“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” – Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

Break it down…

“Where two or three are gathered…” Very simple… just need one or two other believers with you…

“in My name…”  Gathered seeking God’s will, coming together in agreement with the Lord…

“There I am among them.”  Jesus is there.  His Spirit is present. 

Where two or three believers come together, Christ is there with them.

When you gather with one or two other believers to pray, and your focus is on the Lord and His will, Jesus is there in your midst.

It is here that we grow.

It is here we find strength and comraderie.

It is here we find strength in Christ.

A small group.

Gathered in His name.

And He is among them.

He is among you.

Ever present.

Omniscient.

All powerful.

The God of the Universe among you.

With you.

In agreement.

Let that marinate for a while.  How can this simple yet astounding fact impact your life, your walk, your ministry?

I think I’ve touched on this subject before.  I probably will again someday, forgetting that I wrote this today.

It occurs to me that, as human beings, we see nothing really.  Nothing but reflected light.  Right now, our dog is laying on the sofa between my wife and I .  I cannot see her – or the Indianapolis Colts blanket she is laying in, or my beautiful bride, or the sofa we are vegging on.  All I can see is the light reflected off all these things.  Take away or alter the light, and my eyes and brain cannot correctly perceive what I “see.”

Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV). 

We all shine a light.  And we all perceive light around us.  However, there are a lot of environmental factors that can alter our perception of our lives and the situations that surround us.  Past experiences, present expectations, worries, doubts, fears, pain, illness, hard times, sins, temptations… all these things filter the light that shines on our lives and colors our view.

As believers in Christ, we need to let the light of God’s Word illuminate our circumstances.  We need to muster up the faith to close our eyes to the fears of the world and trust that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

You may not feel like this is the truth.  You may not be able to see it.  But remember… circumstances color perception.  When our faith is weak – when we can’t see hope – we need to cling to God’s promises.  Now… lest I stand accused of hypocrisy, understand that, due to my circumstances, I have to remind myself of the preeminence of God’s truth over my perceptions every day.  Several times a day.  And I need to have people in my life who will shine God’s light for me, brothers and sisters in Christ who remind me often that they love me and, more – most – importantly, God loves me.  And that isn’t just an abstract theological idea, but absolute truth.  I am humbly grateful for the people God has put in my life to shine His light upon me and help me perceive it correctly. 

And I pray that, through these words, I am able to shine God’s light and bring you hope as well.

I didn’t see it coming.  Just as I had started writing on a project called Shipwrecked, I did just that.

I never saw the lighthouse.

I didn’t see the reef.

I ran aground – hard.

I am now resting, regrouping and relearning. 

And rewriting.  Journaling, blogging… prayerfully and carefully and oh so slowly.

As I have shuffled through the past week, three words keep coming back to me: be here now.  It is a notion I will write more on later as well.  But for tonight, I want to keep it simple.  I want to keep it real.

I want to look at Jesus.

When I look at the example of Jesus, He kept His apostles riveted in on the here and now.  He made promises to assure them of the future, and provided forgiveness for the past.  But Jesus Christ lived in the moment, in the Father’s absolutely perfect timing.  That is where Christ lived.

That is where we need to live.

The past is gone – forgiven, buried and done.  The future is still to come, filled with great promise for believers of Jesus.  To live life stuck in past glories or past pain is to live a lie.  To live focused solely on our plans and dreams and wants is equally dishonest.

Consider today what God wants from you.  Each of us is where we are by the grace and sovereignty of a loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God Who exists outside of our limitations (time, space, etc…) 

Consider today the sovereignty of God.

Consider today how you can serve the Lord.

Consider today.  Forget what lies behind (Philippians 3:13).  Do not be anxious for tomorrow (Matthew 6:34).  Be here now.

Be here now.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

Back in 1999, when I was at a low point in my life and anxiety was my constant companion, Matthew 6 was where I turned most to find encouragement, strength and peace in God’s Word.  Even today, twelve years on, I find the promises of Jesus in this chapter to be particularly bold.  The concluding verse, to my mind, holds one of the main keys to finding peace in your life: today deal with today, and don’t worry about the future.

Anxiety is a subject I’ve written on so many times over the years that it can be challenging to find a fresh approach to the subject.  But I heard something today that, despite being so simple and obvious, rocked me a bit. While the subject of discussion was not anxiety, there was a principle laid out that, if applied to our thought / faith life, it could be just the cure for the cares of the world.

If you a worrier, simply removing anxiety is not the answer to the problem.  If you want peace, permanent calm will not come by merely trying to stop the anxious.  That can often be like trying to stop a raging flood with a 2”x4”.

