You always hear about all the things God is doing for people and wonder when is he going to do something for me? I have a friend who is serving God in Nairobi, Kenya and I just read where their Annual Budget was just met by their supporting churches. Praise God for providing for them. Now they can concentrate on Ministry and not have to worry about money. Seeing God take care of his people is always encouraging. But what about your needs? Do you ever find yourself asking God , where’s mine? When do I get my break, how long do I have to be like this? I am sure we have all been at some place in our lives where we have wondered if God even hears our prayers or knows what is going on with our lives.
This week God showed me just how much he loves me in the simplest form. My wife is pregnant with our 2nd child and we are eagerly awaiting his arrival. Graceanne is so excited to be a big Sister and can’t wait for the Dr. To pull her baby brother out of Mommy. ( I laugh every time she ask.. Is the Dr. going to pull my baby brother out of mommy today? ) Just a month ago Heidi was involved in a small accident that was enough to send her into pre term labor. We got to the hospital and they were able to stop the contractions and she was able to come home. Almost exactly 1 month later, she was getting ready for a meeting at work and headed out the door. She surprised us by being back home just 30 minutes later after she had found out the meeting had been cancelled due to the other party being stuck in court. Not very long after , she started feeling contractions and within 45 minutes had already almost 10. So we called our Dr. and we packed up and headed to the hospital. It did not take long for them to admit her and once again, they wanted to stop the contractions. She is 33 weeks and 4 days but they want her to at least go 34 weeks. After a few hours of contractions every 1-3 minutes, they finally slowed down and they took her off the drugs that were helping her. Once again, we were able to avoid a pre mature birth. Thank God.
At some point in this entire ordeal I stopped and had one of those moments where you realize all along that God knows who I am and knows exactly what I needed. That person being stuck in court was no coincidence and I am so grateful that God had his hand on Heidi and our little guy. If Heidi had been at her meeting, then everything would have been completely different and it would have been so much more difficult to get her to the hospital. “ His eye is on the Sparrow “ No matter how big or how small the issue you are facing, God knows exactly every detail and is as concerned about your small problem as he is with the biggest of problems. Thank God I am loved by a Heavenly Father that knows everything about me down to the number of hairs on my head. Instead of always wondering when you are going to get the Big Blessing… Be grateful for all the things God has done already.
Luke 12:6-7 (The Message)"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.
Can I Get a Witness?
K
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Do we need a Time out?
I start work early each morning, so I am typically the first one up. I am usually in my office for about an hour before I hear movement in the rest of the house and I always look forward to the beautiful, cheerful smile that greets me slowly opening my office door. It never fails, every morning, there she is with the most precious smile and she jumps into my lap and plays with the whiskers on my face telling me what she dreamed about or what she has planned for the day. What a special time that is for me each and every morning. Those of you that have children I hope can relate.
After a short time there is this wonderful peace in the house and it is something that is new only since Graceanne was born. It makes our mornings around here so special and I find myself during various parts of the day smiling or even giggling about what she did or said that morning. Then at some point during the day something changes and things are not so happy or easy going and it becomes a struggle. I immediately try to find that place of peace that we love so much and look forward to each morning, but that precious time has passed and the once quite, peaceful home becomes a place of tension and strife. The result of that usually ends up with a time out and some sort of punishment. She is the same little child that we both love and adore but something somewhere changes and then we have to find that place of peace once again.
How many of us do this exact same thing to God the Father? We greet Him in the morning with such praise and adoration and after a few hours in the day we are ignoring Him and even not acknowledging Him. As a parent we all know how that feels when our child seems to disregard everything we are saying or offering and we feel like they are never listening. I have not mastered making sure that the peace is kept in our house all day but I am finding that all we have to do to stay in accord with God is to walk as the scripture points us to do.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 ( The King James ) says “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
That simply means that as long as our Eyes are on Jesus we are more equipped to handle what obstacles we are faced with and we can focus more on strengthening our relationship with Him. The more I understood my Dad and what he expected of me the more I knew how to act so he did not have to ‘ adjust ‘ my attitude. But we are always needing an attitude adjustment, we are human , but by committing ourselves to God and continually communicating with Him, we have a better chance than not to succeed.
The really awesome thing about each day is that God gave us 24 hour days so that no matter what happened in the previous day we have the opportunity to learn from that and apply it to the next day and hopefully we make strides to improve on the previous day’s events.
