Life By Grace

The Consuming One

2010-07-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm doing my best to escape the heat outside. I'm enjoying the air conditioning of my little corner of the office. Truthfully, today is much better than yesterday in regards to the heat outside. You see, I live in Arizona (the hot part of AZ). Today, at this moment it is 107 Degrees. Yes, one hundred seven is what I said, and it was hotter yesterday. It is so hot outside, that 4 minutes in direct sunlight, your shirt gets that "out of the dryer" warmth.

Now, I have heard this (and some of you may have as well)...you know, the... "if you think it's hot here, Hell's a whole lot hotter." That is not the topic that I am going with here. Just try to follow me. I hope I make sense, even to myself.

God gave the sun to give warmth, energy, and light for life on this planet. It is not only a testament to His creative genius, but of His ongoing love for all of His creation (which includes you and me). I was just thinking about the magnitude of the sun's power and how easily we see this everyday.

Well, think of this... the One (God) made the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) This tells me something unique about God. He is much more powerful than the sun because He made the sun and all of the stars. The Scriptures of the Bible share with us, that God is also so full of light, holiness, that "Our God is A Consuming Fire." (Hebrews 12:13)

If the light of the sun sends us running to find shade to hide from it, imagine the grand presence of the One & Only Holy God. We would have no where to hide from His shear awesome (right way to really use that word) presence.

And yet, even in His holiness, God made a way for us to approach Him through faith. (Hebrews 4:14-16). His, One & Only Son, Jesus Christ came to offer Himself as the sacrifice for Sin. He is the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29)

The Bible says that because we are frail, mortal, imperfect, (none of these are surprising) & sinful people; we have no way possible to stand before The Mighty, Immortal, Holy (absolutely perfect), Sinless God. This amazing God loves us so much that His sinless Son would take on the punishment for our sins. The Bible puts it this way "He became sin Who knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He died on a cross according to the scriptures and was raised 3 days later according to the scriptures (1 Corinthian 15:33-34). Jesus is the One & Only Son of God (100% God, 100% Man) and He is alive. He resurrected from the grave.

And now for those who believe and know Jesus as the King Who Reigns, The Savior that Rescues, and God who loves them more than they could possibly know...they are His children (John 1:12). God also does something incredible. He sends the Holy Spirit (God Himself) to dwell in the hearts of the believer.

The Consuming One that everything melts like wax before him (Psalms) chooses to dwell with us. I believe that is why those who are so passionately in love with Him, feel His consuming fire (of love, grace, truth, & holiness) burning deep inside.

Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost. To give His life as a ransom for many. The ransom has been paid for you. If you do not know this and want to know more...contact me or the nearest follower of Jesus Christ. If you already had heard this before...Here's some news.

Jesus really loves you.
Jesus really frees you.
Jesus wants you to know Him more.

SWAGGER WAGON

2010-06-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

If we ever get a minivan, we have got to get a Sienna after this video. Lovin this and may have to get this jam on iTunes. Rollin with Jeromie!

Potato Heads!

2010-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

OK! OK! I know i may be jumping on the Toy Story 3 bandwagon (Which was an incredible continuation of the story). And i also know that many people have blogged before about Mr. Potato Head. But do you ever feel like Mr. Potato Head. Here's a few examples of what i mean...

1) I'm a Picasso!
You feel like the pieces of your life are mixed up and not placed in the right places. You desire for there to be some kind of order. You hope for some kind of plan. You just wish someone could help you get things right?

2) I'm Missing An Eye!
Or an ear, arm, whatever it may be. Some piece you know should be there seems to have been taken away from you or is hidden out of reach. Now the pieces are not just mixed up, but something is missing.

3) Back Intact!
Somehow, life looks like everything is in it's place. No surface pieces are missing. Life seems good right? Your ears don't get filled with junk. Your eyes are focused ahead and skies are blue. Your nose is clean. Your lips don't speak of what is wrong. Your hands find something meaningful to do. And your feet are pointed in the right direction. The problem...you still feel like an empty shell.

