Tag Archives: Evil

The Evil In Man

20 Jul
Ram's Head

“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.”     Deuteronomy 28:43 (KJV)

There is a common saying, “The eyes are the window to the soul,” and it is absolutely true.  A lot can be seen spiritually and emotionally when looking intently into the eyes of another. God gives us glimpses of the depth of a person’s weakness, pain and spirit. Every once in a while God takes us a step past the eyes and He shows us the demons that torment.

I remember, so vividly, the first time I saw the demon that controlled my father.  My grandparents had come to visit and as we children went off toward bed the adults left the house.  Not long after a storm kicked up, a strong desert wind storm.

I was 9 years old; my brother would have been 7, my sister 3, and the baby just a few months old.  When the storm kicked up the electricity went off and all of us kids drew together in the bedroom that I shared with the baby.  My brother and sister huddled against the wall as I rocked the baby in the rocking chair.  Within the howling wind we heard a loud “crack” and a main branch broke off of the tree at the back of the house.  My brother and sister were crying and holding each other as I did my best to quiet the baby.

Just a short time after I heard a tapping on my bedroom window and my name being called, “Linda, Linda, open the door.”  The voice was that of my father, but when I pulled the curtain back what I saw terrified me.  Instead of my father’s face I saw the head of a Ram with glowing red eyes on a very large body of a man.  Its lips were moving as I heard my father’s voice again, angry.  “Linda, open the door.”

I screamed and ran across the room, all 4 of us huddled against the wall crying.  This repeated with my father’s voice becoming more and more agitated.  Then I heard the voice of my grandfather, “Linda, it’s grandpa, we forgot the key, open the front door and let us in.”

I ran to the window and opened the curtain.  There was the face of my grandfather, always kind and gentle.  I laid the baby in his crib and ran to the front door, unlocking it.  In came my family, drenched from the rain.  My father was still very angry that I had delayed, but the creature I had seen in the window was gone.

I don’t know why God shows us the evil inside of others.  I don’t know why we see it at some times and not others.  I don’t know why some people can see the evil and others cannot.  I don’t understand how some people can stand up to evil and quench it with a few spoken words and the voice of authority.  I don’t understand why people are drawn toward evil and wicked ways more than they are drawn to the church and the laws of God, when the true power lies in the authority of scripture and death is in the path of evil.

I really don’t understand it all, but I know it is real; I have seen it myself.  I do understand that we are called to do greater things than Jesus did in His time on earth.  I do understand the authority we are given if we will draw close to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  I do know that we were given the ability to stand up to the sort of evil that torments a young man to the extent that he would walk into a school and kill 26 people, mostly young children.

Spiritual warfare can turn the evil before the demonic becomes so strong in a person’s life that they no longer hold life precious – their own life or the life of another.  We must fight the Spiritual battle for the souls of the hurting before the soul is eternally lost.

This generation is the generation of Spiritual Warriors.  A Warrior can only fight if they have the tools and they know how to use them.  Jesus commanded us to teach – help me to teach these Warriors who they are and what authority they can possess.  Help me to teach them to fight for the lost soul, the innocent children, and the evil that desires to destroy everything in its path.  Please, help me.

“Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:”   – Psalms 144:1 (KJV)


By Linda J. Humes

Written 1-1-2013

PREDATOR

16 Sep

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.     Luke 12:2-3

What wicked thoughts we conjure.

Demons whisper in our ears,

Vaporous torrents rise in our soul.

Who to share it with?

Who will hasten to evil devices,

Deep into the den of disgrace and deception.

Did you hear . . . . do you know . . . . did you see?

Evil seeds planted in anxious minds.

Is it true? No one knows.

Repented? No one cares,

How wonderfully luscious to seek to destroy.

Did you hear . . . . do you know . . . . did you see?

Yet evil thoughts can be heard,

Wicked works can be seen.

As quickly as the subject’s life is shattered,

The predator is caught and displayed.

Sometimes in the sight of man,

Always in the sight of God.

Who will quench this treacherous trail?

Who will walk in light and truth,

Where never will darkness be?

