Which Nimrod are you?

Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” (Genesis 10:8-9 NIV)

The bible is one of the most fascinating books ever written. It is complex , beautiful, and historic all in one. Who exactly was Nimrod? We know very little about him and Biblical scholars think he actually might be known as Gilgamesh and this name, Nimrod, was just used as a description. So this person could either be a great Godly man, or an inept, inadequate rebel.  We just don't know. The bible has many of these mysteries. I love it!

It's ok not to have all the answers. Wether it is concerning the bible or Gods plan for your life, it's ok to live in the dark. I think God does this to us so we will rely on him more. If I had all the answers, would I need God around? I'm pretty sure the answer to that question is no.  Instead of searching for all lifes answers, we need to turn everything to the Lord. The bible often speaks to us in unique ways. Those wonderful words are more than just sentences, they are sent to guide us and speak to us while we walk on a unique path. The same words of one verse might mean something today and different tomorrow. This book, authored by the creator of the universe, handwritten by man, is so critical to my daily walk. I praise the Lord for this wondeful gift.

Change

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Philippians 3:7-9 NIV)

There is nothing more important than your relationship with Jesus Christ. Nothing! 

Praise God for how he has changed me and is changing me. I can feel it. I can see it. I am so much happier with myself, the more I get to know Jesus. There are still many things I want to change, battles that I have within myself. The change I have seen in myself provide hope that I can overcome all sin and shortcomings in my life. It's not anything special I have done, it's Christ working in and through me. 

Knowing Christ is the center of my life. I am working everyday to embed his love into my life and spreading that love to the people I meet. Christ is in me!

I love you Lord! Please continue to change me. May I be a vessel for your love. I praise you with all my heart and worship you in thought, word, and deed. Praise God!

HiHo HiHo it's off to work I go!

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15 NIV)

I really love my job. I can't imagine doing anything else. As a matter of fact, I've enjoyed my lifetime of work. I have never dreaded Monday's or avoided work. Recently, I have thought more about retirement, but it's not because I don't like what I'm doing, it's because I'm excited to jump into another adventure. I'm not looking to sit around doing nothing. I WILL work, I just don't know doing what. That is exciting. 

I know many people that look at work as gruesome toil. They hate what they're doing. My advice: Do something else! God did not mean work to be hated. He assigned Adam work BEFORE the fall. Only after son entered our lives did work get harder. So work was not meant to be punishment. God even called it good. 

I have been appointed, by my Heavenly Father, a school teacher at GHS. I am blessed to serve him through my occupation. Are you blessed to work like I am? Maybe if people would look at work as a blessing, Monday mornings would be a joyful reunion after the weekend instead of a drudgery. If you are not in a job you love, you need to do everything you can to find one that you do.

Lord Jesus, thank you for my life filled with work, thank you for my current job and the wonderful, adventurous career path I have travelled. May I always remember the blessing of serving the students at GHS! You are wondeful, powerful, and majestic. Praise God!

Finally, I think I get it!

And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:27-28 NLT)

Im not always the sharpest tool in the shed! I've been a Christian for 40 years and I'm just now starting to understand. I don't know how many countless times I have read these verses, but the meaning never seemed as obvious as it does now. 

God has sent the Holy Spirit to watch over me. He did this because I have committed my life to him. The Holy Spirit knows what I need and intercedes for me with my Heavenly Father. And THAT is how all things work for the good of those that love God. I don't have to know what to pray or how to pray. I just need to pray! The Holy Spirit speaks for me. The Holy Spirit is my interpreter and intercessor. 

I know, some of you are saying duh, you didn't know that? Like I said, I'm a little slow. 

What this does for me is confirm how I should pray! I don't have to be specific. Even if I just moan in anguish, the Holy Spirit intercedes with words and God knows what is needed. I don't need to know the details of my grandkids lives, or my daughters, or the lost, or my coworkers. As I pray, the spirit knows, and speaks the needed words.

Praise God, thank you for the gift of the spirit. Thank you for forming the words I can't. I am humbled that you placed us above your own son, sacrificing him so we could live in eternity. Thank you Lord for your great love!

