Spring is here! I get excited with the beginning of spring. I love to open the windows in the house and let the fresh air in. I think the air gets stale in the house with winter. Then on to spring cleaning! We tackle every room. Make everything clean and fresh! Then when I am done I look around and feel I really accomplished something. But you know with spring we should use this time not just to spring clean the house but spring clean our spiritual lives. Just like you evaluate your house on what needs to be cleaned and what stuff you need to pitch. You should look at your spiritual life and ask yourself what to be worked on and what needs to be pitched. Follow this rule if it is something that isn’t pleasing to our Lord then pitch it. If you’re doing something not pleasing to our Lord then purge it out. I think of the scripture in Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
I don’t know about you but I sure accumulate a lot of stuff. I have a craft room that is cluttered with junk. I really need to go in and reorganize it and get rid of things. When I walk in I have to clear away things just to work on my crafts. Think on this question what is in your spiritual life that is cluttering your life from serving God? Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. So purge things that are not true, not honest, not just, not pure, not lovely. Praise God with a good report!
Ps 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The above verses show us we need to cleanse our spiritual lives with the word of God. We need to get rid of unrighteousness and all the sin that builds up in our lives. We need to apply the word of God. Then determine to keep it clean. Just like our homes we have to keep cleaning. If we only cleaned in spring we would have a very messy house. Just like the Word of God if we only pick it up once in awhile we will stay dirty.
So the SON is shining and lets start the Spring cleaning in our homes and lives!

The Wonders of Coffee Filters.Better than paper towels and a lot less expensive... Coffee filters... Who knew!
And you can buy 1,000 at the Dollar Stores for almost nothing, even the large ones.

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China... by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.


4. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

5. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

6. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

7. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

8. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

9. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes. (This is a good one!!!)

10. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

11. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

12. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.

13. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."

14. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

15. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.

16. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.

17. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.

18. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.

19. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.

20. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.

21. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

22. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.

23. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

24. Use as a kiddie's disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.

25. And, of course, use them to filter your coffee.

O.k., I am not sure where I am starting with this blog. Being I am going thru a bad case of insomnia. Never have had it as bad as this before. The dr. gave me something to help sleep but it isn’t helping. I missed the last 2 days of work and just rested. Read a book, sat outside and basically did nothing. It felt good. Pray, that I get sleep.
I want to write about our priorities with church. Last couple of blogs I wrote about the importance of church and being faithful. I think what is lacking by people that miss church is in their priority.
I looked up the definition of priority.
Priority:
1: status established in order of importance or urgency;

I like that definition. In order of importance! All believers should establish Biblical priorities. We get too sidetracked from the importance of being in church. We have all heard the excuses of why people miss church. Some are just but others are just excuses. It is a matter of looking at your life with Christ and ask yourself is He number 1. Or is sports, family, activities, job etc. our number 1 priority. Do we put those things in front of being in church. If you do then God isn’t number 1 in your life. Here is how my prioirity goes : God , church and family are equal and then job. If we put God first everything else will fall in line.
Many Christians don’t live as though Christ may return at any moment. I teach my Sunday school children this : Where on a Sunday Service or a mid-week service would you want God to find you ? At church or somewhere else on a church day? Well, this is about all my tired brain can say on the matter.

I know I was going to talk about things that can get in the way with us being faithful to church. But I came up with some verses that show why unfaithfulness to church displeases God.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
And we all know being in church pleases God. So when we are not we are displeasing Him and are unfaithful to Him.
Matt 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
By being unfaithful to church it shows a disregard for the Lord’s presence.
Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
By being unfaithful to church it shows disregard toward the call to worship the Lord collectively. Several verses in Psalms that talk about worship together.
1Jo 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
When not being faithful to church you are showing disregard for the fellowship. Remember also Heb. 10:25.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
When we are not faithful to church it shows a lack of self-sacrifice.
Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
When we are not in church it keeps us away from influences that would encourage us and keep us from backsliding.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
If we are unfaithful to church that keeps us from hearing the word of God preached.
These are just a few verses that should show us why we need to be in church. Also, I would like to add some thoughts to you also. It is an encouragement to your Pastor and the church members when they see you at church. It shows that God is important to you.

