Honey, You Must be Paying the Bill!

My previous post was about how everything comes with a price. I menioned how weight loss and exercise and eating healthy all come with a price. Ministry comes with a price. Helping others comes with a price. However, I didn't even think to mention how much we women sacrifice to try to look good. We pay the price when it comes to trying to look good.We get our eyebrows waxed (ouch!), dye our hair, wear shoes that hurt our feet, and try all sorts of tricks and remedies in the name of beauty. Have you ever seen what a woman looks like when she's getting her hair foiled? Its a long process and you look pretty silly. That's the price you have to pay. It takes a lot of work to keep yourself up these days! (Is anybody else finding out that the older you get the more work it is?) Sending a shout out right now to my hairdressers current and past...God bless you every one!

Some folks understand the price you have to pay to keep yourself looking presentable. I went to the post office recently and was wearing my new red cape and new red purse that my best friend gave me. I paired them with the new royal blue blouse my mom gave me, jeans, and some open high heeled shoes that I paid $3.99 for! I must say, I was feeling quite sassy. A man approached me in the post office and asked, "Aren't your feet cold in those shoes?" I just shrugged my shoulders and laughed and said, "Well, I guess that's the price to have to pay to be cute" and walked off. He said, "Well, honey, you must be paying the bill!" That cracked me up. Now, that was a man that understood that the price must be paid!

(Note to the ladies that live in my area. Not sure what is up with the Princeton post office. Apparently men at the Princeton Post office who are checking their mailboxes also think that they are the fashion police. Another man at the post office recently made a comment about the purple dress I was wearing. I don't know if he was trying to tell me he liked my purple dress or if he was making fun of my purple dress. I was wearing a purple dress, black heels, and black stockings. He gave me a sideways glance and said "You're wearing some purple today, aren't you?" What does that mean? Is purple somehow offensive? Purple is my color, people. I have purple purses, purple boots, scarves, dresses, rings, bracelets, sweaters, and a purple cape. I wonder what the "Purple-Hating Post Office Man" would have thought if I had been wearing my purple jewelry and carrying my purple purse, too that day?? That would have really been too much for him! I once had a purple velour blouse and pants set. I  quit wearing it because one of my relatives at the time called me Barney every time I wore it! LOL! )

Enough with my silliness... In addition to not mentioning the price that women pay in the name of beauty, my previous post did not mention the most important price that has ever been paid. You may have paid a high price for your education or made a great sacrifice to achieve certain goals or personal successes in your life. Any great achievement in life comes with a price or some kind of sacrifice. Just think about what women have to go through to bring a baby into the world! Every accolade or award you have received came with a price. Every gift you have ever been given, came with a price, including your own children.Yet, the greatest gift you have ever been given, did not cost you a thing.

Your salvation, your ticket to eternal life, your relationship with Jesus Christ, your ability to talk directly to God, all came with a tremendous price. Yet it cost you nothing. God sent his son into the world to pay the price for your sins. We all know John 3:16. But how often do we really stop and think about it?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life". God loved you and me so much that he sent his own Son to pay the price. Did you think about that this Christmas season? God sent His son to earth to be born to a simple teenage girl, to be delivered in a barn, to be placed in a feed trough for a crib. To be rejected, mocked, lied about, spat upon, abused, beaten. The King of Kings paid the price for you and me! He left a heavenly throne where he was being worshipped by angels...and came to earth to hang on a cross and wear a crown of thorns for you and me. The ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate price has already been paid.

God's gift of salvation is free. Most of you reading this have already received it and accepted it. If you have, then thank God for it! But if you have not accepted this gift, you need to do it TODAY...RIGHT NOW! Ask God to forgive you of your sins and thank Him for paying the price for you! Its just that simple. Its like having a present sit on your front porch for years. All you have to do is open it. Its yours and its already been paid for. If you had a present on your front porch with your name on it...you would open it as soon as you saw it. I know you would. You wouldn't wait days, weeks, months or years to open it. The gift of salvation, the gift of eternal life..its there waiting for you! Accept it!

If you are already a Christian, then I have a New Years' Resolution for you. Yeah, for you. Your New Year's Resolution is to pray and ask God to give you souls in 2012. Yes, ask God to give you opportunities to lead someone to Him. Have you ever prayed with someone to be saved? If you haven't, then ask God to give you the opportunity and I promise you He will! Pray right now that God will give you the opportunity, the boldness, the open door, the words to say...whatever you need. If you have previously witnessed to someone or prayed with someone to ask Jesus into the heart, then I want you to pray that you will lead more people to Christ in 2012 than you have ever before. Do it! Stop and pray that right now! 

By the end of January, I want to start getting phone calls, emails, instant messages, written notes, facebook posts, and more from all of you guys telling me how you have had opportunities to lead someone to accept the gift of salvation. Make a list of friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors that you are praying and believing will be saved in 2012. Put people on the list that don't even like you. Do it! Get out pen and paper and do it. I'm serious. Get up right now and get out a piece of paper and pen and start righting down names. Put the paper on your bathroom mirror, in your car, beside your bed and pray for them every single day. Put them on your hit list!  I'm believing God for great things from you in 2012! Remember, the price has already been paid! Please read the prayer below and pray and agree with me that this will be true for you, your friends, and family.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray and believe right now that everyone reading this post will be filled with the boldness of your Holy Spirit, that they will worship you in spirit and in truth, and that they will become a prayer warrior, intercessor, and soul winner for you in 2012 and beginning even right now! I believe that they will witness for you in 2012 like never before, that they will lead souls to you like never before and will be used mightily in ministry like they have never been used in their life. God, if there is anyone reading this post or that has read any of my previous posts that has not accepted you as their Savior, I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict them and you will reveal yourself to them like never before and that they will be saved. I ask this in the precious name of Jesus. I ask that this blog will touch more lives in 2012 and that everything that is done in 2012 is for your Glory and to your credit. Thank you, God for what you are going to do in the lives of everyone reading this and praying this. I believe for salvation, restoration, deliverance, breakthrough, and healings that are physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual.. It is already done in the name of Jesus!

Amen