Tired of reading how great you are!

JJesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT)

I love social media. It is a great way to communicate with friends, daughters, grandkids, and coworkers. I get a great deal of my news from social media and I love the inspiration people post. The one thing I've learned from social media that surprises me is not the vulgarness of some people, it's not the adult humor, or the senseless posts. My biggest shock is how social media exposes how conceded some people are. 

If your like me you get sick and tired of posts where people boast how great they are, how great they are as a mom, teacher, wife, or Christian. It seems so many people tout how hard they work, how great their impact is on students, or the value of their volunteerism. Don't people have any humility? Is humbleness even valued in our society? Do they need this format to feel self worth?

This verse may seem like boasting by Jesus, it certainly is not. It is not a statement of bragging, it's a statement of who he really is. After this statement of fact there is no doubt who Jesus is. It's like giving someone a calling card. When you make a calling card it's purpose is to tell others exactly who you are. Jesus wanted to leave no question so he told them. Yet, if anyone had the right to brag it would be the son of God, right? Yet, even Jesus was humble and did not exploit others for his purposes.

Dear Lord, please teach those around me to be humble. I'm not perfect and you are VERY AWARE OF THAT. I know my weakness and so do you. You know my sins and the battles I face every day. Please Lord draw me nearer to you heart. Give me an attitude of HUMILITY, service, grace, and love as I await your guidance. I praise you and thank you for loving us so much you gave your son for us!

What to pray for!

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10 NLT)

I had a wonderful day Thursday. The weather was breaking 50 degrees and their was an afternoon full of sunshine. God planned it this way so I could ride. Yes, he did it so I could ride. I didn't just ride. I went to support an ALR chaplain in the last stages with his fight with cancer. It was his birthday and the area motorcyclists went to his house to sing happy birthday. He got what would likely be his last motorcycle ride. It was a great outpouring of love.

We didn't get an opportunity to pray for him. He's a strong Christian and even praised God while we were there. So I was standing there thinking how to pray for this guy. If I prayed for him to get healed here on this planet, wouldn't that potentially keep him away from paradise. Wouldn't that prayer be a little selfish? I think most people feel uncomfortable praying for some one going through illness and facing imminent death. Selfishly we want to heal them. But, we know the ultimate healing is with Jesus in Heaven. So I pray for Gods will. If he chooses to keep this man here a little longer Praise God. If he chooses to call him home, praise God. 

May Gods will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!

This is a perfect example!

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (Psalms 32:8 NLT)

This verse is a perfect example of what I've been talking about. 

For years I've fought and argued with God about the direction in my life. I thought because I was a Christian my life would naturally be Gods direction. I was wrong. I made decisions thinking God was guiding me, but it wasn't God I was listening to, it was my own prideful, selfish, sinful heart. Ah, a flaw in my thinking. I blamed the trials of my life on Gods will. I claimed the suffering was just God teaching me some valuable lesson. Ah, another flaw in my thinking. 

God does have a plan for my life AND it is the best plan! BUT, I have to listen to his advice. When he speaks I need to listen. I need to act on his guidance. God has never and WILL never force his guidance upon us. We need to take that advice and act upon it. Even as christians if we are not communicating with Jesus, if we are not listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, if we are not acting on that guidance, we will not see the best pathway of life. I truly believe the greatest barrier to life is ourselves. So often we suffer, not because of God teaching us some lesson, but because we refuse to listen and act on Gods wisdom. Christianity is more than just turning your life to Christ. Sure, that step is critical and is life changing in that we are promised eternity, but we miss the rest of the blessing if we stop there. Even when we make the wonderul decision to follow him, we need to keep pursuing him. We need to earnestly search for truth. We need to dig into his word, and we need to begin a lifelong two way relationship filled with debate, support, and love. When we pursue God with all of our heart, Gods blessing overflow!

Dear Lord, forgive me for ignoring your word. Forgive me for thinking I know best . Forgive me for blaming you for my trials and struggles. I know you have this wonderul path laid out for me, if I will just trust you fully. I love you Lord and the older I get the clearer that pathway becomes. I am awed by the wonder of your grace. I am amazed by the depth of your love. I promise Lord to seek you more every day. Thank you Lord in advanced for what you are going in my life. Amen!

