was supposed to be a vegetable but I’m not.

I’m alive, pay my own bills, budget my own money, living in an apartment, I am writing books, I have a BLOG, I have a Website, I take care of myself and more. So I am a huge winner already so I don’t need more! God has been incredibly good to me.

But for years I just believed what I was told (and it wasn’t nice) and I thought that I was a big time loser. But after years & years with no negative changes physically or otherwise my faith is stronger and I know that with God I am a huge winner.

So why would I want or need anything more, especially something temporary from this world?

On The FOOD Network on TV one of the shows is called “Chopped”. On each show 4 people compete against each other, they receive instructions and have several meals to prepare and compete to win.

A panel of judges evaluates each meal and each person. If you win then they give you $10,000.00 but if you are chopped then you have to leave the competition.

I don’t like that show. I have seen it but I don’t care for it and this is why:

Who gave these people the ability to cook in the first place? God.

Who gave these people the ability to evaluate anything let alone cooking & abilities? God.

Then why is this show on the air? Because human people have a habit of not recognizing God and what He has done and focusing on themselves and what they think that they can do.

In like manner other humans have decided to reward the person that they think is the best by giving them some reward (financial or otherwise) and give them public notoriety.

That just doesn’t make any sense to me.

Why would people neglect to simply recognize and thank God? He never fails but people do a lot.

And here I go again in the “way back” machine:

Who from the first didn’t recognize God and just focused on what they could do? Satan.

Who was thrown out of Heaven? Satan.

Who runs the Earth? Satan.

Who did Jesus come to conquer? Satan.

So who got Chopped? Satan.

One of the things that happens when you become a Christian is that you learn a lot from God. God teaches people things all of the time. They may or may not realize it but He constantly teaches us.

Unfortunately some people are so fixed on themselves that they focus only on what they know or what they can learn by themselves and they do not see what God teaches. I see this kind of people all of the time on TV and they have battles to see who is the best at what they do.

Now the difference between them and a Christian is that they are limiting the possibilities for what they could learn and do to themselves. No one can limit God. He created everything! And they didn’t. They’re just human people and not only did He create them but He is their creator and He is God!

Funny, but someone else did the same thing and that was Satan and God threw him out of Heaven. That makes it clear what their “know so much” future will be like.

So what do I choose? Myself or God? I choose God!

My main goal in life is to teach people about God and to help them get to know Him. I live for God and mistakenly I thought that everyone else because they’re a Christian was just like me. But thank you all for showing me that I was wrong. There’s no one like me but me. Just like God doesn’t make each of us look alike He doesn’t make each of us think alike either.

So when I write something there is usually a scripture to back it up, I read it several times & pray and then I send it out. And I assume that I’m not saying anything new so everyone will be able to understand it as I do. However, lately some people have asked me questions, good questions about some of the things that I have written and I have answered them but I didn’t realize that we all think differently.

After some confusion I have come to understand that we’re all different so questions are good.

So now I would like to take a moment to explain a little about myself:

In the year 2000, at the age of 42 I was robbed and severely beaten.
My Brain Stem was broken so now I can’t walk.
I live in an apartment with a roommate.
I ready my mail.
I receive Social Security.
I use my computer a lot.
I budget everything.
I can’t write much anymore.
I pay my bills on time.
I reconcile my bank statements.
I brush my teeth.
I watch some TV.
I go to the bathroom by myself.
A man gives me a shower every weekday.
I’m as independent as a person can be from a wheelchair.
I rarely ask for or require assistance. I am open to receiving it when I get it.
I have been told and I among others have confirmed that I have been severely abused.

So basically I’m just like I used to be but I live in a wheelchair at home. And coming so far and for so long and being so healthy I am amazed. But there is one thing in particular that has always been there: I give God the credit for everything, absolutely everything. Yeah people still do bad things to me but God uses the bad for good.

So if you have any questions then please feel free to ask me.


My email address is: toby.hoff@gmail.com

I have been writing this since June. This is very important so please do not read this until you have some time.

