Blessings

Tonight was a great night. We went over to the Elartons, had dinner, played some cards, watched some old home movies. It was alot of fun. I laughed so much tonight. Thanks Nate and Wendy for having us. As I'm getting older (not old) I am learning to appreciate some of the more important things in life. My family, my friends, and how blessed I really am. Sometimes it takes a good laugh to remind us of the blessings we have all around us. Alot of Christians believe God blesses with money or material things, but really who would want that over the blessing of good company. As you read this short blog stop and think, and be thankful. God is so good to us. Take a minute or two to think of the blessings he has placed in your life. Than take a second to thank him. He really is a good God.

Tuesday came and gone.

Now, I know that I did not blog on Tuesday as I promised, and anonymous was sure to comment on that. But I failed to be a man of my word. Which brings up a great topic to think about. How often do we say we will do something and never do it? How often do we promise never to do something but do anyway? We as people have a hard time doing what we say. And we throw the word "promise" around as if it were nothing. There was a time when your word was enough to be a legal bond. After all your word is all you have.

Jesus says in the Bible "let your yes be yes and your no be no". And what an example he set for us. Everything he said he would
do, he did. And he never did anything he said he wouldn't. God calls us to live the same kind of life. An honest one. Where we let are word be who we are. It's called integrity. Do you have any?

I want to challenge you. Are we people of integrity? Can people cant on our word? Are we good for what we say? Take time to evaluate your life and ask these questions. As you can see I'm still a work in progress. Perhaps your better than me. Lets see how I do this coming tuesday.

Sorry Everyone

Hey all you readers out there. I've been told over and over again that I dont blog anymore. Too be honest, I didn't know I had so many readers. Im going to make a commitment. Starting this tuesday, the second, I will blog once a week on tuesdays. Please comment me so I know you guys are reading. Thanks so much.

Answers

Hey there dusty or student that asked this question. First off im not too sure I understand your question. If God loves than why does most of the world reject his teaching. Well God loves, but Im not sure what that has to do with people rejecting him. Your mother can love you very much, and ask you to do all sorts of things, she knows whats best for you, but yet you still have the choice to say no. Second, I believe the passage John 14:6 is highly misinterperpeted. Jesus isn't saying it's my way or the highway. Jesus is pleading. Choose me because the fact of the matter is, no one else is coming for you. Other Gods are not real. I am the true God. I am the way. Come to me and you'll get to the father. And you will get Life.

Need a favor.

Hey guys
Im going to ask you a favor. On August 5th, Ill be speaking at my home church, Oasis Christian Center. I need your help. I have my message already prepared, but what I need is some letters and questions to use. The title of the message is "Being a Christian vs Loving God. If you guys could think of some questions, on faith, if God is real than why....., why should i believe in God, why does God allow, etc etc. Questions that you once asked, or someone asked you. On those topics. Send as many as you can come up with. Thank you all.

Being a Christian vs Loving God

Lately I've been working on a sermon entitled "Being a Christian vs Loving God." I thought it would be nice to give a little sneak peek. A good friend of mine, Dusty Wayne Reed, gave me an amazing concept about life, I've thought intensely on this concept and exbounded upon it and want to share it with you. Dusty said " Your job, your spouse, your family your activities and everything else you do here on earth are part of your life, but God is your life." God needs to be our life. The very center of it. You see, family is important, work is needed, and activites enjoyed, but they shouldn't determine who you are. They are all good things. But they are only part of our life. God needs to be that gooey center that holds the parts of our life together. In everything we do, God should be in it. Family, job, friends, and even baseball or ballet, God should be the very center of all we do. Trust me I love baseball. So what does this have to do with the sermon im working on? You'll have to wait and see. Catch ya later guys!

Hey all!

Hey all, sorry for not posting for a little bit, I've been a little occupied. Thanks for all your prayers. For those of you who don't know, I was having some health issues. Basically I couldn't write or speak properly. Scary. Thanks again. Expect a post later today!

Time to fly.

Don’t tell me I can’t fly.

A few days ago, I read a fact I found quite interesting. By all theories of areodynamics and physics, the bubmlebee should not be ablt to fly, but it can. There is no scentific reasoning behind it, it just flys. Perhaps it’s because no one ever bothered to tell the bubmlbee he couldn’t.
Recently, I asked a good friend an opinion on something I was excited about. I will leave this friend annonomous as well as what opinion I asked for. Anyway, I felt like the opinion I got back was completely negative. “There’s no way you could do that, I don’t think you could handle it.” Was the response I got back. I was hurt. The people we are around influnence us so much. I’ve come to a point in my life where I don’t wont to be bothered by negative people. I refuse to have myself esteem be brought down.
In the movie Pursuit of Happyness (Spelled wrong on purpose) There is a part where the young boy tells his father everything he wants to do when he grows uo. “When I grow up I want to be better than Michael Jordan.” After hearing a few of those, the father yells, “Well you can’t, You’ll never make it. You can’t do it.” The boy turns away in tears, then the father turns him around and says “Don’t let anyone tell you, you cant do something, not even me.”
I’ve decided I will not let anyone tell me I can’t fly. I challenge you, be an encourager, and never let anyone tell you, you cant do something.

