Anybody Hungry?

I was really good this thanksgiving. I did not completely gorge myself. I ate. I ate a lot, but I did not eat until I was sick. I ate until I was full. Food was not the only substance I have had my share of this holiday season. God's word is something we need to be hungry for. My prayer for us all is that we will be hungry for the word of God. His word is living and active, sharper than any two edge sword.(Hebrews 4:12) We are told to exercise our bodies a minimum of thirty minutes a day five days a week. How often should we train our spirit and how do we train? The answer to that is the reason I write today and the answer is found in scripture. We are reminded in Timothy that all scripture is God breathed. What? The breath of God? The same breath that breathed peace on the frightened disciples locked away in a secret room after the Resurrection? Timothy also says God's word is useful for teaching, rebuking, and correcting. Last but not least I leave you with a portion of the very first Psalm. Certainly there is a reason the writer decided to make this one the first one read by future generations. I hope this is who we are becoming. May we go to His word early and often.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1: 1-3

Thank God

I am thankful for the many blessings that I have been born into. There was no reason that I deserve this life I have versus someone who was born at the same time as me into some unfortunate circumstances compared to mine, therefore I will give thanks.

I am thankful for people who can do more on less. I am thankful for men and women that work hard for little pay like fire fighters, police, and sanitation specialists. I am thankful for people who don't complain even though they have the right. I am thankful for the jobs that are out there and hoping for more to be found in this great nation. I am thankful for music, sports, and ability to wear pajama pants around the house. Also, for food to eat, shelter over my head, and breath in my lungs.

I am thankful for our military, men and women who serve our nation with their lives. I am hopeful for our leaders and thankful for their efforts. I am thankful for my church. The right to worship. The joy of serving.

I am thankful for my family both far and near. My wife and daughter, my parents, my siblings, even my in laws.

I am thankful for my God. My Jesus. My Savior. All I have that is worthy of thanks is from God.

Pickles for everyone

I was told it takes time and pressure to transform a lump of coal into a diamond. I have watched videos of the caterpillar changing into a butterfly. I also remember as a child as my mom and a friend would spend all day making cucumbers into pickles. Sometimes it takes time to make things that are amazing.

Pickles are the best. I don't have any problems with cucumbers so don't send me any hate mail, but it can't compare to a crisp dill spear. However, the process is quite grueling.(at least it was when I was six) The cucumber is washed and scrubbed in the early stages of the process. Next, the cucumber is soaked for what seemed like an eternity in vinegar and other liquids to marinate and begin the metamorphosis into a pickle. Finally, after a little refrigeration and paper towel and I have one of my favorite treats.

We Christians are not so different. We too go through a rigorous process of becoming. We have to become trusting of Jesus. That does not truly happen until we begin to know Him. We learn his truths and then we test them to see if they are real. We experience his faithfulness again and again. We realize he is the truest of friends and therefore is worthy of our faith. Somewhere after that we accept his grace and forgiveness. Please understand I do not mean to say we must become a certain way to have his grace it is ours today and always, but until I can know I can trust him I will play my cards close to the vest. It is so amazing when we finally give in to his love and just allow him to love us back.

Just like the pickle the outcome is not disappointing.

If it looks like a duck

I have always heard if it looks like a duck and it walks like a duck it must be a duck. Sounds simple. But what if you hear the duck bark like a dog? How would that affect your decision of the duck being a duck? Of course we know that dogs bark like dogs and ducks quack. Can you tell I have been hanging out with my 2 year old?

However, this is a real world scenario. There are those of us within the christian church who have really confused the world. The single greatest cause of atheism in the world are Christian's who acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny Him by their life style. We have all known friends or maybe ourselves who act like the crowd that we are hanging with. Oh we claim to be his at church and to our church friends but when we really could represent him we fail. Why? We are scared? We don't realize he is counting on us? What are we afraid of?

God is calling us out. Daring us to be different than the world we see around us. I want the church to look like Christ, speak like Christ and most importantly love like Christ. I truly believe at that point the world will be changed.

Dear God make it so.

My God

The bible says for us not to take the lord's name in vain. I often have said, "My God," as expression of anger. What ever I would see or experience that was frustrating to me personally would elicit a resounding "My God".