From the very first time that we are able to hear we are told that we do both good and bad things and there is always a negative and positive response that is given with each one so we learn what it is good and bad to do. And a positive response is what we learn to seek. And the desire for a positive response becomes the reason that we do everything in our life from that point on.

And nothing feels better than when someone says “You have done a very good job and I’m proud of you”. Nothing! They may also give you a promotion or raise or hire you. And that feels good. You are worth something and you are successful.

However deadlines and expectations do pull you in a destination to follow them and that may not be where you really need to be. Sure you may make hose deadlines or meet those expectations but those are not God’s. If He had them in the first place then He would not have come to this Earth because we were all failures. No, he has told us what He wants and these are not deadlines or expectations. We had already missed deadlines and not met expectations. God knows each of us completely and He loves each one of us.

All forms of life support what it wants us to do and so we learn that WE can make decisions all by ourselves and we become fully self sufficient. Yes we can and do make decisions for ourselves but we are not fully sufficient-ever.

If we were then why would God have written His word for us? We wouldn’t need it!

But how often does anyone say that to God? He gave you grace and you did nothing to earn it. That’s what “Free Gift” means. And He forgave you as the Bible says “Once and for all”. So that is incredibly special but we instead try so hard to please men and that becomes our main focus and that’s all that we think about.

But He will always have the things that we need to learn and we can always learn something from Him.

We may have very good lives but we are not self sufficient. If we think that we are then it will only work for this world because He is running the world after this. That’s why God is our Father and we need His input and guidance in everything we do.

This world that we live in (Earth) is being run by Satan. So as odd as it seems this world tries very hard to make us self sufficient people. Which is more obvious than you think because the Bible clearly states that Satan has always thought that he was better than God and that’s why he was removed from Heaven, he didn’t leave he was removed by God. But God being who He is gave Satan the Earth to run so he runs it with his ideas and without God.

So that is what you’ve always been taught and it’s how you live.

To be successful you are told that you must be self sufficient. What measure of success defines a need for and constant use of God? Duh, there isn’t one that does.

And Satan doesn’t buy the power of God even though God created him. So as a human who lives for God you have to make your life stand still and ask yourself some big questions several times regarding everything you do:
Why are you doing it?
Who benefits from it?
Have you talked to God about it?
Have you listened to God?
Are you serving God by doing this?

Believe me this will be hard, especially if you detect the wrong thing but there will come a time when you’ll be glad that you did it!

It is different from what you see and think that you know but it IS God’s way. And coming from where I’ve come from I know that this is true and I’m writing it for your benefit because I have learned it and I live this way.

This is an extremely difficult thing for a human in this world to do. Your focus has to permanently change from you to God. It has not been easy for me to do this and I assure you that other people do not find me attractive in any way but I have done it through the grace of God and you can too!

Your focus has to shift from what you can see to what you can’t see. Just read God’s word and believe it and live by it. You WILL NOT GO WRONG! But if you follow the way of this world YOU WILL GO WRONG. It’s up to you.

This causes you to look at everything that you have been taught but the rewards for doing so are more than we can name.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and the Bible says that no one goes to Heaven without faith. And faith is more than just a mindset.

I have always wondered how I was before my accident. I can’t remember much but I know that I did a lot and accomplished a lot and I have wondered why and tonight all of the sudden I realized something.

I can remember trying things to see if I could do them and I remember being especially excited about what impact those things would have on others.

I especially remember when I was in college I used to carpool to school with a friend and this one night my instructor asked me to go and make copies of this test for the class. So of course I said yes but I had carpooled that night so I didn’t have my car. She said fine then take hers. It was a brand new Jaguar XKE, so I did. I never looked at the test at all and I never found a place to make copies either but the idea of driving her brand new car had me really stoked so I drove as much as I could.

So I thought about things really hard tonight and I could somewhat remember how it felt to do something and receive other’s positive approval and how important that approval from others was to me then.

I of course have absolutely received no approval from anyone in the last 10 years but it doesn’t bother me at all. What I have noticed a lot is that God has kept me alive and very healthy. I have a very good Bible on my computer, I have nice things, I have good old friends, I have good new friends, a great Church, I live in an apartment, I have a more than wonderful roommate and He has unquestionably led me throughout all my life

So how could I complain?