The Ugly Duckling

The other night I had the privlege of babysitting my girlfriend’s niece. Although she cried for an hour straight, I learned quite a few good leasons about life. In one of my many attempts to get her to calm down I picked up a pop up book off the floor. The Ugly Duckling. As I read it aloud and played with the pop ups, I realzed how much truth is in the young childs story. If you don’t know there is a group of ducks that are born, one doesn’t fit in, he’s different. He is mistreated and abandonded because he is not like the other ducklings. At the end of the story, rejected and alone, our ugly duckling finds out the truth. He is not in fact a duck, but rather he is something else, he is a swan.
No matter how old we get, we want to be accepted. I told a good friend of mine, by the name of shealee, that we never realize what we are. We strive to be one thing, when in reality, God has called us to be something so much more beautiful. Just today I heard a quote. “Your focus determines your reality.” So I ask you today, are you focused on trying to fit in? Are you going to settle for being the ugly duckling? Or will you come to the realization that your something much more beautiful.

Be the Miracle!

Recently I watched the movie bruce almighty, after watching it I came about a new concept that is now my motto. "Be the Miracle." I believe in a God who works all kinds of miracles, each and everyday. But a lot of the time we are too busy looking up. Yes, once again, I believe God works miracles. But I also believe God inpowers us to do the same. The same power we read about in the Bible is still alive today.
But let me go a step futher. My perspective on what a miracle is has changed drasticaly. Once I thought of a miracles as something physical. Healing of the blind, a cripple walks or even raising of the dead. Now, I view a miracle as something that may seem a lot easier and a lot smaller, but I promise you it's just as big. Finding the time to sit and talk with your spouse, that's a miracle. Raising your kids in the way of the Lord, that's a miracle. Footing a bill for a friend in need, that's a miracle. You know that feeling in your gut you get? That feeling of I should do that...... Those are the feelings we need to act on. How many times have we driven by an elderly women with a flat tire? Are excuse is "Im sure some one is on the way."
My friends, as always I leave you with a challenge. My new motto is be the miracle. Everyday is a chance to make a difference. All you need to do is make the choice.

Be the Miracle!

Back to the drawing board. I am doing my best to get my podcast up and running guys, it's going to be exciting. As of now I have no voice, your stuck with words. I am currently working on a sermon series I thought I would share with you guys. It's titled "Got Purpose?" It's a series to challege youth asking this simple question, "What are you living for?" You see I believe that youth are not the church of tomorrow, but rather the church of today. My goal for this series is to make the youth realize that they matter. To challenge them into doing more than things of this earth, but to do things that are eternal.
Today there are fewer and fewer young adults interested in going into full time ministry. At this rate there will be no one willing to run the church in the years to come. So no matter what your age, no matter what your job, I ask you, "What are you living for? Is it for the next raise. A better house? Is it for things of this world? Or are you going to impact the eternal?"

Thanks Everyone.

Hey guys,
For all you who said a prayer for my grandfather, thanks alot. Doctors say hes doing alot better. It was most likely pneumonia. Just wanted to say thanks.

Recent events.

So as of late, I have been involved in quite a few new and interesting things. I've conquered both the land and the sea. Horse back riding was first. It was a great time. Thanks Zac for taking me out,I even got the horse to listen lol.

The next day Amanda and I roller bladed four and a half miles. What a work out. And if that wasn't enough, today I got on my first pair of water skies. Here's the key for all of you who haven't tried yet: Let the boat pull you up, don't try to do it yourself. And it's always better to fall back instead of on your face. In case you couldn't figure that one out. Well I thought It would be nice if i posted a few pictures. Hope you enjoy.

The uneducated.

Today I was doing my devotion, I am currently in Acts, and I came across an interesting thought. In this world, espeically America, education has a very large effect on us. Those who are better educated younger, go on to better schools later, and get the better jobs in the end. The higher the degree, the better the position. Which means better pay right? Lawyers, doctors, and accountants, stay in school longer so one day they can make the big ones.
What I came across was, God uses the uneducated. Not to say he only uses the uneducated, Paul was a respectable priest, but if you look at most of the disciples, most were mere fishermen. Doesn't take much schooling to bait a hook. I read today about stephan. The Bible says he was full of Gods grace and power, he preformed many great signs and wonders. The Bible doesn't tell you his degree or his credentials.
God can use people of any nature. Its not about the brain. It's about the heart.

My grandfather.

Hey guys, letting you know my grand father is in the hospital, he has fluid in his lungs. He is meeting with the doctors today. If you can please keep him in pray. His name is Henry. Yup he's the first, Im the third. Thanks again.

Love part 3.

So far we have spoken about love in general and the love God has for us. The real questions are, how does it apply to us, and, what do we do next.
First off, we need to except Gods love, and realize there is nothing we can do to earn it. It is important for us to understand Gods nature. Love isn’t an emotion for God, God is love. It is what makes God, God. So what do we do next?
The commandment says it, love your neighbor. Let me share a story for you from the book I’m currently reading, Soul Cravings. It is by Erwin McManus. I’m going to paraphrase is to shorten is up for you.

