International Talk Like a Pirate Day Contest!!!

Welcome to my annual Talk Like a Pirate Day Contest!!!!

But first, I wanted to let ye know that ye may want t' be gettin' over t' yer local Krispy Kreme Donuts where they be givin' away a free donut to anyone who walks into their store and says a pirate phrase! In addition if ye dress up like a pirate, they'll be handin' over t' ye a dozen of those delicious delicacies! (No rapiers or daggers allowed!)





ENTER the contest, WIN A PRIZE.  I be givin' away TWO prizes this year. First prize will be a Wooden Pirate ship (pic below) An' the second prize be a signed copy o' any of me pirate tales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for our Contest!!!  The followin' be sentences of pirate speak. The phrase in red be the one ye need t' translate. Leave a comment wit yer answer fer each of the seven phrases and ye'll be automatically entered to win.  To win ye do not have to get the answers correct, but ye must be tryin'!! 

To win the ship, ye must live in the United States. To win the book, ye must be in the US or Canada or will willin' t' accept an E-book.

PLEASE no cheatin'!! Don't go lookin' up the answers!!

Ready?? He ye go!!

1. Ye bunch of lilly-livered wastrels! Do ye think ye can stand thar an' swing the lead without the cap'n noticin'?

A. Draw pictures on the deck
B. A pirate game involving an ax swinging on a rope tied to the mast
C. A term meaning to slack off
D. Steal some of the booty before it is counted by the Quartermaster


2. If ye be thinkin' to hornsswaggle me, yer goin' t' have t' go thru me sword first.

A. Beat someone with the brass tip of a horn
B. Cheat or defraud someone
C. Strip a man of his clothes and tie him to the main mast
D. A punishment for pirates wherein each member of the crew got to slug them once


3. I'd know that scalawag anywhere by the cut of his jib!

A. A certain style of clothing
B. A wound from battle
C. A person's appearance
D. The way a sailor raises the jib sail

 4. Did ye e'er see a bladder of air like these three fellows?


A. Someone who is self-important, overbearing
B. Someone who talks too much
C. Someone who is overweight
D. Someone who is lightweight

5. Come o'er here and open your lugholes!

A. The hole where gunpowder is poured in a pistol
B. Ears
C. The cork in a bottle of rum
D. The holes on the side of the ship where water runs off

6. Well done, bawcocky boys, clear the guns. Tis our turn next!

A. Arrogant
B. Boys who tend the chickens on ships
C. New sailors
D. Fine, Admirable

7. They'll pin their hopes upon a lout of a parson, a squab who neither practices nor believes what he preaches.

A. Short, plump person
B. Hypocrite
C. Person of lower intelligence
D. Person who cleans the decks of ships

Easy eh?

Me an' Cap'n Jack Sparrow thank ye fer droppin' by!! And wish ye a VERY HAPPY Talk like a pirate Day!!!  I will announce the winners next Friday, Sept 27th!

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Wordless Wednesday!

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galations 2:20

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You have more power than Satan and more power than God Himself!

I bet I got your attention on that one, didn't 1?   But before you click away in disgust, hear me out. I was listening to a sermon on CD in my car the other day and the preacher said this very same thing. It took me by surprise until he explained.

The sermon was on Spiritual warfare, something I have a great interest in, for both personal reasons and because I get many emails from people who ask for prayer because they and/or their loved ones are under attack.  Yet the more I read Scripture, particularly the life of Jesus and the Apostles, the more I realize that Satan is hardly ever mentioned. In fact the only time he comes up is when Jesus or the disciples are casting his demons out of people.  Other than the deliverances and Jesus's temptation, they barely gave the old-horned guy the time of day. None of them went about moaning and groaning that they were under attack or being oppressed by some Satanic force.  So, why are so many Christians living the life of wounded warriors, ducking for cover, and cowering in defeat, begging their fellow believers to come to their aid.?