4) The Fully Loaded Spud!
Understanding that God has a plan for your life is a start. Understanding that God is passionate about you and sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die for you because of the passion...that's revolutionary. That is life changing. That is Love!. But Jesus life did not end on the cross. He finished on the cross what was necessary for us to have relationship with God...Grace. But because Jesus, rose from the dead...He has life. Life to the fullest (John 10:10). All other places that claim to have life, merely take it, because they are thieves. Only Jesus can give life, because only He has conquered death in the first place. God desires a relationship with you, but it can only happen through the death, resurrection, life, and grace of Jesus Christ. But, if you want to discover life to the fullest, if you want to be more than an empty shell, if you want to be restored & healed, if you want to have a direction, and yet choose not to seek Him....you will have missed becoming all that God desires for His children.

Set Apart... what does that mean?

2010-03-30T10:04:00.002-07:00

Original Post: August 2006

Well, it is official...or am I official? I'm not really sure which one. On August 13th, I was ordained. That means set apart to do something for God. Well, here is what I want to do for God. I want to love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, body, and strength. That is not easy to do by no means. Much of my life has been tormented by the sins that I so rampently let run in control of myself. To be the man that God wants me to be means letting go of all those things and sins that so easily ensnare us with guilt and burdens. They slow our life to a hilt and make our heart feel as though it may burst from the struggles. I don't mean just the ten commandment sins either. I know that I have broken my share of those, but I also mean the sins that I have allowed in my life that begin the path towards breaking the heart of God and the hearts of others. The same sins that are made popular by the 90's movie "Seven." I've been reading a book about these. If you don't know them, they are Pride, Anger, Envy, Slothfulness, Lust, Gluttony, and Greed. You see, over the past year God has been getting my serious attention and I am more different then i was a year ago, 8 months ago, heck even from 4 weeks ago. Those dates were not chosen for any particular reason except to say that God has been making me face the fact that even if I have been "set apart" I myself am able to accomplish no good thing...certainly no great thing. Sure I may be able to do "something," but without Him, it is not what would be considered a good thing. I want my life to be different! Please God!

I want to Love my Jesus with my all, somthing that I know I haven't done in a long, long time. I'm thankful He forgives us when we allow ourselves to be forgetful of who He is. Pray for me as I continue to grow in Him.

I want my wife to know that I love her with a new grace and affection that pours not out of myself, but from the relationship I'm building with the God who has blessed us so abundantly. I'm thankful for new beginnings in which each day looks to what it brings and not to what the past has held. I love you Melinda and I will strive to be the man God meant for you to have by your side. Thank you for always sticking with me even in struggles. I want to be your knight in shining armor because you are the beautiful damsel of my dreams that has made my heart soar for a greater love.

I want my daughter to know that she is "Daddy's Little Angel." When I say that I mean that she has brought so much inspiration to overcome in my life. I want to be her guardian, her father, her hero, and the model of what a man should look like. Because of her she should have no fear of whether her daddy loves her because I will give up all I can in order to protect the relationship we have and the family we come together under.

I want my church to know that I love them. Thank you for encouraging me when I have been really stupid and absent-minded. I want more than anything not for you to see another leader that is stepping up to something more, but a man that hopefully shows you more of the hope of God and the heart of God than the actions of myself.

I know that I began by saying that I was officially set-apart on a certain date, but to me, being set apart means that I'm set-apart from my old self, from the ordinary life, from a purposeless existence, to a new place that is amazingly extraordinary because of Christ Jesus whose grace is so incredibly sufficient. "He is able to do abundantly and exceedingly more than we could ever imagine"...or accomplish on our own.

Things That Change Your Life...

2010-03-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Original Post: April 2007

Well, today i'm sitting in my office with all kinds of thoughts floating through my head and heart. I was jst thinking about the fact that I'm not the same person I was 1 year ago...2 years ago...5 years ago...and certainly not the same as I was 10 years ago.

