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A Letter to My Friends
Hello everyone! I suppose
you're wondering what this is all about. Well, I got the
idea for it early one morning around 3:30. I have a lot of
things I'd like to include but I'll just let it write
itself. Here it is:
You would have to live under a rock to not notice how bad
our world is today. Kids shooting up schools. Drugs
destroying people's lives. Greed, sex and power the things
we are supposed to strive for. People living with a myriad
of problems that, quite frankly, don't have to exist. We
wonder how the world got this way. Is it because of a loss
of traditional values? Is it because we wrote God out of our
daily lives? Yes. At the root of all of our problems is our
forsaking of God.
People may think that what I will say is bold but the
problem is that certain things have to be said, regardless
if they may offend people. Even Jesus offended many with His
message of salvation. It went against the grain of the
traditional "religion" of the Pharisees. Quite honestly, I
don't think people want to hear the truth. They want to be
entertained and that's all that matters. If you don't
believe me, why are shows like Jerry Springer so popular?
Whether you are a Christian or not, you would have to be
blind to not see that our world is in a downward spiral and
it will only get worse.
So, what is the solution? Jesus Christ! Before some of you
decide to leave in disgust, hear me out. Back in 1962,
prayer in school was outlawed by the Supreme Court, thus
taking away the right of freedom of religion from students
guaranteed in the First Amendment. The ACLU supports this
because of the doctrine of "separation of church and state".
Guess what, folks? This doctrine is NOT in the Constitution!
This doctrine originated from a letter by Thomas Jefferson
to some group in which Jefferson wrote that the founding
fathers didn't want any ONE religion to be the official
religion of the country. Everyone was free to worship as he
or she pleased.
However, is prayer something only a part of Christianity? Of
course not. Many religions have prayer as a vital component.
Religion is an important part of many people's lives so why
should it be excluded from our schools? Mentioning the Bible
or praying in schools isn't forcing Christianity on anyone.
The ACLU says prayer in schools is wrong. Did anyone see the
ACLU suing the kids at Columbine High School when they were
praying for their lives? If praying to one's God is SO
illegal, why didn't they sue? Simply put, you'll never take
prayer out of schools, not with any amount of laws on the
books. Just because prayer in schools is illegal, it doesn't
mean it's right.
There is something else I
wonder about the world today. Why is it all right to put
down Christianity? You see it on TV and the movies where
Christians are portrayed as fanatics and out-of-touch with
the world. Why? You won't see that done to Jews or Muslims
otherwise you'll have B'nai Birth or the Anti-Defamation
League raising an uproar. Yet no one says a thing when
Christians are put down. Why is that? Discrimination is
discrimination.
Why are Christians being attacked so vehemently? Is it
because we choose to acknowledge a higher power? Is it
because we choose to live our lives by a certain moral and
ethical standard? I wonder why. I will admit there are
people who call themselves Christian who are simply not!
They neither show the love of Christ towards others nor do
they go out of their way to really help someone with their
real problems. Please don't let those kind of people color
your view of Christians and Christianity in general! They
are not the real thing!
Most of you from Local-New Orleans have known me for months
now, some for a few weeks and others only for a few days. I
hope you see me as a Christian should be seen. I have tried
to listen, understand and help you with your problems as
best as I could. My true heart motive was and still is to
help you in your daily lives and I want to do it with the
love and compassion that Jesus had for people. Am I wrong
for wanting this? I know the problems we face in our lives.
I used to be without direction in my life. I lived in
despair at times as well. I've been hurt by some and I've
felt like an alien on a faraway planet with no one to help
me. A lot of you can relate, I'm sure. So, how was I able to
overcome all of these problems? Well, it was a long but
worthwhile process...
I suppose I could go back a
few years all the way back to junior high but I will settle
for February 14, 1998. It was a Saturday and also the date
of the Caesar Mardi Gras parade in Metairie. I had four
LARGE daiquiris and got drunk. Not just drunk but nearly
incapacitated. I couldn't sleep, eat or keep anything down.
On top of that, my glasses were stepped on and I had to go
out in the cold, wind-driven rain the next day just to get
them fixed. Needless to say, I was ill and it took me five
days to recover.