The truth of the matter is, God gave us all a special gift. (Both believers and Non Believers)  And it is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal. Want to know what it is?  It's called FREE WILL.  And no power on earth or in heaven can defeat it. Neither God or the Devil or any angel can make us do anything we don't choose to do.  Yes, we can be forced physically to do things we don't want to do by other humans, but I'm talking about spiritual things here. God cannot make you choose Him. He cannot make you love Him, believe in His Son, or follow Him. He cannot make you pray or repent or witness. Alternatively Satan can't make you follow him. He can't make you lie, cheat, steal, murder, commit adultery. He can't make you sin. He can't make you turn away from God. He can't make  you do anything. Nor can he make your family do anything.

It's us who choose what path in life we are going to take. It's us who choose our eternal destination.
It's us who choose to sin or not to sin.

As believers and followers of Christ, its so important to remember that we have the Holy Spirit living inside us. I don't think most Christians get that. We have GOD living inside us!!  Paul says in Romans that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  More than conquerors!!  That's not just conquerors but more than conquerors!   In Ephesians 2 it says And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms.  It says seated as in past tense not will seat. Hello? We are already in heaven in our spirits.  We have the full power of God at our disposal.
 
Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”  Luke 10:19-20

 Plus we have the most powerful weapon of all. Our Free Will. That means when bad things happen we have a choice. And what we choose will determine our destiny.

1. Do bad things happen to good people? Yes. We live in a fallen world ruled by our enemy, and we can't control what other people do. 
2.  Is every bad thing that happens an attack of Satan?  No. Some things may be, but most bad things that happen are because of number one above. 
3. Does Satan attack believers? Absolutely. He tries. 

But remember, he can't do anything to us if we don't let him. He has been defanged, conquered, defeated. The only weapon he has against us is his lies. And this is where our Free will comes in.  Do we believe the lies? Do we listen to him say that God has abandoned us, God doesn't love us. God did this horrible thing to us.  When we decide the best thing to do is pray about the situation, read the Bible and seek God's will, and Satan comes along and says "What good will that do?" and tells us to go do something else, what are we going to do?  Are we going to choose to believe God or Satan? It's the age old battle that began in the garden of Eden and is still going on today.

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm Ephesians 6:13


We all have a choice. Do we submit to God, resist the Devil or do we listen to the Devil's lies and not obey God?  Do we put on our spiritual armor daily or do we grow slack in our duties as believers? 

Jesus and the disciples went around casting out demons and telling Satan to get lost. We are to do the same thing. The name of Jesus is the most powerful name in all eternity. 

When I'm feeling oppressed, or when I hear the enemy whispering in my ear (I've learned to recognize his lies) or if bad things are happening to me or my family, the first thing I do is tell Satan and his demons to get lost in the name of Jesus. Then I verbally cancel all of Satan's plans and assignments against me and my family in Jesus's name.   It doesn't have to be a big production. You can simply whisper it. And then believe.  You don't need to call a priest, you don't need to sprinkle holy water on your prodigal kid or your sick spouse. It's that simple.  If Satan's involved, he'll take off.  If not, go to God in prayer and ask for help with whatever situation you're facing. Then follow Him. 

It's your choice.  


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MaryLu's Musings - More Pics and Videos from Tall Ship Festival 2013

More adventures from San Diego!

One of the neatest things about being an author is the research trips I get to go on. Of course I'd go on a lot more (over to England, Spain, France, Brazil!)  if I had the money but what's a starving author to do?  In case you haven't figured it out, one of my greatest passions are Tall ships.  I often get asked why Tall ships? But for the life of me, I can't give a clear answer. They're majestic and romantic and they represent courage and freedom. But other than that, they're just cool.

If you haven't already, I hope you get a chance to sail on one of these great ships and hear the cannon belch! It's quite an experience and one I use heartily in the books I write.

My favorite part of the Tall Ship Festival in San Diego is always the HMS Surprise. The old beauty is stationed there permanently but she does go sailing now and then, particularly when Hollywood calls and needs a ship for a movie. (If you didn't see the pictures of her, check last week's post).  The other ship that is permanently stationed there is the oldest active sailing ship, the Star of India, a barque that was built in 1863 and was used as both a cargo and passenger ship.   Here's a few pictures I took.

Passengers quarters

Wealthier Passenger Quarters

   

Galley

Look how beautiful the deck head is!

