An Open Letter To. . .

Open letters. . .I've read a lot of them on the internet and blogs and they are all wonderful! They all have great messages for the groups that are on the writers heart. I may even write one some day. But seeing all these open letters led me to ponder about the greatest open letter ever written, the one written to all, to everyone. . .this one. . .

Most open letters are written to a particular group; daughters, sons, politicians, to the jerk seen in town, homosexuals, straights, to the wealthy, to the poor, to the church, etc. These letters want to get a certain point across.

So does this one. . .

This letter is filled with all kinds of messages but the most important one is this. . .Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to die on a cross to pay the penalty of our sins. If we repent ( turn away from our sins, the old life) and ask forgiveness of those sins, invite Him into our hearts and make Him Lord of our lives, we would have a new, abundant life! We would have joy and peace in spite of our circumstances! We could be content no matter what! We would be loved forever even if there was no one else around! Would we have a perfect life? No, that is not offered here on earth, but isn't an abundant life with God Himself, a God who promises to never leave or forsake us us better than the alternative? Walking with Him for almost 40 years, I can shout out a heartily, YES!

What better message could there be?!

And yet, some decide not to accept it. Some decide to take it half-way but then still live in the old life. In this open letter, God says He doesn't want the luke-warm.

And I believe, because my God says so, that if His created people would come to Him, read His open letter and take it to heart, literally, and live by this open letter, there would be no need for all the other open letters. Because in the ones I have read, they all point to the message from this one great letter.

But I also know, because of this great open letter, that we are human and on this earth we will reject, we will fail, we will ignore, we will live our own way. . .and one day we will be sorry.

I pray for all to read this one great open letter with open eyes and open hearts and open spirits to see the Truth for seeing the Truth is to gaze upon the face of God, Oh Glory Be, and once you have done that, there will be no turning back, and you will not be sorry!

Go on. . .I invite you to read, to really read, to soak it all up and breathe it all in. If you all ready do, invite someone else to do the same that is needing a breath of fresh air or a new life!

And if you need a Bible and can't get one. . .or you want to give a Bible as a gift and can't get one. . .
write me at Krbrid@aol.com and I will send you one.

Why? Because when you have something so wonderful and so precious, you want to share it. And this is the only open letter you will read at anytime, anywhere where the Author will be with you every time.

The truly,greatest open letter ever. . .

go ahead. . .open it. . .read it. . . feel it. . . smell it. . .share it. . .it's meant to be given to all. The greatest open letter you will ever read!

I'm so excited!

The Ol' Horse Has Died

When son#2 was in high school, I found him a 1989 Ford Bronco. Yes, it was old, yes, it had a lot of miles on it, but it just looked like him. The body was in great shape as well as the interior. It drove well, it was in our price range and so Chris became the proud owner of the red horse, Thunder Horse his buddies named it.

Christopher smiled from  ear to ear from the day he got it. After awhile the air conditioner stopped working, but Chris didn't seem to mind. When the ceiling material shredded and started to hang down on his head, he didn't seem to mind. It developed a terrible oil leak. Every time Chris arrived somewhere, his horse smoked and smelled. Chris never once complained. The ol' horse would break down in town several times. It had to be towed several times. My husband would have to come home after working all day and replace something on it, work on it while I prayed over it.

The other day Chris drove out to a buddy's home and we received that dreaded phone call again. The horse died in their driveway. Husband said it had used it's last life. It was time to put it out to pasture. It had done it's job. It got Chris through high school and through two years of college.

The Lord led us to a beauty of a car. Much newer, no oil leaks and much better with the gas mileage. And it was also in our price range. It now sits in our driveway where the ol' horse used to sit but Chris doesn't have that same ear to ear smile. He is very grateful, but I know how he feels.

Husband and son took Thunder Horse to the junk yard. You would have thought they were in a funeral procession. There is just something about falling in love with your first car, even if she is old and letting go is hard. But sometimes it just has to be done.

Letting go of something we love is hard. So I ponder. . .what are the lessons here?

1.  Our identity should not be in our things, cars, homes, bank accounts, etc.
2.  When the item is gone, we will always have the memories in our heart.
3.  Be thankful for what we have but do not become attached to it.
4.  Be thankful for what we had and move on with what God provides
5. There are more important things in life than. . .things.
6.  We should be content with what is provided for us

I may at times need to go over this list but my son#2 doesn't. He never once complained about his ol' horse and he didn't complain when we brought in the new one. He is very humble and respectful and he knows his identity is in Christ and all who know him would tell you that.

I don't blame him for being a little sad. It's a part of living. . .to let go. There will be harder things down the road for him to let go of. I pray this simple time of letting go prepares him for those bigger ones. I'm pretty confident he will be ok.

In the mean time, he's getting used to his new ride, FLASH.  I have a feeling things will be just fine.

