How I love the spring and summer.  My spirit is in touch with the singing of the birds, the smell of new flowers blooming and the mowing of fresh cut grass.  This is the time of year that I really enjoy.  I try to spend more time outside on the sunny days and watch out for the rainy days.  I remember my grandmother singing in our house when I was a little boy. She sang some song about April showers bringing in May flowers.  Then she would say to me each spring when I wanted to go outside and play, “Now watch and pray, son. Watch first and then pray.”  I really did not pay much attention to her as a young boy, but now I would love to hear her say those words one more time.  Oh, how I miss those days with my grandmother.  Life has really changed so much since those days when grandmother would visit.  She would love to tell us the stories about Jesus, and how He would be coming soon to take us with Him to heaven, where everything will be perfect all the time.

           "WAKE UP RICK!  Your dreaming. Look around you,"  I say to myself.  Mamaw Bell was right about the stories she use to share with me about the en

f year and connect with my grand children.  I know they will probably do the same things I use to do with my grandmother.  But they will grow to appreciate their relationship with me just like I enjoyed my relationship with her.

  Johnny Cash wrote a song called Matthew 24.  I heard his sister Joanne Cash Yates sing it one Sunday morning recently.  The lyrics in the song are so powerful and true to the times we live in now. The amazing words are in Matthew 24: 4-8, "Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you.' For many will come in my name, claiming, I am the Christ, and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginnings of the birth pains." 

               The constant wars and rumors of war; the news of major earthquakes, volcanoes, tornados, floods, dangerous rainstorms have all been reported in today's current events.  These are all things that are happening NOW.  It's apparent to me that mankind lacks the ability to control any of these events on his own.

 So, what can we as followers of Jesus do?  How do we need to prepare ourselves for this new season?  Should we be busy spreading the Gospel like never before?  Yes!  I realize that I am supposed to be spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ all around the world (see Matt 28:18-20).  I remember in 2006 I felt like America needed to get back to the basics and have a Revival, like we use to have in the old days.  When I was a young man, every summer we use to go to the Tent Revivals, Church Revivals, Home Coming Revivals, and even Street Revivals. These were times when we could revisit God's amazing mercy on us and repent of our evil ways and return to God.  The Lord may be giving us time on this earth to realize our sin and His amazing grace.  So if we, as a nation repent, God would fulfill his desire to fill the Kingdom of Heaven with his devoted children.

All I have on my hands these days is time.  I need your help Lord. I will have to rethink my ways of doing things.  The economy is down right now and there are very few jobs to help finance such an idea as a Revival. But, maybe it will work.  Let’s face it, I am writing an article for the Christian Country Gospel News.  These are the same letters I have been writing to you for many years, and maybe someone else has the same calling.  I am also singing on the radio with some of the best Country Gospel singers in the world.  Now let me sow a seed of hope to my readers.  Let's return to some important concepts that have been lost in today's culture like: Honor, Mutual Respect, Kindness, Goodness and Politeness.  These words are not even used much these days, much less demonstrated.  Let’s go back to the good ole days where God was first, family was second and career was third.

Here are some exercises that may help us all get on board with the movement of the  Holy Spirit:

d times in the Bible.  I  need to honor her now by really taking this time to Honor God and One Another.

Respect God and One Another.

Love God and One Another.

Care about God and One Another.

Do this all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Share the Truth about the Holy Spirit while practicing the nine fruits of God’s own Spirit:  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience’s, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

Thank you Jesus.

I Love You, Lord.