Hebrews 10:23-26 (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (24) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
In this passage we are told to exhort one another. This means we are to encourage one another. When you read the book of Hebrews you see a thread of verses that show us encouragement is important. Assembling ourselves together, this means when the church doors are open you need to be in church.
What happens or should happen when we meet together. We should grow in our faith.
Hebrews 10:22 - Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..
When I am in churches that have prayer meetings and they take prayer requests it is encouragement to know that others will be praying for those requests. When we hear them praying with such conviction for those requests. God sees their faith and it helps us grow in our faith.
We grow in our convictions. It is nice to be around others that hold to what the Bible teaches and practices it.
We should also grow in our love. We see that in Heb. 10:24.
We grow in our Bible knowledge. What a encouragement to study God’s words together. Without the message of the scriptures we would have nothing to encourage each other with. That is why you have to hear it preached and study it.
We grow in our Praise to God. What an encouragement to sing together the wonderful Hymns that God gave us.
There is so many ways that we can be an encouragement to each other but that can’t happen if you don’t meet together.
I know that there are so many things that can get in the way of you being in church. I know one time I struggled with that. I will talk about this in my next blog!

O.k., when a person receives Christ as their Saviour then what? He wants us to nurture that relationship through personal communication with Him (prayer). He wants us to read His word (the Bible). He also wants us to worship Him in church.
I would encourage you to find a Bible Believing church. One that stands on the word of God. One that wants to see you grow in a personal relationship with Christ.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
This is talking about the day you got saved. It is a immediate happening.
Then you start your Christian life. You will change more and more as you hear God’s word. It is a process whereby God is continually making us more like Jesus
So, the question is what changes when you get saved?
2 Corinthians 5:17 –Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
So the answer is this the Spirit comes alive and the Lord moves into your life!
When you start your Christian life. You will change more and more as you hear God’s word. It is a process whereby God is continually making us more like Jesus.
We have a clean slate the day that you got saved. We will not be perfect but we will want to strive to sin less each day. I think of this when we have a fresh snow. It is so clean and white. This is what I want to strive for: to be clean in front of my Saviour

I wonder sometimes if people think they can piggyback their way into Heaven? They think that my parents are Christians so that must make me a Christian also. Or I go to such and such church so I will go to heaven. Or I am a good person, if I just work at doing things for Christ. I can give you so many different examples of peoples thinking. Let me say this if this is your thinking you are so misguided. Becoming a Christian is a personal experience. We must individually receive Christ as Saviour and Lord. Well, then you might ask o.k. How do I get to Heaven then? Well, I have the answer for you. It is not my opinion it is God’s answers right from the Bible.
First Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
See the word ALL, that means everyone none of us are exempt. We are all sinners. No matter how hard we try, sin will keep you from reaching God’s Glory. We will always be short. Sin is something that is wrong. Some people think sin is the things we call major sins (murder, stealing etc.). But sin can be simply lying. That is something I believe all of us have done. By the way a pet peeve of mine is this. When people say it is just a little white lie. Ex. When the phone rings and it is a sales person they ask for you and you say she is not here. Then you think that is just a little white lie. No, there is no such thing as a little white lie. A lie is a lie. There is no lie greater than the other.
Romans 6:23 –For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We earned Hell but thru Jesus Christ we get Heaven. If we accept His gift.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
See according to this verse you cannot work your way to Heaven.
So,what must you do to be saved if you can’t work your way to heaven??
Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:9 – That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Folks, I heard it said that people can have a head knowledge about Christ but it needs to be a heart knowledge.
If you would like to be saved here is a prayer you could say or talk to Christ in your own words.
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I know that you died on the cross to pay for my sins. Please forgive me and cleanse me from all my sin and save me. Thank you Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus name Amen.
My next Blog I am going to write on growing in the Lord