“ One day I looked out my window to find a pair of ducks outside in my yard. I thought nothing of it at first, until not long after they had laid a nest full of eggs. To our surprise, we woke up one day to nearly a dozen baby ducks. Once they were born the father flew the coop. Leaving the mother to fend for the little guys. My kids were thrilled so we decided to keep them.
Little did we know that we were about to enter into our own personal nightmare. One by one we watched the little ducklings being hunted and eliminated. From cats to skunks to crows, our backyard was open for duck season. We did everything we could to save their lives. One night I had the misfortune to witness a crow swoop down and take one of the ducklings. The mother pursued to no avail. It was truly more than I could bear. I soon found myself having nightmares. All I could think about was the remaining ducklings.
After waking up one night from a panic attack, God revealed something to me. It was almost as if I heard him speak it. “Do you know how you feel about that duckling? The anguish your feeling at this very moment, that’s how I feel about every human being who walks the face of this earth. If you could just care about people the way you are caring about these ducks, it would make you a different person. You would know the heart of God.”
I share this story with you because the world is full of all sorts of predators who are out there to hurt and take advantage of helpless people. Verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse, people are prey. Murders happen everyday. Lying, cheating and stealing happens in everyone’s lives. What do we do? We contribute to it. We lie as well. We steal. And we cheat. We take advantage of others. We abuse others. We are no better than a crow who preys on a helpless duckling.
It is time for us, to start loving. Loving like God loves us. To start caring for others the way God cares for everyone who walks the earth. It doesn’t matter their race, culture, habits, and even religion. My friends there is only so much time we have here. All around us there are people who are helpless. There are people who are hurting. It is time we as Christians, stand up, and do what we are called to do. Be an example of Christ.
Readers, it is time to love.

Love part 2.

When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment is, his response was simple and straight forward: You are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And than he added, “And you must love your neighbor as yourself.” Whats on God’s heart is not a list of rules or commands, but the expansion of love.
What would happen if we began to realize that God was not, in fact, waiting on us to earn his love, but that he was passionately pursuing us with his love. You see true love is something you cant earn, love just doesn’t work that way.
I was once asked to try and some up love into one word. At the time I couldn’t, but not after a few life experiences, I think I can. Besides my opinion I believe scripture backs me up. Love=Sacrifice “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that who ever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” God had to make a sacrifice. God couldn’t send anyone else, you see in matters of love one must go himself. When is comes time for me to be married, I wouldn’t send my best friend to ask my future spouse to marry me. I would myself.
Passion leads to action, that’s why Christ died for us. He doesn’t stand over us in anger because of everything we do wrong. People view God as someone who just condemns, but in fact, He does quite the opposite. Because of religion, people have run from God, when in fact, he has been the only one ready to stand in our defense. That’s the beauty of real love, its unconditional.

Love Part 1

"Without Love there is no life. To love is to be fully human. If you think you can live your life without love, you're in worse shape than those who are desperate to find it. To give up on love is to choose a life that is less than human. To give up on love is to give up on life." So why do we fear love? "The more you love someone, the more capacity you have to come to hate him or her, After all, the only people who can hurt you deeply are the ones you allow to get deep inside your soul."

It's a sickness really. A sickness of the soul."When your soul is sick, on of the symptoms is blindness.

Bitterness, for instance, is like a cancer that makes you blind. I had allowed hurt to make my soul toxic. From my end, I was sure that I was just becoming a realist, that love was just a fairy tale. In fact, I was desensitizing myself. Why risk being hurt more. I didn't realize I was becoming blind to love. I couldn't see the people around me who really cared. Bitterness turned to skepticism, which turned to cynicism, which turned to an emptiness of my soul."

"Bitterness is the enemy of love, because it makes you unforgiving and unwilling to give love unconditionally. It is the enemy of hope because you keep living in the past and become incapable of seeing a better future. It is the enemy of faith because you stop trusting in anyone but yourself. I bring this up because I think many of us become blinded by a bitterness of the soul. If we are not careful, we will lose the ability to see such things as beauty, truth, or even affection." Most importantly, you just may close your eyes to what your soul needs the most.

Inspired by Erwin McManus.
Part 2 and 3 still to come

Hey Everybody
It's great to final start up my own personal blog. The purpose of it is not only to keep you posted of things happening in my life, but to also give me a chance to share what I learn as we all go through the journey of life. Life is one long journey. Final destination, well mine is heaven. But if theres one thing I've learned, its not only about the destination. It's about the adventure of getting there. So as we travel together, I pray I can help you with directions, help you avoid wrong turns, to be patient and not get off the exit ramp that may look good. I pray I can take the things I've learned and share them with you, so you can avoid some of the troubles I've gone through. And perhaps view things in a way you may have never seen before. I ask you, the readers, for a favor. Please feel free to comment, add or anything here on this blog. I want to learn from you guys as well. Thank you all and God bless.