Don't forget

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth. (Psalms 96:11-13 NLT)

Be glad, rejoice, shout his praise, burst out with joy, sing for joy! I think I see a pattern! 

If you read this blog on a regular basis or you see my social media posts you know I've been on a roll lately. I've discussed one controversial topic and then another. It's draining and can really drag you down. If you look at the entirety of this globe we occupy you would agree there is not a lot of positive. 

I need to remember who I am!

I am a child of the most high God and if I can keep that in focus, I can do all these things. It really is a strategy of the deceiver. If he can get our focus off Jesus he will destroy us. If he gets us thinking of all the division in the world, the stress, the strife, conflict, and bitterness, we will forget Jesus. 

Not this guy!

I will ignore all the world to focus on the joy of my salvation. Even through the turmoil of life, I can have real joy. I see hope. I know it's strange to say when we even see a great divide among believers. Jesus is my hope, my strength, my redeemer. Praise God for the hope that awaits me in eternity.

Is the Bible true?

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! (Psalms 119:1-8 NLT)

Is the word of God, his holy scripture inerrant? 

I have to say unequivocally yes it is God breathed and completely infallible. But, what that doesn't say is, I don't get it all the time. Let's be clear......... I said I believe the Bible is unfalible. That doesn't mean I'm in fallible in my application of those truths. There is a big difference.

I believe the bible is the word of God and is meant as a message to help us rule our lives and deal with the issues of our day. I have seen the truths of the Bible through my own life. I have seen the hand of God and how it directs my daily life. Every day I see how real and true it is, not because somebody told me to believe it, but because I see it being true to ME. So I believe God is real, Jesus came to cleanse us, he's coming back, I have an eternal home in heaven and I believe the words of the Bible are absolutely true. 

I've read this wondeful book completely several times and I study it nearly every day. I can not pick and choose what to believe. I can't follow what I like and disregard the rest. I won't do it! I will not doubt it's truth, but I strongly admit I don't always understand it and I don't always apply it the way God intended. Nonetheless I will follow it as God places each issue in my heart. I won't claim to be perfect but I do claim the spirit of the Lord will steer me through the unknowns. I will follow my heart because I have turned it over to Jesus. I'm not saying my own sinfullness doesn't lead to some poor decisions., because I know it does. Praise God for his word.  

Dear Lord, thank you for the truths in your holy word. I ask you to help me apply those truths in my life and dealing with the people I meet everyday. Help those truths to be seen in me as I write this blog, travel, minister with CMA, work with students, and live with my family. I only want to do your will. Defeat my sinfullness so that you can shine through me. I praise you and love you. Amen.

Compromise

They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. (Psalms 119:3 NLT)

We have lost the art of compromise. When I say we I also include Christians in that group. Our unwavering attitudes, mine included, are symbolized by this Psalm. It seems to give us the right to be stubborn and unwavering. Because Jesus is the way, THE TRUTH, and the life, we believe we have a corner on what's right and what's wrong. I agree there is only one way to life eternal and that is through Jesus. We should be unwavering in what we believe and the word of the Lord. I believe Jesus died for my sins, rose from the grave to defeat death, and is coming again. But sometimes the truths I know give be a boldness that borders on arrogance. Knowing the ultimate truth is used to set ourselves apart from nonbelievers. It's not a productive attitude. We tend to forget we are all sinners and no one sin is greater or lesser than another.

Why not live this verse:

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:13-15 NLT)

When we compromise we do not have to compromise our faith. When we disagree with the world, how we handle that attitude is critical. A Major League, openly Christian,  baseball player was asked how he would react to a gay teammate. He took the opportunity to say how misrepresented Christianity is about this issue. He said, 

“Maybe, as a Christian, that we haven’t been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality. We love the people. We disagree the lifestyle. That’s the way I would describe it for me,” Murphy told the Star-Ledger.