 

 

 

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Tickets and Answers and Dancing, Oh My!

 

My niece and son #1 in front, my son #2 and his dad in the middle and my nephew in the back.

 

This picture was because of an answer to a little boy's prayer.

 

Back when the boys were this age and we lived in Oklahoma, my husband was about to be layed off and so we were in the savings mode big time not knowing if another job would come quickly or not. I found myself saying no to the boys a lot at this time. My son #2 wanted to go to the amusement park in town and once again I felt I had to say no as it was expensive to get in the doors. It was a pleasure thing I felt we could not afford.

 

My little boy prayed for tickets.

 

The next day a neighbor, a single lady who worked full time and kept to herself, knocked on our front door.

When I answered, she said to me,

"My work gave me these eight tickets to the amusement park and I don't want them. I noticed you had kids and wondered if you would like them." Son #2 was standing there and broke out in a happy dance!  I thanked her profusely and politely and after closing the door, I busted out in a happy dance too.

 

 

There were four in my family. Not only did God provide us with tickets but we were able to invite my sister and her family of four also. The cousins loved it!

Despite the terrified looks above, they really did love it.

And this was a wonderful day spent with family that I will never forget.

It wasn't long after this, that my family moved 750 miles because God had blessed us once again with a new job for my husband.

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Ephesians 6:18

 

My boy and I have prayed for trees, pocket knives, lawnmowers and tickets to amusement parks and they have all been answered. I've had people say to me, "I never thought I should bother God with such small details."

 

My answer to that is "WHY?"

 

He knows the desires of our hearts. He knows our concerns. He wants to have a relationship with us and that means to be a part of all of us. He wants us to come to him as a child would his Father. And that is what I do. And that is what my younger son did so many times after he became a Christian at a young age. He would ask for the  broken mower to start and it would roar to life. He would pray for a lost pocket knife and we would find it under the swing. He prayed for tickets and they showed up at our door.

And I thanked God each time for answering a small boy's prayers, strengthening a young faith that has now, years later, grown strong.

 

He and I both realize the answers are not always, Yes. They are sometimes No and sometimes Wait.

 

And we live on no matter what because we trust our Father to give what is best

 

Do you ever think of not bothering God with a request? I say quit that thought. Ask Him! If it is His desire, He will grant it. If it is not, there was a good reason for it.

 

I treasure the memory of happy dancing with my younger son all those years ago.

And I treasure the thought of happy dancing with another son whenever God says it is time.

And I can wait, because I trust my Father.

 

Do you ask no matter how small or insignificant or how trite it might seem? Or even how big!

Ask! Whether it's a lost pocket knife or a lost son.

And remember, it's not about having enough faith, it's about stepping out in the faith you do have.

He just wants us to step out.

 And when you do, step out with your dancing shoes on and get ready to boogie.

 

 

 Because whatever His answer, it will be the best one!

 

 

 

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You Gotta Be Kidding!

This is how I looked when my proofreader suggested I remove a chapter from my book, LOL.

My thought. . .you gotta be kidding!

I wanted to go WHHHYYY?!  

And then I did.

And in her sweet, smart, intelligent way, explained why. Something having to do with staying in the frame of the story.

I may have stuck my bottom lip out, I don't know. Maybe it was just in my mind.

Three days later, I decided she was right .

She would be so proud of me. My original writing had 65 chapters. It is now down to 47. It's getting inside the frame better.

The continual use of ellipses, I'm afraid, were driving her crazy too. I think I have them all removed. Crystal, I owe you a big, steak dinner one day and a big, gooey pile of dessert!

This journey has been such an emotional ride and it's not over yet. But I'm seeing the light at the end coming.

I contacted a publishing company in Nashville and they are willing to take a look at my manuscript when I am done. It being a Christian Publishing Company, they have asked me to write out my testimony, a small bio of myself and have three references, one being from my pastor. That is all in the works now. And my husband took a week's vacation to spend time with me working on finishing the book. He's such a sweetie!

I also need endorsers if the book becomes a reality. I contacted the mayor and another city official and they have excitedly agreed to read the book and give their endorsement. They may change their mind after reading.

I know what you're thinking. "You gotta be kidding?!"

I was always told it never hurts to ask :)

So I did.

I feel like I'm always asking for prayer and here I go again.

Would you mind praying for me as I finish up the book, that it would be just what God intended when He spurred me on into this endeavor?

This whole process is completely new to me.

But I'm sticking with it.

God has been handing me puzzle pieces for the last two years that are all fitting together.

I won't quit until I have the last piece.

Please pray for my husband also so he doesn't have to see that look above on me anymore :)

Bless you friends!

 

I hope one day to be able to write and show you the actual book.

And I know what you'll say. . .

 

"You gotta be kidding!

:)