Dan’s Ramblings

I have added this Category to include my random thoughts, devotionals, encouragements, challenges, etc, for those that might be interested and willing to take the time to read them. This is a way for me to “vent” my thoughts and feelings, without posting them on Facebook.

My Testimony (by Dan)

Dan Bennett

Approximately forty-one years and two weeks ago I got a call from my oldest brother, David. He told me that they had finished raising their support to go to Brazil as missionaries, and they had just received their paperwork so they could leave the USA. David told me that they would be leaving soon, but he said that he wanted me to go and tell them “goodbye.” I was living outside of Athens, GA, and he was in Orangeburg, SC.

I need to say right here that I was not a Christian at the time. Soon after I finished high school I left home because I didn’t want to follow the rules that had been established many years ago by my Christian parents. For the next five years I did what I wanted, went where I wanted, listened to what I wanted, and said what I wanted. I was an “adult,” so I thought that I could live my life as I pleased. The only thing was that I wasn’t pleased with my life. I was not happy about where I lived or where I worked. The people with whom I worked only led me further down the wrong road. Honestly, I was miserable, and I had come to the point where I started thinking that there had to be something better, something more meaningful to life than the life I was living.

It was at that point in my life when David called me. He wanted me to go and visit him. I knew that meant that I would have to go to church with him on Sunday. It had been about five years since I had been to church when I left home. I knew that when I went to visit him that he would ask me if I was going to church. Although our lifestyles were worlds apart, I respected David and what he and Vicki were going to do. I thought to myself that I would go to church the Sunday BEFORE I went to visit them, so that when he asked if I was going to church, I could say that I was going to church, and, in my way of thinking, that wouldn’t be a lie.

The church I visited before I went to see David and Vicki was Emmanuel Baptist Church in Commerce, GA. My Dad had pastored there when I was a young teenager, but at the time there was another pastor that was one of those old-timey preachers. I thought he was preaching only to that visiting twenty-two-year-old man (me), and he knocked it out of the ballpark! I did not get saved that day, but I left the church under deep conviction.

I want to add the following incident for those who may read my testimony. When I walked out of the church that day, I knew that I was not saved. It was as if the Holy Spirit of God was squeezing my heart. I left the church and got in my car. When I put the key in the ignition and turned the switch, my radio was tuned to “96 Rock,” and as the rock music began playing, it was like I could sense the Holy Spirit leaving. It was at that moment that I realized that the Holy Spirit does not feel welcome and will not stick around when a person invites the devil and the devil’s music into one’s life.

Getting back to my story, I went the following weekend to visit David and Vicki to tell them goodbye. It “just so happened” that the preacher got up to preach on “the prodigal son,” and how he left home to waste his money on riotous living. I knew that David MUST HAVE told the preacher that I was going to be there, so this preacher was also preaching only to me. That’s two Sundays in a row! At the end of the service, I did not go forward during the invitation, but I probably left fingernail marks on the bench in front of us.

We went back to David and Vicki’s place for lunch, and after lunch I told David that I wanted to go for a walk. After a short distance, he asked me what I wanted to talk about. I told him that I wanted to get saved. He knew that I had been baptized and had become a church member as a child, so he questioned me about that. I realized that my baptism and church membership did nothing to take away my sin or forgive me, so David showed me some Bible verses to explain how to be saved. It was on that day, June 26, 1983, that I repented of my sin and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

After we got back to their house, while we were talking the subject “came up” (coincidence?) about marriage. David asked me if I wanted to get married one day, so when I said that I did, he asked me what kind of woman I would want to marry. I told him that I would like a woman like Mom, or Vicki, so he told me that I needed to go to Tennessee Temple University (TTU). It was at that moment that I decided to go to TTU to find a wife.

June 26th is also my Mom’s birthday, so we called Mom and sang “Happy Birthday” to her. It was on that phone conversation that I told Mom that I got saved and was moving to Chattanooga to go to TTU. Of course, Mom and Dad were thrilled.

It’s been 41 years. If you are reading this and know me, I did meet a godly young lady and married her. We have seven children, one granddaughter, and a grandson on the way. We have been missionaries in Brazil for over twenty-five years, and we love serving the Lord. God has been so good to me; to us.

