Halarious!

We Make Life Confusing and Stressful, Not God!

IF you look at this picture to the left, it seems that the picture is moving. It looks like water is actually moving, but it really isn't.  It's our eyes and our brains that are really fooling us.  It's just an actual drawing that is made to look like it's doing something, but in reality it's doing nothing at all.  It's actually us making it confusing!

Same way with life it's us who are making life confusing and stressful.  It wasn't supposed to be this way. God had no intentions of the world being this way.  We humans have made it this way.  We put so much on ourselves it's just stupid.

Did Jesus live this way? Did Jesus have to have a master's degree and a PhD to survive in this world?  Did Jesus have to have the most prestigious job in the world? Did Jesus have to have the highest paying job?  Did he have to worry with the profit loss of his company? Did Jesus ever think of these things? NO!  Then we shouldn't either! But the world pressures us through bullying us.  We have to have money to pay our bills, and the greedy continue to raise the prices on items we really need.  So we  have to work harder and work longer so we can survive in this world.  To me it's stupid, but if I want to live a comfortable life and be able to keep up with the greed of this world I can't stay on the porch and watch the other dogs win.  Through the world's eyes we have to run with the pact or be left behind. 

Life is tough and as I get older I see it getting more stressful.  People are what make it the way it is.  You could use the phrase, "it is what it is!" But I won't, I think things could change but only if we do something to change them.  As Satan rules throughout this world and does his best to make things more complicated, it won't be any better.  Through a great amount of prayer it could become a lot better, but many won't go to God in prayer. They won't lower themselves to believe in something they cannot touch.  Greed is their God, and so it is what it is! 

For us who believe in Christ we need to look at his example of how he lived.  He didn't have the best of the best.  His intentions were not about greed or Phd's.  His intentions were about his Father in heaven. His ideals were saving the lost and getting his message across. He came to redo the world and it's thinking.  To bring our lives back to the real source of living because they had it all wrong. Living for God and not for the world was his point. Our lives should be about being the best for him not for man.  We should do our best every day to impress him not some human manager or CEO. 

Bring the real meaning of life back to our world.  Let's set our desires on him not the world and it's lies.  Be for God, and life will get better.

LIfe Is Rough, But God Can Make It Better!

In life there  are times when things are great and then things go bad, sometimes really bad!  Most days are great and then some are okay and then some days it feels like God has disappeared and our life has gone to hell.  Those are the days when I really believe God stands in the dugout of the field and allows us to pitch by ourselves. These are the days when things just go completely the wrong way. People treat you bad or just plain ignore you that you feel nonexistent.  It's a time when our faith is put to the test, God wants to see us shine through faith and beat this ugly test of life.

I remember the days leading up to  November of 2006,  things were great and then one day during that month things started bad and then my bad attitude turned very sour.  I was fired from my job!  I went four months without a job, I was looking hard but nobody seemed interested in me. I felt worthless, I was angry at the world and not too happy with God.  I was very disappointed in everything, I was not a good person to be around. After being terminated I became cocky and said to my wife somebody will hire me don't worry!  We did! I finally got my insurance license and spent a year doing that, but not much was panning from that either.

I found a radio station called Air one, it's a Christian station that became the turning point in my walk with God.  I started to see that my life had not been lived the way God wanted it to be lived.  I found humility was becoming my best friend during these hard times. I read a book by Joel Osteen that really hammered into me to start thinking about others. I found a book by Phillip Yancey that taught me about God's love and showed be how to live in his grace. I found different pieces to the puzzle that God was putting together for my life. That puzzle continues to be put together piece by piece by God's grace.

Life is hard for us all and  the speed bumps in this life are just reminders to us to become more reliant on God himself.  I'm thinking of some people I know right now that are going through some very hard times.  Life was good and then they found a speed bump to throw them off their intended path.  I wanted to share this section of my life to show that we all face battles in our lives and that through faith and humility we shall rise up in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ and continue on.

I did find a job after awhile, the pay was not good and the hours were part time, but I learned that through tough work and humility you can rise up and become better. I'm still at that current job and making much more in pay, been promoted twice in three years and I still continue to look back to where I was three years ago sweeping floors, loading heavy bricks and mulch to ungrateful customers.  Yet, it inspires me to think that God hired me at this job, he gave me what I needed and I showed him what I was made of.  He made me more faithful and toughened me up through humilty. This little phrase here is now how I see life.  Life is what you make it, by faith is how you build it!     Please stay strong in God and he will show you the great things he has in store for you.

Unplugged from the World!

This is how  I feel right now, I want to be unplugged for a while, detached from everything.  Just a day or two to be rested from life itself, I want to have somebody take me away like the Calgon commercial states.  A day where all of life's worries, drama and its lies just go somewhere and just leave me be.

