2 Corinthians 9:6-7 ...Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly nor under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

We've all heard the saying:  "It is better to give than receive."  

And we've heard:  "You can't out-give God."

What can we give God??  Is it our obedience?

God gave us His Son ...and we are to receive Jesus.  We can give others our testimony and share the truth of what we know ...and hope they too, will receive it.

The Bible tells us to fear not those who can take our life, but those who also want our soul.

God does not want to take our life, He wants us to give it ...and it is for us to give throughout our life.  In wisdom, it's just that we may not necessarily give what others expect us to give. 

The pure and refined gold ...99.9% pure & 24-carat gold. Should we return to the Gold Standard?

Miner 49er ...my name "Meiner", is pronounced as miner.  I was teased about this, and my response was that they could laugh, but the 49ers were going to win the Superbowl.  It was the first time the Superbowl was held in Michigan, and though being a 'Yooper' and Packer fan, six games into the season I was boldly staying the San Francisco 49ers were going to win that coveted title.

If you are a football fan, you will probably remember the outcome ...but, my point here is not about football.  Nor is it about why they named the 49ers, after the California rush for mining gold.

God wants to refine us, and often the heated moments give us the chance to skim off the impurities ...to make us more pure.  Of course, we know Jesus said He came not to address the (self)righteous, but to call sinners to repentance.  Yet, the part we often miss, is the 'to repentance' part.  If we don't repent, we remain unrefined, and we have difficulty glorifying God if we can not praise Him for who He is.