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But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (ESV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) Have you ever noticed the beauty of fragmented pieces of material coming together, to formulate beautiful artwork known as a mosaic? The material can be made from stones, tiles, or the most popular material, glass. Many mosaic pieces can be found in stained glass windows of a church, artwork in a museum, or even perhaps, the artwork found in a person’s home. The main beauty of mosaics is the fragmented pieces of material that come together. When you look at these broken pieces apart from one another, you would at first think it is just junk or trash. You would think it’s not worth keeping and that it should be thrown away. However, by cleaning the pieces and then using imagination, one can bring these fragmented pieces together to form a beautiful work of art. Many of us should look at the broken and fragmented pieces of our lives, the failures, disappointments, losses, etc., and see them as still being useful to God. Instead of becoming discouraged and despondent, may we take a step back and look at our lives through God’s eyes. May we then look to trust our Heavenly Father, the Master Creator, to craft our beautiful mosaic. God can take the broken and tarnished pieces of our lives and weave them into a beautiful mosaic to shine before others. Some may be quick to discard however, God sees the beauty of my brokenness and yours and begins to put the various fragments together with love. Then what comes forth is God’s magnificent work of art that is our lives, which will become our testimony. Our lives are God’s mosaics. We all have many imperfections, but God’s beauty will eventually come forth when we allow the Master Creator to shape and formulate our lives. And once God has artfully put together the fragmented pieces, let us share with others the love and care we received, from our Heavenly Father. May others see and believe how God has given us beauty for ashes. (Isa.61:3, KJV) As God’s children whose fragmented lives He formed into a beautiful mosaic, may we go forward in life shining for all the world to see. May we allow the world to witness, how God turned brokenness into beauty. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, Philippians 1:9 (ESV) Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (ESV) When a person is contemplating a serious relationship that will lead to marriage, they must be careful about who they choose as a life partner. At times, a person’s actions and decisions can be influenced by the world, instead of God’s word, when seeking a mate for life. Many may panic when they see all their friends getting married and having children and they are still single. And since they do not want to be “left behind”, they will quickly enter a relationship and rush to get married before they have taken the time, to fully vet their potential life partner. They will rush into this permanent commitment not really knowing the other person’s true nature or true character, especially during stressful life events. God calls for each of us to be discerning when choosing a life partner. If we ask Him and follow His Holy word, He will gladly give us discerning wisdom to guide us throughout life, especially when choosing a mate. There are many great men and women in the Bible to choose from as role models however, for this post, I chose Joseph and Mary. Before Joseph ascended to his position as second in command behind Pharaoh in Egypt, he worked for many years as a high-ranking servant. As a manager of Potiphar’s entire household, he had ample opportunity to lie, cheat, steal, and commit adultery with Potiphar’s wife. However, even though he was constantly tempted, he held fast to his convictions and to God’s ways, and he resolved not to give in to sin. When reading Joseph’s story in the Bible, it is clear he sought to display Godly integrity throughout his lifetime. In choosing a Mary, (Mary the mother of Jesus) choose a woman who not only listens to God but truly desires to always follow His precepts. Mary was a young woman God chose to carry and give birth to the Son of God, Jesus. God would not just choose anyone to fulfill this very important duty of giving birth and raising Jesus to manhood. From the Bible, Mary displayed characteristics of a willing and obedient daughter of God, trusting and believing in Him, despite not knowing her future. When a man is choosing a wife, she may have an upbeat bubbly personality, or she may be quiet and shy. Whatever her personality, watch to see if she displays kindness, wisdom, and a Godly character. In choosing a life partner, seek someone with the qualities listed above. Seek someone you can trust explicitly and wholeheartedly. A life partner who when faced with temptations, will turn away, even run away, if need be, so they will not fall prey to sinful traps. Find a mate that will not just put on a performance in front of others, and then turn into someone totally different when you are alone without an audience. Take notice of their behaviors and personality. DO NOT IGNORE red flag warnings. When choosing a Godly life partner, get to know them by dating in a manner that will please God. Do not rush the relationship or engage in activities that are reserved only for marriage. Take your time to discover their true character and life goals. Find out their passions and ideas, about God and life. Take your time to find out what is truly most important to them. Seek a Joseph or seek a Mary. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 (ESV) But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (ESV) Imagine a beautiful sunny day and you are taking a drive along a picturesque scenic roadway. Up ahead is a red light but, you don’t want to stop. You just want to keep going, not wanting to be bothered with stopping. Do you stop and obey the red light, or do you keep going and potentially cause a very serious accident? I do believe everyone reading this would stop and obey. Why? Because they know this rule is put in place to protect everyone from harm. There is no one questioning this law or rule, and all understand why it was established. So, when it comes to God’s Holy word, why do people want to question it? Why do they want to challenge/question the creator of the universe for the laws He sets to govern this planet? Instead of looking at them as rules or laws, we should look at them for what they truly are, God’s loving boundaries, set in place to protect His children. Parents raising their children know that boundaries must be in place, for them to grow up healthy and in a safe environment. All of us were children at one time and of course our parents, grandparents, and so on, had rules and boundaries in place during our upbringing. It is the same with God, who has set forth His principles, and His boundaries, as outlined in the Bible. The main set of laws God has given is known as the ten commandments. Within the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one will find God’s precious boundaries He has given for living righteously. Everyone should look at the Holy Bible as the blueprint to living our best life. In His word, God shares how we should behave in our relationship with Him, as well as our behavior/treatment of each other. The first tablet of the ten commandments talks about our relationship with our Heavenly Father. The second tablet discusses our relationship with one another. If everyone on this planet adheres to keeping these loving boundaries (commandments) that God has given, this world would be a far different place than it is right now. Many times, humans feel they have all the answers, and they are in command of their own lives. They feel they can make their own choices and do whatever they want when they want. And to a great extent, this is true because God has given humanity the beautiful gift of free will. But depending on the choices one makes, there could be detrimental consequences that can produce ripple effects. These ripples can impact not only the individual but their loved ones, as well as others who are in their orbit. But, if we choose to keep the boundaries set forth by God, they will help us stay the course of life, and protect us and others, from unnecessary grief. All of us have transgressed and broken faith with God and His boundaries during some course of our lifetime. And unfortunately, we probably will again. The problem comes when we are continuously transgressing, and not even trying to do what is right. Not trying to stay within the boundaries He has set. In addition, by breaking His laws we also unknowingly influence/encourage others to follow in our footsteps. We see this happening now in our world, where sinful acts seem to perpetuate from generation to generation and are getting worse as time moves on. This continued downfall is evidenced in the degradation of mankind that we now have in our world. I encourage everyone to take time to learn and apply the loving boundaries God wants all of us to follow. I hope we all seek to develop and maintain a relationship with Him, in addition to establishing a Godly relationship with others. May we all choose to see God’s rules/laws, His boundaries, as instructions from a loving Father to His children. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… 1 Samuel 15:22 We are all gifted with talents and various abilities given by God. And there are some whose talents are recognized, lifted, and praised, more than others. Throughout the Bible, God is not pleased when we use our gifts and talents seeking to point the light or recognition towards ourselves, what we can do, as opposed to what God has done through us. God does not like any of His children to be filled with sinful pride and large egos. He is not happy when a person feels they are better than or above others, especially those gifted with grand/recognizable talents. Those who possess extraordinary talents, that receive constant praise and admiration, need to be on guard so as to not let this attention cause them to swell with pride and inflate their egos. God longs for us all to use the gifts and talents He’s given to point others to Him and to encourage others to seek to have a relationship with Him. And in time those who come into a relationship with Him, it is desirable that they will be encouraged as well, to begin using their gifts to point others to God. But, to answer the question in our title for today, let us look to Proverbs 21:3. God’s word basically says He does not want our sacrifices or our gifts to be offered if we are unrighteous and do not practice justice. God would much rather our characters show integrity and that we continually practice righteousness/justice, than offer our gifts/talents and be lacking in those areas. If you have wronged someone, God would rather you first go make it right (as much as possible) with that other person, then feel free to offer your gifts/talents before Him, Matthew 5:23-24. We honor God by using our talents to bring others into a relationship with Him. However, to do so knowing you have wronged another or, you are full of pride and conceit, does not please God at all. So, does God want gifts over obedience? No! He would rather we diligently seek to follow His teachings first, then look to share our gifts/talents with others. