March 1, 2001 HERE'S MY HEART... The coming of Spring signals a time for "New Beginnings". For many, it is the favorite time of the year. The flowers will begin to "spring forth" from the ground, new growth will appear on the trees, birds will begin to sing with a new "aliveness", and the world, which has seemed to be asleep for the past few months, will "wake-up" and come alive once again. How discouraging and depressing could be the dark cold of Winter, if it were not for the hope of the Springtime to follow. It is a beautiful time of the year. What a wonderful comparison could be made to the Spring "freshness" of a daily walk with the Lord Jesus. In Him, every day is a new day, a new "coming to life" in the consciousness of His presence. Oh sure, we will still have the cloudy, dreary, dark days. They come to all of us. We still face challenges inherent in being "in this world, but not of this world". But often, the cloudiness, dreariness, and darkness only come to remind us of the glory the abiding peace and presence Jesus is to those who know and love Him. Is it "Springtime" in your life today? It can be. You can know Jesus in a real, personal, intimate, dynamic way today. You can receive forgiveness for your sin because He paid the price with His own blood. If you would be willingness to acknowledge before a Holy God that you are a lost sinner, be willing to turn away from that sin, open your heart, and invite Jesus to come into your life, and change your life forever, you can be saved and truly have a walk with Him. If you are willing, here is a simple prayer for you to pray: "Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I have sinned against you. I want to repent of my sin, to turn away from my life of sin, and ask you to come into my heart, to forgive me, to cleanse me, and to live with me forever. Thank you for saving me, and for forgiving me. Help me to live the rest of my life for you. In Jesus Name, Amen." If you do know Jesus as your Savior, you should have a dynamic, daily walk with Him. If that's not the case right now, does "Springtime" need to return to your life? What has happened? What's standing in the way? Why don't you, as a Christian, stop reading this article right now, bow your head, and pray something like this: "Dear God, I want the 'Springtime' to return to my life. I have allowed some things to creep into my life, things that have separated me from you...sins. I confess this (these) to you right now. Forgive me, and bring back the joy of my walk with Jesus. In His Name I pray, Amen." God bless you as you walk in the "Springtime" of His love and fellowship. And, if you prayed one of these prayers and you need to talk to somebody, give us a call at (865) 986-8801. If you need to, leave a voice mail and someone will return your call. Or e-mail me at: jclayton@dixieleebaptist.org. I would really like to hear from you. If you live in the Lenoir City, Loudon County, West Knoxville area, and you are looking for a church home, a place where you will be warmly received and made to feel at home, come visit us. We like seeing new faces! Jim Clayton, Pastor