Wardroom where Officers ate

Hubby and I sailed on a schooner called The Spirit of Dana Point. Somehow I missed taking a picture of the entire ship but it is a replica of a 1770 US Revolutionary War privateer! How cool is that?

Here's a picture of it's sails raising: 

  Here's the ship we fought.against. She's the Irving Johnson, a Brigantine: Isn't she a beauty?

Irving Johnson

The following are some really fun short videos. I hope you enjoy them! 

Here's a short video of us firing on them!

And here's the Irving firing on us twice!!

Thought you'd like to see our gunner. She's a lady!! (of course!)

And here's the crew raising sail!  The second man hauling the rope is me hubby!

Here, our enemy has decided to try firing water baloons at us!

There was a sea-lion following our enemy! See if ye can spot him!

I pray you all have a great weekend with full sails, a clear horizon and an enemy that only fires water balloons at you!

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Wordless Wednesday!

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Psalm 113:3

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Would your father willingly hurt you?

My answer to that question for most of my life was an emphatic Yes!  You see my natural father did hurt me. He hurt me a lot. Not because he abused me or yelled at me or forgot my birthday or called me names, but because he was completely and utterly absent. Growing up, I never really thought about him. You can't really miss someone you've never known, you can't mourn the loss of a father if you've never experienced what it was like to have one.  So, I though I was Okay!

But then puberty hit and I realized I was really insecure. I had a very low opinion of myself. I basically thought I was worthless. This caused me to make all sorts of terrible decision in my teens, twenties and even early thirties as I frantically searched for someone to love me unconditionally, for someone to protect me and always be there for me.

When I became a Christian, I fell in love with Jesus. I mean, what's not to love about Jesus? But I had a hard time relating to Father God. I saw Him as He is portrayed in the Old Testament, a mean, gruff, angry God who punishes you when you mess up.  Not having known any other father except one who abandoned me, I had no other examples.  But the really AWESOME thing about the Father God is that He didn't leave me like that.  As I progressed in my Christian walk, as I prayed and studied the Word, God slowly revealed Himself to me.

Then I came across this sentence from Jesus  and it blew me away.
He who has seen Me has seen the Father;  John 14:9

What? Jesus was the most loving, kind, generous, giving, selfless being to ever walk the earth! He cried for people, He healed them, He raised them from the dead, He taught people with patience, He

spent countless hours ministering to people, only to give His everything in a brutal death on the cross. So how could I reconcile that image with the God of the Old Testament who wiped out entire nations of people if they displeased Him?

But in truth, Jesus and God are one and the same. My problem was that I wasn't looking at God as a Father. He is first and foremost a Father and just like a Father He so desperately wants what is best for His children.  If you reread the Old Testament with that in mind, you'll soon hear the pain in His voice, the agony at how often His children wandered from Him, at how much He didn't want to punish them, how often He delayed it in the hopes they'd turn back to Him, how much He begged them to choose life over death.  I'm not a father, but I'm a mother who would do anything for my kids. There's nothing worse than watching your kids do something that you know is going to really hurt them in the long run, and could even ruin their lives. It's agonizing.  This is the Father of the Old Testament. He is everything Jesus portrayed and much more!  Yes, He punished people but He had no choice. They were living under the Law, not under Grace, and He is a Just God.

Maybe you had a great father. I hope you did!  But if your father was lacking like mine, and you have trouble relating to Father God, you might try this exercise: Go through every book in the New Testament and replace the word God with Father.  Do it until it sinks in who the Father really is. That He is the Perfect Father. He's the kind of Dad whose lap is there for you to crawl up into, who longs to put His mighty arms around you and keep you safe. He will discipline you like any good Father but He doesn't want to punish you, which is why He sent His son to be punished in your stead. He wants a relationship with you.  He wants to teach you. He wants to guide you. He wants what's best for you.  Sound like a good father??

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^[from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Ephesians 3:14

Try praying to Him. So many Christians pray to Jesus, but if you actually search the New Testament, you won't find ONE prayer directed at Jesus. All the early Christians prayed directly to the Father. Why? Because Jesus instructed them to.  He came and died and rose again so we could have full access to the Father. So why are we praying to Jesus?

