A Gift that keeps on Giving!

"Boy"....what a party! This time it IS the BOY that was at the center of the "party"....a party that began at 9:47 a.m. on February 2, 1987 in Idaho Falls, Idaho ! And his name would be Dustin Michael Simon... second son to his parents Shawn and Debbie and the first little brother to his big brother Ryan! Certainly a gift from God to our family. Dustin was always a delight to those around him and continues to light up a room with his presence! So with this his 22nd birthday, I would like to share a couple of poems that I found about sons that express this mother's heart as she remembers the day he was born like it was yesterday, and looks forward to seeing his life journey continue to unfold. There are two things that will never change in Dustin's life; the love of his Heavenly Father (He is crazy about him!), and the fact that on February 2nd, 1987 his momma's heart grew a little larger to hold her son there forever!

My Son Never Forget How Much I Love You

When you were very small,

I used to dance with you cradled in my arms.

You were a precious angel, and when I held you close,

love overwhelmed me.

I used to wonder what kind of life you would lead.

What would be your first word, your first job?

What kind of man would you become?

And would your life take you far away from me?

Then I would hold you even closer.

I'd give you an extra kiss and an extra squeeze,

and whisper "I love you" one more time.

I knew you were too young to remember my words,

but I prayed you would never forget them.

Now you are a man.

There are days when I still long to cradle you in my arms

and dance once again.

Although I miss my little boy,

I am so proud of the man you are and who you will become.

When I think of you,

love still overwhelms me.

And as we both grow older and memories fade,

please never forget these words that you

were once too small to remember,

" I love you"

KHG

The Greatest Gift of all is a Son like You

In your lifetime, you have given me far more gifts that I can count,

yet the ones I remember most are the ones you gave from within,

often without realizing it.

When you were a child,

you gave me the gift of allowing me to see the world through your eyes,

and finding beauty I had overlooked before.

The memories we've made,

the love you have given,and the love I have for you

are lifetime gifts.

I want to thank you for all you've given to me,

and let you know that one of the greatest gifts of all

is the joy that has been mine ever since the moment

I held you in my arms.

DLG

And a couple of scriptures...

In every prayer of mine I always make my petition for you with all joy and delight.

I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Christ's return, developing and perfecting and bringing to full completion in you.

Phil 1:5-6

And this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to it's fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight, so that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value, and that you may be pure and unerring and blameless as the day of Christ approaches. May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness.... Phil 1:9-11

You are a gift set apart....a gift that keeps on giving!

I love you Dustin, Happy 22nd birthday!

Life Celebrations

It's a party! Yes, that is what I chose to be my blog title....choosing a blog title is a little scary, as you are told to "be careful", you won't be able to change it! And so I chose " It's a Party" why one might ask? Well, the day before I created my new blog I had done and on-line bible study where the lesson was on the very first "party" that Jesus had been invited to. And it was a wedding! This was also where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. Further into the study I learned why I love parties so much. God created in everyone of us a longing for celebration! Celebration that would culminate with a "party in heaven" one day!
Today as I write this, there will be two other celebrations today. Only this is not the kind of party you expect to attend they are unexpected funerals. One is a celebration of a young life the other that of an incredible mother. The teens life ended tragically last Friday night. A life that had grave consequences by a momentary choice to drink and drive. What was intended to be a night of "partying", a night of "celebration" for this teenager has ended with hundreds of other teens, family and friends gathering, weeping and mourning his young life. The other celebration will be that of a mother, again a tragic car accident. This time a life taken seemingly to soon. She will not see her daughter graduate from high school, plan her daughters wedding, experience being a grandmother. No doubt many will gather to "celebrate" her life. The question is however, will they be in heaven for the BIG ONE? Had they surrendered their hearts to Jesus, and had their names written in the "lambs book of life?" The word of God is clear about who will come to the party. And the neatest thing ever, is that the invitation is available to anyone! The invitation is wrapped in grace. Grace is a free unmerited, undeserved gift of God offered to all who believe that He is the giver of eternal life, and that His son Jesus died on the cross as a payment for your sins. You cannot earn your way to be invited to this party and you can't just show up unannounced, you must however simply reply to the invitation. Reply by acknowledging you are a sinner in need of a savior. A sinner with a desire to live eternally in heaven and "celebrate" eternally with God. And guess what, before you even get there, angels will be rejoicing that you want to come! I will end my first blog post with scriptures to consider if you want to be invited to the party and have never said "yes" to the invitation.....I'll be there and would love to "party" with you!

(the following obtained from http://www.billygrahm.org/)

God's Purpose: Peace and Life - God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant and eternal.The Bible says ..."We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." —Romans 5:1 (NIV)"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." —John 3:16 (NIV)"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." —John 10:10 (NIV)

The Problem: Our Separation
God created us in His own image to have an abundant life. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and a freedom of choice.We chose to disobey God and go our own willful way. We still make this choice today. This results in separation from GodThe Bible says ..."For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." —Romans 3:23 (NIV)"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)Our Attempts to Reach GodPeople have tried in many ways to bridge this gap between themselves and God ...The Bible says ..."There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." —Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." —Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)No bridge reaches God ... except one.

God's Bridge: The Cross - Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people.The Bible says ..."For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ." —1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV)"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." —1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV)God has provided the only way. Each person must make a choice.

Our Response: To receive Christ we must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation. The Bible says ..."Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." —John 1:12 (NIV)"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." —Romans 10:9 (NIV)
Where are you?Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?Here is how you can receive Christ:1. Admit your need (I am a sinner).2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit.(Receive Him as Lord and Savior.)

How to Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen.God's Assurance: His WordIf you prayed this prayer,The Bible says ..."Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. " —Romans 10:13 (NIV)Did you sincerely ask Jesus Christ to come into your life? Where is He right now? What has He given you?"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." —Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV)Receiving Christ, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth."This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deepen this relationship you should:1. Read your Bible everyday to know Christ better.2. Talk to God in prayer every day.3. Tell others about Christ.4. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached.5. As Christ's representative in a needy world, demonstrate your new life by your love and concern for others.

See you at the PARTY!