Who will heal the wounded soul,

Who’ll free the sin bound man.

Only He that knows the goodness inside every tortured soul.

Only those who have planted their feet,

Firmly in His footsteps.

Written 3/4/95

WHAT EVIL THIS?

15 Sep

. . . Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”     Revelation 12:12 (KJV)

Did you ever notice how an act of kindness is noticed, smiled upon, and quickly dismissed as we walk into the familiarity of our daily lives? The news programs rarely give more than a 60 second blurb on the event, and it never receives a second glance. Yet, when evil visits, it permeates our body and soul, rendering us shattered and helpless.

As I left work yesterday I chose to drive through Arizona State University on my way to my room. I do this now and again because I enjoy the old buildings along University Drive, and seeing the new buildings that pop up between. As usual, the road was under construction (for years it seems) and I was able to spend a goodly time contemplating the events of the week. Only the day before was the Virginia Tech massacre where 33 precious lives were lost to a student gunman.

Before I even reached the campus heavy dark smoke began billowing up – 3 fire trucks, with sirens blaring, were trying to maneuver between the creeping traffic – all headed toward campus. Along the sidewalk students laughed, teased and walked toward their dorms – dressed in various expressions of who they wanted us to believe they were – dodging the occasional skateboard Romeo. I wondered if that was what it was like just before the gunfire started in Virginia.

The fire ended up being about a block north of campus; couldn’t tell if it was a building or a car – but wondered what went through the minds of the firemen when the alarm went off for an emergency near the university.

The people in the cars near by seemed more frustrated at the delays than contemplative or concerned. Was Virginia too far away for them to feel the pain of mourning students and family? Aren’t they aware that evil passes from the soul of one man to yet another without hindrance of time or distance? My God, please forgive us.

Overhead I saw a passenger plane preparing to descend and I remembered the days when the airport was closed and no planes were allowed in the air because of the evil that descended on New York. The pain of that evil rose up and met the pain of the evil from Virginia; the pain grew as the sirens whaled, searching for the nearby fire – red and blue lights flashing.

In a week the news stations will drop the story of Virginia Tech and will go on to the local stories of death and torture. Affected families will search for comfort and answers – some will blame God for man’s free will choice. Some will pray. I believe that is where I will be.

God, please let us never forget that the only way to dispel evil is to fill man with your precious Spirit. Bring us the opportunity to love on your unloved, that they might find You – before evil plants his feet in the soul of the shattered.

 

Written 4-18-07

 

WHEN GREAT MEN FALL 

5 Aug

  

“And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”  Mark 9:42 (KJV) 

    

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” Sir Walter Scott. 

  Heartbreaking.  Lives destroyed, families lost, everything gone.  How many times does the news report on the fall of great men?  Cities, states, and countries crumble with the fall of corrupt political leaders.  Companies close with the fall of unscrupulous officers.  Most devastating are the falls of pastors, evangelists or great religious leaders – taking down the faith and confidence of their congregations or followers.  Churches split, people walk away from the very beliefs that they drew strength from, never to return.  People become lost. 

  Falling men don’t have to be leaders, celebrities, pastors or figures of authority to cause the lives of others to be affected and destroyed.  Any man who has made a lifelong commitment to touching the lives of others, however big or small, can be the reason others lose their faith and trust in men.  A husband who chooses to quit work and leaves the responsibilities of caring for his family to his wife – as he sits and watches TV all day or plays for hours on the computer.  It could be a father who drowns his disappointments with drugs or alcohol, leaving his children and wife to fend for themselves.  It could be a good friend who betrays that friendship with deception and lies.  It could be a mentor who falls to temptation, either destroying the lives he’s dedicating to help grown strong or turning away from them at a critical moment in their lives, leaving them alone and afraid.  It could be a school teacher or a Bible study teacher.  How do you think they will feel about men in general when the very man who God placed in their lives to love and protect them causes them hurt and pain? 