It seems that some new worry always comes up to pop its head out, and looks me in the eye's and says, " some day I will have to be faced."  A bill that you know is coming up and somehow you have to find the ways and means to pay it.

There is always something in the news that makes you feel some type of worry. Our world feeds on fear, the news feels it has to put you on the edge of your seat.  Our country is going to fall apart if we don't quit spending. Or they tell us about new studies about new ways we can get cancer.  It's too much! That's why I quit watching the news, it's not my cup of tea.

Why does life have to suck everything out of us? Why can't we just enjoy life? Why do we dwell on fear?  It just makes absolutely no sense!

I have no answer to those questions, but I do know if you go to God and give your worries to him it can make life much easier.  Our world would be a much better place if Satan was gone and out of our lives, for he is the one causing all these problems. 

What would happen if the entire world put their faith in God? What would happen if every soul on Earth would all pray at the same time? What would happen if we gave all our worries to God above?

The answer? The world would be a better place!  Enough said! Go to God now and have a little conversation, and see how life starts out tomorrow. It'll be a little better.

Neglecting God

As we reached the final day of our vacation in Destin, Florida we awoke to this.  A water spout directly in front of our resort room window. WOW!
When we  were getting out of bed I asked my son Brayden to open the curtains up to see if it was raining out. It had been thundering all morning and I guess I just wanted my eyes to prove what my ears had been hearing. I didn't expect to see this!

All week I would go out on the balcony (which was 17 floors up) and just look at the beauty of God and consider the size of the ocean.  It was big and I was small, that was when I saw the enormous power of our God.  I thought about the strength of the ocean and all the things that live in it. It was too much to behold. 
At night I would look out to the sky and you could see far into space.  Shooting stars were doing their thing and other stars would just twinkle.  Again  it was too much to behold for someone as small as me.

I believe truly that God was showing off to me his work in his creation, that he wanted me to think about such things and be drawn closer to him.  As I jumped out of bed and saw this water spout I  was in awe of his creation. I still believe he had something else to show me and there it was.  It was not threatening to me but very neat.  I still can't believe it happened the way it did. Thank you Lord!

This all happened to allow me to make a decision about writing a book.  I am a very observant person, I like to see the world around me.  I observe people all the time, I watch their behavior and their facial expressions. I listen to what people say around me and think about what they say and put it into perspective with God's will. I observe my own self and think about how my actions go with God's will.  I'm not perfect!

I think if you truly look at us humans we are an ignorant race of people.  We are neglectful of God, our lives are more important than anything else.  God thinks differently about that.  He wants us to have fun in life and enjoy things he has blessed us with.  But we don't honor God the way we should.  There are so many ways we can honor  God, and  I don't think we have done that yet.

Every day we should thank God for what he has given us, and in return we should think less of ourselves and more about him and others less fortunate than us.  Grace is a gift from him but we shouldn't be ignorant of it. We should be thankful for it and not abuse it by not giving back to him.

The title of this book will be "Neglecting God."  I ask for your prayers on this effort and pray I won't procrastinate like I usually do.  I want this to be accomplished and hopefully God will write through me and enlighten us all. Thanks!

  

Revived By God!

There is no doubt in our lives that God should be the most important thing.  He should be the first thing we think about when we rise from a night of sleep. The first thing we think of when we see another morning and the last being we should talk to before we go to sleep.  Our daily routines have allowed us to neglect our God.  We often get so busy that we don't stop enough to thank Him for all he has blessed us with.

My life over the past few months has been about me and nothing else. I have been worrying and thinking about my life and not on how I can be of service to the one who created me.  I've noticed I have been hateful and really moody lately.  I have not been kind to those around me and I have really not given a hoot about anything.  I have neglected My God! And I am truly sorry.  The other night I got in such a bad mood it scared me, I was tired of being around everybody. I was hating my job, my town where I live and just wanted to leave everything behind and run off with my family and start out fresh. 

But then I went to God in prayer and stated I had wronged him and had no clue why I was so hateful about life in general. I just decided to give it all to him and asked for a new start.  I had to stop worrying and get back on track of serving him and those around me. I have neglected this blog and have had no intentions of ever writing on it ever again.  I felt it was pointless to write on it because no one ever reads it, but then I remembered I also write this blog for myself.  It helps me to feel better to see what my thoughts were as I read previous blogs. 

My dream is to become a writer and maybe one day author a book about God. To be able to pour out some words on some pages that someone might read and be fulfilled and turn their life to Christ.  I have come to understand that It's not about me it's about God and giving my all to him.  May God bless us all as we further his story in many different ways. Thanks for reading!

Grace Tells Another Story!

