I KNOW GOD IS NOT DEAD

 A couple of weeks ago my husband, Ed, and I went to see the movie "God Is Not Dead".  We liked the movie very much and if you have a chance to go see it I would encourage you to do so.  

I have been a Christian all of my life.  Both of my parents were Christian.  I was raised in a Christian home and have gone to church just about every Sunday that I can remember.  Even with my lifetime exposure to Christianity I reached a point in my life where I truly wondered if God was for real.  I asked myself if He really existed and if Jesus really was resurrected from the dead.   It is not something that I have just merely accepted as fact because I was raised in a Christian home.   I have wondered, questioned, struggled, examined the Bible, examined history, examined my personal experiences and I have come to the conclusion that indeed God is alive.  

I know this to be true because nothing else makes sense.   People saw Jesus die on the cross. People saw him buried.  People saw the tomb sealed with a huge rock.  People saw a guard placed at the tomb so no one would steal his body and still Jesus rose from the grave.  Not only did people "say" He rose from the grave but there were eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after He was resurrected.  I think the biggest fact that has convinced me that Jesus truly is the Son of God is how being a Christian affected the disciples and early Christians after Jesus went to heaven.  Any believers of Jesus were truly persecuted and most of them suffered horrible deaths because of their belief.  Now I know for a fact that there is NO WAY that I would allow myself to be persecuted for something that I doubted or wondered about.  I certainly would not allow my self to be put to death unless I knew what I was standing up for what was absolutely and beyond any doubt TRUE.  The disciples and early Christian, being ordinary human beings, would also not suffer to the point of death for something that they doubted or questioned.  They knew with all their hearts and with no doubt whatsoever that Jesus was the Son of God and that He had been raised from the dead.  

The other thing that has convinced me that God exists is the beauty of nature.  Every time I see a majestic mountain, a babbling brook, powerful ocean waves, a new pristine snow fall, tall majestic trees, a beautiful sunrise or sunset.....I know beyond a doubt that God exists.  This morning I woke up at 6 a.m. and the minute my eyes opened I saw a beautiful blue sky streaked with all colors of pink.  It was gorgeous!!! I do not normally jump out of bed at 6 a.m.  I am more the type of person who wants to pull the covers over my head for a few more minutes of sleep.  But, this morning, when I saw that gorgeous sky, my heart and enthusiasm for the day immediately soared.  There was no way I could lay in that bed! I had to jump out of bed and I went outside so I could see as much as I could of that beautiful sunrise.  I thought to myself, "God made this".  "This is a gift from a loving and creative God".  I truly belief that all of nature points our hearts to God.

I also believe that God is not dead because of personal experiences throughout my life that cannot be explained as "coincidences".  I believe, that in these experiences, God has intervened in my life because of prayer, His guidance in my life and because of my personal relationship with Him.  These experiences are too many to write about but I would be happy to share them with you if you would like to know more.

In closing I would like to say that I LOVE EASTER! It is one of my favorite times of year because it offers so much hope for this life and my eternal life in heaven with God.  God is not dead.  He truly lives and is involved with our lives here on earth.  If you have any doubt about God's existence I challenge you to examine the facts for yourselves and pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you.  Please feel free to call me or email me if you have any questions.  I wish you all a Happy Easter and a joyous spring!!