I hate it when you’re not around and the fact that you didn’t call. And mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you— not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.

Hi there! You’ve reached my voicemail. This is kristine and I’m busy with God right now. Please leave your name,callback # and your message after the tone. Have a good one!

                                          FINGER-POINTING

“Whoever spreads slander is a fool…but he who restrains his lips is wise”.

-Proverbs 10:18-19

You can’t point your finger at someone without pointing at yourself.Try it right now. Extend your index finger and thumb in a pointing position away from you,and then notice in which direction the other three fingers are pointing.They point directly back at you. Remember that the next time you point out the faults of someone else.Instead of jumping to conclusions,we should give the person the benefit of the doubt and reserve our judgment until all the facts can be known.

Under the Mosaic Law,no charges could be brought against anyone unless there were two or three witnesses. God’s children are to be channels of love and truth, not maliciousness and lies.

                    “Slander seeks to destroy,but rebuke seeks to restore”.

Pleasure vs. Joy: Pleasure is dependent on circumstances,but joy is inward and is not disturbed by one’s environment. Pleasure is always changing,but joy is constant. Pleasure is built on self-seeking,but joy is based on self-sacrifice.

Love is not a feeling;it’s an attitude. Basing love on emotions,as the world does,has caused immeasurable pain to countless numbers of people. It’s like building a sand castle on the beach.It might look solid,but when the high tide rolls in,the sand castle isn’t strong enough to hold up,and it washes away.Feelings come and go.We all experience a wide array of emotions on any given day.The world gives love a staggering amount of attention.Movies,songs and books about love generate billions of dollars in revenue.The problem is,love is presented as something to be “fallen into” and “fallen out of.” Feelings change. Feelings don’t last,but biblical love is eternal.Nothing can separate you from God’s love.That’s a promise.

Don’t just seek advice from those who will tell you what you WANT to hear. Be receptive to those who tell you what you NEED to hear. Make wise choices about where you seek guidance. Your future,as well as the future of others,could be at stake.

When Judas sold out the one who had loved him and trusted him, it was not Jesus’ welfare he had in mind; it was his own. Selfishness is immensely destructive. Selfishness,left unchecked,will devastate you too. If we put the needs of others first, we will be free of the guilt and regret that destroyed Judas.

Are you listening? To listen is an effort,and just to hear is merit. A duck hears also. A deaf person may not hear, but she can be an excellent listener. When you hear a great message or when you read a profound truth in your Bible,these are nothing more than sound waves tickling your eardrums unless you apply what you hear. The evidence that you’ve listened is a CHANGED LIFE.