I often wonder why we humans make the story of God so difficult.  Through the years of growing up we were always told to not do this and not do that or we are going to hell.  Preachers I have heard over the years seem to not get the story of God's grace.  Churches made rules that today don't make any sense to me anymore. Most rules were for our own good and I am thankful I didn't go those other evil routes. But then there are rules that were created it seems to me out of fear.

Like musical instruments in worship, where did that one come from?  I prefer the A Capella style of singing but the condemnation I always heard about it to me is just craziness. 

I know Christians are to be good hearted people and we need to try to be our best so that we can be an example to those around us. But I just can't be perfect! Nobody can! There are some people who think they are perfect and will never admit they stink of sin as bad a I do.  

Our judgement toward others is another thing that is really important to God. I never heard this preached until recently, it seemed if someone caused a sin we Christians were the first to bash the person that fell off the perfection wagon.  I always saw others treated better outside the church than they were treated by others inside the church building walls.  The church should be the first to rescue that person. Sometimes that doesn't always occur because we don't want to be seen by other Christians and sour our reputation by being around that person. This type of behavior is just as sinful as the other persons sin.

God's grace tells another story!  When Jesus came he wasn't quite what people expected. He was not dressed in beautiful robes nor was he born in the King's palace. If he had been he would not have been our Savior, because the king wanted his competition dead.  Jesus hung with the rough and despised crowd, the sinners.  It was his goal to save the lost and this was where they hung out.  Jesus is the story of grace. He is the complete story of our Father's grace.

While others scoffed at his teachings and his magical powers of healing little did they know that they were laughing and judging the creator of the most precious story ever told. Christ is the author of Grace!

Our minds are almost too puny to be able to handle such a story, because Satan has led us astray and told us a different story. A story we continue to follow, one that leads us to follow rules and slander those who don't follow those rules. We are a race of complete idiots led astray by another idiot, Satan!  

It's hard for us to go in the direction of grace and mercy when we are being tempted to follow another way. Satan is the one causing us to tear our world apart. He started with the first woman with a tiny fruit from a tree that was forbidden.  God told them they would surely die if they ate from that tree.  They didn't die, they just died spiritually. They were intended to be immortal in the garden and walk and live with God there. But that all changed the day when Satan came and guided them to another story. From that point on our world and our lives became broken forever.  Then God rewrote the story and gave us a chance to see him at his best. Grace tells another story!

India's killing it's girls because they are not boys!

Dear, leaders and people of India

You should be ashamed of your ignorance to your little girls of your country.  Letting little girls like this one pictured to the left to starve to death because she is not a boy. Aborting God's children if they are a girl and not a boy. Who cares about your stupid rituals and your overpopulation of girls. Many women across the world can't have children and would take these little girls off your hands in a split second. Yet, you and your people consider financial expenses over life.  Who cares if it's too expensive for a parent to be able to pay for a wedding. Make your rituals nonexistent and save the lives of these precious little children. If I lived in your country I would be ashamed to be of Indian decent.

Bin Laden!

I have read many status updates about Bin Laden's death and how Americans are reacting to it. Some have said he got the easy way out and others said we should've brought him here to the states and drug him in the street. In a way I feel the same, but I saw something more gruesome on TV this morning. I saw real Jewish survivors talking about the Holocaust and the suffering they and others went through. The videos they showed were awful and just inhumane and ungodly. 

Those who died in the 9/11 attacks suffered also and the pain they went through is gruesome. I can't even imagine what went through their minds in those moments.  I put Osama high in the ranks of Hitler.  What he did was unimaginable, to fly two planes into the worlds highest buildings and crash one into the pentagon and one in a field in Pennsylvania. Repulsive!

Even though the world has seen it's devastation of it's people over the years I still don't want to be apart of any monstrosity like theirs by dragging a villain like Bin Laden in the street.  The U.S. I feel handled this situation in a humane Christian manner. If we stooped to his level of evil then our citizens would be exposing ourselves to more fear of attacks.

Today we showed the world that we don't take loss of life of our own people lightly yet we dispose of  evil people in a manner that doesn't make us look just as villainous as they were.  God bless our world and it's anger toward one another. Let us see that it is the way of Satan that makes our world dark and it's not you who causes evil. I believe you our the true judge of the world and that you will bring justice on all who cause great evil and it is through your great mercy that you allow us to come to terms on our own and admit ours sins. We know your arms are open to all who believe in you and repent and confess our sins. Amen!

Finding God In The Storms Of Life

I've been thinking about the recent storms and tornadoes that just passed through our area and most of the southern states. As I watched a recent video of the tornado ripping apart Alabama on YouTube, I was in complete sadness.  It was a violent funnel that just cleared it's path the way it intended to do.  I thought about those in it's trek and how scared they all were. I just couldn't even fathom surviving anything like that.  The shock that comes with it would be the worst part of it. 

