Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Bogged Down With Life?

Sorry I haven't posted in the past few days but I've been on vacation. I've been doing some evaluating over this break and taking a good look at my life and what gobbles up my time. It's been very eye-opening and challenging at the same time. Have you ever thought about what dominates your time, energy and virtue? If we're not careful we can allow "stuff" to take over our lives and before we know it, we're sinking in the quicksand of being overwhelmed. We all have 24 hours a day and what we choose to do in those 24 hours is our choice. So much of what we do with our time amounts to nothing, while some of it can eternal implications. I'm choosing to simplify my life. I'm choosing to take control of my time and days. I'm not going to allow myself to be bogged down in the mud of life any longer. Every day I'm listening for the Lord's "still, small voice" to direct me and lead me. I know that as I follow His leading I'll be doing the things that matter and are important to Him. Hearing His voice and doing His will is what I'm going to do today :)

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Vacation Has Begun...

Yes, that time of the year that everyone looks forward to has arrived for me. Vacation! A time to relax, refresh, catch up on sleep and do those things you don't normally get a chance to do. At the moment I'm watching some Pride and Prejudice with my wife. Vacation is a time where your pace changes and your schedule slows down. But does this mean that everything will change over my vacation? Nope! Whether on vacation or not, I continue being a follower of Christ. This means my time with the Lord in prayer, time in the Word, and everything else that followers of Christ do, I will continue in. Whether I'm on vacation or not, some aspects of my life cannot change, being non-negotiable. They are things that are essential and vital to my every day. So as I get some rest on my vacation, don't worry, I'll keep those things that are priorities in my life as priorities :)

Monday, June 17, 2013

When What We Say and What We Do Line Up...

I think we've all heard the saying, "Do as I say and not as I do". Usually it's used as an apology for hypocritical behavior. But think for just a moment, what if everything we said and everything we did actually lined up? What if our actions actually validated everything we said? As I grow as a Christian I'm continually being made aware of my shortcomings as I measure my life against the words of Jesus. Much of the time it's more ignorance than anything, when it comes to my words and my actions not lining up with each other. And at other times, perhaps it's not. It's in these times I must recognize my sin and make things right with the Lord, which should be followed by fruits of my repentance. But honestly, let's face it, too often we're saying things that we may not even do in our own lives. When I think of Jesus and His example, there were no differences between what He said and how He lived. His actions supported His words, and when He said something, you could count on it being lived out in His life. I want to keep narrowing that gap between my words and my actions. I want everything I say to be backed up by what I do. I want to live like Jesus lived! As I compare my life to Him and the Word of God, I know I'll be continually required to grow, change and be stretched. However, there's nothing wrong with that because my desire is to be a man of God :)

Friday, June 14, 2013

Today Will Be Full of Opportunities

Today will be full of opportunities. The question is whether or not you will see them? I'm amazed at the opportunities and possibilities found in every day I live. Unfortunately we can easily become sidetracked and overwhelmed by things which prevent us from seeing opportunities and potential. You may ask why would I be so excited about today? My answer is simple. Any day I live as a child of God opens up the door to possibilities. Things that I may have not seen or expected can happen when you serve the creator of the universe. Some days they may be different than others, but every day is one full of possibilities. Is that how you're approaching today? Are you excited about today? Always be ready for God to move. For Him to open doors and bring people across your path. Today I'm living with excitement about my God and the day ahead of me. It's a day that's full of opportunities, potential and possibilities :)

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

I Am a Follower of Christ...

Today I choose to die to self. I choose to see people how God sees them. I choose to resist to complain, whine or be a victim. I choose to be thankful, encouraging and kind with my words. I choose to be a strength wherever I find myself. I choose to be a man of my word. I choose to do everything with a spirit of excellence. I choose to listen carefully to what others say. I choose to grow as a Christian, a husband and a father. I choose to put others ahead of myself. I choose to be generous and not stingy. I choose to be thankful in all things. I choose to put God first and foremost in my life. Why do I choose to do these things? Because I am a follower of Christ.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Bird Poop!

I love having a clean car, especially when it's a pearl white color. When it's clean it looks amazing! It's sharper than a red, black, brown and or any other color car for that matter (well that's just my perspective). I washed my my car on Saturday and had to admire how good it looked (well as good as a 95 Toyota can look). But wouldn't you know it, early Saturday evening I had bird poop on my pearl white hood. How could that be? I'd just washed it and now some bird had used my shiny car for target practice. I couldn't help but think about how life can sometimes do the same thing. You work hard at something only to have it fall apart. You get something ready only to have it end up in disaster. These things do happen and will happen in life, just like the bird poop on my car. I guess the question I need to answer is how am I going to respond and act when these things happen to me? Will I get mad or frustrated? Will I pout or become a victim? Or will I do something else? My goal is always to let God's peace and joy fill me, regardless of the circumstances. I'm going to trust in the Lord, stay close to Him and allow Him to help me through whatever I have to go through. I know that more birds will target my car this summer, but you know what? It's not going to shake me, rattle me or frustrate me. Know why? Because I have the Lord :)

Friday, June 7, 2013

My God...