He continued: “It’s the same way that there are aspects of my life that I’m trying to surrender to Christ in my own life. There’s a great deal of many things, like my pride. I just think that as a believer trying to articulate it in a way that says just because I disagree with the lifestyle doesn’t mean I’m just never going to speak to Billy Bean every time he walks through the door. That’s not love. That’s not love at all."

“I don’t think the fact that someone is a homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect. Getting to know him. That, I would say, you can still accept them but I do disagree with the lifestyle, 100 percent,” he said.

These statements are out of love. Can't we agree to disagree and compromise to the point we don't treat each other as evil! Can't we live together or play on the same team together without hating or even ignoring each other. I don't wish evil on gays and lesbians. I don't want to ignore them. I want to show them the exact same love that Jesus shows me, even though I am a sinner. I am strongly against abortion, yet, I long to show love and compassion for those who have gone through it. They deserve our care. I don't hate democrats and refuse to spew hate about them and our president. We disagree on politics. I think we can all agree that we need to love and care for our fellow man.

Compromise doesn't mean abandoning principle. It means going beyond the disagreements to show love to everyone we meet.

Dear Lord, direct my life in a way that is pleasing to you. Help me to love everyone and to show compassion to those who I disagree with. It's about loving them and I know you want me to show that love to everyone, especially those not like me. May I be able to compromise without going against your plans for me. I praise you for your wonderful love and grace. Amen!

Second chance

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. (Acts of the Apostles 15:36-41 NLT)

Have you ever gotten into such an argument that it drove a permanent wedge between you and the person on the other side? Such is the argument between Paul and Barnabus. After this argument, we believe they never saw each other again. It's sad. I've seen families, friendships, businesses, and marriages split forever due to "sharp" arguments. In these situations, there is little you can do to restore a relationship split by arguments.

I think it curious that Paul would not give John Mark a second chance. It's even more curious when you remember the major second chance given to Paul after he so cruelly persecuted Christians. God has set the standard. He has and does give each of us second chances. He usually gives even more than that. I am thankful he does. 

Dear Lord, I am so grateful you are a God of second chances. You love us so much that you will never give up on us. Help me take that principle and apply it to my relationship with others. We all deserve a second chance. Remove our hardened hearts and give us soul filled with compassion. Praise God we can count on you for the wisdom and strengthen to make it happen! You are an amazing and loving God and I worship you with all my heart! Amen!

Gotcha!

"........ His name was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted insults and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants and soldiers alike. To the accompaniment of curses he shouted, “Get lost, get lost, you butcher, you hellhound! GOD has paid you back for all your dirty work in the family of Saul and for stealing his kingdom. GOD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look at you now—ruined! And good riddance, you pathetic old man!” (2 Samuel 16:5-8 MSG)

We live in a time where people really enjoy catching someone making a mistake. In the same instance we also live in a time when people hate to admit errors. That is a tenuous combination. These circumstances lead to bitter division amongst people. I think it's fair to say, our planet has never been more divided in all of history. People are filled with such hate that they are blinded by it so much they lose all capacity for compassion. 

How can we deal with such a time as this?

We can do as David did? David is just like us. He messed up. He couldn't admit he was wrong and it led him to dig himself a very deep hole that he never recovered. He realized his sin after it was too late. So he suffered this attack and barrage of insults. What did he do? Nothing! He didn't retaliate. He didn't use his power to silence the critic. He just kept marching forward. 

I wish we could react in the same way. 

We need to learn to handle insult. We need to learn to ignore the attacks. We need to lighten up and realize we can overcome without vengeance. We need to leave the judgment and the "get even" mentality with the Lord. He will deal with it in his own time. Our duties do not include payback. We are just to love one another and that's it! We, as far as we can, are to destroy hate, love our enemies and share Jesus with all of them. That is our great commission. We are not in the gotcha business!

Dear Lord, give us the strength to love and not judge. Help us to leave judgement and vengeance to you. You are our protector, your timing is perfect and you do not need our help! Help me to be a more loving and compassionate person . Help me to model that compassion and grace after the one who sacrificed everything for me. Thank you Lord! Praise God for your perfect love! Amen!