On the 41st anniversary of my salvation, I want to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for saving me and making me a child of God.

I also want to say “thank you” to my brother, David, for praying for me, leading me to the Savior, teaching me, mentoring me, counseling me, and being my friend. Thank you for allowing me to work alongside you as one of your assistant pastors in São Paulo. Every soul that has come to know Jesus through our ministry is “fruit to your account.” May God continue to bless you and use you as you invest in the lives of others around the world.

Thanks for investing in me! I love you, big brother!

“AS IS – NO WARRANTY”

Dan Bennett

When you look for a used car at a small car lot, you may see a sign on the car that says, “AS IS – NO WARRANTY.” That means there is no changing your mind after you buy the car, no matter what condition the car is in. The car may have visible defects, such as minor scratches, a little bit of rust, or even small cracks in the bumper or windshield. The greater concern is that there could possibly be hidden mechanical and electrical problems. When you sign on the dotted line, pay for the car and drive it off the car lot, that car is yours, “for better or for worse.” A vehicle with the sign, “AS IS – NO WARRANTY” is one vehicle you should definitely avoid.

On the other hand, when Jesus came to purchase you and pay for your sin with His precious blood, He saw a wrecked, ruined, problematic lost soul that deserved to be destroyed. As you stood there in your worthless condition, it was as if there was a sign on you which read, “AS IS – NO WARRANTY.” Although Jesus knew all of your problems and sins, He said, “I’ll take him,” without ever thinking to return you to your previous “owner.” He bought you just the way you are, knowing that you would be eternally His. He will never forsake you or disown you, no matter how many times you “break down.”

Of course, although He took you as you were, He didn’t leave you in your broken, pitiful, dirty condition. He pulled you out of the mire and filth of sin, forgave you and cleaned you up. Although you may not think that you are anything special, you are extremely valuable to God because you were purchased at a great price, the blood of His Son.

Today, stop and thank God that He accepted you, “AS IS – NO WARRANTY.”

A Church Can Be “Puzzling”

Dan Bennett

A puzzle has a lot of different shaped pieces, but they all fit together to form a beautiful picture. Putting a puzzle together takes time, patience, and dedication. Getting frustrated, angry, or losing your temper because you can’t easily or quickly put the puzzle together will make you want to quit, and then you’ve only wasted your time, and you’ve accomplished nothing.

Much like a puzzle, a church has a lot of different members, but they should all fit together to form a beautiful church. Keeping a church together takes time, patience, and dedication. Getting frustrated, angry, and losing your temper over problems that arise will cause you to want to quit. God made each person different for a different and specific purpose, and that should hold the members together as they “interlock” one with another.

At the same time, the devil wants to magnify the differences and cause the church members to focus on their differences, instead of seeing how they need each other to fit together. Each church member has a specific location in which to serve and where they fit in, and you don’t need a hammer to make them fit. If you try to force a puzzle piece into the wrong place, not only will the wrong piece be in the wrong place, but it will then make the correct puzzle piece out of place.

Just like a puzzle, the more members (pieces) a church has, the more complicated it can become. Don’t stop working to find out where each one fits.

My wife put together one puzzle, and when she finished, one puzzle piece was missing. One. It just wasn’t anywhere to be found. That one space was left open, and although 999 pieces were in their places, the puzzle was not complete. There was no sense of accomplishment, and it was a total let-down.

Fellow Christian, if you’re not “in the picture” of your local church, there’s an incomplete church that is needing you to complete it. You are the only one that can fill your spot that no one else can. God wants to put you in the right place, so don’t resist, and don’t become missing. You will only be out of place and alone, and the church will be incomplete without you.

Where do you fit in? If you’re not already in your place of service, your space is empty. Whether your place is in the nursery, children’s ministry, teen department, church choir, orchestra, security, or even as pastor, get in the right place – your place – and complete the church for a fulfilling and important part of a complete church that glorifies God. It shouldn’t be puzzling. The church has a place for you!

Filling A Void?