I have since grown closer to My God and no longer use His name in vain anymore. Still from time to time I will let his name slip from my mouth in way that does not honor him, but I have definitely grown to appreciate his name as I appreciate who He is.

My God : is amazing, the beginning, my friend, my savior, my direction and my purpose, my reason, my hope, my strength, my passion, my direction as a father and a husband and a friend. My God is all that and then some. He is the king of a man who has never been ruled. The guide of one who can never be shown the way. He is the peace for a man who has for a while been angry. He is sufficient for me when before I never found true contentment. He is my Rock, my redeemer, my religion, and my relationship.

He is My God.

The Green Mile

Last night I was watching a movie, The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks. It is a story about life on cell block E, death row, otherwise known as the Green Mile. Tom Hanks was the captain of that block and was in charge of all executions at this particular prison. It is a great movie. I recommend it to all viewers above the age of 14. There was a rule, "What ever happens on the mile, stays on the mile." Meaning no one who worked at cell block E talked about the sensitive things seen there to the outside world. I actually caught myself watching to see if they could actually keep things private. In this world we see more often the lack of privacy. Proverbs 16:28 says, "A perverse man stirs up dissension and a gossip separates close friends."

In this day and time we value privacy so much because it is a precious resource. To have a friend who you can confide in is a blessed thing. Someone who will listen and not talk to others about the intimate details of your situation is a valued treasure. I have a buddy named Carrel. He has been the best friend when it comes to listening to my problems. He has not always had answers for me but he is a great friend who simply listens. Often times the best he could offer is prayer. I was so blessed because I knew when I told him something private it would be as safe as if putting the words in a vault. I have since moved away from Carrel, but I often think about the honest encouragement and accountability we were able to provide one another because of the trust we shared.

Do you have that person in your life? Someone you can share anything with? Your faults? Your failures? Your crazy hopes and wild dreams? If so then recognize how blessed you are, and if not maybe you should start by being more like that yourself. Good luck in your quest as you search for a friend who lives by the same code as the Green Mile.

My Praise Report

Just this week I encountered a man who needed some help. We will call him Dee. Dee came into our office very frustrated about his life. He was short on money, food, and gas for his car, and his power had been turned off.(at least that is what he was saying) I got to talking to him and the best I could tell he was really trying to do the right thing but he was really getting impatient for something to change. After helping him out with some food from our church family, he and I headed out to put some gas in his car. As we arrived at Dee's house we found his car that didn't have any gas was not there and his lights were on. It seemed as if he might have been misleading me. I said good bye and God bless and he hopped out of my car. As I drove away I was a little disappointed with the thought that this guy tried to deceive our church and especially me. At that point I thought about how my worship, my life, my service is for God. Whether or not your worship is appreciated by others is not important. What matters is our hearts. Was my heart focused on serving God while serving Dee? Yes indeed.

Matthew 25:27-40 Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" The King will reply, "I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine you did for me."

My God is an awesome God for what most of us in this world would see as failure my God would see as an offering of praise. So God bless Dee today and God bless you.

A Praise Report

I believe that the greatest purpose that you and I were created for is to glorify, to praise, to honor our God. I believe the earliest of our kind (adam and eve) were created to praise God. My definition of praise is pleasing God. Worship pleases God. So if you ask me how do we worship? I would ask you, What pleases God?

What does God want? What would please our God? A song - maybe. Singing his praises before the world would please him without a doubt. Feeding the hungry - certainly taking care of someone who can't take care of themselves would please God. Do you think it would please him if he saw you reading a bible with a desire to know God and his ways more fully? How about inviting a neighbor to church? All of these are things that bring pleasure to God and all are ways that we honor God.

So how have you honored him this week. That is the BIG question? How have you brought pleasure to God in the context of your life? Have you sang his praise to someone? Have you clothed the naked? Have you comforted someone who really felt alone, or scared, or afraid? What have you done to bring glory, honor, or praise to God in the past week?

Here is my request: if you can think of even one thing that you did for the glory of God this week comment back to this blog and share with all of us who can view this so we can celebrate with you our God and how great He is.

I can't wait to hear your praise for our God. I will send my praise report out tomorrow.