I am starting a blog through WordPress.  Why?  Funny you should ask!  When I was in 10th grade at Mound Westonka High School, I had just become a new Christian after a scuba diving accident.  I’ll never forget the day it dawned on me that I was actually a Christian!  Before that, I Christians and thought they are all weird!  Anyway, I got this thought that said, “I am actually a Christian!  Who would have thought!?”   Then my next thought was “Christians have Bibles, and I ain’t got one!”  It was about 8:30 that evening and I had no clue what to buy or where to buy it from – but I knew I had to get one.  I looked in the phone book and  I found this little bookstore called “Northwestern Bookstore” and it sold Bibles.  So I called them and pleaded with them not to close at 9:00 until I got there – I had to buy a Bible!  I got there with just a minute or two to spare, and the guy behind the counter sold me a big ol’ Scofield King James Bible.  I went home that night and even though I didn’t understand much from the “Shakespearean” language it was written in, was still amazed at what I read (I eventually got a much better and more readable Bible!).  I was getting a whole new download for my life from heaven!

I got into the habit of taking this Bible with me to school – since I got there pretty early each day – and read it a little before classes each day.  I had this insatiable thirst for what I was reading.  I hated reading – but loved reading this new book!  It did something to my heart and soul.  Now, I have no idea why, but I started reading – of all places – in 1 Samuel.  Some passages just jumped off the pages at me – like 1 Samuel 12:24-25, “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”   Then, Ezra.  Ezra 7:10 was a heavy hitter to me!  Then Jeremiah – and it was there that it hit me.  I read this passage that forever changed my life.  Jeremiah 1.  Again, it was something I could not explain at the time, but it was like God reached down from heaven and told me that this would be my life verse.  I couldn’t wait to go back to read it each time I had a spare moment.  I finally knew what my purpose in life was!

Jeremiah 1:4-10 –

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;  I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.  8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

9 Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.  10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

To this day, whenever I get the opportunity to proclaim God’s word to people, I get real excited.  Much like a little calf gets branded with his/her ranch owner’s brand – declaring for the rest of that animal’s life who (s)he belongs to, God has put His Spirit in my heart – branding me in a way – declaring who I belong to for the rest of my life.  And I am not complaining because God is good!  Always has been.  Always will be.