I want to tell you something you already know...Life changes us. More importantly...God uses life to change us and to bring us closer to Him.

Things that have changed me:
When I was 12 years old...I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. That means I knew that I needed Him to be my rescuer and save my life from myself. I wasn't sure about what all the difference it would make in my life...but it did. From that point on it was like there was this light going on and off that signaled right and wrong...guidance and conviction. Jesus was now in dwelling in spirit in my heart. He was now closer that I had known someone could be. He has to be close allowed to dwell in your life to save you from yourself.

When I was 19 years old. That is 7 years later, something new happened. My world was shaken up by turmoil in my family and by the breakdown of health with my grandmother. I had lost sense of the person I was and God was working on bringing that view closer. I was in college and dating. With those two I was making huge mistakes because I wanted to take in everthing that i thought would make me happy. As the world fell around me, I found myself broken under that heap of pain. It was only because Christ, had brought new friends in my life that I would be encouraged not to give up. It brought me to a place that I had never known. I learned the joy of being a God follower...not just a God believer. This is where true Christianity is more than something you claim...but something you live. I'm not talking about perfection because even after this I have made some very big mistakes along with the small ones. But it is when you know you need to make Jesus the Lord He is over your life. When you live like He is your King. The next thing I knew, two years later I was being called to follow into full Christian service. This doesn't make me any better than anyone else or holier than anyone else...it's just where i desire to serve career wise.

The 3rd huge change came when I met and married my lovely bride. This has been a fantastic journey. I just wish that I could have shown her everyday that I love her...because there have been days in that first year of marriage...that I didn't show it with my full heart. I'm sorry, I took you for granted then, but those days are behind and I have devoted the past 2 years to trying my best to show that i love her with everything inside of me. Our 3 year anniversary is coming up. I hope it is just a small mile marker on a long road together. Melinda makes me want to be a better man...a man for God.

The 4th huge change of course is my little girl. Whether i like it or not...she is not the baby she once was. She is growing up on me fast. I know that she is only a year old, but she makes me want to be a better leader. She inspires me to have joy and laughter and at the same time to walk a line of inspiration or her. I pray that I never fail even though i know I may falter...I will still cling strong to what I can be for her.

Think about the changes in your life. Sure, all the wrinkles are not ironed out yet. But press on knowing that one day, God will reveal His ultimate gift to those who love and live for Him.

How Far Am I Willing To Go?

2010-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Original Post- November 2007, moved from my myspace account:

On my heart this week is the big thought of…"what happens next?" What is the next step in our journey with the King Supreme? Well, I guess that all depends. Every step forward in a journey or quest begins with a question looming in our minds. At least I hope this question is there, because if it isn't then we are walking without aim, knowledge, or faith.

The question is "how far am I willing to go?" I know that when it comes to travel, I want to see it all, and when it comes to my family, I want to be there for it all. But when it comes to our walk with Christ...what is mine and your limit? Is it like that of a martyr to be willing to die? I think that sounds like the noble and honorable thing to say. The truth is the our answer to the question of "how far am I willing to go?"...should be something like this (and this is where I hope I am, and if I'm not, I want to be there)...I will live for Jesus, even if it kills me. That means, we may think death is a noble sacrifice, but life lived for Jesus...that is something very different.

This is something that takes limitless devotion. It takes a person that says i'm willing to give every breath over to my God even if it could be my last. WOW! I'm not sure i live that way. I want to live that way, but i know that i'm not always that person. What would it look like if this became the cry of a generation? What if we began to live like this for the one we call our KING...Jesus Christ?

I think then, people would begin to know...that we really believe He is who He says He is and that He does all that He promises to do. I also believe that when they see this....they will see the truth,and the truth will se them free.

Honor the Price

2010-03-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Original Post December 2007- moved from my myspace account:

What is your favorite gift?  What is the most hoped for thing on your Christmas list?  What is the fondest Christmas morning you've ever had?  What is that one present that you'll ever throw away because it was so incredibly special?  It is amazing to me how some gifts...we could careless about and yet we somehow needed them.