Last week we had a pretty close call like that, I actually heard the noise everybody talks about when a tornado approaches.  At 2:30 in the morning my son and I heard complete calm outside and what sounded like a large fan above our house.  It sounded like a train riding the tracks and then everything started pounding against our windows and then our house alarm went off.  We were in a panic and all five of us got up and didn't know what was going on. I was hunched over walking  through the house not knowing what might come through the windows.  Then it stopped and it started raining and thundering really bad. A few people in our neighborhood heard it and were in great shock at such a close call.

In the video of the Tuscaloosa tornado I was amazed at the noise that thundered from the funnel. I thought about the loss of life during it's swirling vengeance against the town. The cameraman was saying, "Lord Jesus help those people!" It was a great disaster for that town and the town of Villonia, Arkansas just 25 miles from our house.

I thought to myself why God would allow such a horrid event to take place? I don't think God had anything to with it.  I really have no answer to the question above. It's something I just don't understand but maybe one day when we stand before the creator he will give us all the answers we have been seeking.  All I know is God was there when it struck and God is there right now during the clean up. Those that lost their lives I hope believed in him. And now they are in a better place getting the answers to all the questions we continue to stumble over for an answer.

God is good and he is great.  Today we got a pleasant view of his peace with one of the most beautiful days I have seen in a long time. They always say, " here is the calm before the storm!" And today I thought as I sat on the deck, "Here is the calm after the storm!" We serve an amazing God. At times he can be very confusing and yet after life's storms come we always see his grace helping us solve those storms. I stand amazed, always! Thank you Lord for allowing us to show the world we can stand up against anything in our path and continue on as we our led by your mighty hand!

God's Grace!

God's grace is probably a gift we overlook everyday. An action from God we give very little attention to at all.  I often forget about how wonderful grace is.  We live in  a world that gives little grace toward anyone. In our toughest moments in life there is grace being extended to us from above. Yet, we think very little of how great this gift is from God.
When I read a book dealing with the topic of God's grace, it is then when I realize how under appreciated  it is.  We all deserve to pay a huge penalty for our mistakes but God doesn't see it that way. He gives us his pardon though his great mercy and grace. His grace is huge and beyond our comprehension. 
His greatest story of grace is when the criminal on the cross beside Jesus asked to be in paradise with him.  Jesus offered him grace right then and there, no questions asked. We see criminals every day on the news and we hope they get what they deserve. But a change of heart and renewed spirit of these criminals toward repentance will lead them to God's grace.

We all live in God's grace, the worst of society and the best,  it's extended to us all. The book I have been reading titled "The Grace of God," has lead through all the people of the Old Testament.  It has shown that they all made huge mistakes and didn't lead the best of lives, yet God gave them grace and were forgiven of all wrong doing. He continues to give grace toward all of us, especially to all who believe in him. 

Our society and the churches we belong to have an order that must be followed. Rules that need to be met. If we don't follow these rules and fail we can a lot of times be put to shame because we failed.  I've seen it happen plenty of times. People fail and everyone talks about them and shoves them aside.  Leaving the person to go another direction away from the faith and live a life as an outcast. We needed to give grace to them and realize we to have sinned just like that person also.

One of the greatest things Jesus ever said was, "He who has never sinned cast the first stone!"  Stones dropped and people walked away.  We can judge people a lot because the sin they comitted is a sin we haven't, so we puff ourselves up and heap words of hatred toward them. Our stones were cast and hit that person, it turn we should have thrown the stones at ourselves also.  Sin is great but Grace is bigger. 

I thank God every night for his grace that has been lavished on me. I need it! The things that often come from my mouth or things I do need a whole bunch of Grace thrown on it.  Everything I have is not because of me, it's because of God's gift of grace that I have such things. We don't deserve nothing, but God seems to think we do. I don't deserve forgivness, but God does.

Tomorrow or right now think about how little we think of God's grace and how awful life would be without it. The Lord is planning his giving of grace for our future right now because he knows we need it. Tomorrows grace is already planned. Mistakes are going to happen tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.  Our lives at this very moment are good, but tomorrow they could drastically change but God's is already there. Such a relief to know we are going to make it through the tough times because God is there and he's willing to give us a huge gift of mercy and grace.    

What Do People Think ?

I often wonder where others hopes lie. I think it would be amazing to hear what people think inside their head. It's funny how we can't really hear what we want to hear.  We all daily worry about what the other person is actually thinking about us. We want to know if what comes out of their mouth is really what they are thinking.  How do we actually measure up in that persons life. Do they really  think I am a strange person or just a lazy goofball?