Dan Bennett

Following the recent Home-going of my father-in-law, my wife was in the States, and I was in Brazil on Thanksgiving day. Our field director, Sean (and Stephanie) Lunday, graciously invited me over for Thanksgiving dinner, along with Lee and Eva Johnson, missionaries to the Deaf in Peru.

A few months ago, a Christian man was looking for a church in São Paulo, and he found the name of Sean Lunday and contacted him. This Brazilian man, Alex, is single, and since he was in São Paulo, Brother Lunday also invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner.

As we talked, Alex listened intently as Lee Johnson told him about the deaf works in Peru, and also as I talked about the deaf works in São Paulo. Alex had never heard of a deaf church, and as Lee Johnson was explaining about the deaf ministry, Alex said, “You’re filling a void.” With that being said, my ears perked up and I asked Alex to repeat what he had just said. When he again said that we are filling a void, I had to tell him that, in fact, we are not filling a void, because the deaf works in Peru and Brazil are just a “drop in the bucket” in relation to the millions of Deaf that are unreached around the world. With more than 70 million deaf people worldwide, we’re just barely scratching the surface of the spiritual needs of the world deaf population.

In his book, “Into the Silence,” missionary Joe Kotvas says, “there is only one foreign Independent Baptist missionary to the Deaf for every 8,000,000 deaf people.” Brother Kotvas goes on to say that “there is only one North American independent Baptist missionary to the Deaf for every four countries.” ¹

I wish that we were “filling the void,” but we still have a long way to go. It’s overwhelming to even try to grasp the magnitude of those statistics in the aforementioned book. We are just barely reaching a small percentage of the more than 270,000 Deaf in São Paulo, much less than reaching three other countries. Those figures are staggering!

The Great Commission says, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). While the majority of the 8 billion people who inhabit the earth are hearing, there are still more than 70 million people of the world population who are deaf, most of whom have never learned about salvation through Jesus Christ. The vast majority of deaf people are unsaved, and according to John 3:18, they are “condemned already,” and on their way to the Lake of Fire for all eternity. That ought to stir your heart. There’s only a handful of missionaries to the Deaf around the world who are trying to pull them out of Satan’s grasp.

Millions of Deaf worldwide don’t even have a language, no one with whom they can communicate, and no one to explain God’s love for them. They know nothing of Jesus, the Cross, the empty tomb, and Heaven. Many Deaf sit in silence, alone, unreached, forgotten, and without hope.

Christian friend, this needs to change. Churches across America and around the globe need to wake up and see this immense “void” that is not being filled. The time is now to make a concentrated effort to send forth more laborers into God’s harvest field to reap the souls of lost Deaf.

In Matthew 9:37 and 38, Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.” As missionaries to the Deaf, we are praying that God would send forth more laborers among the deaf in São Paulo, and around the world. Would you please make this a matter of prayer in your home and in your church?

“Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” (John 4:35)

¹ Kotvas, J. (2006). Into the Silence: A Biblical Perspective and Plan for Reaching the Deaf Around the World, Efata, page 28.

Be involved in MINISTRY!

Dan Bennett

Christian friend, if you’re not involved in a ministry, it’s because you don’t WANT to be involved in ministry. I’m in no way suggesting that you have to be in full-time ministry as a pastor, missionary, or evangelist, but ministry opportunities are all around you. The first thing you have to do is want to serve the Lord and want to serve others. Ministry comes in different shapes, sizes, times, and locations.

You can go door-knocking, or you could leave a Gospel tract on the table at a restaurant, and even invite your server to church. Obviously, the more people you come in contact with will provide greater opportunities for ministry.

In your local church, you can teach Sunday School, or be an assistant (helper) in the class. If you can play an instrument or sing, you should be doing it. What are your talents? If you have a specific degree or capability, you should be using it at church. You may not be able to stand up and speak publicly, but you can take up the offering or be on security. Maybe you can’t preach, but you can run a vacuum cleaner. You may not be able to run the sound board, but perhaps you can run the lawnmower. I know that in many larger churches that the janitorial and lawncare are paid positions, but in the majority of the smaller churches the pastor and his family are the ones that cut the grass and clean the commodes.