There are also those gifts we have received that we don't care to mention because...well, It just wasn't our cup of tea….let's face it...you might as well have gotten a partridge in a pear tree they were so useless. However, there are those gifts we never forget and we try to hold onto forever.  These could be some favorite toy or whatever from our childhood, and it may be something we talk about all the time.  We hold a special place of honor for these gifts. (Meaning they are valued much more than the packs of socks and underwear we got).

But what about God's gift to us.  Do we honor it?  Do we value it for the price that was paid for it?  How much do we care about the present Jesus offered us?  I think we really need to study what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 to see what He says about honoring the price paid.  It will sure keep us out of the refund lines after Christmas, but I hope it reminds us...that we are not our own. We were paid for with a price….that means God considers us valuable to Him.  How do you honor the price?

What it Do?

2010-03-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Original Post Date July, 2009 from my myspace account:

Well, what it do?

It's a funny statement don't you think... I know I do. Yet, I ask this question often about things placed in front of me... especially car parts...but I'm learning. Anyway, many times we have to know what it does before we'll ever trust it. I can honestly understand this because it is only natural for us to think like this. And many times, we can figure out exactly what is going to happen or how it is going to function.

There are only two places in life that I think we can never truly narrow this question down and always know... I believe that the will of God is so able to be understood... and yet not. He gives us clear direction and guidance through the Scriptures about His will, and yet, he personally will sometimes do things in our lives or show us things that are beyond comprehension.

Like in my life, i sometimes understand His grace and forgiveness for the times my integrity has not been as solid as it should be. It is hard for me to grasp why He would forgive me... but then to bless me more than I can possibly ask or imagine... I know that is Scriptures promise... but it blows my mind and melts my heart and moves my soul. God is great, but sometimes we lose sight of how great and marvelous He is. It reminds me of all the things that i have taken for granted.

So i guess the second place that is unsearchable is the human heart in the hand of an intimate God... you'll never fully know how just a true moment with Jesus can intersect us and move us in ways and to places that just don't seem normal. So what it do? sometimes I don't know... but i enjoy the adventure of how He does all these things. Peace my friends.

The Courage To Dream

2010-03-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

This post is from August of 2008...moved from my myspace account which i never use now.

You know, life is pretty funny sometimes. I think that is because our Lord has a sense of humor that boggles our frail minds. What I mean by that, is when I see God, I feel like I am completely unworthy of Him doing anything significant in my life. Then, He ends up doing exceedingly more than i could possibly ask or even imagine. I know that I don't deserve to have the beautiful wife that i do, but Jesus brought her to me. I know that i don't deserve my adorable and hilarious children, but He gave them to us. I certainly know I don't deserve to be forgiven and then to even have the grace (favor) of God placed on me. I mean i keep messing up everyday.

Then, i get to be a person that is called to be a representative for His name... I mean what is that? Certainly, not worthy...but i think it is very funny. Because He makes me smile... You should think about what God places in your life to make you smile. And one of the many things He places within us... is our dreams. God places our dreams inside of us to accomplish. I don't mean the fleeting fancies of wanted pleasure. I mean the absolutely huge yearning inside that longs to come out and be God sized... yet fear usually keeps them squelched. The kind of dreams that if God doesn't lead you through them, they would fail. And that is what we are so afraid of... failure.

Sometimes failure is going to happen. Sometimes the obstacles are going to seem big. The children of Israel didn't go first into the promise land because of the fear of defeat (failure). It cost them a generation. Joseph had to go through extreme obstacles which had to feel like failures before the dream inside of him was accomplished. All, i'm going to say is this... the only way to have the courage to dream is not just trust in your dream... but in Christ Jesus that placed it there.

Prayer for the church...