Lamentations 3:22-24 ( The Message Translation ) ~
God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
Can I Get a Witness?
K
After a short time there is this wonderful peace in the house and it is something that is new only since Graceanne was born. It makes our mornings around here so special and I find myself during various parts of the day smiling or even giggling about what she did or said that morning. Then at some point during the day something changes and things are not so happy or easy going and it becomes a struggle. I immediately try to find that place of peace that we love so much and look forward to each morning, but that precious time has passed and the once quite, peaceful home becomes a place of tension and strife. The result of that usually ends up with a time out and some sort of punishment. She is the same little child that we both love and adore but something somewhere changes and then we have to find that place of peace once again.
How many of us do this exact same thing to God the Father? We greet Him in the morning with such praise and adoration and after a few hours in the day we are ignoring Him and even not acknowledging Him. As a parent we all know how that feels when our child seems to disregard everything we are saying or offering and we feel like they are never listening. I have not mastered making sure that the peace is kept in our house all day but I am finding that all we have to do to stay in accord with God is to walk as the scripture points us to do.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 ( The King James ) says “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
That simply means that as long as our Eyes are on Jesus we are more equipped to handle what obstacles we are faced with and we can focus more on strengthening our relationship with Him. The more I understood my Dad and what he expected of me the more I knew how to act so he did not have to ‘ adjust ‘ my attitude. But we are always needing an attitude adjustment, we are human , but by committing ourselves to God and continually communicating with Him, we have a better chance than not to succeed.
The really awesome thing about each day is that God gave us 24 hour days so that no matter what happened in the previous day we have the opportunity to learn from that and apply it to the next day and hopefully we make strides to improve on the previous day’s events.
Lamentations 3:22-24 ( The Message Translation ) ~
God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
Can I Get a Witness?
K
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Put down that Big Mac and Pray
When we were just kids my Mom and Dad brought home this new device called the Radar Range. A new marvel for that time and it was going to make life so much easier. Food can be heated up or even cooked in a fraction of the time a conventional oven would take. What a concept. Having this new tool would allow for us to spend less time dealing with food and devoting to other things like, cleaning our rooms, cutting the grass or doing whatever activity ( chore ) my parents could come up with. You remember the Radar Range? It did not have the cool LCD screens and multiple settings for the various types of food like the ones we have today. ( now called Microwave’s ) It had these Big Dials, one for regular cooking and the other for defrost. Because of this new technology, we were thrust into a new way of Living….. Until then we took things easy, never in any hurry to get somewhere and a bit more slow paced. Not a bad life if you ask me. I walked into the kitchen one day and there was my brother standing at the Radar Range and tapping his fingers waiting for the dial to turn to completion so he could eat. The Buzzer dinged and he opened the door and what he pulled out was not very appetizing……. He had decided he wanted some eggs and did not feel like taking the time to make them the normal way in a skillet on the stove. Well, when you place an egg in the microwave, it has a tendency to Explode , and that is exactly what happened. Of course he ate the eggs and continued to use the Radar Range for things he wanted NOW, regardless of how it looked or even tasted. It was fast and that was all that mattered.
We have this obsession with “ Fast Food “ and although it is convenient and a lot of it taste good, look at what it has done to us as a Nation. Over a period of time while achieving satisfaction in a quick and easy fashion, we have put our lives, bodies and even way of living at risk. As a result of this mentality we are unhealthy and always struggling with the way we look and feel.
Do we do the same thing to God? Are we always looking for that quick answer or easy solution to whatever it is we are going through? We want to only give him a few minutes if that a day and then we expect everything to be alright. God desires communion with us, He created us for that purpose among other reasons. When you take the time to really walk with God, communicate daily and seek Him, only then is your life going to turn around and truly reflect a life of blessing.
Ephesians 6:18 says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. “
If we just take a moment, slow down and really take the time to talk to God, and then really listen, our lives will see the result of that patience and commitment.
Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Message translation puts it this way…. ( Matthew 6:30-33 )” If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “
Take time to really seek God and dig deeper and watch what He will do in your life as a result.