Looking over your shoulder!

Do you see how many people Have it in for me? How viciously they hate me? Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don’t let me down when I run to you. Use all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product. GOD, give your people a break From this run of bad luck. (Psalm 25:19-22 MSG)

I've continued to study a Chuck Swindoll series called "What if......." It continues to be a fascinating study. My life, right now, is a true blessing from God. Trust me when I tell you, I don't deserve my life. I am a sinner and have not been righteous in any sense of the word. But I have found favor with the Lord and my life is truly a display of Gods amazing grace.

So, when I listened to the message today, I had to look back in my life to relate to David. Yes, I have enemies. You can't live for 55 years without upsetting someone or enduring some hate. I also have had phases in my life where my haters were quite numerous. A former principal of mine said, "Your list of enemies or people that hate you, never gets smaller." I have truly found this to be true. I'm not sure I've ever heard someone tell me,or someone else, they used to hate me and now they love me! It just doesn't happen. But, if my detractors are near me, I'm unaware of their hatred. I praise God for his love and protection. He alone is the reason the haters in my life don't impact my day. So, let me give you advice from someone who has endured some hateful people. It may be an overly simplified approach, but I have found the greatest defense from you haters is just to turn them over to the Lord.  If I could tell you how to live, I would say, do not spend your life in fear. Do not spend your days looking over your shoulder. Eliminate distrustful thoughts, shut out those who do not lift you up and only wish to tear you down. Love your enemy. Trust in the Lord to protect you from evil and hate. 

We, which means you and I, can overcome our haters. Yes, we can ignore the life of a hater if we can just radically and unwaveringly follow Jesus. Praise God for his wondeful love and amazing grace. Thank you Lord for isolating me from the hatred surrounding me. I am honored to follow you and renew my commitment to serving you. Amen!

You're not that important!

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. (Galatians 6:2-3 NLT)

This is such a profound and key message from God. In order to live a life of obedience to Christ we MUST share the burdens of others. No one is exempt. You can not thumb your nose in the air. You are NOT above the fray! You are not so important that you are not expected to serve. 

What can I do? One of the obvious steps we can take is to know the needs of others. It seems so simple, but so rare. At CMA we always emphasize building relationships. It's a foundation of ministry. We can't serve to the fullest until we know the needs. God chooses to serve through us and our actions.

It is also our responsibility to be aware of resources. We need to know what resources are available and how to access them. We need to prepare for the day of need before the need arises. Our knowledge of free food sources, jobs, medical help, financial help, housing, and more are critical to our service. We need to love out of Gods own heart. We need to have genuine compassion and an attitude of "no rest" until all the needs are met.

 As Christians, our focus should be on serving people. We shouldn't rely on someone else to do it. We shouldn't rely on a faceless government, we shouldn't rely on godless agencies, we should lead the efforts to help those that need it. 

Lord help us to serve you through serving others. We need to take the focus on our selves and turn it to helping the homeless, poor, and the lost. We need to put others needs ahead of ours.Amen!

Doing right things for the right reasons!

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused. (2 Kings 5:16 NLT)

I've been listening to a series of messages from Chuck Swindoll at Insight for Living called "What if.......".This verse was a part of my recent study. Mr. Swindoll concluded the message with the thoughts we need to always ask ourselves: Am I doing the right thing? And What are my motives?

Elisha was doing the right thing and he had a pure heart. God honored that with the power to heal Naaman. Elisha knew it was not his power that healed, but the power of God. So, he refused the gifts for the healing. He didn't seek glory, he just followed the calling of the Lord. Oh, if I could be that strong and pure.

We live in such a "me" society. Even as christians it's easy to take credit for the wonderful blessings of the Lord. It's easy to be caught up in successes. It's easy to rest in our own power ignoring the creator of that power. At school, I want to be responsible for the student successes, but blame the failures on the students. People have such a hard time accepting failure. It's so easy to blame others. I need to examine my own heart. 