2010-01-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

God, I know that your bride, the church, is something you love very much. Every soul that comes to know salvation in your Son, Jesus Christ is automatically adopted into this graceful family. It is only by the power, grace, and gift of Jesus on the Cross and being raised from the grave that I or any other person is able to enter in. I'm thankful that this grace is unlimited to all that call on Your name and believe. (Romans 10:9-10 / Acts 16:31) And you have set your church up in such a way that the gates of hell will not prevail against us.

But God, I pray for revival of life in Your church. May people and especially believers be reminded of the refreshing life that only You can give.

God, I pray for truth in Your church. Remind us that You are Truth and only You provide the truth for the answers our heart is searching for. Make us hunger and thirst for seeking it. Help our lives reflect it without deceit.

God, I pray for mercy in Your church. Let mercy and compassion reign in the life of your people. May we lift up those who hurt among us and seek to carry love to barren places.

God, I pray for power in Your church. You have promised power when we are Your witnesses. May your church be an unstoppable force to be reckoned with and may we move in the Presence of Your Holy Spirit in such a way, that people are reminded of Your power.

God, I pray for Your Glory in Your Church. Remind us that although we a part of the Kingdom of God...It is still Your Kingdom. Help us not to neglect this. The local church is an outpost for Your Kingdom in this world... may the integrity in our lives serve as great ambassadors for your ministry of reconcilliation to others. And as ambassadors, remind us that we are not competitors, but to like you seek those who were lost...and with You...can & will be found.

God, I pray for sincere worship in Your church. You are our One and First Love. Let us live as such.

God, I know that all of this You already know. I just pray that our heart, our words, and our deeds match what You desire for Your church.

Thank You for grace and for how it leads me to desire more in life for Your Name. May people see Jesus in my life and in the life of the church.

Iron on Iron

2010-01-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

A wise man was inspired by God to write a proverb that says... "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17) When I read this i think about the friction and reaction of the iron on the iron. It really can't be comfortable for one iron or the other. But the outcome is that each blade becomes more useful as the tool it was made to be. It is a beautiful thing how God inspired someone to write this deep and practical truth. All of us are meant to be instruments of nobility & usefulness (2 Timothy 2:21), righteousness (Romans 6:26), truth (Proverbs 14:25), and grace (Acts 20:24).

But without another iron to sharpen against, we ourselves get really dull (I mean that both in the boring sense and the unable to serve sense). I really don't want to be dull. So I'm so very thankful for the people in my life that God uses to sharpen me, and that i hopefully help sharpen in return. Those that encourage me, that correct me, and that pray for me. Relationships with others were never meant to be taken for granted. That is why God gives us Himself, our families, our friends, and His church to nurture us to be all He intended.

Pastors, teachers, leaders, servants, and people of all places...you can't do it alone without getting dull. Learn to live and love the people that God placed to sharpen you, and return the investment to sharpen them in turn. And may we all become more like the instruments that give glory to God who loves us. Thank you, my King, Jesus Christ, for loving me and sending your Holy Spirit to walk with me and sharpen me.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

2010-01-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

I used to sing this song alot by request called "Your Grace Still Amazes Me." It is a song made popular by Philips, Craig, & Dean. And the whole of the song is very true...God's grace still amazes me. It is deeper, high, longer, wider, and stronger than we can ever know. In fact, without the Spirit of God within you to reveal it to you, you are really actually unable to comprehend it. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus (Ephesian 1:17-19 & 3:14-19) about praying for these believers that they would be able to live, love, and see the amazing grace that only God can give. Now these guys were mostly already saved, believing in Jesus as the Son of God...Christians. But it just shows that even way back when, people could lose sight of how huge grace really is.

It has been raining every night this week since Sunday in the Arizona high desert. Even in a place so filled with dryness, God chooses to shower mercy through rain to bring the desert floor to life and revive the creatures here. But that is just in the matter of His Creation. I also think about all the hearts that have been stirred beyond themselves to reach out to the people of Haiti. To love and give to people they do not know and that some will never even meet. I can't help but think how amazing that grace is and that it normally would not occur. God has used this tragedy to bring new life to so many. I pray to be a part of this effort even more in the future.

