~ God's 3 M's ~

Acts is a really exciting book. It's written by Luke (who also wrote a gospel). Luke was a doctor, and wanted to write to his friend to tell him all he was learning about Jesus so that his friend would come to know Jesus too and be saved!

"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth" - God made us from Adam. God's will for mankind is that we would populate the earth, take care of it, and have a deep friendship with Him. Makes me think of Dad's favorite Hymn: In the Garden "& He (Jesus) walks with me and He talks with me - and He tells me I am His own! And the joy we share as we tarry (take your time) there, none other has ever known."

"He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live." Did you catch that? WHOA! God choose exactly for Marissah to be born on February 20th, 1991 and Casey on June 5th, 1999! Not only that but He WANTED for you to be born in Ohio, grow up in Thompson. He chose for Danae to be your birth mother and worked it out for Lonnie and Shirley to raise us. Not only that, but in His goodness He brought Danae back to us and is continuing to work in that relationship today.

Why????
"God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him" - This is perhaps one of the most beautiful verses I have ever heard. God choose where you would live and when because it was the perfect place in all of time and space for you to come to know Him. He wants you that badly. He longs for a relationship with you, Casey. He's craving time with you, Marissah. Think about it: all that so that you would seek to know Him - and reach out for Him. He PROMISES in His Word that if we seek after Him with all our hearts, we'll find Him. (¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, - Jeremiah 29:13-14).

"Though He is not far from each one of us" - God isn't far. He's everywhere. He's not just sitting up in heaven on some thrown watching us try and figure out life - He is CONSTANTLY, sweetly, tenderly trying to call us into a relationship with Him. If He does seem far away, like He's not real, it's only because we don't see Him clearly, we don't recognize Him. He's always sending us gifts. Imagine that that breeze that hits your face when you go outside is really God stroking your cheek. He thinks you're beautiful. Imagine that rainstorm was sent just for you because God thought you might like to dance in it and have some fun. If He feels far away, ask Him to come close. He PROMISES He will: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." James 4:8. It's ok if you dont' "feel" Him or think He's there - He is. And as time goes on and you keep looking for Him - He'll become more real to you than the shirt on your back.

"For in Him we live, and move, and have our being." Our every breath comes from God. He allows us to wake up in the morning, to walk and talk, and He delights in our personality. Marissah, God loves your hilarious humor. You seriously crack Him up (when it's not sinful). And Casey, God can't get enough of your sharp witt! He loves to watch you and see what you'll come up with next. He is so real. He is so good. And He really likes you. He really, really loves you.

"We are his offspring" - Do you want to be in God's family? Romans 8 tells us that if we give our lives over to Jesus to rule and know us that we will be adopted as sons and daughters into God's family. We'll enjoy fellowship with Him and Jesus and He will walk us through every hard time we face. He will give us strength and courage. He will fight our battles for us. He will be our hope. He longs to pull you close and never let go.

He wants to be your best friend.