Can I get a Witness?
k
Friday, July 16, 2010
Preperation Breeds Success
Back in High School I participated in Sports, Football and Track. For some reason I enjoyed running , but didn’t fully understand at the time what it took to really run and do it right. I considered myself to be pretty fast and that was enough for me. We got together for our first practice and I could not believe all the things we had to do just to get to run. I did not want to “practice” I just wanted to run. Some how I made the track team and was placed on a few relays and some medium distance events. It didn’t take long and I began to grow very disinterested in “preparing” for the meets that we had during the week. I just wanted to get out there and Run. After only a few races I pulled something in my lower Back and that basically ended my career in Track. I had injured myself and blamed everything but me as the reason.
Preparation is the most important part of anything you can do. Without fully being aware of what you are getting involved in or conditioning yourself, you are setting yourself up for Failure. We men are notorious for not reading instructions or getting directions. We want to believe that we can do it on our own and we don’t need any assistance in order to get things right. Just last night, I was putting together a glider for my wife ( we are expecting our 2nd child in Sept ) and I took out the instructions and laid them on the floor only to just look at the pictures. About 10 minutes into the process I could not figure out why I was not able to get one of the arms to line up correctly. Well….. taking a moment to look at what the instructions actually said, I found that you are to not tighten the screws all the way so it is easier to connect everything . Missing that simple step added about 10 minutes to the whole process and some frustration on my part. I did get the glider together and my wife loves it, but I could have avoided some frustration if only I had read before acting.
God has given us a manual for our life, the Bible. The Book of answers… I know some people who will tell you it is the book of questions, but if you are reading the Word daily and seeking God, those questions will begin to become answers and you will then be at a place where you are putting things together correctly, going places without getting lost and being a help instead of a need.
Being Prepared is vital, especially in the times we live in. So many people are searching and in need of help and direction. I want to encourage each of you , to take a few minutes out of your day and “ Prepare “ yourselves for the day. You just may be the key to someone’s breakthrough.
Philippians 4:4-5 (The Message) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Until next time, Let Go, Let God
k
Preparation is the most important part of anything you can do. Without fully being aware of what you are getting involved in or conditioning yourself, you are setting yourself up for Failure. We men are notorious for not reading instructions or getting directions. We want to believe that we can do it on our own and we don’t need any assistance in order to get things right. Just last night, I was putting together a glider for my wife ( we are expecting our 2nd child in Sept ) and I took out the instructions and laid them on the floor only to just look at the pictures. About 10 minutes into the process I could not figure out why I was not able to get one of the arms to line up correctly. Well….. taking a moment to look at what the instructions actually said, I found that you are to not tighten the screws all the way so it is easier to connect everything . Missing that simple step added about 10 minutes to the whole process and some frustration on my part. I did get the glider together and my wife loves it, but I could have avoided some frustration if only I had read before acting.
God has given us a manual for our life, the Bible. The Book of answers… I know some people who will tell you it is the book of questions, but if you are reading the Word daily and seeking God, those questions will begin to become answers and you will then be at a place where you are putting things together correctly, going places without getting lost and being a help instead of a need.
Being Prepared is vital, especially in the times we live in. So many people are searching and in need of help and direction. I want to encourage each of you , to take a few minutes out of your day and “ Prepare “ yourselves for the day. You just may be the key to someone’s breakthrough.
Philippians 4:4-5 (The Message) Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
Until next time, Let Go, Let God
k
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Introduction
Well, I finally decided I had something to say and what better way than via a blog... Let's get one thing straight from the beginning. I have never and will never proclaim to be a genius or master of words. I completely depend on the Holy Spirit for direction and believe that the Bible is THE Word of God. Through my 43 years on this Earth I have been extremely blessed to have been raised by Godly Parents who taught me the Word of God. They never forced anything on me and their example proved to me that Living a Life in Christ was the path I was going to take in my life.
Through out my walk with Christ I have also been fortunate to have people in my life that have influenced me along the way. Bro Jack Moore, Pastor Nolan Logan, Pastor Steve Munds, Mike Stevens, Bob and Wanda Moon, Danny Perkins, Todd Cash, Steve Baker, David McNabb, Pastor John Jonas, Cindy Boyd, Pastor Mike Davis, Bob and Cheryl Grayson, Pastor Mac Hammond, Pastor Bobby Bogard, Pastor Keith Hulen, Richard Hanner, Dr. Lawrence Kennedy, Pastor Eddie Trice, Pastor Billy McCormick and Pastor Scott LeLaCheur. Each one of these very special people at one point in time were or are responsible for what has shaped me into what I am today. Either in the capacity of Pastor, Youth Pastor, Mentor, Music Minister and or Friend. Each of these people have planted in me truths, ideas, philosophies and opportunities. What a wealth of knowledge and information. Every day I can remember something they said or did and I pause and apply that knowledge to the situation I am in. I have this expansive wealth of knowledge to draw from and that makes me a very wealthy person. Have I always made the right decisions? No, and I will continue to make decisions that I should have thought through more, but more times than not , I will make decisions that work out for the good and because of that , I will move further along in my walk with the Lord.
