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He calls himself CatMan, and he’s spent thousands of dollars transforming his physical appearance to look like a tiger. And if you’ve seen photos of him, you’d have to admit he really does look half man and half feline. He spares no expense. CatMan’s body is covered with tiger-striped tattoos. He’s also undergone countless surgical proceduresâ€"implants have been placed in his brows and in the bridge of his nose. His ears have been cut to shape in a pointed fashion and his earlobes relocated to give his ears a more cat-like appearance.

CatMan’s septum has also been relocated to stretch out and flatten his nose and his lip has been cleffedâ€" all to appear more cat-like. He’s had silicone implanted in his cheeks, upper lip and chin in order to change his profile. He wears cat-like contact lenses and has had his teeth cut and reshaped to appear tiger-like. His front teeth are split in the middle, and he has long pointed fangs in place of where his scissor teeth used to be.

Is that all? Not by a long shot! His upper lip sports labret-type piercingâ€"six on each sideâ€"that his “whiskers” thread into. You can imagine what his fingernails look like: They’re a few inches long and curl downward near the end . . . yes, just like a tiger’s. When he has the money, and has found the right surgeon, he’ll have fur sewn onto his skin.

Sound like someone’s having an identity crisis? What would motivate someone to spend thousands of dollars to look like what most of society would consider freakish? Hmmm. What motivates us to spend big bucks just to have the latest Nike laced up our feet or to wear Tommy Hilfiger’s newest creation? It’s all about identity, isn’t it?

Not only do we desire to know ourselves; we also desire to proclaim it. We want to be noticed for who we are. You may be known as the best trumpet player on your campus, the most popular student in the hallway, the girl with the golden voice, the guy who makes everyone laugh, the girl who could actually make professional basketball her profession, the future model or the one who’s headed for Broadway.

Maybe that’s what others are telling you, but what is God telling you? Who does He say you are? (Hint: It has nothing to do with your talents, skills or gifts.)

Know It!
God created you in His image, and He wants to shine through your life. Your true identity will always be found in Him.

Read It!
Psalm 139.

Pray It!
If you’ve struggled with your identity, admit that to God. Ask for His guidance in finding your identity in Him.

Isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus knows you much better than you know yourself? When you feel discouraged, hopeless and alone, He understands. Peter must have felt pretty low. After all, he boldly bragged at the Last Supper that he’d never desert Jesus â€" that He’d even die for Him. Yet when approached by a young girl in the early morning hours following Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied ever having known Jesus. He lied!

This was the same man upon whom Jesus had said He would build His church! This is the guy who walked on water and appeared with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration (the special place where Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus). Peter, one of the privileged three who was with Jesus when He raised a girl to life â€" this same Peter â€" didn’t even admit He knew Jesus when it mattered the most.

Can you imagine how low he must have felt? He failed. He boldly stated He’d follow Jesus to the end, but he blew it. Can you identify? Have you ever felt as though you didn’t deserve God’s forgiveness?

After the crucifixion, Peter went back to something familiar â€" fishing. We often do that, too, don’t we? We tend to lean toward our comfort zone when we feel insecure or intimidated. And Peter was certainly at home on the water. It was his business, his life.

But Jesus knew exactly where Peter was. (Jesus always knows where you are, too. Even in your darkest hour, Jesus knows where you are and how you feel.) And Jesus, knowing Peter would be in his boat, headed toward the beach. It was breakfast time. While Peter is still out on the water, Jesus started a fire and a fish-fry on the shore.

Peter, seeing His Lord (and smelling the fish), quickly rowed to shore and met Jesus on the sand. After they had shared breakfast, Jesus reinstated His mission for Peter. He wanted Peter to know that even though he had blown it, He still dreamed big dreams for His disciple.

Jesus instructed him to “Feed sheep.” Jesus had to repeat it three times, but Peter finally caught on that Jesus wasn’t talking about playing shepherd-man and chasing after wooly-coated animals. Peter knew that Jesus referred to His children as His sheep. Peter took the challenge â€" to feed the flock of God.

Know It!
Christ issues the same challenge to you as well. He wants you to spread the gospel and to care for His people. Are you actively doing that right now?

Read It!
Romans 8:35; John 21.

THE U IN JESUS


Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son.

And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.

You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.

And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.

Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?

The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When JesUs left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.

"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all - Just like I love U."

So many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?

It all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know,
But it all starts with U.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Because he lives we can face today, tomorrow, and eternity.

We know where we are going.

We pray for His speedy return.

NO matter what the day may bring we know he holds our future.

And LIFE IS WORTH THE LIVING JUST BECAUSE HE LIVES!

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a Carpenter, "and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the Woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and! filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

T he second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Peace" and the Storm stopped. At this time, the ! tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Please keep this moving... Pass it on, so God may inspire more people on the way.
May your day be blessed. And until we meet again, may God cradle you in the palm of His hand.