  Truths turn to lies.  Laughter turns to tears.  Hope turns to despair. Trust turns to disappointment and distance.  Friendships are disrupted and not sought out again.  Families destroyed.  Strong futures lay ruin.  What happened?  How did temptation and pride override common sense and a strong moral system and lay waste the promises of a strong and fruitful life?  Lust.  Greed.  Pride.  Addictions.  Lasciviousness. 

  “Never happen to me,” you say?  What did they say not long ago?  “Not me” . . . “I would never” . . . so easy to say, and an open invitation for the enemy of our soul to take the challenge to find that weakness and chip away at it. 

  It is never a sudden decision, usually a little give and take over a period of time.  Things that were once so black and white become less definitive.  Priorities change.  Family and friends loose importance.  Everyone else in their world becomes collateral damage. 

  Can the fallen be restored?  Of course, if they have the desire.  Restoration can only come through a humble heart and a deep relationship through Jesus.  All other attempts are just vanities – a vapor in the wind – without substance. 

  The real question is, can they restore all those whose lives were damaged and changed because of the fall.  Can trust ever be completely returned to the hearts of all who know them?  I don’t think so.  Those lives have blown away like sand in the wind – you may be able to collect some of them back, maybe even most of them – but so many will be lost forever to the hurt that can only be healed through Jesus. 

  Dear Lord, let me always remember that my words and actions are being watched by far more people than I could ever imagine.  Help me to understand that if I should ever fall, I would be responsible for every person that may stray from you because of my actions.  Help me to always remain humble.  In Your Precious Name.  Amen.

 

Written 2-23-09

The Phenomena of the American “Christian”

18 Jul

Church clip art

  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  John 3:16-17 

My husband and I made the decision to become foster parents.  After a year of classes and paperwork, we were blessed with two little boys, which we were allowed to adopt four years later.  To say we have been blessed by our decision is an understatement, although it has not always been easy.

When we brought these boys into our lives, we were extremely involved in church, choir, teaching, Bible study, helps and various other church activities.  The boys were thrust into a culture they never knew existed.  Being church “staff kids” meant they often spend 10 to 12 hours a day at the church in different aspects of school and ministry.  They received a “crash course” in Christianity and were excited to share this delight with the world.

It was not uncommon for them to stop perfect strangers and ask questions or give lectures of the values of “keeping the temple clean” (no smoking, drinking or drugs) (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Being lectured by a 3-year-old or a 5-year-old on what harm certain substances can do to your body can be amusing, irritating, condemning or all three.  Going to the grocery store or drug store was always an adventure.  Restaurants were unpredictable – they knew they had a captive audience; the waiter or waitress.

We never knew when or what they were going to say.  They held a boldness I never had when it came to their faith.  The amazing thing is, that with their wide-eyed innocence, people always answered.  That is what this is all about.  Not about the innocent questioning, it’s about the answers.

I had read that Americans consider themselves to be Christians, simply because they are Americans!  Several people responded in just that manner – “sure, I’m a Christian – I’m an American!”  but, when pinned down about which church they attended – they didn’t.  When they did, it was for Christmas, Easter and Weddings.

One young man said that he wasn’t a Christian, his mom was.  He said he was a Christian once, but he quit going to church.  He knew he needed to start going back, but he was busy.  Sunday was his sleep-in day.

One young man said he wasn’t a Christian, he was a Baptist!  And several LDS said they were Christians, even though they don’t believe Jesus is the son of God.

We met several people who were obviously into New Age, but believed they were Christians.  We even knew of people who claimed to be “white witches” who felt they were Christians.  People who attend church on Sunday and read horoscopes every day of the week.  People who pray at bedtime and call psychics during the day.  It’s the phenomena of the American “Christian.”

I, myself, spent several years in a denominational church and was never encouraged to read the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15), never told that horoscopes were forbidden (Isaiah 47:13-14), or that psychics were cursed (Leviticus 20:21).  I didn’t know “white” witchcraft was “witchcraft” trying to make itself look “good” instead of “evil” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).  I have prayed many, many hours over this phenomena.  What is the answer?

The word of the Lord came to me “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; [38] Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).  The mission field begins in our own home.  The mission field is at our front door.

