I've been battleing a cold this week. Monday, I never made it to work. Tuesday, I didn't feel like doing much. Yesterday, I had to catch up. And Today, I get ready for the weekend. This weekend it will be just me and my son. Bethany and Chloe and Billie will be heading to the Penn/Del pastors wives retreat. It should be a great time for them as well as for us guys. Isaiah and I will be able to do guy things like watch the Wiggles, maybe some Doodlebops, hopefully some football, and do a birthday party for his cousin. He might even sneek some sleep time with dad. It should be really fun.

Yesterday, in my devotions, I read through the book of Joel. These verses in chapter 2 stuck out to me. 12 "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. I've been meditating on the significance of this verse. It made me think of myself and also those who have fallen recently. If we are truly tearing our hearts open and not just our clothes, God will answer us. But has the recent fallings of some well-known Christians happened because of them not truly opening their heart to God everyday?

I think of how I respond in worship and in my prayer time. And I question myself with am I truly tearing my heart open for Jesus to come and fill it or am I only tearing my clothes? Am I looking real good on the outside but on the inside I'm full of dead men's bones?

Genesis 4:7 says, "7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Sin is crouching at my door. It's crouching at your door, waiting for an opening. If we are not willing to rend our hearts to Jesus everyday, taking time to fast, weep, and mourn, where will any of us be in a few days, weeks, years? We need to be aware that Satan is prowling around looking for anyone he may devour. Put on the full armor of God. Keep the fallow ground plowed. Keep your heart open to Jesus. Put your whole self into your relationship with Jesus. Jesus will never fail you.