The Most Important Thing

I am so happy to be in the world of blogging! It is something that I have wanted to do for a while and my oldest daughter, Mary Margaret, has encouraged me to start today! So, here I am.  My heart's desire is to offer encouragement and hopefully, a little bit of wisdom to my readers. 

I have been married to Rusty for 26 years.  We have five children, Mary Margaret, Luke, Jake, Katherine and Julia.  Mary Margaret is married to Kenny Byrd and they live in Virginia.  Luke is married to Ashley and they live in Birmingham.  Jake is a senior at the University of Alabama and Katherine is a sophomore there.  The baby, also known as Julia, is a junior at Vestavia Hills High School.   I love my family so much and it is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me and He has given me so much.  

I got the name for this blog last night, at Church of the Highlands, during Pastor Chris's sermon.  As he was discussing 9/11, he used the phrase "only a few things matter."  It sounds so simple and it is.  Even more so, it is true. God's word tells us in Micah 6:8, " He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. "  People do a whole lot to try to please God or get his approval.  We try all kinds of different things to perform for God.  He tells us clearly that pleasing him requires a person to be rightly related to others.  If we are not right in our relationships, nothing will please him.  It all comes down to that death bed example.  When we are on our death bed, it is going to be about relationships.  Nothing else will matter.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be lying there with all sorts of regrets!  So let's get that right!

Our hearts should be full of mercy for everyone.  He tells us to LOVE mercy. We must desire justice for all people.  If we are loving and merciful in our relationships, others will see Jesus in us.   Do not overlook the word "require" in the first part of that verse.  It is a requirement from God.  That sounds like a pretty clear command to me.   What should you do if you don't feel like acting justly and loving mercy?  ASK the Lord to do it through you! He is faithful and he will!  This request lines up with God's will for your life and he will do it for you.  Humble yourself and surrender to him and you will be amazed at how he will change your heart!  

BOTTOM LINE is our relationship to God and our relationships with others.  I challenge you today to really examine the relationships in your life.  Go to your husband and your children and your friends and ask them "how am I doing?"  Another challenge....this one is kind of hard but anything worthwhile usually is....PRAY for the relationships in your life that aren't going so well right now. PRAY for that person.  PRAY hard for them.  It is impossible to be upset with someone you are praying for regularly. Something supernatural just happens.  

Well, that's all for now.  "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. " 2 Cor. 13:14