Because America does not have to fight to have freedom of religion, the people don’t understand what true Christianity is.  In those countries where they lay down their lives for an hour a week to gather together in prayer and Bible study – you can believe they understand.  We dwell in a country where we know a little bit about everything – but very few know a lot about any one particular thing; especially, it seems, pure Christianity.

We, the Church, have allowed confusion, distraction, and laziness to enter into the message we were sent to share (Galatians 1:6-8).  It crept in, ever so quietly, and took its place among the once dedicated.  Now we are sent to search it out.

There in the curiosity of my two children dwelt an answer.  Where I had been content for someone to verify they were a Christian, now I knew the mission was to make sure that they knew what Christianity was and how to come to the saving grace of Christ.  It is each of our jobs to steer the confused from horoscopes to scriptures – from psychics to Jesus.

Jesus, let me always be mindful of the enemy we battle and the subtle ways he perverts the truth.  Let me not be pacified with quick answers that may leave a soul, believing they are walking righteously, in the hands of an evil curse.  Let me speak up, at my own discomfort, to bring that little lost sheep back home.

The Evil In Man

12 Nov

Ram's Head

“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.”     Deuteronomy 28:43 (KJV)

There is a common saying, “The eyes are the window to the soul,” and it is absolutely true.  A lot can be seen spiritually and emotionally when looking intently into the eyes of another. God gives us glimpses of the depth of a person’s weakness, pain and spirit. Every once in a while God takes us a step past the eyes and He shows us the demons that torment.

I remember, so vividly, the first time I saw the demon that controlled my father.  My grandparents had come to visit and as we children went off toward bed the adults left the house.  Not long after a storm kicked up, a strong desert wind storm.

I was 9 years old; my brother would have been 7, my sister 3, and the baby just a few months old.  When the storm kicked up the electricity went off and all of us kids drew together in the bedroom that I shared with the baby.  My brother and sister huddled against the wall as I rocked the baby in the rocking chair.  Within the howling wind we heard a loud “crack” and a main branch broke off of the tree at the back of the house.  My brother and sister were crying and holding each other as I did my best to quiet the baby.

Just a short time after I heard a tapping on my bedroom window and my name being called, “Linda, Linda, open the door.”  The voice was that of my father, but when I pulled the curtain back what I saw terrified me.  Instead of my father’s face I saw the head of a Ram with glowing red eyes on a very large body of a man.  Its lips were moving as I heard my father’s voice again, angry.  “Linda, open the door.”

I screamed and ran across the room, all 4 of us huddled against the wall crying.  This repeated with my father’s voice becoming more and more agitated.  Then I heard the voice of my grandfather, “Linda, it’s grandpa, we forgot the key, open the front door and let us in.”

I ran to the window and opened the curtain.  There was the face of my grandfather, always kind and gentle.  I laid the baby in his crib and ran to the front door, unlocking it.  In came my family, drenched from the rain.  My father was still very angry that I had delayed, but the creature I had seen in the window was gone.

I don’t know why God shows us the evil inside of others.  I don’t know why we see it at some times and not others.  I don’t know why some people can see the evil and others cannot.  I don’t understand how some people can stand up to evil and quench it with a few spoken words and the voice of authority.  I don’t understand why people are drawn toward evil and wicked ways more than they are drawn to the church and the laws of God, when the true power lies in the authority of scripture and death is in the path of evil.

I really don’t understand it all, but I know it is real; I have seen it myself.  I do understand that we are called to do greater things than Jesus did in His time on earth.  I do understand the authority we are given if we will draw close to God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  I do know that we were given the ability to stand up to the sort of evil that torments a young man to the extent that he would walk into a school and kill 26 people, mostly young children.

Spiritual warfare can turn the evil before the demonic becomes so strong in a person’s life that they no longer hold life precious – their own life or the life of another.  We must fight the Spiritual battle for the souls of the hurting before the soul is eternally lost.