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) The definition of gratitude is this: “The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” I read a recent article where the writer mentioned gratitude being the one key element and foundation that he adhered to in life. For example, having a bad day where everything seemed to be going wrong, he states he would stop and begin to be thankful, showing gratitude for what he has already been given up to now. He would seek to show true appreciation for what has happened thus far in his life experiences. All of us, no matter the life we have lived, can choose to have gratitude be a constant daily companion. Some of us carry a heavy load of burdens compared to others however, we can still seek to show gratitude to God, for what He has done and for His constant provisions. In being grateful for the present, we can learn to exercise our faith and trust in God, knowing He will provide in the future as well. Recently, I had to put this practice of seeking gratitude to the test. Having gone through a very rough and emotionally down week, I was just not at my best. I looked at the notes I had for this weeks’ blog post and begin to smile. Right then I decided to stop thinking of the problems and setbacks, and instead, I began to praise and thank God for what I had been given, and for what He brought me through in the past. As I did this, the problems did not go away but, my attitude toward them changed drastically. After spending just, a moment thanking and praising God, a moment of being grateful, I gained a fresh outlook and strength, to move forward and conquer my challenges. So, for today and always, seek to show gratitude for all you have been given thus far in life. When the stress and strain of life press in, make the choice to practice gratitude and give praises to God for what He has done and for what He will do in the future. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

At the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. Jonah 2:6 (ESV) He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. Daniel 2:22 (ESV). During our life’s journey, we all will experience times spent in the valleys of life. The valley low periods are usually characterized as very painful and dark moments of time. During this time, one may experience a host of negative emotions that can weigh you down mentally, emotionally, spiritually, as well as physically. While in the valley low season, it is sometimes hard to see a clear path out of the darkness and pain. Many may tell you to “hang in there” or “this time will not always last” however, while you are in the midst of your low period, these caring encouragements at times, may seem empty and hallow. Today for Christians, is Good Friday. It is remembered and honored as the day Jesus Christ was crucified. The day He offered Himself up as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Jesus suffered unbelievable cruelty prior to His crucifixion and experienced a very painful and dark time while praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed to God the Father, pleading to not have to go through what was to come. He was in a low valley moment, gripped with sorrow, loneliness, and great pain. Yet despite this dark period, He kept moving forward with faith in God’s plan. When we go through dark and painful times in life, we too need to hold on and have complete trust and active faith in God, despite the current situation. Having active faith is believing in a better outcome, even if you cannot feel or see it in the present. It is intellectually choosing to believe and trust God to make a way, out of the darkness into His glorious light. While in a valley low period of life, seek to take positive action/steps, in order to begin healing. Don’t just wallow and wait for God to do all the work. Instead, He calls us to actively participate in finding the healthy healing and comfort, we will need during that time. If we ask Him, He will give us strength and His wisdom, to navigate moving forward. Here are some steps to take in moving through this period: Be dedicated to Bible study/prayer, as it is essential during this time, and always. In studying the Bible, select topics that address your situation. For example, verses on faith, hope, trust, and love. Begin studying the entire Bible (Old and New Testament) on these topics. And always keep in mind, studying the Bible is a journey; you will find the strength, as you keep moving forward. Also, during this time it is important to connect with Godly family