But something very interesting happened to me the morning of
the 17th around 8:00am. I had woken up because I couldn't
sleep. I plopped down on the couch and just stared straight
ahead at the TV not thinking of anything because I had a
hangover.
Well, something unexpected happened. I heard a voice, not
exactly an audible voice but it was like a thought just
popped into my head out of nowhere. I felt it to be the
voice of God and He told me two things. First, He said,
"There are going to be a lot of changes." Quite frankly,
there have been a lot of changes in my life in the year and
a half since and for the better! I have learned to draw
closer to the Lord through prayer and supplication. I have
learned patience too but most of all I have come to have
complete peace of mind in my life regardless of the
circumstances because the Lord is in control. I have no fear
of anything anymore, not even of the possibility that those
who read this may think of me odder than I already am! This
happened to me. This is the truth and I want everyone to
know it.
The second thing the Lord told me was "There isn't much time
left." For those who have known me and asked about it, that
is what I thought the countdown in my email represented.
Obviously, it didn't turn out to be anything earthshaking at
least not directly. I think it represented a turning point
in my life. My life seems to be changing from day to day and
I believe I have an even higher purpose to fulfill before my
life is over with. First, let me explain the title of this
page, CODA. The definition of the word coda in Webster's is
as follows: a section that concludes a musical composition.
This word doesn't refer to music at all but rather to this
phase in my life. Quite simply, this means I believe I will
soon be moving on to bigger and better things, which also
means I may not be in the local chat room as much, if at all
anymore.
Before you ask, I will tell you there are no definite plans
yet as to when and where I will be going and what I will be
doing. This is just a gut feeling I have at this moment. I
have prayed to God to have a real purpose for my life. For
the past 7 months, that purpose has been to help as many
people as I could and help them to see that there is a much
better way to live.
So, what is the point of all this? It's to get you to
realize that you have to make a choice as to how you will
live your life. Do you want to live your life the same way
it has been or do you want something better? For those who
will say "My life is pretty good. I don't need Jesus", I ask
you this: Do you think that what you have now is the best
you can ever have? Can you honestly say yes? Before I was a
dedicated Christian, I was aimless, wandering around feeling
like I had no purpose in life and this was happening even
after I graduated from UNO! There's no way I'd go back to
where I was. I am so much better off having the Lord in my
life now.
I honestly wish that all of you who read this would give
Jesus a chance. He is about unconditional love and wants ALL
of us to have a better life. He wants us to have a
fulfilling purpose in this life, not just to live a
meaningless existence. Now, I can't make any of you make the
decision to allow Jesus into your lives. That's up to you. I
want you to understand though that if you want to change
your life for the better, you can! I have talked with many
of you and listened to the problems that you have had. You
may not think anyone or anything can help you but Jesus can!
I can testify to this in my life. : ) Remember, the journey
of a thousand miles begins with that first step.
Okay, some of you may be asking what exactly can I do.
Though your experiences may be different, here's what worked
for me:
Suggestions For a Better Life
First, start immersing yourself in God's Word, the Bible. If
you need scriptural reasons why you need Jesus to be saved,
read the following verses:
Romans 3:23--"For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23--"For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord."
John 3:3--"No one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 14:6--"I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me."
Romans 10:9-11--"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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and
are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame.'"
Revelation 3:20--"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."
Now, go to
www.gty.org and click on the section
Who Do You Think I Am? and read it. Reading it and accepting
it sincerely is the first necessary step.
Next, you will have to learn about patience and obedience.
This is REALLY difficult but I have overcome these problems
for the most part. I learned this also from Joyce Meyer.
Follow the link above and search for How to Be Radically and
Outrageously Blessed.
Spiritual growth is a continual process. Find a Christian
church you are comfortable with. Also, listen to WBSN 89.1
FM (New Orleans area). Until 2:30PM, you can hear a variety
of messages from various ministers (Chuck Swindoll, Charles
Stanley, John MacArthur, etc.) Very good to listen to if you
aren't comfortable with an actual church.
Finally, if you wake up one day to find that millions of
people have disappeared from the earth, this is called the
Rapture. Go to
www.leftbehind.com and read what it's all
about.
P.S. To learn how to live the life Jesus REALLY wants you to
have, read THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY by Dallas Willard. A very
excellent book and easy to read too!
Please sign
my guestbook before you leave, I like to
know who visits my site!
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