This generation is the generation of Spiritual Warriors.  A Warrior can only fight if they have the tools and they know how to use them.  Jesus commanded us to teach – help me to teach these Warriors who they are and what authority they can possess.  Help me to teach them to fight for the lost soul, the innocent children, and the evil that desires to destroy everything in its path.  Please, help me.

“Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:”   – Psalms 144:1 (KJV)

—–

Written 1-1-2013

Published 11/12/2015 – Republished 7-18-2021

Generations

17 Jan

Generations

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;                                                             Exodus 20:5

 —-

Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, is his name,                                                                Jeremiah 32:18

 —-

The weight of the sins,

     of generations past,

     burden my shoulders.

 —-

I am tempted and swayed,

     toward an evil I don’t understand,

     and yet I crave.

 —-

I carry the mantle of a cursed generation,

     passed down,

     father to child,

     a covenant of sin.

     In which generation do I fall,

     3rd, 5th, maybe 7th?

 —-

The shadow of a cross

     falls across the path,

     I’ve been destined to walk.

     It breaks the pulling of the grave.

 —-

As I look to the man hanging thereon,

     calling my name,

     I feel the mantle lighten.

 —-

Resting at His feet,

     I look upward,

     into His pain wracked face;

     the blood from His pierced hands,

     falls on the mantle I carry,

     breaking the chains that hold it there,

     releasing the shell,

     it falls to the ground.

 —-

His eyes watch and question,

     “Will you pick it back up?”

 —-

Within my womb rests a nation.

     Their destiny rests within the choice,

     I must make.

     Their blessing or cursing

     rests in the power

     of my decision.

 —-

Do I pick up the mantle

     of my fathers,

     or wear a crown of thorns,

     adorned with the ruby red drops

     of the Savior’s blood,

     one day to be traded

     for a crown of gold.

 —-

There, at the foot of the cross,

     lay the empty shell,

     a wicked generation

     left behind  –  cleansed

     by the flow of blood.

—-

Eve, Did You Know??

8 Dec

Adam & Eve

“For my words are wise, and my thoughts are filled with insight.”  Psalm 49:3  (NLT)

 The Garden of Eden holds a critical lesson about the frailty of man.  How easily we can be fooled by clever words that play on our earthly desires.  We can be so caught up in receiving those “special wants” that we don’t ask about the lingering after effects.

Extremely gifted people are placed in marketing departments for every major company.  If they can get people to touch their product, whatever it may be, and convince them that their product will dramatically change lives, then they’ve done their job and a product is sold.

How many cars have been purchased for the “sex appeal” marketing and later repossessed because of high car payments, high insurance costs and expensive repairs?  How many expensive jewelry purchases have put difficult financial burdens on young families because marketing says that a diamond ring or necklace is the only way to prove your love to your spouse?  How many young lives have fallen ruin because of movies and commercials showing that “Cool” people drink, smoke, party and are sexually active?

Satan tempted a “perfect” life in a “perfect” world and turned the entire future of man upside down.  Adam and Eve did not understand temptation; they did not understand evil; they did not understand that life could be anything different than it was.  They did understand that there was a rule and it was a very explicit and critical rule:  They were not to eat from the tree.

In Adam’s and Eve’s minds the gain must have appeared to far out-number the potential loss; how bad could the consequence possibly be in a “perfect” world?  We all know that the consequence was the exposure of imperfection, pain, fear, loss of relationship and death.  I wonder whether they would have been as willing to disobey if they truly had understood the consequence.

Many times I have wished that I could have kept my children completely protected from the evils of this world.  I raised them in a Christian school for many years, until it closed.  The harsh reality of life struck each of them in a different way when they started secular schooling and met their first bully.  They were shocked by the negative interactions of student to student and teacher to student.  Had I set them at a disadvantage by protecting their environment?  Would they have had better “worldly” coping skills if they had been exposed to non-Christian behavior in their formative years?  I can only guess and wonder and pray wisdom over my now grown children; each one walking a difficult journey in their lives right now.