Approval from others means nothing to me anymore but approval from God means everything to me and I receive it constantly.

Jesus said:

Matt 16:24

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
NIV

But what does take up his cross mean? Does a person have to be crucified to follow Christ? Yes and no. Please allow me to explain what I mean.

I believe that means that we cannot depend on anything but God. As a human Jesus was fought, punished, beaten, crucified and died but He depended on what God had told Him. And He rose from the grave on the third day just as promised.

So each of us have been told to do the same thing. People may not think that you should do something or that you should be doing something different but this is God’s world and He calls the shots. Not them!

And in this world it’s not easy to follow God. Human people, even Christians, think that everything is up to them and so they decide what should and should not be done and if you are doing a good job. Well surprise! It’s not up to them! It’s up to God.

We’re not here to do what we want. We’re here to do what God wants.

Did there have to be an Earth? No, God made it.

Did there have to be people? No, God made them.

So it’s His World.

Will everything happen as planned? If He planned it then Yes, but if humans planned it then No.

That bothered Jesus. In the NIV translation of the Bible Jesus said 6 times: “how long do I have to stay with you?” So it’s easy to see that He was fed up but as long as He was here He talked & taught about God because that’s why He was here.

And now He lives in us so our job is no different now than His was then. We’re here for Him so we must take up our cross meaning that He will make happen what needs to happen so we must be satisfied with what happens even if others are not.

Deny yourself and take up your cross. Jesus did!

Many years ago I graduated from college with a BA in Information Systems Management. I was happily married, had 3 boys and thought that things were very going very well.

I owned a house in California across the street from a major theme park, drove a Volvo that I had bought brand new, put a pool in at my house, had a security system at my house and I’m sure that there were more things.

Then I moved my family to Kentucky, bought a home there, worked for GE, was very intelligent and went to work for an airline owned company. Started a computing department for my company and I moved my family to Virginia and began traveling all over the World.

Things sound like they were going pretty well, eh? Not so quick because God was working with me and things got better yet!

On 7-11-2000 I was visiting a friend in Seattle, Washington (from my home in Virginia) and I was attacked, beaten up, my rented car was stolen, my money was stolen, my clothes were stolen, my Brain Stem was broken and I went into a coma for 5 years.

When I started to come out my wife was having an affair, she had gotten into serious trouble for having stolen a lot of money from this company, she was a serious alcoholic, my sister was calling me and I was flown from Virginia to live with my sister and her husband in California which only lasted for a few weeks and then they put me into Braswell’s where I was molested so I was put into a Board & Care and left alone.

I’ve heard it said that things have to get ugly before they can get pretty and things were very ugly then. I lost my car, I lost my job and my traveling, I lost my parents, I lost my sister, I lost my house, I lost my kids, I lost my wife and now I live in an apartment.

Now when I look back on all of that it’s easy to wonder how did I get through all of that and why? Yes things got very ugly but thanks to God they never got ahold of me.

I’m learning every day and I feel good that I live for Him. I’m happier now than I have ever been!

But just because you read the Bible and/or listen to God if what you see is not correct in your opinion it is ok to explain what you feel but don’t hold it against them. Jesus didn’t hold anything against us He still came to save us. So love people because He does.

We try again and again to be so good because we think that we have to be because we’re Christians. Doing good things isn’t wrong but it will NOT save us. Christ saved us when He died on the cross years and years before we were born so your behavior didn’t cause it or hamper it.

So if you have accepted Christ HE has you covered .

Rom 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners , Christ died for us.
NIV

Recently I was told that I am not a “Normal Christian”. Now, that doesn’t make me angry at all but I just don’t know what a “Normal Christian” is.

I can only assume what that means and I assume that it is referring to the World’s standards and I so then I am not a “Normal Christian”.

God created the world. Is that normal? No.

God creates human beings. Is that normal? No.

God controls life and death. Is that normal? No.

God is our Father. Is that normal? No.

God gives us the free and unearned gift of Salvation. Is that normal? NO!