All of that said to simply say this..... Embrace your Heritage and be grateful for what has brought you to the place you are in now. Even if you are not where you thought you should be or would be at this point and time in your life. Never think it is too late to make a difference or start something new. As we get older and go through experiences we gain knowledge and then can apply those experiences to what we are facing now. I have failed many times and would love to have those times back to make the right decisions. Unfortunately we cannot go back in time, but what we can do is Take Control now of whatever situation we are currently facing and ask our Heavenly Father for guidance through the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1 we see Jesus and His Disciples together for the last time on Earth and they are asking him about the Kingdom being restored to Israel at that moment. This is taken from " The Message "
6When they were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?"
7-8He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
9-11These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, "You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left."
Jesus basically says, forget about that, What I have for you at this very moment is a gift. a Helper, a Guide... The Holy Spirit. Thank God for this gift. Having this gift allows us to make a difference.
(taken from my previous Face Book posting): Let the Holy Spirit guide you in everything you do. When you place your complete faith in the Holy Spirit ( God sent to be our Helper ) you will be able to do more than you could ever imagine. Let Him empower you to do Mighty things. It is hard to imagine us doing greater things than Jesus did , but that was his promise….. Just start by asking for strength and take the first step. Make A Difference !
until next time, Let go Let God.......
k
Through out my walk with Christ I have also been fortunate to have people in my life that have influenced me along the way. Bro Jack Moore, Pastor Nolan Logan, Pastor Steve Munds, Mike Stevens, Bob and Wanda Moon, Danny Perkins, Todd Cash, Steve Baker, David McNabb, Pastor John Jonas, Cindy Boyd, Pastor Mike Davis, Bob and Cheryl Grayson, Pastor Mac Hammond, Pastor Bobby Bogard, Pastor Keith Hulen, Richard Hanner, Dr. Lawrence Kennedy, Pastor Eddie Trice, Pastor Billy McCormick and Pastor Scott LeLaCheur. Each one of these very special people at one point in time were or are responsible for what has shaped me into what I am today. Either in the capacity of Pastor, Youth Pastor, Mentor, Music Minister and or Friend. Each of these people have planted in me truths, ideas, philosophies and opportunities. What a wealth of knowledge and information. Every day I can remember something they said or did and I pause and apply that knowledge to the situation I am in. I have this expansive wealth of knowledge to draw from and that makes me a very wealthy person. Have I always made the right decisions? No, and I will continue to make decisions that I should have thought through more, but more times than not , I will make decisions that work out for the good and because of that , I will move further along in my walk with the Lord.
All of that said to simply say this..... Embrace your Heritage and be grateful for what has brought you to the place you are in now. Even if you are not where you thought you should be or would be at this point and time in your life. Never think it is too late to make a difference or start something new. As we get older and go through experiences we gain knowledge and then can apply those experiences to what we are facing now. I have failed many times and would love to have those times back to make the right decisions. Unfortunately we cannot go back in time, but what we can do is Take Control now of whatever situation we are currently facing and ask our Heavenly Father for guidance through the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1 we see Jesus and His Disciples together for the last time on Earth and they are asking him about the Kingdom being restored to Israel at that moment. This is taken from " The Message "
6When they were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?"
7-8He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
9-11These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, "You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left."
Jesus basically says, forget about that, What I have for you at this very moment is a gift. a Helper, a Guide... The Holy Spirit. Thank God for this gift. Having this gift allows us to make a difference.
(taken from my previous Face Book posting): Let the Holy Spirit guide you in everything you do. When you place your complete faith in the Holy Spirit ( God sent to be our Helper ) you will be able to do more than you could ever imagine. Let Him empower you to do Mighty things. It is hard to imagine us doing greater things than Jesus did , but that was his promise….. Just start by asking for strength and take the first step. Make A Difference !
until next time, Let go Let God.......
k
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