Outside of the local church there are many opportunities for ministry, as well. I’ve recently been on the receiving end of meals that were provided for a widow and her family. You can visit those who are unable to get out and be a blessing by sitting and listening to a shut-in that often feels forgotten.

You can go and blow leaves, cut the grass, clean windows, weed the garden, wash the car, pressure-wash the house or driveway, or whatever else may need to be done. If you’re a carpenter or a mechanic, you can be a blessing to some people by using the skills that you have to meet their needs. What looks like work is actually a tremendous blessing to those to whom you minister.

You could offer to take someone out to lunch and spend time with that person. You can go buy groceries for someone that doesn’t have a car, or you could offer to take them. (Don’t be surprised if a “grocery run” turns into going to pick up medicine, going out to lunch, and stopping in Goodwill!) There are so many lonely people in the world, and they need someone that will care, listen to their life stories, and be interested in them.

I’ve not even scratched the service of the countless opportunities for ministry that abound, but even if you’re bedridden you can do the immensely important ministry of prayer. You should be praying for your pastor, your church, your family, your friends, your city and state, the president and his administration, and for revival in your country. Pray that God would send forth more laborers into His harvest fields!

After all that you have just read, if you don’t have a clue as to what you can do for ministry, ask your pastor. I guarantee that he will know what you can do.

I know that this all may seem directed toward senior citizens, but there are young couples that need an older person to help in making decisions. There are teenagers that need a godly friend to point them to Jesus.

Nowadays, so many of this generation are content to be hermits or loners. Don’t be that way! God said that it is not good for man to be alone. Make it your ministry to be involved in other people’s lives.

I mentioned this earlier, but while ministry might look like work to you, to others it looks like love, care, concern, interest, and even being Christlike. Be like Jesus and be involved in the lives of others. Be involved in MINISTRY!

Are Your Words and Thoughts Acceptable?

Dan Bennett

When I was growing up I did not like going to high school. I did not like English, History, or Algebra. By the skin of my teeth, I passed Algebra 1 and 2 with a “D” grade. Even though it was just barely passing, I passed. I tried to get my Dad to allow me to quit school, but he refused. When I graduated from high school, I never imagined that I would ever go to college, because I was not considered “college material.”

Even though I attended church regularly as a preacher’s kid, I was not a Christian. It wasn’t until I was twenty-two years old that I became a Christian. Within two months of being born-again, I found myself at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Because of my poor study habits and bad grades in high school, I really struggled in college. I didn’t know how to study. There were some classes that I had to take three times before I passed the course.

When I met Becky (now my wife), she helped me with my classes and assignments, and my grades improved. By the time I was in my junior and senior years of college, I passed Greek 1 and 2 with A’s. That was nothing short of miraculous!

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

If you were given a grade for your words and thoughts, would they be “passing” grades in God’s sight? Would your words and thoughts be acceptable, or would they be unacceptable?

As Christians, we should do all to the glory of God, and that includes our words and thoughts. We should purposefully strive to get “passing grades” with the words we say and the thoughts we think. I’m not talking about being satisfied with getting a “D-” as that is just barely passing. No, we should do all we can to get an “A+” in our words and thoughts. In fact, I think it would be good if we strived to not only say or think what is acceptable, but we should have a goal to have words and thoughts that are exceptionally good for the glory of God.

If you stop and think about it, there’s not much difference between a D- and a F+. Our words and thoughts should be far above what the average unbeliever says and thinks.

While you may not always get an A+ after every “test” you may have, that should be your goal. How can you improve your “grades?” The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

May your words and thoughts be acceptable in God’s sight today, and every day!

Do You Have a Life Verse?

Dan Bennett

I don’t know who started this, but as long as I can remember, every Christian seems to have a “life verse” from the Bible. My dad’s life verse was John 3:30. (He must increase, but I must decrease.) I thought that was a good life verse, so I copied my dad and made it my life verse, as well.

After forty years of having John 3:30 as my life verse, I think it’s time to make a change. Yes, Jesus must increase, and we must decrease. However, as Christians, we must never forget or neglect our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission of Mark 16:15: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

This world needs Jesus. The world population is over eight billion people, and the vast majority have not even heard the gospel message one time. It is our responsibility as Christians to preach the gospel to those with whom we come in contact. Do your neighbors know that you are a Christian? Don’t assume they know just because you back out of your driveway on most Sundays.