Ask any chronic worrier and they will probably tell you that anxiety can be a vortex.  Worrisome thoughts begat more worrisome thoughts which bring on more anxiety and stress and the troubles just build and build and build until your mind is clogged with them.  Get rid of one anxious thought, there is another right behind to fill the void.

And we try to fill the void in any way we can to numb the pain.  We eat ourselves into oblivion, drink like a fish, smoke like a chimney, dumb down our minds with television… anything to take our minds off our troubles.  Yet what happens when we put down the bag of cookies or booze or cigarettes or remote control?  The anxious thoughts come back.  And we end up entertaining and mentally replaying our troubles over and over until the anxiety grows into worry.  We just keep focusing on the same defeatist cycle of troubles.

Instead of focusing on the problems, focus on The Solution.  Fill yourself with God’s Word.  Invest time in God – Scripture, prayer, serving others, gratitude, praise… focus on these things.  Get so hungry for the Lord that the junk this world has to offer can’t hold a candle to the great and satisfying goodness found in Jesus Christ. 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9 (ESV)

So today, I want to encourage you – from the heart of one who knows how painful anxiety is – to put a Godly perspective on your troubles.  Don’t be robbed of the joy of the Lord one moment longer.  Trust God.  Put your focus squarely on Jesus.  Fill the void with the good things of the Lord, steadfastly refusing to take on the worrisome thoughts and anxious considerations (and, yes, you may have to simply, strongly refuse to take on the worrisome thoughts).  “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – Matthew 6:34 (KJV)

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:8, 3:15, 4:7, quoting Psalm 95:7)

It is a simple yet forceful command, one with tragic consequences if ignored.  When you hear God speak, “do not harden your hearts.”  In other words, do not ignore God.  Listen.

Listen.

Do not just hear the words presents, listen.  Listen to the message being presented.  Heed the warning.  Follow the directions.  Trust in God and do as He says.

Why?  God sets things very straight forward in Scripture.  With God, life is seen in terms of darkness (sin and evil) and light (good, righteousness, God!).  There are no shades of gray.  Evil is evil, good is good.  And we are instructed to “abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9, ESV). 

The world lives at odds with the ways of God.  We are constantly being bombarded with messages and temptations and avenues to sin.  I’m afraid my little boy is going to be pushed into puberty at an early age just seeing the magazine covers in the supermarket checkout.  Every time we turn on the TV, hop on the Internet, drive down the highway… opportunity to sin knocks. 

The problem with sin – one problem with sin – is that it diverts our attention away from God.  We think a little sin here or there is no big deal, but that thinking begins to accumulate in our thoughts until we find our spiritual engine isn’t running nearly as clean as it once did. 

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. – Galatians 5:7-10 (ESV)

The drift away from the Lord can be subtle.  But, the very second we begin to put anything before God – even things we consider “good” – then the drift away has begun. 

Here is a little exercise that I think would benefit every believer, to help us stay on course.  We teach our son that, before crossing the street, he needs to stop, look and listen.  Before we take off in our lives, it would be wise if we did the same:

STOP: take a moment and consider where you’re going.  Ask the Lord, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalms 139:23-24, ESV).  If you think God doesn’t know, read Psalm 139.

LOOK: look around you.  How are you spending your life – your time, your talent, your treasure?  Where does your passion lie?  Where is God leading you?  Does what you think, what your believe, what you do and what God says all line up?  In short, what is important to you?

LISTEN: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”  And if you seek the Lord and ask Him, you will hear His voice.  “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8, ESV).

Today I want to encourage each of us to listen.  Listen to what God is saying. I mean really listen.  Listen by spending time in God’s Word.  Listen through prayer.  Listen for that still, small voice.  And follow God’s lead.  Trust me, He’s speaking.  Bluntly, sometimes we just need to shut up and listen. 

Yet another phrase I ought to have tattooed on my forearm: shut up and listen.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV)

Joy is such a wonderful gift of God for those who believe in Jesus.  Regardless of circumstances, despite troubles and hardships, no matter what life throws at us, we can have joy.  We can be overwhelmed by joy, our hearts flooding over with cheerful, calm gladness, joy “inexpressible” – beyond words.

Why?  Because Jesus transcends circumstances.  Because…

“…we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)

You see, we face trials and troubles to strengthen our faith.  The Lord is greater that any problem, any illness, any disaster, any trial, any worry, anything.  And because He loves us so, we can rest in Him, wait patiently on Him, through any situation, with the full confidence that God is in control of the outcome, and His will is going to be done.

And His will is far better than anything we could ever do on our own.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace” (Psalms 37:4-11, ESV).

Be filled with the joy of the Lord!

If you are facing difficult times, this psalm is for you.

If life is getting you down, this psalm is for you.