members, friends, and a spiritual counselor/pastor for guidance. In addition, some may need to also seek out a licensed therapist as well. Do not feel ashamed to reach out to others for help as you heal. Please do not try and go through this challenging time all alone. And one must take care of the physical body as well. Get exercise, rest, and try to eat healthy meals. Taking care of our physical bodies during this time is just as important as the spiritual and mental aspects. We must remember that this low point in your life will eventually pass. During this time, you can learn to grow your faith and trust in God, as well as yourself. Always know God loves you, and is with you, no matter what the future may hold. Continue moving forward during the valley low period, trusting/believing in God, even if you can only see, just a few feet ahead. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord! Psalm 144:15 (ESV) But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Psalm 68:3 (ESV) Mountain top experiences in life should be thoroughly appreciated and celebrated for what God has done in our lives. I have spoken to individuals who feel guilty at times for the joyous occasions they are experiencing in that stage of their life. They are plagued with feelings of unworthiness. And many are not able to totally relax and enjoy their mountaintop experiences. They allow worry and doubt to cause them to feel that at any time, something bad will happen. Our Father God does not want any of us to live life fearful or anxious, as if something bad will happen at any moment. Of course, it is true that life takes on a roller coaster scenario where one can have mountain top highs and valley lows, as well as all the various levels in between. However, while in your mountaintop season, embrace the time and the experience, always seeking to be thankful and giving praises to God. During this time, share your testimony with others on how God has brought you through the various difficulties of your life. Some people may be reluctant to share their testimony, knowing that others are currently struggling. However, when appropriate, and taking care to be tactful, you should testify of God’s goodness. You may never know, how seeing and hearing how God brought you through difficulties, will be the encouragement someone else may need. There will be times when it seems hard to fully relax and enjoy your mountaintop when you look around at those in your world and the world at large. There will be others struggling and going through hard times. And of course, your heart and prayers will always go out to others who need their own mountaintop experience. But ultimately, we need to leave them in God’s care and His timing for their lives. Seasons of life -the mountain top experience: Embrace it, enjoy it, and thank God for the bountiful provisions, He has bestowed on our lives. Next week: Seasons of Life -Valley Lows Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32 (ESV) This past week at the Oscars 2022, everyone is commenting on the altercation between the actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock. There have been so many articles, videos, tweets, podcasts, etc. about this opinion or that opinion. People seem to take sides and be either on Team Will or Team Chris. However, I would like to pause and transition from that incident and use this opportunity for us to reflect on a personal level. I would like to ask the question: “How are you prepared when someone triggers your anger?” How are you going to react? It is easy to wag our fingers and shake our heads in disgust toward another’s actions. To condemn and criticize another individual on their behavior. However, what if it happens to you? If someone comes up to you, your spouse, your girlfriend/boyfriend, your child, and verbally assault them, how will you respond? Let’s imagine for a moment an individual verbally attacking your child in front of you. Your blood begins to boil, and your anger is at its height. How are you going to react? Are you going to be calm and cool at that moment? Or are you going to snap and “lose it”? And if you “lose it”, what does that look like for you? Now, while we are calm and in a rational state of mind, is the time to assess who we are and what are our triggers. Now is the time to see if our triggers are being brought out due to past hurts and traumas, or due to current events. While we are in a rational state of mind, we need to seek to work on our mental, emotional, and spiritual selves. So that when our anger is triggered, we will be able to respond the way God would expect, as His children. Every human being has the capacity to overreact to situations and to lash out when they are hurt and upset. And, it is definitely not good for that overreaction, to cause harm to another. As we develop in life and as our characters are forming, we need to consistently pray and study Jesus’ way of non-violence. We need to make sure our choices for our lives, are infused with God’s ideal characteristics. We must all do the necessary work of managing our emotions, as well as our view of other individuals and the world in which we all inhabit. We need to continually keep ourselves before God and allow His principles to ruminate inside our hearts and our minds. Then, when we find ourselves in adverse