And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. John 16:23

Praying directly to the Father has revolutionized my prayer life. He has become so real to me. I sense His presense more and more each day.  I feel so protected and loved.  I see Him now as the ultimate father who will never leave me and who only wants the best for me.

You may be going through some rough times right now. health, finances, relationship.. and you may be wondering where is God?
My pastor said something the other day in a sermon that really spoke to me. Would a loving father ever willingly hurt his child?  Sometimes it may seem so to the child. Maybe the father is making him

to his homework, eat his veggies. Maybe he's sending the child for swimming lessons when the child is terrified of water, maybe he's grounding the child or sending him or her to their room.  All these things seem bad to the child, but the Father knows they are for the child's ultimate good.

Whatever you're going through, God is not trying to hurt you. He's trying to do what's best for you. He wants you to trust him as a Father who knows you, loves you, and has your best interest at heart.

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San Diego Tall Ship Festival 2013!!

Last weekend, my husband and I went to San Diego for the annual Tall Ship Festival!!  We had a BLAST! Literally.  I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures below.  I hope to post most or all of them on Pinterest and on my website too as soon as I can.

First, this is one of my favorite shots. The HMS Surprise at sunset. This is the ship they used in the movie, Master and Commander and also in Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

HMS Surprise

Gun deck

One of the guns. They each had names!

Notice the hammock in the background. The men also slept on the gun deck. Every night they'd string up their hammocks and every morning, they'd take them down.

Officer's quarters

Captain's Quarters

The Captain's quarters were pretty big! They were located at the stern of the ship and had beautiful stern windows as you can see looking out on the water. There was a large table, a bed, a desk, trunk and two cannons!

Captain's Quarters

Ship's wheel

Main Deck

Crow's Nest! (Hi Chappy!)

Isn't she gorgeous?

Me and the Captain!

Who's that old Sea Dog?  Me hubby!

The Stern!

The Crew!

Who be that talkin' to the Marine?

It be Cap'n Jack!!

And last but not least! Here's a short video of part of our Cannon Battle. We were sailing on the Spirit of Dana Point, which is a replica of a 1770 privateer used during the US Revolution. The other ship that is firing on us is the Irving Johnson, A Brigantine

Have a BLAST this weekend!!!! 

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Wordless Wednesday!

“Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
You will raise up the age-old foundations;
And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
Isaiah 58:12

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How to Avoid a Mundane life!

Why do we read fiction books full of adventure and romance or watch epic movies over and over again  like The Lord of the Rings, Titanic, BraveHeart and the Last of the Mohicans??  Because our Creator implanted within our very souls a yearning for an epic sort of life. A life filled with wonder, beauty, excitement, and love. He didn't create us to be beings who drag ourselves out of the bed each morning and grumble through our mundane lives. If He did, then we'd be satisfied with our 8-5 jobs and our humdrum living.

Instead people search for that "abundant life" Jesus promised in ALL the wrong places, in sex, drugs, alcohol, relationships, online games, gambling, vacations, movies, TV, and other addictions.  We all know something is missing in this world. We all want to be the heroine in a romance novel, the hero who saves the planet from destruction. We want to weld our swords and fight evil. We want to be beautiful and cherished and swept away in wonder each and every day. We want our lives to count for something.

Yet, most of us find ourselves bored to tears day after day. Yes, we are all busy with work and family and responsibilities, and there are moments of great joy! But deep down, we all long for something more.

Jesus alluded to this epic sort of life much in the Gospels. Peter was a fishermen by trade. He caught fish for a living day in and day out. Yet when he encountered Jesus, Jesus told Peter that if he followed him, Peter would be a fisher of men. Jesus himself said.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  KJV

My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life   NLT
I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.  The Message

I like the translation in the Message, don't you? A better life than they ever dreamed of.!!!!  Sign me up!

Let me ask you something. Are you living a better life than you ever dreamed of?   No, you may say, but that's no possible this side of heaven. We live in a fallen world and there's sin and anguish and sorrow here.  True, but that doesn't mean you can't have an EPIC sort of life, does it?

