Voice Recognition

A dear friend called me this morning and left  an encouraging voicemail message. As usual, she gave her name at the beginning of the message. When I responded I thanked her for her uplifting message but then added, “in the future, you don’t have to say your name, because I know your voice.”

Why could I say that confidently? Because we’ve been talking and hanging out for years. We pray together at least once a week. I know her voice!

If we have had a long time relationship with Jesus as our dear friend, walking and talking with Him on a regular basis, we should know His voice. We should not be confused. Jesus said, My sheep know my voice. What clears up any confusion? Spending more time with Him every day, listening more than talking.

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Litter

I hate litter. Can I say it more clearly? When I’m walking the grounds of my complex, without fail, I see litter. Many times, I’ll stop and pick it up especially if I find an empty bag to put it in. When I return to the neighborhood where I grew up, I see the blight of  litter.  I detest it.

Why won’t people pick up their own trash? Why leave it for someone else to see, to clean up?

If each person took responsibility for keeping his or her space clean, we wouldn’t have a litter problem would we?

If I took responsibility for examining my life on a daily basis, reading God’s Word (His cleansing agent), and applying it, making sure my heart is clean, I wouldn’t litter other people’s lives with the trash of harsh words, unkind thoughts, and actions. Instead, when they came around me, they would only experience a refreshing of the soul and the beauty of holiness, a sweet aroma.