situations hopefully, we will choose the high road. Prayerfully, we will choose to react in a way that truly pleases others, and God. Blessings, Angélique To contact:  Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Proclaiming thanksgiving aloud and telling all your wondrous deeds. Psalm 26:7 (ESV) I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation, I will praise you… Psalm 22:22 (ESV) All of us have a testimony. Every human being has gone through hurts, trials, and tribulations, from time to time, throughout the course of life. And it is safe to say, no one wants to go through the low valleys or the hard times of life. Most of us can remember the heartaches, the loneliness, the stress, the anger, and so many other unpleasant emotions during that time. However, once we have gone through and come out on the other side of that pain, I pray we have matured and become stronger in the process. I pray we will then share our testimony with others, to help them on their journey. The first four letters in the word testimony spell test. All of us will have a testing time and/or times, as we journey through life. As we’re going through trials, if we continuously lean on God and His word, He will guide us through those very difficult periods of life. After we have come through, the strength and endurance we developed, as a result, will help prepare us for any future difficulties, as well as give us the ability to help family and friends, through their trials. During our fiery trials, we sometimes forget we are not alone. We must remember others have gone through or, are in the midst of going through, the same difficulties at the same time. We at times isolate ourselves in our thoughts and begin thinking, I’m the only one going through this trial/tribulation. Even the Prophet Elijah (1Kings 19:14, 18) became scared and ran telling God he was the only one left that has not bowed down to other gods in Israel. However, God had to remind him that no, there are still over 7000 left. God had to help him realize he was not alone, there were others, just like him. As we continue on life’s journey, may we continue to fight for what is right and continue to hold ourselves close to God. May we hold onto His promises and move forward in life, never giving up. We have to realize God will be there, even if we cannot see our way through, or feel Him near. Remember, there may be lessons we need to learn, as we go through testing and trials. May we be encouraged to share our testimonies with others. As God states in Revelation 12:11, “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” By sharing with others, we not only are helping them stay the course and not give up but, we are also helping ourselves to heal and grow even stronger. Always be willing to share your story, your testimony of how God brought you through. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11 (ESV) I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17 (ESV) Are you one to seek God, have a daily walk with Him, no matter the circumstances? Or are you one to only cry out to God when things are going wrong, and you need Him to “magically” make everything better? At times when things are going well in life, when our problems and/or cares seem mild, we may tend to loosen up on our Bible study and private time we spend with God. When we are at the mountain top of life, we can sometimes become complacent with our spiritual walk, our spiritual growth. However, whether we are in times of plenty, and life is going well or, if we’re in times of want and great need, we still should always praise and thank God. We should continuously seek to grow spiritually and learn from His Holy word and apply it to our lives. At all times, we should constantly seek to keep a connection with our Father in Heaven. And we should not look to keep this connection because we fear something bad will happen if we do not. But we choose to keep the connection because He is our source of life, light, and goodness. We must constantly remind ourselves that this world is dying and is full of sin and wickedness. Deceptive practices abound, and we could easily be led astray and into traps, the evil one has cleverly set. If we are not careful, we may find ourselves going down a dark path, one God never intended we should travel. But when we constantly keep that Godly connection, we will ask for Him to continuously give us His discerning spirit. With this holy discernment, we will be able to know what is right and what is wrong. We will be able to understand how we are to behave and navigate this world full of negative vices and individuals. There are situations that seem harmless and individuals who are deceptively charming. Without holy discernment, you can be deceived into thinking it is okay to become involved with this situation and/or individual. We could be pulled into their world and/or allow them to be granted access, into our inner circle of influence. But, if we continue to keep our connection with God, we will discover these individuals are wolves in sheep’s clothing as stated in Mat. 7:15. Due to what we are up against in this life, we realize it is imperative we constantly seek God. We need to continuously keep His ways and His word ever before us daily. We need to always ask for His discernment, so we will be able