• Would you say Joseph in the Old Testament had an epic sort of life?  A slave who became Prince of Egypt!
• How about Moses? A murderer on the run who led an entire race of people out of slavery
• How about Kind David? A mere shepherd boy who became King of Israel
• How about Daniel? A enuch slave who became 2nd in command of all of Babylon
• What about Gideon, Rahab, Ruth, Isaiah, Elijah (who was transported to heaven on a flaming chariot!)  

Did Jesus live a mundane life? What about his disciples? The apostle Paul??    I could go on and on. 
the truth of the matter is. God put an epic story within each of us. Even non-believers feel it and try to fill that void with things and substances. Believers want so desperately to believe the fascinating lives they read about in the Bible could be for them, too, but after a multitude of disappointments, most conceded that perhaps they aren't good enough or strong enough or _________ enough (you fill in the blank) to live that abundant life Jesus promised. 

So what is holding some of us back from living that adventurous life Jesus promised?  I contend two things:  Unbelief and Disobedience.  Actually they often go hand in hand.  God is a Father above all else. Like any good parent, He wants the best life possible for His kids. He's made great plans for each child but He can't force that child to follow them. That child has a will of its own.  So, the Father trains the child, teaches him, guides him, and continually tests him to make sure the child is learning and growing and can handle responsibility. God isn't going to let his child go on vacation by himself to Jamaica or drive the family car until He is sure that child is ready for that responsibility, right? 

With great adventure comes great responsibility

It's the same in our own lives. We will be given more and more responsibility based on our growth, both spiritually, emotionally, and in our characters.  God is asking us to be obedient in the small stuff first before He gives us the big stuff.

And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities. Luke 19:17

Check your heart. What is God dealing with you about this week? What was the last thing He asked you to do that you haven't done yet?. Perhaps it was saying you're sorry to someone who you believe should say sorry to you? Or maybe He's asked you to love someone who has betrayed you, to forgive someone who broke your heart, to be kind to someone you consider your enemy. Maybe He's asked you to witness to a neighbor, give your last 20 bucks to someone in need. Whatever it is.... you're going to be stuck there in mediocrity until you obey and pass the test. And the next one and the next one after that as God molds and shapes your character until it glows.

The Father is looking for warriors and princesses He can trust. He won't call upon you for some grand task if He can't trust you to obey, if your character is not such that it will remain humble and loving in the light of greatness. He won't tell you great and wondrous things if He can't trust you to keep them secret if He asks you to.

Is your life a tad mundane these days??  Do you have a thirst for the adventure, purpose, and romance only found in great books and movies??   Obey God in the small stuff. Become a person of exceptional character. Allow God to shape and mold you into that warrior princess you were made to be. And then watch the adventure unfold!



 

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Resutls of Reader Survey and I'm off to the Tall Ship Festival at San Diego!

Happy Friday, Everyone!   My publisher is going to combine my Surrender to Destiny series into one volume called an omnibus. So all three books will come in a single nice volume. Cool huh?  They just sent me the cover, so I thought I'd share it with you.  This will release next May 2014!

Thoughts on the cover?

For those of you who participated in last week's survey, I thank you!! I thought you might like to see the results, some of which actually surprised me!

Favorite Genre

Historical Romance                    18
Historical Romantic Suspense     8
Romantic Suspense                      3
Historical                                      2
Spooky                                          1
Fantasy                                          1

Favorite Time Period

Medieval                  10
Western                      8
Victorian                    7
Regency                     6
None                          5
Colonial                     4
Age of Romance        3
Gilded                        3
Civil War                   3
Revolutionary War    3
WW II                       3
Georgian                    3
Age of Discovery      2
Renaissance               2
Futuristic                    1
WW1                          1
40's-50's                     1
1920's                         1
1850's - 1920's           1

Story Preference

Pirates                    27
Medieval                22
Sweet Romances   19
Historic England   17
Cowboys               17
Vikings                  12
Indians                   12
Mermaids              10
Early 1900's          10
Biblical Fiction     10
Age of Sail              9
Military                   8
Police                      7
Amish                     6
Fantasy                   4
Spiritual Warfare    5
Modern                   3
Vampires                2
Mystery                  1
Military                  8


I must say that what shocked me the most was that pirates and medieval were so popular! I've been told multiple times that those 2 topics are off limits in the Christian Book market. Weird. I was also surprised at the Vikings and Mermaids.  Anyway, thanks to everyone who answered!  