So I think that it’s a good thing to not be a “Normal Christian”.

Evangelism, what is evangelism? Some people think that it’s just about preaching.

According to Wikipedia it refers to the practice of relaying a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The tern is often used in reference to Christianity, where scriptures describe “evangelism” as “spreading the Gospel”.

Ok, here I go…. I believe that evangelism is not about a particular set of beliefs. It’s not about doing this or not doing that. It is about faith in God that others can see. Actually living out your faith.

That’s it.

God hasn’t gifted only certain people to evangelize. No, humans feel that certain people are qualified to evangelize and salaries and positions are based on that. But those are human standards not God’s standards.

So, I ask you: Why are human people judging other human people about spreading God’s word? It’s His word not theirs and He created them so why would they try to act just like Him?

Because Satan who runs this World is telling them to and people believe him.

I believe and support only God.

But it’s not common to be like me and it’s not easy in this World.

So to “make due” with the differences “Society” has developed rules, examples and income to try and signify what an evangelist should do and who they should be.

Well that works for some people but what about people like me? Can they be evangelists? According to Society NO, but according to God YES.

This definition: “the practice of relaying a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs” does not work with what I have described.

It may work in the World but it does not work with God.

Not often does a person say this but this last weekend was a gift from God.

Did everything happen as planned? No.

Were things better than I expected? No.

Did things end up on a good note? No.

Then why are you saying that this last weekend was a gift from God? First of all because I had the weekend and secondly because I learned many things.

The gift was in what I learned.

Were they good and happy things? No they weren’t but I did learn them.

What did you learn?

That there are many different kinds of handicaps. Some are easy to immediately see but some are not, but they’re all real.

I had some experiences that were not good nor pleasant but they did happen and they are real and to work through them I have got to acknowledge them and deal with them.

Is it easy to acknowledge them and deal with them? No it’s not but God does this with us and if He can do it and I can do it then I can work through it.

The sermon this morning really impacted me and it contained the following verse:
John 3:3

3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again ."
NIV

The reason that it had such an impact is that I have no real memories from before I was hurt. In other words I don’t remember being a child or living at home or my college education or much else until I was out of my coma, hurt and in the hospital in Virginia. So it’s kind of like I was born at 42.

I can be very detailed about some things but I have no memory at all about others. And I wasn’t sure why.

The humans say that it’s because of my injury but they also said that I would die or at best be a vegetable and I’m not so I didn’t know why.

But I have always thought that I was born as an adult and I thought that it was unusual and now know the truth.

Yes I was born again Spiritually when I accepted Christ and there are many occurrences that speak of that but I was born again mentally when I was injured obviously so that I could forget all of the bad stuff. Otherwise I would have met their prediction and would rightfully have not been on Hospice or I would be going to die and that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

So I was born again twice and in two different ways!

Last night it was July 1st and I only had
$500.00 in my checking account but my rent (which is much more than $500.00) was scheduled to come out today.

So I expected to be overdrawn this morning.

But when I got up and logged on there was no email telling me that my Social Security went in and there was no email regarding overdraft fees from the bank so I logged into my online banking to check it out.

And when I did there was a positive balance in my account. Yes the rent check was deducted but my Social Security check had gone in too which was not due until tomorrow.

No fees.

No overdrawn balance.

God has taken care of me.

There is something that I hear people say a lot today that I’m sure the meaning of it has been the same for years and years and that is the word “perfect”.

In the NIV translation of the Bible the word perfect appears 38 times. An example is as follows:

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
NIV

As a side note, have you noticed that when I’m looking for the explanation of something that I always turn to the Bible?

Back to the word: Perfect.

People say “This is perfect” or just “Perfect” meaning that they have followed he directions, done everything properly and/or this is the way it’s supposed to turn out.

But there is so much more to the word perfect. It doesn’t mean that I have done something good because I could and it would not be something special. No, it means that SOMEONE ELSE has done a wonderful thing well and it is special!

So from now on don’t just think about yourself. Take up YOUR CROSS because you’re not as important as the other person or certainly not God!