to distinguish what’s true, noble, and good, as opposed, to what is sinfully wicked and charming. In addition, we need to seek God daily not just to ask from Him all the time but, to just say thank you for all He has done and continues to do. We should not just seek God only for what we want, but just to say thank you and how much we love Him as well. Angélique Blessings, To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. Psalm 46:5 (ESV) And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45 (ESV) As I write this post, the world is celebrating and honoring women today, Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, with International Women’s Day. In actuality, the entire month of March is set aside to honor women throughout history. So, I would like to take a moment to help celebrate the beautiful human beings God created when He formed the woman. Throughout Earth’s history, women have played a crucial role in humanity. They have been mothers, either physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually to many. They have given birth to all humans since the creation of Eve in the Garden of Eden until now. They have loved, nurtured, and guided us all, in some form or fashion throughout our lives. From the beginning of Earth’s history until now, they have endured hardships as well as celebrated happiness; they have experienced times of anxieties and rested in times of peace. They come from all corners of this world and have different stories and backgrounds. But as one collective, they embody what God has envisioned when He created woman. As we look to the rest of March and beyond, let us remember the beautiful history of what women have achieved. From helping the poor, to politically fighting for the disenfranchised, to discovering cures as scientists/physicians, to the discovery of sending men to the moon, as well as the discovery of the modern-day GPS system. There are numerous other historical and even modern-day accomplishments, that we can go on and on in tribute to women. I would like to encourage us all to honor all the women in our lives. Whether they are a parent, a sibling, other relatives, a co-worker, a church member, the service industry worker, healthcare provider, etc. Let us give thanks to God for the women He has placed in our lives. For the incredible work and inspiration they have done and, for all, they continue to do on a daily basis. Happy Women’s History Month to God’s beautiful women! Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom… Matthew 24:6-7 (ESV) Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 (ESV) The verses for today remind us of what will take place before Jesus returns. Now truth be told, in times past there have been wars and rumors of wars, as stated in these verses and yet, God has not returned. However, most Bible scholars, from various religious backgrounds have agreed, we are truly living in the last days of Earth’s history. So that begs the question to be asked, “Are you ready for when Jesus returns? Are you living your life in such a way that if He returns today, you’ll be ready to go with Him?” A lot of people want to know the exact time of when God returns, so they can perhaps live their lives as they want, up until that time. If they knew the exact day when He is to come, they would erroneously think they could “clean up”, be good, and then seek to be kind to all. However, God has kept the exact time of His return from His children. He wants us to wholeheartedly embrace a life of goodness and to make the right choices always. His desire is for us to prepare our characters as well as our lives, to be ready to live for eternity, together in Heaven. At times it is not easy to live righteously here on Earth. There are so many non-Godly distractions and temptations, that seek to constantly lure us away from being the children God desires. However, despite the temptations, we all have the ability to choose the right path in life; to make honorable choices that are steeped in Godly integrity. Whether the temptation is from home, work, school, or church, we all can choose to do what is right, each and every time. Is there pleasure in sinful desires and temptations? A lot of the time yes. But will it lead to destruction, either physical, emotional, and/or spiritual? Yes, it always does. Sinful pleasures may feel good and fill you for the moment, but eventually, they will leave you cold and empty. And if one continues down this sinful/destructive path until God returns, they will be eternally separated from Him. Like any good parent, God loves all His children and does not want any of them to be lost. He longs for a personal relationship with each one. However, He will not force anyone to choose Him. Without using force but with love, He will guide us in the direction of choosing the right paths throughout our lives. By way of His holy word, He gives us instructions on how to manifest and live a righteous life. Daily seek God through prayer, Bible study and attend a Bible-believing/teaching church. Continue to say no, and stay away from, sinful temptations and wrong choices. Choose to live life to the full but, with Godly principles and integrity. Then we can be assured when Jesus returns, we will be ready. Blessings, Angélique To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com