I think it would be a good idea if every Christian would change their life verse to Romans 1:16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” If every Christian would make this their life verse, memorize it, say it out loud before you leave your house, and say it every time you get out of your car, then more people would probably get saved.

It’s easy to say you’re not ashamed, but when was the last time you shared the gospel with someone? The opposite of being ashamed is to boldly share the gospel with everyone. Carry gospel tracts with you at all times – lots of tracts – and take advantage of the opportunities that God gives you to tell someone what Jesus did for you.

One of the characteristics of the early church was boldness (Acts 4:13,29,31; Philippians 1:20). May God give you boldness to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ without being afraid or ashamed.

Prayer Warrior or Prayer Wimp?

Dan Bennett

The Bible teaches us in Ephesians 6:10-18 that we are in a spiritual warfare. Our fight is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual, wicked, demonic forces. For that reason, we are instructed to put on the whole armor of God. The Apostle Paul tells us to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). One of our weapons is the Sword of the Spirit. Just as a good soldier does not go into battle unarmed, we also must fight our spiritual battles armed and ready.

Part of our spiritual armor that is of utmost importance – that we had better not leave off – is prayer. We are told to pray without ceasing. Prayer must not be neglected because when we pray, we get in touch with God. Our guidance, our strength, our power comes from God. Just as we are to be spiritual warriors, we must also be prayer warriors.

However, when the Christian does not take advantage of and utilize this tremendous weapon, he is not trusting in God, but he’s going into battle in his own strength, or rather, in weakness. You don’t stand a chance against your spiritual enemy without God. If you do not pray as you should, then you will not be a prayer warrior, but a prayer “wimp.” You will not be a spiritual warrior if you are a prayer wimp.

In order to become a prayer warrior, one must dedicate oneself to going from a wimp to a warrior. Although it’s not difficult, it’s not easy. It requires time. Time alone with God. Time away from your smartphone and computer. Time away from brain-dead entertainment. Time away from worldly distractions. Many Christians are prayer wimps because they aren’t willing to dedicate themselves to the time required to become a warrior.

Becoming a prayer warrior requires humility. It demands being humble before God in childlike prayer, on your knees, as you seek God’s face and His heart. A prayer warrior recognizes his need for the Almighty on a daily basis, and will bow before His presence in humble servitude to ask for His help.

A prayer wimp will shoot off a thirty-second prayer as he scurries off to his other pressing duties of the day. A prayer warrior will take the necessary time to “suit up” with the whole armor of God, and not run out to face the enemy without taking the time to prepare for the battle.

Sadly, there aren’t too many spiritual warriors and prayer warriors in the churches of today, but churches are filled with spiritual wimps and prayer wimps.

Fellow Christian, how’s your prayer life? Would you be considered a prayer warrior or a prayer wimp? It’s past time for Christians in the twenty-first century to stop being spiritual wimps, put down their electronic toys, and get serious about spiritual things.

Are you a prayer warrior or a prayer wimp?

Sunday Dinner

Dan Bennett

Sunday dinner is not just a normal meal at my in-law’s house, but it’s more like a weekly family reunion of the Walters family.  My mother-in-law starts preparing Sunday dinner on Saturday evening. No, she’s not making Saturday’s supper, so don’t even think about digging in until Sunday after church!

The preparation continues early Sunday morning before she eats breakfast. Sunday dinner is a special time as we gather round the big table and wait for my father-in-law to pray. “Dad” is always mindful about thanking “Mom/Nanny” for the hard work she has done in making dinner for us all, and then he thanks the Lord for the food, and he thanks the Lord for Mom.

Mom has been doing this for many years, and there’s not many Sundays that she is unable to do it, unless she is not feeling well, or she’s out of town with Dad. Not only does she serve lots of delicious food (and always some type of dessert), but she puts in a good deal of time, energy, thought, preparation and work.