It's basically what I would call the secrets of men, it's what we truly will never know.  My question in the begining about other peoples hopes is what I want to know. What do they really believe about the world and its Creator?  How much do they really think about him daily?  The brain is an amazing organ in the body, the way it functions is beyond our comprehension.  How many thoughts every brain has thought in every person probably couldn't be counted by us, but God knows how many.

When you sit in a group of people do you ever think about what they are thinking about?  I know what my thoughts are but what about theirs? We'll never know unless they truly tell us when we ask. What do you think about daily? I know my thoughts are large in number every day. I really can't remember all my thoughts today, but I do know I had God on my mind today but probably not enough. I thought about my Aunt today that recently passed away. It kind of hit me that I will never see her again.  I  thought about my children and my wife, I think my job popped in my head. I think I was thinking about a better job and is this really what I was meant to do. Probably not but this is where God has placed me for now.

I watched the recent episode of Secret Millionaire and wondered why I couldn't give some hope to those in need.  I had a couple of thoughts about getting a plan together to get a group of people to offer money to help certain charities.  But there lies my thought for tonight!!!! If I did this would people think the idea was good? Would they be willing to give a little bit every month? What would they think? That's where this post came about. I guess I will pray about it and put my hope in God.

Life Is So Unfair To Many!

I just don't think it is fair! Life, that's what I don't think is fair. And it's not ever going to be.  We have spent the past two days in Memphis, TN.  The things I saw were just unfair, when it came to homeless people and the run down shacks lining the streets. 

Why are people homeless?  Is it bad decisions they've made? Is it because many are mentally ill? Or is it the conditions they were born into that they became this way? 

We decided to travel by foot on Beale street and as we were walking out a door from the parking garage it led to an alley. As we walked out the door I quickly shoved all of us back inside the door. The reason? There was a homeless guy lying on the cold ground asleep. It startled me and I didn't want to disturb him.  Maybe he was dreaming about the good times of the past when everything was great and he had hopes of a good life. Who knows? But I felt bad for him and wish I could've done something for him.  Seeing somebody lying on the cold ground is very unusual for us small town people here.  It will awaken something in you when you see it.  Today it awoke in me the idea of unfairness in life.

I often think at night when I am in a warm house and a warm bed about those that are not in such a situation.  Why me? Why did I get the good things and that person today got the bad side of life?  It's a question so few in this world ask.  We often think 24 hours a day about ourselves and how today will pan out for us.  Every person in the world thinks they all have it rough, yet for some people they do. If you have a job, a house, a car, food overflowing your pantry and at least $100 in the bank, you have  a lot!

In God's mind if you have all this yet have no compassion for the poor, you have nothing.   Why would he want us to give to people like this?  I mean the general idea we have of the homeless is that they are lazy drunks and drug addicts who don't deserve nothing because they don't do nothing.  I believe they have a different story to tell that would change our minds quick! Maybe some are lazy and put themselves in such a predicament, but it is not for us to be the judge of that.

Jesus teaches all over the place in the New Testament to be amongst the poor and the widows. He never teaches us to live life to be number one. To live life so we can have the largest of everything.  When it all comes to the end in life it will only matter if you believed and if you did something for the least of these. Jesus taught that the first will be last and the last will be first. Completely the opposite of what the world preaches to us daily.

When I hear of people needing prayer I often put them on my prayer list.  It sometimes bothers me when people ask for petty stuff to added to the prayer list.  Things like help me get through Med school or pray for a certain bill to be paid. You know that is petty! I've lately thought there are many other people that need more important prayers answered than silly things like that.  It's amazing to me how much we pray for petty stuff (myself included).  I always put sick people on my prayer list, because that is a dire need. I don't want people to suffer and I want to give that prayer to God for them. When it comes to silly stuff  I don't put them on there.

We give more attention to animals being abused than we do the homeless or little babies being aborted.  Our priorities are mixed up! How do we go about changing how we feel about the homeless?  I think we should start by opening our Bibles and looking at how Jesus treated the less fortunate.

He did it so the glory of God could be revealed. We have a lot of relearning to do about Jesus.  He's is completely different than what we were taught when we were little. The cross and the resurrection are probably the most important things we remember and heard about Jesus. But Jesus is soooo much more than that.  He was a compassionate person and a true giver of life. He was selfless and loved to be around people. He came to reteach the world of the story of God. He came to save sinners not the righteous of his day. He's amazing and as you read more about him he is different from any other person that ever walked the Earth.

What would Jesus had done if he were in my shoes that day I saw the guy lying on the street?  I believe he would have reached down and told the guy that he loved him and given him every hope in the world. Won't we do the same?