Am I doing the right thing for the right reasons? Is my heart focused on the Lord. I need to make sure I examine my successes and failures. We can always examine them through those two questions: Am I doing the right thing? What are my motives? 

Dear Lord help me do the right thing. Help me to make good decisions, accept mistakes, and to listen to your guidance. I am not perfect. I will fail. I need your help acknowledging both my successes and failures. Help me to examine my life on a daily basis looking for ways to improve. I love you and know you deserve all the glory for my exceptional life. I praise your holy name, Amen!

"Life Like Verses"

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. (James 4:1-3 NLT)

These verses have to be some of the most "life like" verses in the Bible. Don't they fit perfectly with the news of 2015. We see quarrels of all shapes and sizes in our world. We see evil desires, scheming, killing, jealousy, war, fights, and an absence of any communication with our wonderful savior. Hàve you ever just screamed at the top of your lungs! WHY?????? But, really, it should be clear. The reason we lack peace is because we don't ask for it and when we do ask, we do it for the wrong, usually selfish, reasons! We are in it for our own pleasure and that's what gets us in trouble the most. I'm watching the news right now and the first question is "What's in it for us?" The news is filled with selfishness. We, us, me, I are the most popular words of our vocabulary. If we turn from our selfish desires to serving our fellow man, peace will happen.

It's time to stop! The best way to fight the war is the armor of God! We need to arm ourselves and OTHERS with scripture, the word must be studied with all heart, and we need to deeply communicate with our loving savior. I need to constantly check my motives. How closely are they aligned with the heart of God? I need to turn my prayers from extravagant wish lists to prayers for wisdom, power, strength, to survive this evil, not just for me, but for others. We need to pray for others to know and be able to discern right from wrong. We need to pray for compassion. Help me to build relationships with the lost while at the same time serve them and supply there needs.

I love you lord and want nothing but your will. Help me, grant me wisdom to navigate the troubled waters in front of me. Help me to focus on helping others and service to those that hate meI I love you Lord! I worship you with all the praise I can produce. Thank you Lord! You truly are amazing!

The next level

......... Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 MSG)

If you don't understand this verse, you better drop to your knees and pray for your salvation. 

I know how absolutely blessed I am. You probably get tired of hearing it. I haven't done anything to deserve it. God gives this gift to those that love him and the best is yet to come. I have been abundantly blessed by my God from above because he wants to prepare me for heaven. I see HIS amazing grace as a teaser that leads me to wanting more and more heaven. I can not wait until the day I get to walk those streets of gold. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me and for you. I know this world seems so evil and it is heard to find good. If you look hard you can find it and I see the love of Jesus every where. The great blessings I see now are like a drop of water in the ocean. 

I praise my wonderful Lord for this life I have. I don't want to minimize the blessings of this life. But, I have to admit, I am amazingly anticipating the life I am promised in eternity. God doesn't want this relationship we have to end. He has prepared a loving home for me where the blessings of this life can be magnified. Praise God. I can't wait. I want all of you to be with me.

Trusting your Coach

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

It's very normal to pick apart verses of the bible. When we do, we sometimes get bogged down with certain words. Many times we "gloss" over those words and we lose the value of the word from our Lord. There are so many key words here, but it is critical how they are tied together. 

I really have two choices in life. I either trust the Lord and all he is doing in my life or I don't trust him and count on my own understanding of the circumstances and events. 

Trusting in the Lord is saying that God knows my circumstances better than I do. 

 "Does God know better than I do about my own life?" Does he have a better view of what's going on outside my area of influence? Does he know more about how outside people are going to impact my life? Can he predict the impacts of my decisions? Until you can say yes, to all three you have no way to be successful in this life.

When you are participating in sports there comes a point in a players career he/she must decide if the coach knows what they are talking about. Practices become extremely trying, long, and tedious. The player asks if the pain is worth the gain. That always leads back to the coach. Does the player believe in the Coach? If not, "game over", if so then real winning can begin. Many times it is a long process to establish that trust. If the mutual trust is developed, the successes are amazing.