If you need some encouragement, this psalm is for you.

If you need a reminder of the great, immeasurable love of God, this psalm is for you.

If you need the promise of the Lord’s great might, this psalm is for you.

If you need courage to face the day ahead, this psalm is for you.

If you’re not sure which way to turn anymore, this psalm is for you.

If the road ahead seems bumpy and rough, this psalm is for you.

If you are hurting, this psalm is for you.

If someone you know is hurting, this psalm is for you.

If you are a human being, this psalm is for you.

Please take a moment, prayerfully consider sharing this psalm with someone who is hurting and in need of a boost of God’s Word.  Let them know God loves them, God cares, and God is there.  And so are you.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

5  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge —

10  no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

11  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 1

4 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalms 91:1-16 (ESV)

(Jesus said,) “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” – Matthew 24:32-37 (ESV)

There are a lot of ways to get someone’s attention.  One is to pin a date to the return of Jesus Christ and announce it on billboards across the United States.  I like to joke that, when we get to Heaven, how hilarious it would be if someone asked the Lord, “What about those billboards that announced when you were supposedly coming back?” and He replied, “You know, ironically enough, I was going to come back on that date, until…”

All joking aside, as we studied John 1:19-28 at our Men’s Bible Study earlier this week, I marveled at the expectancy for Messiah the Jews held.  It had been around 400 years since God last spoke to His people through a prophet.  One would think, after that many generations, all that silence would have dulled the zeal for a promise still not fulfilled.   I find their expectancy astounding – especially when compared to our generation.  Today, believers have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.  And we can hardly wait for a stoplight to turn green or a line at a fast food drive-thru!

There are two points I want to make today.  One is the lesson of the fig tree, reiterated in Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins:

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 25:1-13 (ESV)

Verse 13 makes the lesson pretty clear: be prepared and watchful.  Be expectant!  The Lord is returning and, while there is no way of knowing the exact time or day of His return (not even via billboard), we can trust God in all things and know that His ways – and timing – are absolutely perfect.

While this covers eternal life, what about the here and now?  Well… Scripture makes clear that we should expect God in our everyday lives as well!  No matter what we face in this life, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit Who is always with us.  Just as God lived among His people the Israelites in the desert, so He remains and abides with His children today.  This is why the author of Hebrews could boldly remind us of the promise of the Lord made in Deuteronomy: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, quoting Deuteronomy 31:6).  So have no fear!  Be bold! 

So… let me ask you.  What are are you expecting today?  Whether we’re looking at our day-to-day lives or considering the eternal perspective, the answer should be the same:  JESUS!  Take heart and be watchful.  Expect God to do His will and know that His ways are greater. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32 (ESV)

I’ve been thinking a lot about truth lately.  It seems to be one of those subjects that keeps coming up – sometimes in the peripheral of life, sometimes bulls-eye in the center.  Truth can be tricky to perceive.  As flawed human beings, we have a tendency toward self-interest, which causes us to skew the truth to fit our needs.

However, we do have a source of absolute truth.  And, yes, at the risk of being labeled “narrow-minded,” I will state emphatically and without reservation that there is such a thing as absolute truth.  And it is found in the Word of God, the Author of Truth Itself.

So… as I ponder the subject of truth, I wonder if the opposite is a lie, or an opinion.  It seems to me that both fit.  That does not mean that all opinions are lies.  But… just because one holds an opinion does not mean it is truth.  Truth has no sliding scale: there are no levels of truth, nor is there any such reality as something being true for one person but not for another.  Truth is truth.  Period.

Absolute.

So… consider this.  Jesus came into the world “to bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37, ESV).  As disciples of Christ (disciples being people who should be striving to emulate Jesus in our lives), it only stands to reason that we should want to be as accurate and pure in our teaching as possible.  Sticking to Scripture and the truth it contains is vital.  Consider this warning from James:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well (James 3:1-3, ESV).

There are plenty of opinions being expressed out in the world of Christendom.  I write what I write today to say this simply: please make sure that what you are hearing is the whole truth of Scripture, not just scratching for tickling ears.  I am grateful for churches where the Truth is presented, where comfort is found but not at the expense of the truth of the Gospel.  God’s Word will not always be comfortable.  Sometimes it will be convicting (which should never be confused with condemning).  Sometimes the truth will be challenging.  But always, always, always, the truth will point us toward Christ.  Not toward simply what we want to hear, but what we need.  The truth leads us to God – without flash and flair.  The truth is found in what Jesus said and modeled for us.  The truth is revealed through the Bible, the Word of God Himself.

Abide in the truth – in God’s Word and Jesus’ Way – and the Truth will set you free.  Free from sin.  Free from guilt.  Free from misguided teaching.  Free indeed.

