Better Things

 When you hear "better things" it usually means: clothes, shoes, car, house, tv, computor, cell phone, and you know there is nothing wrong with better things. But is that what our focus should truley be?
What "better things" does our ABBA [Heavenly Daddy]'s focus on. He says it in Hebrews 6:9-12
⁹ Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. ¹⁰ For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers,^[a] as you still do. ¹¹ Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. ¹² Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.
[I encourage you go and read the first part of this chapter, I hope you don't find yourself there. Even though we all have been there before]. 
The "better things" come with salvation. The ability to love, lead, to be sober and have a renewed mind. But the greatest of these is Love[1Corinthians 13:13]. God sees how we love , why we love & who we love, it does not go unnoticed, It makes certain of the hope we have. If we love we will stay sharp spiritually. I have watched my wife LOVE, some of them are lovable and some not so lovable.  I see her faith and endurance, especially during this hard time of emergency surgery & impending cancer treatment.  But I have also seen the evideince of her love, by those people whom she loves, loving her back. All this Glory goes to Jesus Christ:  as of now [11-20] she has been hospitalized 6 days there has been no less that 74 different people that have visited her, and about 50 Facebook well wishes.  The "better things" my wife focus's on is loving people.  I know I fall short in this area. Thank you Jana for the Godly example you are to me and your boys.  When you find yourself wanting "better things",   Remember each person is the "better thing"

The Riches of Life

I'm sitting here in Hillcrest Baptist Hospital .With my wife who just had emergency surgery to have a tumor removed from her stomach. Along with 3/4 of her stomach. Doesn't seem that long ago we were facing the fight of drug addiction and trying to regain custody of our 3 sons.  God was doing a mighty work 60 months ago.  Cedar Creek Baptist Church was actively reaching out and loving us through that.   And now here we are  54 months clean, boys been home for 43 months, and we find ourselves facing the fight of cancer recovery.  Once again God is doing a mighty work in our lives. Once again CCBC is actively reaching out and loving us, but in a whole new way. I have been blown away with new people[ones that weren't there 60months ago] who's lives have been touched by my wife and through our ministry at CCBC.  I know what it truly means to "be rich".  I have never been loved by so many, & encouraged by so many.  Experiencing the Hands and Feet of Christ in this situation reminds me, 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Rejoice always, pray without ceasing ; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will, for you[me] in Christ Jesus."  This passage isn't saying that it was God's will for my wife to have cancer and emergency surgery. Its God's will for me to Rejoice, Pray, and give Him Thanks.  He is the one giving me the ability to do those things. Man I am telling you , THIS IS RICH!
 ,Greg