Are you having any fun?  You know Christians have a problem when that subject comes up. lol  Fun as I was growing up, was being forced by my mother to go to church.  The adults around me said going to church would be fun, and it had its moments, but it wasn’t fun.  As a kid, I liked Sunday school, but I remember the lessons being the “fire and brimstone” type. Even as a child, I could see the oppression it left on the heads of the people.

Centered around our ability to keep all the rules, we were taught that we could have fun when we got to heaven. On earth, it was our religious duty to please God by following all of these rules.  And if we missed even one, we would end up in hell with Satan and all his demons.  I didn’t want to go to hell, but I also didn’t like that all of the adults in church were dull, boring and depressing.  I decided to take the risk and go back into the world and have some real fun.

As a child, I watched the people in church and they seemed like they were happy as they did their religious duty.  As I got older I began to see how they were not as dutiful as they portrayed.  I saw them smoking and drinking. I heard them gossiping about other people in the church. As I grew even older, I saw that the deacons, ministers, other church leaders and even the pastors were having sex with each other.  I saw the lying and stealing, too. All of this confirmed my decision to make my own choices.  I told God that I couldn’t do it; something in that system wasn’t right.

Fast forward many years, 1995 to be exact, the closest person on the planet to me died, my father. I had already gone through the death of a child, now my superhero, my father was dead, too!  It was too much!  Even though I was mad at God for not healing my father, I turned to God to help fill this enormous hole in my soul.  I knew that only God could stop this pain.  As I talked to God, I began to tell Him all the issues I had with Him.  One of which was that His church people and their religious lifestyle was bondage and torture.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear God say that their “rules” were not His!

God loves us and He really wants the best for us.  He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us!  John 3:16; God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die (cev).  Yes, God, just like all parents, have set up rules to protect us, but they are not meant to bind us and become heavy weighs around our necks. Check out Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (cev); I know the best thing we can do is to always enjoy life, 13 because God’s gift to us is the happiness we get from our food and drink and from the work we do. God wants us to be happy and enjoy our lives! Proverbs 17:22; If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over (cev). – laughter is good for your body and it heals your soul!

The problem has been the definition of the word “fun”.  In many cases, the word fun and the word sin can be the same thing.  We are in the world, but not of it. Romans 12:2;  Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him. As you can see this scripture says to renew your mind, so we have to change the definition of the word “fun”.

Sin, even though it may be fun at first, opens the door of your life to let Satan and his friends in, and we die as the result.

We’ve all heard of the term “good clean fun” – that’s the definition we have to use.  We have to let the unclean fun go.  No more sex outside of marriage, no more gossiping, no more lying etc.  After a while, that all gets old anyway.

Now, many churches have become “cults” because they use fear to control their people; only letting them socialize with their group.  Then they tell you it’s for their own protection. But, if we use Jesus as an example, we see that Jesus didn’t build a building and then only save those who made it to that building.  Jesus was out among the people in the community.  He laughed, ate, drank and celebrated life with them.

So, I don’t know about you, but I enjoy my life.  I choose everyday to be happy no matter what and to just have good clean fun.  And I surround myself with people who are doing the same thing.  We invite others, saved or unsaved to come with us.

The summer is almost here and we have already gotten the party started!  We’ve been out to Dave & Buster’s and on the Ben Franklin Yacht cruise.  At Real Life International Ministries & Authentic Life Church, we believe in leaving the four walls of our church and being out among people – just like Jesus.  How are you going to tell people about how good our God is if you are never around unsaved people?  In addition to that, the world already believes that Christians are dull and boring; we need to show them that we can have fun just like them, but that we just don’t sin.

So, as we put our summer calendar together, the choice is yours.  You can continue to sit home alone complaining about how bored you are, or you can come hang out with us.  Or you can make your own clean fun with your family, friends and neighbors!

You work hard, and you need to balance that work with some fun and laughter.

So I’ll ask you again – fun, are you having any?

Happy Mother’s Day to ALL mothers and potential mother’s!

As I sit here thinking about this day, of course my own mother Dorothy McCall comes to mind.  She has graduated and gone home to heaven so I won’t be able to spend this day with her, but I will be thinking of her and all that she’s done for me all day long.

My mother was born in the 1920’s, so her childhood was so different from my own.  She made sure of it. When my mother was a child, woman didn’t have a voice and because her mother died in childbirth, my mother didn’t have her mother to raise her.  So, she did whatever she felt she could to make sure that my sister and I did not have to live our lives without the direction & guidance of a mother.  She never wanted us to have to depend on a man like she had to do.  Her father didn’t promote woman having an education or a career.  Housewife/homemaker was it.  I didn’t appreciate that about her until I had children of my own.

Fast forward many years, as a mother myself, I find that my mother did a great job in directing me to God so He could help me develop the true spirit of a mother. She knew that you can’t do anything with God, especially, trying to raise children in various types of conditions. And we all know woman who have given birth but are not real mothers, so I have truly come to appreciate all of the things she was trying to teach me.

As I now sit and think about the kind of mother I had and the kind of mother that I am, I am truly appreciative of the hand and direction of God every step of the way.  Mother’s do a lot, let’s take a look.

Teachers – mothers teach children about God and His Word – Deut. 6: 6-7; And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (nkjv)

Disciplinarians – mothers show children how to follow the rules and consequences if they don’t. – Proverbs 13:24; He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. (nkjv)

Nurturers – mothers provide an atmosphere of unconditional love, acceptance, affection and support no matter what – Gal 5:22 – 23; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.(nkjv)

Model Great Character –mothers  should live what they say and should foster dependability, stability and security – Proverbs 11:3; A gossip tells everything, but a true friend will keep a secret.  And out of the above comes so many additional roles mother live everyday – counselor, nurse, advisory, friend, etc.

Mother’s Day also brings to mind all the mother “angels” who may not have given birth, but who uses their mother spirit to be a mother to many.  I have a few of “play” mom’s over the years and I thank God for every one of them.

Being a Mom is the greatest job in the world.  I am so glad that give me the opportunity to be a Mom.  A lot of woman that want to have children never get to for many reasons.  It can sometimes be a thankless job but hang in there until after puberty because it gets better as they get older and realize that you were just doing your job and you did know what you were talking about! lol.  All yall Mom’s out there know what I’m talking bout!

So to all the Mother’s reading this – birth Mothers, adopted Mom’s, play Mom’s & spiritual Mother’s please know that your role is vital to the lives of your children – its shapes them and prepares them for not only life on earth but eternally life too!

Thanks Mothers for all that you do, all the sacrifices you make.  You are truly appreciated, not only today but every day!

Happy Mother’s Day!