I'm not saying it's easy to trust a God you can't see. But, I know from a long relationship, I can trust in the Lord. I believe he sees all and knows all. It is only through his insight that a realistic game plan can be implemented for my life. So, just step out in faith one time. Determine that you will trust in the Lord. I will promise when you try it once you will never turn back. You will see his faithfulness and begin to doubt less. Then as you turn over more and more, he will bless more and more. 

Submit to him, trust him, and you will see!

It's 4 below zero!

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” (John 11:9-10 NIV)

I can't wait for spring, warm temperatures, more daylight, and spring break. It's coming, but not soon enough. I'm looking forward to is long walks, riding bikes, motorcyle rides, mowing my lawn, and just embracing the sunshine.

Florida, warmth, and the lazy days of spring break are just the thing I need to get me going. It's 4 below zero right now and the week is filled with subzero temperatures in the forecast. But, my hope is rising. I went to the International Motorcycle Show yesterday, it's like a Robin showing up in my yard. I've also noticed the days are getting noticeably longer.

I think many of us that live in the north are enamoured with warmth and sunshine. We need the light. I wish we were just as infatuated with Jesus. I wish we had as much hunger for the Lord as we have for the beaches or riding motorcycles. So many people live their lives in the grips of "Winter". Jesus is our "Spring". He is our warmth, he's our sunshine, he is our savior. He is everything we need in all seasons. Praise God for his love and grace.

Science vs Faith

so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:5 NIV)

I have written on my views about this on other occasions. This adversarial relationship between science and faith is ridiculous. I love science. I love the pursuit of knowledge. I love the pursuit of God! I can love science and love God and not compromise my faith. I completed a study from Dr. Sproals that helped me clarify some of my own thoughts. I'm by no means an expert in any of these areas of faith or science. BUT, I DO HAVE AN OPINION based on my limited knowledge!

The controversy between science and faith really centers around two main theories, although there are others. The Big Bang Theory and Evolution seem to be huge battleground topics. The Bible  does not say how God created the Earth, it's great to pursue the knowledge of that process. I think the pursuit helps prove the existence God. If you believe in the theory of the Big Bang, that created the existence of life, what is it that blew up? Where did that come from. We can not prove the creation of something from nothing. Science hasn't and can't prove HOW THE STUFF THAT BLEW UP CAME INTO EXISTENCE, it has no answer for this thought. I do -- it's God!

I believe in Evolution! I know my conservative Christian friends are cringing. What I don't believe is that we descended from Apes. I do believe that the outward appearance of man has changed over the history of humanity, I can call that evolution. I don't dispute the existence of Neanderthal man or prehistoric man. I may disagree with some of the theories we attribute to our prehistoric brothers and sisters, but our thoughts, our appearances, our skills, our entire existence has changed over the years. Did we have an ape like appearance? Yes, and who cares. I think we look like apes right now! I don't think that's a game changer. That is indisputable. But, we did not descend from Apes and there is no proof of it. The theory takes the information we have as fact and extrapolates that to the origin of man. It's a theory. But, we can't dispute the human race has evolved in many different ways over the centuries. Our skin color, height, over all appearance, and our intelligence has changed, evolved. Why are we so threatened by this. Could God have designed it this way? Could God have designed the evolution of birds, fish, and other animals? Why not? I am not intimidated by evolution. A big part of evolution is the age of the Earth. Somebody is right and somebody is wrong. I, again, don't see this as a game changer. It doesn't change the Bible. It doesn't change my belief in the infalible word of God and the truth of Christ. 

We get so caught up in minutiae. I want my science friends to pursue the truth in science, in evolution, in creation of the universe. They are going to be wrong sometimes and will be right as well. My faith friends also need to pursue the truth through their relationships with Christ. I hope that I have friends that are pursuing both at the same time!

God created the universe and the mysteries it holds. He designed it this way on purpose. He designed us to be curious, to seek truth, to have an insatiable desire for knowledge. He wants us to pursue it with all of our being, because eventually it will lead us to him. That is the real goal. He just wants to be with us. It's exciting to read a great mystery novel. It's just as exciting to try to unravel the mysteries of our existence. Life is exciting because God designed it that way. Praise God!