Was reading Psalm 18 today and anything I'd write today would only pale in comparison to what it says, "I love you, Lord God  and you make me strong. You are my mighty rock, my fortress, my protector,  the rock where I am safe, my shield, my powerful weapon, and my place of shelter. I praise you, LordI prayed, and you rescued me  from my enemies. Death had wrapped  its ropes around me  and I was almost swallowed  by its flooding waters. Ropes from the world of the dead had coiled around me, and death had set a trap  in my path. I was in terrible trouble when I called out to you, but from your temple you heard me and answered my prayer. The earth shook and shivered,  and the mountains trembled   down to their roots. You were angry  and breathed out smoke. Scorching heat and fiery flames  spewed from your mouth. You opened the heavens  like curtains  and you came down with storm clouds  under your feet. You rode on the backs of flying creature  and swooped down  with the wind as wings. Darkness was your robe; thunderclouds filled the sky,  hiding you from sight. Hailstones and fiery coals lit up the sky  in front of you. Lord Most High, your voice thundered from the heavens, as hailstones and fiery coals poured down like rain. You scattered your enemies with arrows of lightning. You roared at the sea and its deepest channels could be seen. You snorted, and the earth shook to its foundations. You reached down from heaven,   and you lifted me  from deep in the ocean. You who were hateful and too powerful for me. On the day disaster struck, they came and attacked, but you defended me. When I was fenced in, you freed and rescued me because you love me. You are good to me, Lordbecause I do right, and you reward me  because I am innocent. I do what you want and never turn to do evil. I keep your laws in mind  and never look away from your teachings. I obey you completely and guard against sin. You have been good to me because I do right; you have rewarded me  for being innocent by your standards. You are always loyal  to your loyal people,  and you are faithful  to the faithful. With all who are sincere,  you are sincere,  but you treat the unfaithful as their deeds deserve. You rescue the humble, but you put down all  who are proud. You, the Lord God, keep my lamp burning  and turn darkness to light. You help me defeat armies and capture cities. Your way is perfect, Lordand your word is correct.  You are a shield for those who run to you for help. You alone are God! Only you are a mighty rock. You give me strength and guide me right. You make my feet run as fast as those of a deer, and you help me stand  on the mountains. You teach my hands to fight  and my arms to use a bow of bronze. You alone are my shield. Your right hand supports me, and by coming to help me, you have made me famous. You clear the way for me,  and now I won’t stumble. I kept chasing my enemies,  until I caught them and destroyed them. I stuck my sword  through my enemies,  and they were crushed  under my feet. You helped me win victories,  and you forced my attackers to fall victim to me. You made my enemies run   and I killed them. They cried out for help, but no one saved them;  they called out to you, but there was no answer. I ground them to dust  blown by the wind,  and I poured them out  like mud in the streets. You rescued me from stubborn people, and you made me the leader of foreign nations, who are now my slaves. They obey and come crawling. They have lost all courage, and from their fortresses,  they come trembling. You are the living Lord I will praise you. You are a mighty rock.   I will honor you  for keeping me safe. You took revenge for me, and you put nation in my power. You protected me from violent enemies and made me much greater  than all of them. I will praise you, Lordand I will honor you among the nations. You give glorious victories to your chosen king. Your faithful love for David  and for his descendants  will never end." See I told you so :)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Worth Waiting For...

You've probably heard the statement, "the best things in life are worth waiting for" before? But are they? I think so. Looking back on my life I would have to agree that there have been seasons of "waiting". Now please don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with whether or not that season of waiting is easy or difficult. But what I will say is that by waiting for something, it's usually well worth the wait. Perhaps you're presently in one of these seasons, just waiting for some movement or direction? Be patient and don't make a stupid decision you'll soon regret. One phrase I've heard many times is, "Move quickly on decisions that are reversible. But move slowly on decisions that are irreversible." How true is this? Part of the challenge with waiting is looking for clear direction on what to do. Nine times out of ten a person's response will be that the wait was worth it. Are you waiting for something right now? Are you in that holding pattern till you get some direction? There's nothing wrong being there. Typically there are good reasons for us being at this place, whether we can see them or understand them. My encouragement today is that you keep up your wait for whatever you're waiting for. Don't make a quick and foolish decision because you got tired of waiting. Be patient, and never forget that "the best things in life are worth waiting for". Your wait will be worth it :)

Monday, June 3, 2013

Are You Confusing or Clear?

Have you ever noticed how confusion seems to be everywhere in culture? We find confusion in things, people and even places. So what is confusion? Simply put, it's a lack of clarity. I think most people would agree we need less confusion and more clarity when it comes to our lives. Confusion causes us to not know what to do, or to do something the wrong way, and even do things we should never have done. Clarity on the other hand is being clear, free from indistinctness or ambiguity. We could easily take time to evaluate others around us when it comes to confusion or clarity. But let's take a quick look at ourselves. Am I ever confusing? Or am I a person of clarity? I think others would be able to give us the most accurate answer. So today, try to be more clear and less confusing with what you do, say and think. Make things so clear that others will have no trouble understanding you or leave any room for confusion. If things aren't clear to you, how in the world will it be clear to others? If it means using less words, simpler terminology, or even slowing down, you should do it. Clarity will bring about success, whereas confusion will bring about defeat. Today, will you choose to be a person of clarity? Have fun figuring it out :)