Resisting those temptations, bullies and everyday challenges takes wisdom.  Wisdom sets us in right-standing with the Word of God and gives us the direction and skills to fight.  How do we receive wisdom, where does it lie?  It is in Jesus Himself (1 Corinthians 1:30); it is from God, given as a gift (Exodus 31:3); it is shouted in the streets and the public squares by those who have walked the journeys and chosen to encourage and warn others (Proverbs 1:20).  Wisdom is within each of us, if we ask for it; if we will humble ourselves and recognize our frailties; if we will desire not to fall into temptation (James 1:5).

God, please give me the wisdom to teach and guide Your children back to You.  Help me to help them to understand that temptation comes at the hands of skilled marketers, including Satan himself.  Help me to teach them to call out to You for wisdom – for the small things and for the mountains that stand in their path.  Please Lord, help me to remain humble as I ask again for the wisdom I need to continue this journey.

By Linda J. Humes

Written 8-29-2011

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

18 Sep

baby & adult hand

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:2

The other day I took my 6-year-old son to the mall for “one-on-one” Mom-Son time.  We saw a short 3-D movie, “T-REX”, the one where the dinosaur drools right in your lap as he eyes you for a potential lunch item.  After the movie we ate lunch (30 restaurants to choose from and he goes for Burger King  –  AGAIN!) and talked a while, then we decided to do a sightseeing lap around the mall.

About 2 months ago I started working Saturday mornings, the day I usually spend with the boys.  We always went for breakfast (all you could eat buffets!) and then went to the park or ran errands around the valley.  When my schedule changed I went to the boy’s school and asked the principal about taking each boy out on rotating Fridays.  She gave me her approval as well as her blessing; Mom-Son Friday came to pass.

Every Friday at noon I pick one of the boys up.  We talk, eat and watch a movie (of the boy’s choice); not necessarily in that order.  By 4:00 PM we’re on the way back to pick-up the other two and head home.  This particular day was Jon’s day.

As Jon and I walked around he chose the shops he wanted to tour through.  Being 6 he chose only the brightest and most colorful shops.  No clothing  –  mostly shops with toys, hanging objects, shelf decorations and rocks.  One of the shops we went into seemed innocent from the front.  There were rock slab wind-chimes, polished stone necklaces, cut stone book-ends, and similar items throughout.  Jon was mesmerized by the color and shine.

As we neared the back of the store we saw voodoo and witch-doctor paraphernalia on the floor and walls.  I tried to steer Jon clear of the items, but he nearly ran into a chair with a demon head carved into the seat back.

Jon stopped immediately, put his little fists on his hips (as only a 6 year old can do) and stated quite clearly, “Well, these people don’t know Jesus.”  After which he quickly dismissed himself from the store.

Trying to help lift his spirits, I started searching for signs of Jesus in every store we entered.  Finally, as we reached the end of the mall, I spotted a shelf with porcelain figurines of Jesus, Mary, the nativity, the crucifix and various other Christian themes.

“There, Jon,” I said.  “There’s Jesus.”

For a moment a smile formed on his face, which was quickly dismissed and replaced by round determined eyes and firmly set fists.

“Well,” he said.  “I just want to know why Jesus is there  –  and women with no clothes are right there!”  I followed his small pointing finger to the shelf immediately below.  There on the shelf were porcelain nudes, three times the size of the Christian figurines.

“I’m just going to go get Joseph (our youth pastor) and we’re going to come back here and pray.”  At that point he took is offended little self out of the store and decided that he had seen enough of the mall.

So there I was, at 49, looking so hard to find Jesus that I allowed myself to overlook the offense, the insult, of placing Him among the very decadence He came to this world to overcome.  In that very store were dragons and Buddas, crystals and prayer beads, nudes and seductive paintings.  How many times do I close my eyes to the things that offend me?  How many times have I felt it was the way of the world and there was nothing I could do?

Out of the mouth of a babe came the words that had been spoken into him.  At 6 years old he was ready to take a stand against the things he knew were wrong, and he was ready to find someone to stand with him in prayer.

Thank you, Jesus, for babies who remind us how to be the best we can be.

By Linda J. Humes
Written 2-24-1999