SwCC Summer Tour 2008 with George Pendergrass, Jesus You've Been Good To Me

I  believe this is the greatest and most spiritual singer to ever walk the planet. George is the former lead singer of the Christian singing group"Acappella." I know his singing over the years has been a big reason in my walk with God. This video will prove it.

We Were Not Meant To Be Perfect!

The human race has always been lost and has never found its way.  Even we Christians are still very lost.  We know our path we are intended to follow and stay on, but we still fall off the path all the time.  When you look at the plan God has laid out through his son, it seems so simple.  Why do we make it so difficult?

For those outside of Christ, they think we are people who think we are perfect and unblemished.  It's not true!  Christians fail just as much as those outside of Christ.  I fall and fail all the time.  The pressure we have put on ourselves to be perfect in our steps, to make sure nobody thinks that we have sinned.  It's pressure that is ridiculous, it is something we Christians have put on ourselves. 

I will tell you that my failures are bad, if I didn't have Jesus to intervene for me I would be a mess.  He's the only thing to me in this world that makes sense. My policy is and has always been, you get what you see.  A person who will never try to live his life to impress anybody.  I'm a work in progress that is being constructed by Christ himself.  That's it and nothing more.  And to him I am grateful! 

We are shocked when another Christian  has repented of a sin and has embarrassed their family and brought on all sorts of problems for others. I understand it's hard to bring out something that you've hidden for some time.  Shame in front of other people is a horrible thing to bring about, but when you boil it all down its the work of Satan.  Yes, we made the choice and we knew the decision was wrong but that's where God knows it's his time to step in.  He comes down and takes care of everyone who has been hurt in the situation.

One of the stories in the Bible that really showed me the grace of Jesus was the story of the woman caught in adultery.  The teachers of the law were really waiting for this girl to make this mistake.  They were ready to catch her and exploit her in the eyes of everyone around.   They really were not to concerned about the woman but they wanted to know Jesus' view on the matter. They wanted him to blaspheme the law and they wanted him to say the wrong thing.  As they approached the first step of their legalistic soap box they picked up a stone and started their speech about stoning the woman. According to the law of Moses the woman should be put to death for such a sin.  Stones were ready to be hurled, but Jesus bent down and started drawing in the sand and said the words that bring me great relief.  "He who is without sin, cast the first stone!" Stones were not launched, but dropped.  Amazing!

We Christians have become stone throwers.  We are ready to launch quick with our gossip and our finger pointing.   Jesus was the one without sin, he was the only one who had the right to cast the first stone.  But he didn't, instead he flung grace.  He didn't do anything we would've done.  Standing there he rewrote the law of Moses and continues to erase all the laws and writes the word grace on each page.

I have come to know the love of Christ, yet I am imperfect of showing such a love.  I am a lost sheep in the dark forest of life just like every human who has ever roamed this Earth.  I am a mess but I am saved by the blood of Christ.  I will always believe in Christ and I will always know he expects me to strive for good always but he knows the test for perfection is hard and very difficult to ace.  He became the curve for all of us to pass, to all who compete in the race and hang on to the finish line the reward is eternal life.  And the best thing is it doesn't matter if we ran or walked the race just as long as we finished.  There is no ribbon at the end just two pierced hands waiting to give a hug. Amen! 

We Are Not So BIG!

Until you walk outside at night and look up from your feet, you will then realize how small we really are!

I needed an awakening and I got one.  I have always liked the message of a preacher named Louie Giglio.  He has some important lessons about the vastness of our universe and about how small we really are. 

It's amazing for a person of my height (6'-2") to walk around and be taller than most people.  You feel a real power when you stand above most people.  You feel invincible and feel that nobody will ever mess with you. Until you meet someone a lot taller than you.  That's how I felt one night when I walked outside and looked at the twinkling stars above me.  I felt small and realized that I don't do this enough, that I don't look at the night sky as much as I should.  It's big, real BIG!

When you get right down to it, we are a small tiny dot on the map of the heavens.  Yet, for some odd reason we feel huge.  When you hear this message by Louie and see the pictures he uses you get a strange feeling inside.  You really see how small we are, I mean really small.  But for some reason we feel we are the most important planet in the universe.  At least we think we are because we have yet to find another planet that is like us or one that has anybody living on it.  It makes you wonder about what God hasn't told us yet.

Why do we feel so significant? I don't know! 

When you think about the things we think are important, like wealth, power, beauty and self entitlement. Doesn't it all seem foolish to think about such things?  I mean when you hear a message like this that truly points out the fact that we are a tiny fragment of dust in the universe, it all seems useless to try and be something special like the things mentioned above. 