Maybe, you don't know about God's amazing grace, but this one thing i do know. It has taken effect on me as it has on so many others. The Scripture actually speaks about grace being something that changes us. 1 Corinthians 15:10 is where we see this revealed. Grace that has an effect on life...that is exactly why God's grace is so incredibly, immeasurably, irreplaceably, irresistibly... Amazing.

Always sharing with her father...

2009-12-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Right now, in my office sits and chats a lovely 4 year old little girl. I'm absolutely grateful to call her my daughter and i believe she is happy to call me "daddy." What amazes me is her constant love for me. Now I'm not bragging or getting on an ego trip. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she loves me. I can see this by her constant talk of what she is feeling, what she wants, and the random thoughts that she is bouncing back and forth. She actually only stops talking in between bites of a granola bar (which she made sure she shared with me), sips of her water, and yawns. I guess my office is not exactly a 4-year olds dreamland. But between the talking, the sharing of sacred granola, and the bouncing energy...i get the climb up in daddy's lap hug and "I love you." I love how secure she is in sharing with me.

It probably will not be long at all before she isn't. In fact, the other night i remember her tears and sorrow for thinking she was on "the naughty list" after watching Dora's Christmas Carol. She made sure she knew that she was sorry for those things she had done to hurt her brother's feelings and such. Broke my heart a little seeing her in sorrow. But it reminded me of the honesty I need with my God.

I know that their are many times in my life that my relationship with my Father in heaven is not "like the faith of a child." And there is absolutely nothing wrong with sharing constantly what is on my heart (1 Thessalonians 5:16), giving of what has been given to me (Luke 21:3-4), and both embracing & reciprocating (giving back) the love he has for me...His adoptive son (Luke 15:11-32 / Romans 8:15).

He loves you like crazy, so...don't forget to always share the love of & with your Father

Am I Lukewarm...like room temperature coffee?

2009-05-30T14:17:00.002-07:00

I heard Vodie Baucham teach one time that our view of the "lukewarm" passage in Revelation 3 is often skewed in American/Western Culture churches. He taught the crowd about how the idea of this idiom is not "straddling the fence" as we have come to know it...where you are either for God or against Him. He taught that looking at the church of Laodicea (which the particular passage was addressing), they had everything accessible to them imagined as a trade city. Except for a natural source of freshwater that had to be aquaducted to their location. In other words, they had to find alternate ways to connect to a source of useful water. Hot water for cleaning, healing, and such. Cold water for refreshment. When it was lukewarm water...it meant there was the problem with a connection to the source.

In other words, hot and cold had their uses, the lukewarm was not straddling the fence as we have coined the phrase, but was truly an unconnected person, either by unbelief, or by issues in their relationship with God. I have never wanted to be lukewarm...but I have been so recently challenged in my personal walk with God.

I've been reading "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. He has written in such a way about the Crazy, Overwhelming love of God in such a way that my heart is so refreshed, and now so...examined. Now all of us have sinned and messed up in our lives at many points, but as believers are we passionately in pursuit of loving God, or just what God gives us? (F. Chan paraphrase, not mine)

I think that it was a reminder of how complacent I can be at times, and i don't want that. God knows i try to teach against such things. But I found myself there. I found myself...settling. I found myself...selfish. I found myself...needing Christ even more desperately than i could imagine in the beginning of my relationship with Him. I need that connection that not only brings me closer to Him, but allows Him to use me in ways that benefit others.

I don't want to be room temperature coffee that is left on my desk after a visit in my favorite java stop. I want to be something bold from my Maker not just because it sounds good, but because I know...He really, boldly loves me.

New Vision

2009-04-29T14:23:00.002-07:00

So over the past few days, i have began to se things more clearly. Literally! I went to the eye doctor (lazy man way of saying optamologist) the other day to get some new contacts and glasses. I was out of contacts already and my glasses had this stress crack for months. So, now i have beem looking through my new pair of specs or these things suctioned to my eyeballs. It amazes me how much clearer things are.

