Have you ever had a day where you are just happy with where you are and what you have?

So many times our prayers, desires and actions are to get something else beyond what we already have.

In a blog a few months ago I wrote about this song I heard. Part of the lyrics when, “I wanted the whole world until my world stopped and then all I wanted was what I had back.” Life is like that song in a way. We want want want when in reality what we already have is a gift and we just don’t know it.

So back to the first question, have you ever said in a prayer “Lord, I don’t want anything today. I just wanted to thank you for what you have already done.” I think saying a prayer like that should be a goal for all of us. Imagine God’s expression when you start the prayer. He gets out his note card to list out your requests on what you need, what you want and what you ask for. Imagine his surprise when you say “I don’t want or need anything today Lord.” I would guess God’s reaction to that prayer is the same reaction you would have if your teenager just came and sat beside you and told you they just wanted to hang out with you. It didn’t happen often when my girls were young but when it did happen, it was a sweet moment.

God loves you just like you love your children. He wants the very very best for you in all areas of your life. Many times we are already so blessed you cannot put words to it, yet we often seek more. Every now and then I think it would be great if what we wanted was what we already had. KT

God is the only being that can forgive and then has no remembrance of it. We as mere humans can choose to forgive the infraction but we are incapable of forgetting it. This is the way God created our minds.

Let’s say for example that a man comes to your front door and robs you. You can choose to forgive the man but that does not mean that the next time the same man comes to your front door that you have to open the door. The Lord has given us the ability to remember events so that wisdom can have its perfect place in our lives. Without wisdom, you would just open the front so the man could rob you again. Your memory protects you from putting yourself in the same position again. There is nothing wrong with our forgetter, rather wisdom takes over to guild us.

Say that a person lies to you. You can forgive him but the cautionary part of your being enables you to remember and protect yourself from future harm. It is the way it is supposed be.

When someone wrongs you, it is like being in a car wreck. Sure, you have the car repaired but it is never as though the accident did not happen. The car always bears the scars of the accident and the repair. It is the same with us when someone wrongs us. It is our memory that insulates and warns us to be careful.

When you think about this, it gives you a new perspective of God and his complete forgiveness. When he forgives, he erases the event from his memory. It is pure forgiveness. When you do something wrong and ask him to forgive you and then you come back and ask him for his forgiveness a second time, he just doesn’t know what you are talking about. I envision him listening to a second request for forgiveness just like when someone tells you something that they thought they already told you. That look on your face is the same look on God face. He literally doesn’t know what you are talking about.

So, there is a big difference in forgiving and forgetting. We can only do the forgiving part and God is the only one that can forget. KT

This is the question few people want to seriously ask, yet everyone wants to know.

To answer that question is to define who you are, where are you going, why you are here and why do I matter? Deep questions. Many people don’t want to ask those questions because they don’t want to know the answers.

Self-worth is not about money, houses, bank accounts or recognition. It is about finding yourself and then being yourself. In the eyes of the world, some people accomplish great things and think that makes them great. The arrogant are usually forgotten by the time the last shovel of dirt is placed over their coffin.

The search for significance is within every one of us. It could be a young father trying to find his place in the world. It could be a young mother who was up most of the night with her children. It could be a high school student trying to fit in and find a friend. It could a middle aged man or woman wishing they could change decisions in their past. It could be a senior citizen looking back over the years and wishing they had done some things differently.

I think the answer to “who am I” starts with the sovereignty of God and knowing that he has never made a mistake. Never failed and is never surprised when something happens. He knows that you were fearfully and wonderfully made and that your talents and your personality were put together for a purpose. You are the only one who was created for your purpose and no one can duplicate you. The answer to “who am I” starts there.

The second step is to ask yourself “who do I want to be” and “what do I want to be remembered for?” If you are reading this blog, that means you are alive and regardless of your history and past, you can still set a new course for your future. I think there is amazing grace that happens when you get on your knees and ask God what he wants you to be and to show you how to do it. When you receive that revelation, it is not the time to put it on your Facebook page or start talking about it to your friends. It is time for you and your maker to form a plan together. Be still, calm and quiet and know that he wants the very best for your future. He is literally all you need. His anointing and his favor will carry you places no amount of education or privilege can come close to.

When you answer your own “who am I” question, you will be laying one of the most important foundation stones in your life. KT

I was at a funeral earlier this week at our home church, The Rock Baptist Church in Rex Georgia. The funeral was for a family member that was an incredible lady. In fact, she was a lady’s lady. Simply a beautiful person in every aspect and one that will be missed greatly.

The Rock Baptist church was originally founded in 1889 and over the years has added newer buildings for Sunday school, gatherings, education, sports and a new sanctuary. The only component of the church that hasn’t changed is the grave yard behind the sanctuary. In that hallowed ground rest generations of members and families from The Rock Baptist Church. Also at rest there is my wife’s family members that have gone on to be with the Lord and the grave plots for Elaine and I are also there. Thankfully they are still empty.

As I was walking through the grave yard I was stuck with the realization of how fast life moves and that there is no way to slow it down. We will all be in a final resting place at some point and all the money in the world cannot stop or even slow down the inevitable.

As I walked through the graves this week I looked at graves from 100 years ago as well as ones that became occupied recently. I was strangely aware that many that are resting there had dreams, hopes and desires that were left when they left. I was also aware that the only time we have for certain is now. We all hope that we have long life but it is uncertain.

I have often said that the best way to move forward in life is to take a real focused inventory of where we are and how very blessed we are. That day, I walked over fresh cut grass, pebbles and grave outlines of the deceased and thought about those very people laying beneath each headstone and how they most likely walked the same path and smelled the same fresh cut grass and looked at the same surroundings as I did.

Take a moment today to tell those closest to you that you love them and really listen when they speak to you. Memorize their faces and their voice and thank God for that moment. KT