God wants us to be more.  To be something less in the eyes of others, but to become great in His eyes.  To serve others not self. To think of the greater prize awaiting us in heaven not here on Earth.  To be or not to be, that is the question?  To be Eternal or to be something "NOT Eternal? 

On the next clear night take a walk outside your door and look down at your feet and slowly look up.  See what God wants you to see.  See that his work just doesn't extend to our existence or the stuff around us.  Look out to infinity and beyond. Look as far as you can see and see God.  Creation here on Earth is a great way for all of us to see God, but to look beyond the sky and remember that that is also his creation , is something to behold. God is so good!

Missing Aunt Monna!

It's been a week since the passing of my Aunt Monna, and  I still can't believe she is gone.  She was a kind and giving person.  Her heart was always geared toward the concerns of others.

Living with a crippled leg caused by the Polio virus since she was little, it never seemed to stop her at all.  As she became older her brathing became somewhat limited and her strength to get around was geting harder also. 

In the end  the Polio that had hurt her earlier in life came back to be one of the main causes of her sudden death last Sunday.  She had what they called a Polio lung and her lungs became like a leather bag instead of a more flexible lung for her to breath easier. 

This picture was taken at her house on Christmas eve of this year where we celebrated my two boys birthdays. Little did I know it would be the last party and the last time I would see her.  We all caught the stomach virus and felt we didn't need to be around her in case she caught it.  I have plenty of good memories of my Aunt and am very sad she has left, but she is now where we all want to be. In the loving hands of our Creator! Rest in peace Aunt Monna. We love you and will truly miss you!

Living Humble In Christ!

I believe all people are good or have some good hiding in them.  God had in mind when he created us to do good and never leave him.  But many have left him and continue to take the path of not doing good.  Even those of us that are Christians are not perfect and still continue to sin daily.  Yet, we Christians puff ourselves up and put on a front of goodness and shun others because we don't think they are good enough.  If you hate Christians I can understand.  There are many Christians that think they are better than others in this world.  They think lowly of others who are poor, not dressed well, uneducated and fear those who do evil.  These kind of Christians wouldn't sink low enough to give any of these people the time of day.  Their status in the church and the community are more important than being in the middle of fighting for the underdog. 

Many years ago a little infant came to the earth born of a young girl and a carpenter.  As they were traveling a great distance on foot and riding a donkey, they finally arrived to their destination.  The young girl and the carpenter were looking for a place to stay that night and found the only space to sleep was an animal stable.  The young girl started her labor and had a little infant and laid him in a manger (a feeding trough!)  There was no applause except from heaven and a lot of angels. No family and friends arrived to see the new infant arrive on Earth.  A bright star  guided a few raggedy shepherds to see the new infant boy. 

The little child was given the name Jesus and would be the "King of all Kings."  His birth had been written about for many years and by many prophets.  Many looked forward to the King's arrival yet many missed it then and continue to still miss it today.  He arrived in the reign of a jealous and mean King named Herod. Herod became so fearful of this child he had all the boys of a certain age killed so to possibly kill the Christ. Herod didn't succeed!

Jesus grew up not rich with great wealth but rich towards God his Father.  His life was ordinary here but spiritually rich with God.  His ministry began in his thirties and he never owned nothing.  His goal was not to be the best but to become the least among everybody.  He taught to love one another and serve those in need.  He once applauded a poor widow for giving 2 little coins in the offering plate, it was all she had. He believed those sitting on the street and not able to move or walk were more important work than making the temple look beautiful.  His life was less important than those around him, he was seeking the pain that man has felt through out life. His heart was motivated toward loving others and giving them healing they have been longing for.

When he healed the man of leprosy he just didn't heal him, he touched his ulcerous hand and then healed him.  His touch was what the man needed for no one had given him any love since getting the disease. Many surrounded Jesus just to be able to be healed.  One woman tried so hard to get to the master that she believed enough that just touching his clothes it would give her healing  from her disease. And it did, and Jesus felt power go through him.

Our world has lost the true meaning of our savior, our lives are filled with becoming the best and seeking the best for our own lives.  We don't think about being humble and giving to others till it hurts.   Today is the day we fulfill our destiny and become what Christ needs us to be.  Giving daily to those who are in need and being able to touch those who are in need. That's our reason for the season. To give until all poverty and hunger is  solved.  Christ came to show us what true love is and when he saw we didn't know what to do he had to show us and then take our sins away that we might be able to live life in freedom.

Remember Christ is the reason for every season.  Every day we should celebrate and cherish both the birth and death of Christ.  But most of all we should celebrate his rise to new life from the tomb.  That is the moment we became free and continue to have his life run through us every day!  Merry Christmas!

Finding Ways To Give.