By the time you are reading this hubby and I will be boarding a plane and flying down to San Diego for their annual Tall Ship Festival!!  I'm SO EXCITED!! I've been looking forward to this all year.

If you'd like to see a list (complete with pictures) of the ships that will be there, here's a link:
http://www.sdmaritime.org/fos-participating-ships/

On Saturday, Hubby and I are booked on a Cannon Battle cruise!   We are spending 4 days down there and might try and make it to the San Diego Zoo as well.

Yes, I'll take lots of pictures and will share them when I return!
Have a great weekend all!! 

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Wordless Wednesday!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.

Psalm 113: 2-4 

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A Bastion of Love

Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God; expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you unto life eternal.  Jude 1:21 AMP

What do you think of when you hear the word guard? I picture soldiers in armor with weapons standing watch over some castle or perhaps in front of a room in which are stored treasures or maybe outside the door of a great king. Okay, yes, I have a vivid imagination.  You may picture a security guard at a bank or in a building late at night or maybe even a big Pit Bull guarding a home.

Either way to guard means to protect something valuable. The dictionary says it is to

to keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over

to keep under control or restraint as a matter of caution or prudence 

If you've been a follower of Jesus for a while then you know very well that we are all engaged in a huge battle being fought  for the souls of men. We can't see this battle or experience it in our natural realm, but we can sense it, feel it, and even suffer the repercussions of it.  We Christians live in enemy territory, behind enemy lines. I don't think enough of us truly realize that or think about it during our day.  

Yet throughout the Scriptures we are told to "guard" to "watch" to be on the lookout. 

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  1 Peter 5:8 

Be sober!  Pay attention!! Don't get lazy. Don't let your guard fall down. Not for a minute! What are we guarding against?  What does our adversary want? He wants us to turn away

from God. He wants to lure us into wickedness until it eventually destroys us. We are his prime targets, not unbelievers. And he's really good at what he does! 

Jude says to guard ourselves with God's Love.  Not guard yourself with armor, not guard yourself with knifes and spears and pistols, not guard yourselves by going to church every Sunday, saying your prayers every day... but Guard yourself with God's love. 

How do you guard yourself with love? How can love keep you from drifting away from God and following the siren's call? How can love keep you from giving into the temptations of this world that seem so very strong at times?  

I didn't have a good father. In fact, save for a few visits, once when I was 4 or 5 and once when I was 16, I've never seen my father.  If he suddenly called me up and told me that I must NEVER EVER have another sip of wine, that it was bad for me and I'd be punished for it if I didn't listen to him, how motivated am I to do what he says the next time a glass of wine is placed before me?  I have no relationshp with him. I don't know him. To me, he just seems like a unfeeling tyrant trying to ruin my fun. 

Now, what if I had a good father? What if my father had cherished and loved me since even before I was born? He never missed a ballet performance or an open house at school or a piano recital. Every day when he came home from work, he swept me in his arms and showered me with kisses. He helped me with homework, spent hours talking with me, listening, encouraging and giving advice. He chastised me when I was wrong but he never raised his voice. His punishments were just and done in love. He always had time for me. His face always lit up when I walked in the room. I was his

Princess.  Now, suppose this father came to me one day and told me to never have another sip of wine because it would eventually ruin me.  What is my reaction then?   I know my father loves me. How? Because we have a very close relationship. He's always been there for me, putting my best interests first. So, I gladly do what he says.  

This is what it means to guard yourself in the love of Christ. When you have a personal friendship with the Lord Jesus and you know beyond a doubt how much God loves you and you've experienced years of his tender correction and care and blessing, you WANT to do what he says.  Because you know what he says is best for you and you know he is operating out of his love for you. 

Why do so many Christians fall? Why do so many believers get off into the wickedness of the world? Because they haven't guarded their hearts in the love of God. They haven't taken the time to get to know Him, to experience His love for them. Like any relationship, that takes time and effort, and most people are just too busy with more important things. 

Do yourself a favor this week. Take some time, get with God, and ponder His love for you. Ask Him to show you His love and bring to remembrance all the times He's been there for you. 

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; 1 John 3:1

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