This post feels quite incomplete.  I realize it only skims the surface and hits the obvious. But it needs to be said.  I hope to delve deeper into the subject of truth in future posts.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5 (ESV)

J.I. Packer, in his classic book Knowing God, refers to the opening section of the Gospel of John as “the deep end of theology.”  To truly mine the depths of these words – to fully unpack the impact of the simple word Logos and how, in one word, John reaches both Jews (by tying Jesus to creation and Creator) and Greeks, with their idea of Logos being the force that makes the world go ‘round – would take a much longer piece than is reasonable for a blog post.  (There are times I feel like my rambling tests those boundaries the way it is, brevity not being my gift.)  Truly, the concept – and I do not like the limitations / connotations behind the word “concept,” but it is the best I can come up with at this early hour – of Christ as the Logos, as presented in John’s Gospel, is beyond the grasp of a simple fisherman (a clear indicator of Who the True Author is here).

When I read John’s prologue (John 1:1-18), many messages about Who Jesus is ring out loud and clear.  One that has particularly stuck in my craw lately is the centrality of Jesus Christ.  In fact, I’m not sure that it is enough to say Christ is at the center of it all.  I believe it just might be best to say Christ is the center.

Consider the other Gospels for a moment.  Mark starts right off the bat with John the Baptist and his role in preparing the way for Jesus.  Luke begins with the set-up for the birth of Jesus.  Matthew does good Jewish theology by legitimizing Christ through genealogy.

But John…

John shows us Jesus all through history – and beyond.  His life did not begin in a manger in Bethlehem.  As you read John 1:1-18, understand that the apostle is telling us that the Word – the Logos – is Jesus Christ.  In other words, “In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.”  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV).

Jesus is God Incarnate – the Creative Word, the Logos, in flesh, walking and living among us (“dwelling,” just as God did in the tabernacle with the Israelites).  Jesus provides all of us with the perfect example of how we are to live our lives.  He teaches us what it is all about, what it all means.  Most importantly, He became the sacrifice for our sins.  Without Christ, there is no life.

Without Christ, there is no life.

Let that marinate for a bit.

Right now, I am speaking to Christians.  And I am going to be as direct with you as I have been with myself lately because, frankly, sugar-frosting the message does nobody any good.  If you really saw Christ as the pivotal point in your life, the hub around which all of your existence orbited, how would you live?  How would that play out in your daily, everyday, mundane routine?  Would it still be mundane?  Would life be boring?

How would you approach your job?  Would it be a curse because of the junk you deal with, or a blessing because of what it provides?

How would your home look?  Would the stress level go down?  Would you be better equipped to cope with the spouse and the kidlets and the critters and the dripping faucet and the garage door that sounds like a freight train every time it goes up and down (and, yes, I apologize to my neighbors when we leave at 5:30 in the morning…)?

How would your church look?  How would your calendar look?  How would your checkbook look?

What would you watch on TV tonight?  What would you do with your evening?  Your weekend?

Would you be more purposeful with your assets (and I do not mean merely money)?  Would you be more purposeful about your approach to life?

What if you saw yourself as Christ sees you.  Would you stop striving for perfection and realize the only true perfection comes from God?  Would you see that it is the Lord Who enables and equips and ease up on yourself a bit?  Would you stop beating yourself up for the sins that Christ has already forgiven?  Would you stop worrying about a mistake made?

How would you view the disaster, the sadness, the stress and the troubles that come to each of us at some point in our lives?  How would you view this earthly existence in the light of an eternal perspective?

What would be important to you?

If you lived recognizing the reality that Christ is the center – if we truly saw Him as the definition of our lives, letting His presence indwell and permeate every aspect of our existence  – how would that look?  Would we be better equipped to accept trouble when it strikes?  Would the fruit of the Spirit be present in our lives?  Would people see us and be drawn to Jesus through us?

I’m not writing these things to condemn or criticize anyone.  How hypocritical would that be!  Nor am I saying we should try to be perfect.  In fact, just the opposite.  I am saying that Christ is the center of existence – He is life!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7 (ESV)

And I am saying this: the simple fact that Jesus is God Incarnate – Jesus Who loves us, loves you and I personally with a depth beyond our grasp, not just as an arbitrary concept but personally… that reality alone should be enough to make us leap for joy, “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (Philippians 3:13-16, ESV).

And what have we attained?  Eternal life through Jesus Christ, Who is the center of it all.

Somehow this feels incomplete.  I could go so much farther, so much deeper.  And will, God willing, in future posts.  But for now… have a blessed day.  Consider Christ at the center of every decision, every word, every action today.  And watch Him work through your life!