God is wanting us all to give till we can give no more.  This is a department I have a lot of trouble in, it's not because I don't want to do it.  It's because I don't see any opportunities to do it in my area.  Being the time of year it is there are all kinds of opportunities to give and we have.  So today I tried two times to offer something to those in need.  One chance was a chance to give to this group that I read about in a  book by author Lisa Samson.  I gave them my card and the website wouldn't take the payment.  OK! So I gave up on that.  So I went to Walgreen's to get some things and finally I found the Salvation Army guy ringing the bell.  I figured I would get some cash back from my debit card and give it when I left the store. The dude was gone and the bucket with him! I was perturbed. I'm not writing to brag, I just what to tell you about the ironic situations.

Why is it when you have some spare cash on your person and you want to give it to somebody in need they are never there?  But they are always there holding a sign when you have nothing but plastic on you.  I'm trying to figure it out. 

I have so many ideas about getting something together to help out with the needy, but I just don't know how to get others involved.  It seems nobody will get on the same page as I am on.  The past couple of nights  I have laid in bed and thought how unfair it is for me to be laying in a warm bed while there are others laying on the street sleeping and freezing to death.  How can we all do it?  I guess I am getting to the age where life is meaning more than objects of materialism.  I feel trapped in this town because I know there are needs in other bigger cities and the help is needed. 

Just recently my wife went to Philadelphia and told me how bad the poverty is there.  As they were in McDonald's a woman approached them and begged them for money or food. So they bought her lunch and it was a great act for them to do.  God talks so much in the Bible about being a servant unto those in need, and I just get a proactive feeling in my heart to get those in need some help.  I know that many homeless people have put themselves in those circumstances, but there are many who can't help being that way. Many suffer from some type of mental illness and just got thrown to the streets.  I read a story in a book that talked about a man deciding whether or not to give this guy some money.  The other guy who was with him was a former homeless person told the man the guys story.  He had been injured at his job and couldn't work any more and had no other form of income.  He became homeless and couldn't help it, the job he had was a good paying construction job.  Bad circumstances put him on the streets and made him become a beggar.

Give in some manner! That's what I tell myself all the time.  I can't solve the worlds problems all by myself, but the little I can give will make a difference somehow. I keep praying God will give me many opportunities to serve those in need. I  just need to keep my eyes open and watch who God puts in front of me and all of us.

Making Sense of The Bad And The Good Things In LIfe!

The past three months have been rough on a lot of people around here.  There have been unexpected deaths of some really good people.  It seems it never ends.  I thought this month would be better but we got some bad news of a family member the other day.  A stroke and then through some tests run they found cancer.  It just continues to come and we as humans have no way to stop it, it's the natural process of life.  As many are born, others are leaving through death.  It's a process God has watched over and over and it will continue as life is lived upon this Earth.

I saw God's great strength today and it turned me around and showed me what his power and love can do.  God heals in so many ways, we are often blinded by Satan because he doesn't want us to see how great our God is.

I love listening to children talk because they speak a   totally different language than we do as adults.  They live in a way where nothing matters,  but happiness.  They have no worries and they never understand when they see an adult cry. Their question is always, " Why are you crying?"  It seems an odd thing to them that somebody would ever cry.  Even though every child spends the first five years of life crying about something, you wouldn't think they would think it strange.  I believe God asks the same question to us, "Why are you crying?"  I am here!

Emotions are a strong sense we have.  Emotions make us act in various ways in many different situations in life.  Anger, hate, sadness, loss, happiness are all different ways we react through emotions.  If we could truly grasp God's love, mercy, hope and grace here on Earth we would never feel any sort of loss.  Something or someone keeps us from being complete in God.  We truly will never get the complete package of God and his greatness.  Satan is constantly pulling us from him and keeps us from screaming in total great joy for our God.  We will never get over a great loss of  losing a loved one, we know that one day we will be reunited with them all one day, but Satan makes us  truly not believe that or come to complete understanding of it.   We Christians are the offense and Satan is the defense that keeps us from scoring the game winning touchdown.  We just can't do it!  Satan keeps us busy in our lives with worries and other activities and keeps us from being completely devoted to our creator. 

So years ago God decided to send us his son to get us to that end zone and score that game winning touchdown, every day.  No matter what happens we our redeemed from our sins and able to have the help we need to survive a loss of a loved one.  Humans were made in the image of God, we continually light the world and break the darkness of this place.  We need to know and understand that whatever happens good or bad in this life that there is help right next to us.  God is in our hearts if we let him in.  No matter how dark Satan makes this world God is continually reinventing us and making our light brighter and brighter.  Soon our light will be so bright that Satan will run out of darkness and we will make the world a better place.  We just need to be in him because he is in us, and he is constantly brightening our world every day. 

I am here! Come to me! Listen to him and make life better and more enjoyable.