With all of that being said, there is one more thing that goes into this whole process, and that thing is a huge amount of love. There’s lots of preparation that goes into this weekly shindig, and there’s a good bit of cleanup after all is said and eaten. Why does Mom do this week after week, month after month, year after year, and decade after decade? It’s because she loves me, her favorite son-in-law! Of course, that’s not the reason because we have spent most of the past twenty-four years in Brazil. Simply put, Mom/Nanny loves her family, in spite of all the different idiosyncrasies each family has. (Some of my sisters-in-law have some pretty weird ways!)  LOL.

We don’t go to my in-law’s house each Sunday because we “have” to, but because we love her, we appreciate all that she does for us, and because we like to eat her wonderful homemade food. When my family is Stateside and in South Carolina, we count it a privilege to have Sunday dinner with the family. No one at our church needs to ask if I want to go out to a restaurant to eat Sunday dinner. No! (Duh.) I don’t even need to think about it or consult with my wife. The place for all the family to be for Sunday dinner is at my in-law’s house. It’s not a choice we have to think about because it’s automatic. It’s Sunday, and we’re going! If someone wants to take us out to eat, well, let’s go out between Monday and Saturday.

The past two weeks have been rough for my mother-in-law, but she doesn’t like it when someone makes a “fuss” over her when she’s not feeling well. When she was taken by ambulance to the hospital last Friday I was very concerned, and prayed for her a lot that afternoon and evening. I was greatly relieved when I found out that she was feeling better and able to go home. I was also somewhat surprised – though not entirely – that she was at church today, and even in her usual spot of interpreting for the deaf. I don’t know if she fixed Sunday dinner for the family today (I’m in Brazil as I write this), but even though she shouldn’t have, she probably did.

Let me finish my sentimental rambling by saying that I am grateful to God for the wife that I have, and for the mother-in-law that I have. I love her, and she says she loves me (maybe because I did my part in contributing to the majority of her grandchildren, or maybe because I live thousands of miles away). I wanted to let her know that what she does is not unnoticed or unappreciated. As long as I live I will never forget Sunday dinner at Dad and Mom’s house.

Whether it’s Sunday dinner, pizza-movie night, or whatever your family traditionally does, don’t squander those precious times together as a family, but hold on to those times as long as possible. The “good old days” that you will one day look back on are happening right now.

I missed Mom’s Sunday dinner today because I returned to Brazil a few days ago, but I sure could go for a plate of her stewed beef and rice, green beans, and banana pudding!

Friends, don’t take your family for granted. Love them, tell them that you love them, but most of all, show them that you love them. Love your family more than you love your smartphone. You will never regret the time you spend with family members that love you, but you will regret it if you miss an opportunity that you will never have again.

I love Sunday dinner with the family!

A Desire for God

Dan Bennett

What does a desire for God look like? The word desire has different meanings, as do many words, but the principal meaning is “to long for, or to crave something.”

People have different degrees of desire, such as a desire to visit a foreign country, get a good education or a good job, and have a meaningful relationship with someone of the opposite sex. Many people work hard to save money, study, or whatever it takes to fulfill their desires, even making sacrifices to accomplish their goals, dreams, and desires.

Edward McKendree (E. M.) Bounds was a man of prayer, and he is credited with saying, “A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after it has indulged itself fully.”

For the Christian, a desire for God should be greater than anything else. If you can get up at 4:00 o’clock AM on Black Friday to go shopping, or get up before dawn to go hunting, but you can’t break the chains of sleep to spend time with God, then your desire, love, and commitment to God is a weak thing.

Going back to my original question, what does a desire for God look like? It looks like someone who sets their alarm early in order to pray and read God’s Word. It looks like a committed Christian on his/her knees in prayer to ask forgiveness, guidance, to worship, praise, and make supplication for others. It looks like a saint of God with an open Bible – not a digital, electronic app – that has a desire to learn, grow, and draw closer to God.

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God and He will draw thy to you.” No one draws nigh to God by accident. To draw nigh to God requires a desire to draw nigh which not too many Christians possess. By the way, yes, I know this is the 21st century, and I know that it’s hard to separate time for God. However, it all boils down to how great your desire is for God, and it shouldn’t be that difficult to draw nigh to the One that loves you with an everlasting love.