I'm also reading this book called "Confessions of a Pastor" by Craig Groeschel. Don't worry, it is not as racey as it sounds. It is just about being real and not putting on the fake mask for people to think you are someone you are not. It also challenges me to not try to just see where others need correcting but to pray about what I need to do to be genuine and intimate with Jesus Christ. I think Christ refered to this as removing the plank from your own eye instead of trying to remove the speck from your brother's first. What a challenge and you know what happens, life has more hope and clarity.

I had gotten used to my cracked up lense on my specs. I even put them on again to mow the lawn with my old glasses. I don't even want to go back there. New examination, genuine intimacy, new-clear vision. Think about it.

Weeds

2009-02-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I was asked to preach a message for this past Sunday morning's service and the area was dealing with the message of evangelism. Well, the main point that I felt needed driven home was that the Message of Jesus matters. I was praying about what God would give me to show an illustration to this. He did...

Over the past few weeks, i have noticed that my lawn was in severe need of attention. Yes, people have lawns in Arizona. Mine is not tall with grass but weeds have begun spreading all over my yard. Over and over again i have said i needed to take care of those, but i've been pretty content to jst go in my comfortable house and procrastinate. Well, Saturday i began working and was not able to get done with it. It was dirty, back aching hard labor, but it made an impact.

God spoke telling me this, if i stay in the house, i am saying the yard matters more to the weeds than it does to us. The same goes for the message of Christ and the cross. If we don't move beyond the walls of our church home, we are saying deep down, the world matters more to the weeds than it does to us. If we really love Jesus Christ, we'll love what He loved. People matter to Him, so people matter.

Woke Up By God?

2009-02-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if you have ever been woke up by God? Last night, I had to deal with th usual ups and downs of sleep and semi-awakeness because I have two kids, one of which is 1-year old. In between my boughts of making milk bottles and changing diapers, i got this surge of restlessness, that didn't give me that (you're still sleepy) feeling. And I felt like God was talking to me. It seemed to be an intimate conversation that dealt with how I am to lead in my family and in my church with strength, wisdom, and integrity. Now believe me, I'm no saint, but I wish I were. There have been times when my integrity was not something I could say I was proud of. But there in the dark, God reminded me of light and grace. There, he reminded me, that "what he whispers... I'm to declare from rooftops." There he reminded me that as I sleep, He is still awake and watching over the heavens and the earth, yet He concerns Himself with a person such as me. I am reminded of the story of Samuel, from Scriptures. As still a boy, God spoke to Him truth and wisdom. The only thing was for Samuel to be open to listening. "He spoke, 'speak for Your servant is listening." I tried to fight this restless whisper for a moment, thinking, maybe just my head is busy and swarming with things on my mind. But after taking a moment of prayer, just to say "I am willing to listen to You God." He let me know, that He is the one that still wants to do great things in the lives of us who are willing to yeild to His teaching.

Truth & Trust

2009-02-06T14:03:00.001-07:00

It amazes me to watch my children on my days off. They follow me around wherever i go in the house, (even when you want just a little privacy). They bring me gifts (toys or other objects that interest them) as if to say "look what i have discovered," "or aren't you happy with what I'm doing." They also go directly to you when they are desiring to have a need met.. "Daddy, I'm thirsty; Daddy, I'm hungry; Daddy, I need to go potty; well you get it. And they are so honest (usually) about what they have done or what they need. I blows my mind their faith in me. Then my little girl has just started learning to pray all on her own. She is so simple and beautiful when she begins talking to this person she knows as Jesus. And i stop and think, she doesn't know all the ends and outs, she simply trusts...much like she trusts her parents. I wish my faith, trust, and honesty was like that when it comes to my Father, God. "Jesus, help me believe and live in faith and integrity. I hope to trust you, simply with a yes."