1 Corinthians 15:52

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Outlander is our favorite television series which is based on a woman traveling back in time from 1945 to 1743. Times had changed between those two periods of time but some of the older things remain even today. One thing is believing in a lie.

In one episode a woman with a sickly child believed her child had been kidnapped by the fairies. Rather than believe that her child might be dying, she took it to “fairy hill” and laid the child in the “fairy tree” in the hopes the fairies would exchange the fairy child for her own healthy child. We  know better, that is just superstition.

These superstitions are still being played out by people today. They take on many forms and they all play out because people would rather live in a fantasy world than face reality. This is not to say that everyone who believes in lies are insane or stupid, perhaps not even gullible, but have no hope that is based on truth.

God has changed me and He is changing me and He will change me again. My hope for that future is not based on a lie, God has kept His promises to me up until now and His promises are where my hope is founded.

Isaiah 26:12

O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.

I know this to be true because I have witnessed it in my life. I have a hope for a future that is promised because God has changed me from what I was into the man I am today. I am a changeling. Not one born of superstition but by the Spirit of God.

John 3:3

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I am born again and I see the Kingdom.

John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

I have entered the Kingdom. Jesus is my King and I am His subject. Do you believe my witness or do you believe I am living a lie?

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 English Standard Version

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

For a number of years I did not think I would live until I was thirty and I lived that way. I abused my body and I almost died three times.

Now that I am older, much older, the importance of taking care of my body seems almost impossible given that we age and sometimes that gets ugly. Never had to take medication when I was young and stupid. Those pills were not medicine. Now I take about eleven a day.

There is more I could do for myself but now that I am retired I don’t seem to have the time to exercise like I should. Priorities change and I forget from time to time that this body doesn’t belong to me. It is the Lord’s.

He could change me in an instant but he doesn’t. I have a responsibility to do my part until He makes those final changes.To be honest with you I am tired and I have let self-help take a back seat to looking to the needs of others. I do not put myself first, and I haven’t for some time. It just seems selfish and I have serious responsibilities.

I don’t get as much sleep as I am told I need. After four hours I wake up and my mind starts thinking about all the things that I need to do. I prioritize and getting enough sleep has fallen to the wayside. I am not at my best with only four hours of sleep. I am aware of that and I am cautious about how I talk to others.

I don’t feel like a temple. I am but I don’t feel that way. Emotional well being is part of taking care of His temple. In that former life I didn’t care about myself or anyone else. That has changed and I care about everything now. Granted, I cannot control everything but I can pray about it.

I’ve lost two brothers to heart disease in the last two years. That weighs on my mind. I am doing better with my pacemaker but it alone will not guarantee life. Ray had one and he died anyway.

I don’t worry for myself, I worry for those I will leave behind. Have I done enough for them? All that I can do at the moment is to make sure I don’t leave them with debt to clean up after me.

This is an emotional reminder to myself that this body isn’t mine and I need to be more respectful of His temple. It is a matter of respect. Disrespect was that other guy. He is gone.